This page describes the configuration needed to use Gentoo on an MSI S271. This is not a tutorial but a piece of information in order to help other people to install Linux on this Laptop.

General information

Processor

Since the processor is often very hot, you should consider lowering its frequency.

Lowering the frequency using cpufreq

In order to use cpufreq, you have to enable some options in your kernel. Under Power management options, CPU Frequency scaling :

  • AMD Opteron/Athlon64 PowerNow!
  • 'ondemand' cpufreq policy governor

and you may also want to enable the following options :

  • 'userspace' governor for userspace frequency scaling
  • 'powersave' governor
  • 'performance' governor
  • CPU frequency translation statistics

then, load the module powernow-k8 (do not forget to add it to /etc/modules.autoload.d/kernel-2.6).

To manage the powersaving options of your processor, install cpufrequtils : 

itinerix ~ # emerge -av sys-power/cpufrequtils

edit cat /etc/conf.d/cpufrequtils and modify the variable GOVERNOR : 

GOVERNOR="ondemand"

and add cpufrequtils to the startup process : 

itinerix ~ # eselect rc add cpufrequtils

Temperature

In order to have the temperature of your processor, install the lm_sensors, read http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_Sensors and patch your kernel with gregkh-i2c-hwmon-k8temp-autoload.patch and gregkh-i2c-hwmon-k8temp-new-driver.patch from http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/people/akpm/patches/2.6/2.6.18/2.6.18-mm3/broken-out/

Then, you should be able to get the temperature using the command sensors : 

nicolas.masse@itinerix ~ $ sensors
k8temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
Core0 Temp:
             +38°C
Core1 Temp:
             +43°C

Hard disk

Partitions

By default, this laptop has three partitions on its hard disk. The first one is for windows, the second one is for the user and the last one (2.5 GB) is the restoration system (in fact, it's a windows with Norton Ghost installed).

Performances

itinerix ~ # hdparm -tT /dev/hda

/dev/hda:
 Timing cached reads:   2944 MB in  2.00 seconds = 1472.87 MB/sec
 Timing buffered disk reads:   96 MB in  3.03 seconds =  31.66 MB/sec

Temperature

You can get the temperature of your hard disk using hddtemp. First, you have to install it with : 

itinerix ~ # emerge -av app-admin/hddtemp

You can check the temperature with the command hddtemp : 

itinerix ~ # hddtemp /dev/hda
/dev/hda: TOSHIBA MK8032GAX: 41°C

If you get a warning stating your disk is not in the database, add the following line to /usr/share/hddtemp/hddtemp.db (the location depends on your system) : 

"TOSHIBA MK8032GAX"                     194  C  "Toshiba MK8032GAX"

SMART

Since all new hard disks are compatible with SMART, you should enable it. This technology is designed to monitor your hard disk and give a warning before it fails.

Just install smartmontools with the following command : 

itinerix ~ # emerge -av sys-apps/smartmontools

and replace the configuration file (/etc/smartd.conf) with the following one : 

# First (primary) ATA/IDE hard disk.  Monitor all attributes, enable
# automatic online data collection, automatic Attribute autosave
/dev/hda -a -o on -S on

Special keys

Scancodes / Keycodes / Keysyms

I gathered the information given hereinafter using xev, showkey -s, showkey -k and tail -f -n 0 /var/log/messages.

  • xev to watch the X keycodes and the keysyms
  • showkey -s to see the scancodes
  • showkey -k to see the keycodes
  • tail -f -n 0 /var/log/messages to see the uncognized scancodes
Key Scancode Keycode (console) Keycode (X) Keysym
Wifi on/off E076 200 168 XF86Launch0
Bluetooth on/off E062 201 169 XF86Launch1
Search E079 202 171 XF86Search
Vol. down E02E E0AE 114 174 XF86AudioLowerVolume
Vol. up E030 E0B0 115 176 XF86AudioRaiseVolume
Mute E020 E0A0 113 160 XF86AudioMute
Sleep E05F E0DF 142 223 XF86Sleep
Mails E06C E0EC 155 236 XF86Mail
Internet E032 E0B2 150 178 XF86HomePage

The keycodes in italic are not handled by default. You have to enable them using : 

itinerix ~ # setkeycodes e076 200
itinerix ~ # setkeycodes e062 201
itinerix ~ # setkeycodes e079 202

Since no keysym is linked with the special keys, you have to do it. (You can find the list of all the keysyms in /usr/share/X11/XKeysymDB)

First, create a file named ".xmodmap" (not as root) with the following command : 

nicolas.masse@itinerix ~ $ xmodmap -pke > ~/.xmodmap

Then, edit this file and link the keycodes with the keysyms : 

keycode 160 = XF86AudioMute
keycode 174 = XF86AudioLowerVolume
keycode 176 = XF86AudioRaiseVolume
keycode 223 = XF86Sleep
keycode 178 = XF86HomePage
keycode 236 = XF86Mail
keycode 168 = XF86Launch0
keycode 169 = XF86Launch1
keycode 171 = XF86Search

Then, add xmodmap to the startup process of KDE : 

nicolas.masse@itinerix ~ $ cd .kde/Autostart/
nicolas.masse@itinerix ~/.kde/Autostart $ cat > xmodmap
#!/bin/sh

xmodmap ~/.xmodmap

exit 0
nicolas.masse@itinerix ~/.kde/Autostart $ chmod 755 xmodmap

Bluetooth

The bluetooth works. See http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/bluetooth-guide.xml (you have to enable the support for HCI USB driver in your kernel).

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