On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 08:33, Daniel L. Johnson wrote: > ACPI support in the 2.4 kernel is very limited. �We allow people to > try it, but it caused too many problems to turn it on by default. > In the meantime, the old standby APM is just as available as ever. > Systems that do not supply APM functionality will have no power > management capabilities. �This includes many new laptops, unfortunately. > > It is our hope that the 2.6 kernel will resolve this. �We'll see.
I am using both 2.4.22 and 2.6-test9 kernels on my various laptops. My Asus L3 has the problem that I could not use 3D acceleration and APM at the same time - just using ACPI has solved that problem, works well, and allows me to step down or up CPU frequency on demand too. Keeps the laptop a lot cooler, and extends battery run time a bit. On My Acer 111 tablet PC I have less luck. Centrino based, APM is not supported at all. ACPI works partially: if I suspend it, I cannot wake it up again, and I haven't got the speed stepping to work yet. In that aspect, there is NO difference whether I use the 2.4.22 or 2.6-test9 kernels. But I think with a few minor modifications I will get everything to work except for the built-in Centrino wireless for which I would have to swallow a proprietary driver. I had the Acer only for week, so I didn't have much time to fiddle around with it yet. On both systems I run Debian - distros like Fedora just seem soooooo outdated compared to the power of Debian's package management system. Thanks to Knoppix, a base install that gets you up and running including networking, sound, and 3-D acceleration is done in less than 30 minutes in any case, all hardware ecognized correctly auomatically. Installing Fedora on the "legacy free" Acer tablet would have been very, very hard anyway (no floppy, only external firewire DVD). So, if you want to have hassle free system administration, escaping these pointless upgrade cycles and reap the FULL benefits of the free software world, go Debian. Horst -- A non-free program is a predatory social system that keeps people in a state of domination and division, and uses the spoils to dominate more. -- Richard Stallman
