Re: Averatec 5500 Trying to set up SuSe 9.2

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Date: 21 Mar 2005 10:48:05 -0800

Dances With Crows wrote:
> On 21 Mar 2005 06:28:53 -0800, rbehunin@alumni.weber.edu staggered
into
> the Black Sun and said:
> > Averatec 5500, I am attempting to set up [SuSE] Linux 9.2 on it. I
> > have managed to install it and get it to boot. However, I am
having
> > trouble getting a network connection on it.
>
> Google://"averatec 5500 linux" doesn't turn up much that's useful.
> There's nothing about this laptop on tuxmobil.org or
> linux-on-laptops.com either. You may be in for a hard slog if you're
> new to Linux, because weird hardware abounds on laptops.
>
> > It has a SIS 900 PCI Ethernet port, an 802.11g Mini PCI Wireless
port,
> > and a 1394 Network port.
>
> Er... you *can* use Firewire for networking, but hardly anyone does
and
> it's considered experimental. What did you mean by "1394 network"?
>
> > I have [tested] the Ethernet port and the 802 port under Windows
and
> > they work. I did the default install. That did not work. Then I
ran
> > the repair and installed the SIS module. That had no effect.
>
> Good to know that the hardware works. So... you need to figure out
> exactly what the hardware *is*. The Windows Device Mangler lies like
a
> rug; I wouldn't trust it as far as I could spit a guinea pig. Post
the
> outputs of "/sbin/lspci" and "uname -a". All SIS900 NICs should be
> supported if you just "modprobe sis900", but if this is a new laptop,
> its NIC may have a new PCI ID that isn't in the database for SuSE
9.2's
> less-than-bleeding-edge kernel. Or the card may not be a SIS900;
> mnaufacturers tend to use whatever chip is cheapest at the time.
>
> I can't help you much with the wireless thing. A fair number of
these
> 802.11n cards have no Linux modules available, but there's always
> ndiswrapper. That does some kernel-level magic that allows you to
use
> the Windows kernel modules in Linux, as long as you're running a
32-bit
> kernel on the x86 or x86-64. The output from lspci could be a great
help
> in providing info on what exactly you need to do.
>

I am not new to linux. I have been using SuSe linux since the 6.2 or
something like that. I did manage to get one version set up on an Old,
Old Compaq Laptop once. It was a 75mz computer. I think I still have
the PCAMIA network card from that computer.

When I updated my home pc, I did notice that there were updates for the
Wireless Lan Cards and other network updates on the SuSe update sites.
I have considered attemting to use that to update the thing and see if
that helps.
(Not sure if it would. But it is an idea.)

I have also pre-ordered SuSe 9.3. It is supposed to have better 802
support.
Not sure if it will. 9.2 was not a real great version because Novell
was in a rush to get something out under their name.

The Windows Network Connections says there is a 1394 network card. I
have not attempted to use it. It is just there. It is unplugged. Not
really sure what to do with it. I figured I would describe it in the
post. At least now I know it is experimental. (Windows did not say it
was experimental.)

I tried to do a search on google before posting. I did not find much
either.
I did find something on setting up a 2200 or 2600, but the instructions
there didn't help me much for the 5500. Those instructions, and that
person's results - that person managed to get the network card's set up
with a little tweaking, but had trouble with the sound. The sound is
working fine. I am having a lot of trouble with the network cards.
That person also had trouble with the monitor settings. I took a tape
measure and measure the screen in MM before running SAX, and set it up
without any problem. (Having set up my screen on my home PC a few
times, with a few different monitors, I had an idea this was what was
needed.)

I will try the "/sbin/lspci" and "uname -a tonight. I will also see if
I have the old PCAMIA card that I know works. If I can get the system
to update, it might cure the problem.

roland

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