Linux on an Avaratec 3500 Series laptop

[Anton Markov]

Paul King wrote:
> I managed to install Debian Sarge on my Avaratec laptop. X windows works and 
> all that, but ...
> 
> 1. Colour on X windows appears to be stepped, as though it were operating at 8 
> or 16-bit. I have achieved the rated resolution (1024x768), but not the rated 
> bit depth (preferably 24-bit).
Look in the "Screen" section of the '/etc/X11/XF86Config-4' file and see 
what "DefaultDepth" is set to.

> 
> 2. mouse pad works, but the Avaratec screen also works as a tablet. It comes 
> with a pen that has what I think is the laptop's weakest feature: a battery. 
> Not just any battery, but an AAAA (that's quadruple A) battery (anyone know 
> where to get another one beside another laptop?). The pen works directly on the 
> monitor. If the battery is taken out, the pen is useless.
Try looking through the X documentation or searching on 
'www.google.com/linux' for "X tablet support" or even your exact laptop 
model. It should be a matter of setting up your '/etc/XF86Config-4' 
file's "input" section.

As for the batteries, try googling for them (there should be plenty of 
suppliers), or rig an external battery pack and a pair of wires when the 
batteries die :)

> 
> 3. The disks mount in funny places. The cd-rom is /dev/hda; and the main hard 
> drive is /dev/hdc. I have an external USB hard drive, which probably mounts ... 
> somewhere. But just not in the usual place. I've tried fdisk'ing /dev/sda, 
> /dev/sdb, /dev/sdc, ... and it was no go.

Check the output of 'dmesg' or look through 'less /var/log/messages' to 
see if the kernel detects the drive. Look for something like this (under 
a 2.6 kernel):

Dec 30 11:37:57 anton kernel:   Vendor: LEXAR     Model: JUMPDRIVE
     Rev: 1.02
Dec 30 11:37:57 anton kernel:   Type:   Direct-Access
     ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Dec 30 11:37:57 anton kernel: SCSI device sdb: 62464 512-byte hdwr sect
ors (32 MB)

Therefore my Jumpdrive is detected as /dev/sdb, and I can access it 
through /dev/sdb1 (the first and only partition on /dev/sdb).

-- 
Anton Markov <("anton" + "@" + "truxtar" + "." + "com")>

GnuPG Key fingerprint =
5546 A6E2 1FFB 9BB8 15C3  CE34 46B7 8D93 3AD1 44B4

*** LINUX - MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU! ***
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