[https://systemausfall.org/~phil/ more Linux, more notebooks]

This document describes briefly how to install [http://debian.org Debian GNU/Linux] on a [http://medion.de Medion] MD9703 notebook which realy is a [http://www.fic.com.tw/ FIC] A360. According to [http://www.nickles.de/c/a/forum2-537757732.htm this page] the MD9703 is similar to the Gericom 1st Supersonic M6T.

features

• processor: Intel Pentium III 1200MHz
• chipset:
  • VIA Apollo MVP3/Pro133x
  • Cardbus: O2 Micro OZ6933/711E1
  • USB: VT82xxxxxx UHCI USB 1.1
  • Firewire: Agere Systems FW323
• video card: ATI Radeon Mobility M6
• display: 14,1" TFT
• memory: 256 MB
• hard drive: Hitachi DK23CA-30 30 GB
• optical storage device: NEC CB-2100A Slim Line DVD/CDRW
• floppy disk drive

• sound card: VIA V!T82C686 AC97

• ethernet device: Realtek RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+

• modem: Ambient Tec. Inc HAM 56k modem - whith [http://64.126.95.102:8080/gromitkc/intel/intel_563x_ham.html Intel MD563X-HaM chipset]

• pointing device: Synaptics Touchpad SynPS/2

compatibility

It's easier to specify all things that don't work. Here you go.

• Suspend to RAM isn't available (cat /sys/power/state doesn't lists mem) - I think it's a problem with [http://acpi.sourceforge.net/dsdt/index.php DSDT]

• I didn't check the modem

installation

The installation of Debian Etch (with [http://www.debian.org/devel/debian-installer/ Debian Installer] snapshot 06/29/06) worked smoothly. You only have to download a CD image and burn it. Start your notebook, boot from CD by pressing Esc and follow the installers instructions.BR Some important points and how I took my choice:

• Partition disks

  Name    Flags   Part Type  FS Type               [Label]    Size (MB)
  ---------------------------------------------------------------------
  hda1    Boot    Primary    Linux ext3            [/]         6999,72
  hda5            Logical    Linux Swap / Solaris               764,96
  hda6            Logical    Linux ext3            [/home]    32292,45

• Debian software selection:

  [*] Desktop environment
   .
   .
   .
  [*] Laptop
  [*] Standard system

• Install the Grub boot loader to the master boot record

That's it. Reboot and login.

configuration

x.org

My x-server runs with standard configuration. [attachment:xorg.conf This] is my xorg.conf.

With [http://packages.debian.org/testing/x11/xserver-xorg-video-ati xserver-xorg-video-ati (1:6.5.8.0-1)] and hardware acceleration enabled I have several problems:

• Running at depth 24 freezes the machine ([http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=366114 bug report]) - a solution is to change the depth to 16

touchpad

The touchpad runs out of the box. If you want to configure it to your needs just install a tool like [http://packages.debian.org/testing/utils/gsynaptics gsynaptics].

modem

With the [attachment:ModemData.txt output] of [http://linmodems.org linmodems.org] scanModem utility I figured out that the modem has a [http://www.pcidatabase.com/vendor_details.php?id=1616 Intel MD563X-HaM chipset]. Information about Linux drivers can be found [http://64.126.95.102:8080/gromitkc/intel/intel_563x_ham.html here].

misc

• Somethimes the machine slows down with no reason. top shows me a load average > 3. I could remember the same problem with Windoze.

  • I think I found the problem: After cat /proc/acpi/processor/CPU0/throttling I realized that the CPU sometimes runs in T15-state. That means 93% of CPU performance are lost because of throttling.

    • Time to find the cause...
      • It seems that this happens after the CPU gets realy hot.

hints

• [wiki:/harddrive How to replace the hard drive]
• [wiki:/optical How to replace the DVD-Rom]

• [http://www1.medion.de/downloads/download.pl?id=293&type=anleitungen&filename=bdafid3010de.pdf&lang=de German Manual] - deutsches BenutzerInnenhandbuch

• [http://www1.medion.de/downloads/download.pl?id=1745&type=treiber&filename=biofid3010.exe&lang=de latest Bios update] - version 1.0ma/mb

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