Compaq Armada M300
This article describes the additional configuration needed on a brand new Arch Linux installation to get the most of a Compaq Armada M300 laptop.
This laptop is very old but with Arch Linux and the following setup it is still useful for browsing, skyping and even "light open officing".
Contents
Hardware identification
After installing Arch Linux i686, please check that:
# lscpu
Architecture: i686 CPU(s): 1 Thread(s) per core: 1 Core(s) per socket: 1 CPU socket(s): 1 Vendor ID: GenuineIntel CPU family: 6 Model: 8 Stepping: 6 CPU MHz: 600.000
and
# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 440BX/ZX/DX - 82443BX/ZX/DX Host bridge (AGP disabled) (rev 03) 00:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1211 00:05.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc 3D Rage LT Pro (rev dc) 00:07.0 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02) 00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01) 00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 USB (rev 01) 00:07.3 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB/EB/MB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 03) 00:08.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1978 Maestro 2E (rev 10) 00:09.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557/8/9/0/1 Ethernet Pro 100 (rev 09) 00:09.1 Serial controller: Agere Systems LT WinModem
corresponds to your hardware.
Hardware setup
Lets get the features of the laptop correctly working in order to get the most of it.
Video
Necessary driver packages:
CPU scaling
Wireless
Even though the M300 has no default wireless support, you might have a PCMCIA card. For it to work, you must first install iproute2, then bring it up:
# ip link set wlp2s0 up
and watch the neighborhood:
# iwlist scan
Additional configuration
Restore values at boot
In order to have the mixer to always get back to the presetted values, install alsa-utils and add the following to a script
# mixer settings amixer set Master on 31 amixer set PCM on 25 amixer set Mic cap amixer set Capture on 8
Then call it from a systemd unit. Enable that unit.
For you to get your clock always updated, install ntp, add to the previous script:
# set the time sleep 20 # give sometime for the network to connect if (($(ip route| wc -l) > 3)); then ntpdate pool.ntp.org fi
Hotkey configuration
LCD brightness
Add the following to /usr/local/bin/backlight_control
:
/usr/local/bin/backlight_control
dec}" esac
LCD / VGA switch
Create /usr/local/bin/switch_display
and add the following:
/usr/local/bin/switch_display
Volume up, down and mute
Create a script called /usr/local/bin/volume_control
:
/usr/local/bin/volume_control
tail -n 1
Problems and not tested issues
Dual monitor
You'd probably have to do it by hand. Add this to the beginning of your ~/.xinitrc
:
# set multiple monitors xrandr --verbose --output LVDS1 --mode 1024x768 --primary xrandr --verbose --output VGA1 --mode 1024x768 -r 75.1 --right-of LVDS1