Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2005 21:18:34 +0100 From: Philip Nienhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [LIB] slow
john wrote: > > Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 11:31:19 -0600 (GMT+6) > From: john <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [LIB] slow > > On Thu, 6 Jan 2005, Philip Nienhuis wrote: > > > Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2005 12:52:33 +0100 > > From: Philip Nienhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Re: [LIB] slow > > > > john wrote: > >> > >> Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 00:51:33 -0600 (GMT+6) > >> From: john <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >> Subject: slow > >> > >> thanks for the help in getting my linux install working again on my libby. > >> Movies now play and very nicely except my audio and video are out of sync > >> still--the audio is about four times fater than my video. the reason for > >> this is my hard drive has started reading and writing very slow. It only > >> works at about 1.3 M/s. It is much faster than that. It has a 8MB cache > >> for starters:)!! here are the pertinant sections of my config file > >> Does everything look right? its a toshiba 2.5 inch 60 gig GAX drive. > > > > Here is my .config, actually also for the PCMCIA floppy patch. It is for > > 2.4.28 kernel, but while trying to get the floppy patch in the 2.6.x > > kernel series I noted that esp. the IDE stuff is largely the same. > > > > I attached the entire .config file, perhaps there are more options you > > might want to compare to your setup. > > > > BTW how fast does your Toshiba HD rotate? My 60 GB Hitachi 7K60 = > > 7200rpm + 8 MB cache, I found that does make a noticable difference > > compared to a 15 GB Toshiba 1517GAP 4200 rpm with ?2? MB cache. > > I just checked the specs: 5400rpm, 60gig, 16MB cache. Rated at up to > 100M/s top transfer rate. Its a very fast drive actually and if I can > unscrewup my hard drive setup on 2.6 I'll let you know its top speed on > the libby. On a equivilant laptop with dma enabled I was getting around > 8 M/s, which is slow for it . On the 110CT, for some reason I am getting > 1.5M/s. Faster than the IBM I was using, tho. I also seem to have a memory > problem under 2.6.x. Under 2.4 I usually had about 32MB free after booting > now I only have 1-2MB free. I noticed you have ACPI enabled in your > .config file. When I enable it I can't get the donauboe FIR driver to find Ah that sound familiar (in VectorLinux 4.x). I get similar messages, but I don't use IR. I forgot to disable it in the kernel or in modules.conf (or is it conf.modules?). > its I/O address and it doesn't create the irda0 driver plus it gives me > real bad battery life. I also can't get In my case I get 2.5-3 hours (a bit less than Windows) using ACPI. Using APM it's just about 2-2.5 hours. YMMV > the Neomagic framebuffer driver neofb to load using the 'libretto' > parameter. Haven't found out why. Gives me a nasty error and locks up the I don't use framebuffer, I just use native XFree86 Neomagic accelerated support. > computer. I also have a problem hotplugging my dvd drive from a usb port, > when it is disconnected I get a glitch that says it is linked to a whole > bunch of drivers, and forces me to shut down. I'm having a whole bunch of > fun:))))))))))) besides not being able to play movies. I got no USB on my Lib (no EPR, no USB card either). On my desktop I find USB support (in Mandrake 10.x) a bit lacking compared to Windows and even OS/2 Warp 4.52 / ECS 1.2. But I haven't grasped enough of the USB/hotplug internals. It some ways it looks like a minefield. Cardbus events on the Lib are much easier managed than USB on my desktop. I never tried to play DVD on my Lib in Linux, but I might try someday. > Here's a question > for you--I've been looking for a linux pro to unscewup my linux > installations ever since I started using it last year being I'm not much > of a software person myself, I'm not any good at it, and don't have any > time to really fix stuff plus I want to use it. > Impossible to find. Nobody seems to want to work on it inspite of the fact > it has a whole list of great reasons and very few defects as compared to > other small and microcomputer operating systems. And get this -- from what > I've been willing to offer the pay is way better. But everybody knows how > to reload programs and plug in boards in windows and wants to charge an > arm and a leg to do it inspite of the fact I can grab pretty much anyone > off the street to do it -- takes little brains. Problem is -- an OS like > that is basically useless to me. Its pretty and clickable (which are its > advantages) but it just doesn't work right. So..after this long spiel why > is it so hard to find a linux guy?!!? Well to run Linux on aging equipment like a Libretto 110 one must be a hobbyist and hobbyists take much of the beating. Plus, to run Linux on aging equipment like Librettos you cannot avoid diving into the software. Like you, I am not so much of a software guy. Last attempt was trying the floppy patch on 2.6.x kernels, but I had to give up when I found that the whole kernel interrupt stuff has been changed when going from 2.4.x to 2.6.x. - that is way over my head. Christian Gennerat, who knows more than me about Linux, was more optimistic but I haven't heard from him about this for quite some time. The bottom line is this: there is a limit on how much support is reasonable for older HW. Although Librettos are very nice toys, their internal technical design left lots to be wished already when they were introduced. These rough edges become all the more evident now that current HW and SW development leave 199x designs behind..... E.g., you can't even install Mandrake 10.x on a Libretto anymore, unless you recompile an install kernel or pre-install with the HD in a desktop and add a custom kernel with ISA-IDE support compiled in. No doubt you'll then find that 64 MB is too little to get anything useful done. And then the size of current XFree86 or X has not been mentioned yet... Knowledgeable linux guys do exist, I am *not* one of them. To Linux gurus a Libretto 110 is ancient, at least that's my impression after having asked around on e.g., comp.os.linux.laptops, comp.os.linux.setup and other linux & laptop news groups and forums. I find some of the better informed Linux guys on aforementioned NGs quite helpful, but they can be pretty rough at times. Philip
