[Debian-eeepc-devel] Some experiences with kernel 2.6.31

[Darren Salt]

I demand that Luca Niccoli may or may not have written...

> Hi, I compiled a kernel from linux-source-2.6.31 and I thought Id' share my
> experience (I own a 901):

> * the firmware for rt2860sta is not included in the kernel anymore, one
> needs to install the firmware-ralink package (loading the module without
> the firmware leads to nasty behaviours and freezes, and IMHO loading the
> module should fail straight away if the firmware is not found); it took me
> a while to realize it

You should file a bug report against the kernel, then (not against
linux-source-*, since this will probably be the same in linux-image-*).

> * Sometimes using the wifi kill siwtch makes the computer freeze (the
> screen gets blanked and I see only the cursor), and I don't understand why

http://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13390

> * I need to do wpa_action ra0 stop && ifconfig ra0 down before
> suspending, otherwise the system freezes on resume

It should wake up after 30s or so.

> * I needed to set an hotkey to handle_shengine, and use it to set it to
> auto, since it's not possible, it seems, to set a default it in
> /etc/default/eeepc-acpi-scripts; maybe it would be nice to have such a
> possibility (and ovverride that preference if handle_shengine is used)

/var/lib/eeepc-acpi-scripts/cpufv contains the current setting. (It has to be
there, not in /etc, so that the script can safely modify it without breaking
Policy.)

> * Loading eeepc_laptop is still amazingly slow. I worked around it by
> blacklisting the module, and modifying /etc/init.d/eeepc-acpi-scripts to
> load it (and making the script Depend: on $all, not starting on S but on 2
> 3 4 5, so that it happens after the whole boot process). Would it be
> acceptable to merge this?

There is one known cause of this: i2c_i801. That module is blacklisted (if
you have eeepc-acpi-scripts 1.1.2 or a git snapshot); if it's present in your
kernel, REMOVE IT and the delay will go away.

[snip]
> On the bright side:
[snip]
> * After the boot script fix, boot is really fast, 10s in bootchart (1 of
> which is spent mounting the secondary SSD, I don't know why)[1], the kernel
> initializes in 2s with i915 and eeepc_laptop configured as modules

Have you timed it with those built in?

> * The kernel now send XF86MonBrightnessUp/Down events when the brightness
> keys are pressed, this lets xfce4-power-manager display a nice and
> responsive OSD

Nice to know that something other than GNOME benefits from that patch :-)

> * Setting SOUND_PREFER_MASTER leads to a more friendly behaviour; are
> there problems in setting it by default?

Other than a lack of feedback from others, I don't think so.

Maybe it's worth forcibly setting this and seeing if anybody complains? ;-)

[snip]
-- 
| Darren Salt            | linux at youmustbejoking | nr. Ashington, | Doon
| using Debian GNU/Linux | or ds    ,demon,co,uk    | Northumberland | Army
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