Linux on the Sony VAIO VGN-S170
Author: Jordan Ritter <jpr5@darkridge.com>
Last updated: May 7, 2005
Hardware Summary
| CPU | Intel Pentium-M 2.00GHz
| | RAM | 1GB (1GB max)
| | Hard disk | Toshiba MK6025GAS, UDMA(5)
| | CD/DVD-ROM | UJDA755 DVD/CDRW, UDMA(2)
| | Display | 13.3" Sony WXGA TFT (1280x800)
| | Display Chipset | Radeon Mobility 9200 M9+ (RV250)
| | AGP Chipset | Intel 82855PM (855PM)
| | Audio Chipset | Intel 82801 DB/L/M (ICH4/-L/-M)
| | Ethernet Chipset | Intel PRO/100 VE (82801BD)
| | Wireless Chipset | Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG (rev 5).
| | Modem Chipset | Intel 82801 DB/L/M (ICH4/-L/-M)
| | USB Chipset | Intel 82801 DB/L/M (ICH4/-L/-M)
| | IEEE 1394 | Texas Instruments PCI7x20 1394a-2000
| | Cardbus Bridge | Texas Instruments PCI7420
|
| |
Linux Compatibility Summary
| Software
| | Kernel | 2.4.19
| | Distribution | RedHat Linux 7.2
| | Hardware
| | Video | Yes | fb:radeonfb, x11:radeon
| | Ethernet | Yes | e100 (intel)
| | Wireless | Yes | ipw2200
| | Sound | Yes | ALSA [Intel AC97 Controller]
| | APM | No | ACPI BIOS
| | ACPI | Somewhat | Immature ACPI support
| | USB | Yes | UHCI, EHCI
| | IEEE 1394 | Yes | OHCI1394, RAW1394, SBP2
| | Memory Stick | No | Unable to enable
| | Modem | Yes | HSF modem
| | CD/DVD-ROM | Yes | /dev/hdc
|
|
Foreword
This document describes Linux support for the Sony VAIO VGN-S170,
which is an early CTO (Configured-To-Order) version of the S series
laptop. Other variants of the VGN-S* series may or may not be
equivalent to the information provided herein, and in fact I already
know that newer versions of this series of laptop are different
because they have better ACPI support (i.e. they can suspend to
memory). However, I imagine the basic chipsets and drivers to have
pretty much the same configuration. Please note: this document is not
an installation FAQ; if you are seeking help with installing Linux,
first think twice, then get thee to a standard Linux distribution and
accompanying installation documents.
Notes
I love the S170. The extra-wide screen is great, and despite
completely missing the XBRITE CTO option the display is still crisp
and brite and almost usable outside. The layout and form of
everything, including plugs and jacks are all excellent, and I
especially like the cooling system design - air in one side, out the
other.
Good things:
- CPU is fast
- Good wrist area, doesn't stain (so far)
- Happy with the power button location (unhappy in the past)
- S1/S2 keys work
- Good quality audio controller, speakers are tinny but decent
- FAST disk
- Built-in monitor port (without replicator)
- A supported built-in modem
Suckage:
- At least in this laptop's ACPI support, NO WAY TO SUSPEND
THE LAPTOP IN LINUX
- Where is my jog dial?
- PCMCIA slot is back in an annoying place (crossing my
wristwatch, lower left).
- CD-RW, not CD-Write! Can't write normal CDROMs with this
laptop, frustrating!
My biggest disappointment is still not being able to suspend to RAM.
However, I've heard that later models are able to do this now, so
maybe there is a BIOS update out there somewhere.....
Distribution
I use Gentoo Linux now. Gentoo is not the most simple or easy Linux
Distribution to use, but if you follow its instructions there should
be no out-of-the-ordinary difficulties.
See the online Gentoo
documentation for more information.
Xorg X11
Configuring the Xorg version of the X11 system is pretty simple and
straightforward. The auto-generated Xorg.conf configuration file
worked out of the box, but doesn't take advantage of some of the video
drivers better features. Check out my [xorg.conf] settings for comparison.
As a general rule, I always point out that you can manipulate the caps
lock key to do other things (such as acting like a Control key, like
Sun Type5 keyboards). You can swap the capslock with the lower-left
control key with the following:
Section "Input Device"
...
Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:swapcaps"
...
EndSection
Or just simply get rid of the useless caps lock altogether:
Section "Input Device"
...
Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"
...
EndSection
Networking
The ethernet chipset bundled with the S170 is supported by the Donald
Becker's Intel EtherExpress Pro/100 driver. However, Becker's
eepro100 driver does appear to have timeout issues when connected
directly to certain switches and hubs (3Com OfficeConnect 10bt hub is
one of them, while the LinkSys 10/100bt hub is not). I believe these
issues may be related to N-Way autonegotiation, but I'm not sure.
In any case, I recommend just using Intel's e100 driver. It's Intel's
chipset, and it's Intel's driver, so you should expect it to work.
Modem
As with older VAIO laptops, the built-in modem is a softmodem and is
supported by ___.
If you're using Gentoo, just ``emerge hsfmodem'' and follow the
instructions. Otherwise, visit the main website at:
http://www.linuxant.com/drivers/hsf/index.php
After that, minicom or another terminal program should suffice.
Audio
FOO
If you enable the in-kernel "Intel ICH (i8xx)" driver, you'll have
sound. The default sound-level for the laptop is almost inaudible,
though, and contrary to the accompanying hard-copy documentation
raising the volume does NOT appear to work using the combination
Fn-Vol and the Up and Down arrow keys. In other words, use CLI
software like aumix, or one of the gnome applets to fix.
As a side note, artsd (sound daemon) under stock KDE 2.x seems to have
serious issues with the sound device -- basically, artsd just dies
after pegging the CPU at 100%. I haven't figured out why yet.
However, this problem is gone with KDE 3.x. If you're a KDE user, I
highly recommend upgrading anyway, since KDE 3.x has a ton of cool new
features.
Memory Stick
Finally, the Sony Memory Stick is fully supported by a stock Linux
kernel. Enable USB Mass Storage support and SCSI generic support, and
voila, working Memory Stick adaptor.
Harddisk Tuning
I've read a lot of other Sony VAIO Linux Installation sites about
tuning the hard disk with hdparm. Quite obviously, by default certain
features one would expect to impact performance don't appear to be
turned on.
However, if "hdparm -tT" is any valid indication of the performance
you can expect from changes, don't bother screwing with it --
there was no perceptible difference in performance between default
settings and fully optimized settings.
In other words, changing performance settings with hdparm in this case
is a farce.
Jog Dial
The jog dial works like a charm, and I think that its new location
between the two mouse buttons is really well-placed.
Be aware though, the kernel driver itself is a little flaky --
sometimes during boot it outputs warnings about failed API calls,
which should be your indication that it's not going to work unless you
reboot. Furthermore, this behaviour seems to be mostly linked to the
laptop being docked vs. undocked, and doesn't appear consistent,
either. Oh well.
S-Jog is by far the coolest
jog utility I've seen yet.
USB
Well, USB detected and fully supported the Sony Memory Stick, so I
think it's a good bet that at least the HID support, which worked
beforehand, still works. It might be useful to check my dmesg output and scan for USB messages.
I have in fact used my system with both a USB keyboard and mouse, so
it verifiably works.
Slimdock DVD-ROM
After a lot of patient waiting, Linux 2.4.19 finally has enough of the
IEEE1394 + SBP-2 stuff sorted out to support a functional DVD-ROM.
It gets installed as a SCSI device named sr0 (mknod /dev/sr0
b 11 0), and appears to work before and after the laptop has been
undocked/re-docked (unlike the floppy). Both DVD's and CD-ROM's work
just fine.
A few caveats:
- If you boot up with the drivers compiled in, you will have to
force the SCSI subsystem to ``rescan the bus'' by issuing a
scsi add-single-device 0 0 0 0 command to
/proc/scsi/scsi. The driver is loaded after the scan
occurs, and doesn't register the device without this command.
- If you boot up with the drivers as modules, you won't
have to issue the command above; it appears to be triggered
automagically.
Visit the
software section of the IEEE 1394 for Linux website
for some cool tools to play around with.
APM vs. ACPI
So Sony dumped APM for ACPI in this laptop, and it's a major bummer
since it isn't obvious to first time buyers (or even third-time buyers
like me) that you're being trapped into a Windows-centric world.
Basic ACPI support in Linux does appear to work, but it's not clear
what to do with it. To set it up, first enable it in your kernel
("General Setup/ACPI Support"), and make sure to enable the "ACPI Bus
Manager" or else it won't work at all. For the VAIO R505JL, enable
all sub-modules ("System", "Processor", "Button", "AC Adapter",
"Embedded Controller", "Control Method Battery", and "Thermal"). You
can turn on "ACPI Debug Statements", but they're rather annoying and
I'll tell you now what the debug statements will show -- ACPI support
on Linux is still extremely lacking.
Oh, BTW, if you have APM enabled anyway, don't type apm
-s; your system will suspend, but it won't wake up
without a cold (no power) reboot. She's dead, Jim.
You also need to download acpid, the ACPI apmd equivalent.
Familiarize yourself with the (sparse) docs. In a nutshell, acpid
appears to catch two events -- "power button" and "lid close". If
someone knows how to tell Linux to go to sleep (ala "apmd -s"-type
functionality), then it should be a rather simple endeavour to enable
suspend. There's probably a way to do it, but I haven't figured it
out yet.
References