Linux on Fujitsu Lifebook C6555

Original document: 26 Feb 2001
Last Update: 26 Feb 2001
Installed operating system: SuSE Linux 7.1

At first, i can tell you, this Notebook is very nice. Setting up Linux was not too much of a problem, and
most of the hardware components works fine. Only the application-panel was not supported at this time.
I can recommend this notebook very much; I am very satisfied with it.

Hardware

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 440BX/ZX - 82443BX/ZX Host bridge (rev 03)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 440BX/ZX - 82443BX/ZX AGP bridge (rev 03)
00:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1420
00:04.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI1420
00:07.0 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02)
00:07.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01)
00:07.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 USB (rev 01)
00:07.3 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 03)
00:08.0 Multimedia audio controller: Cirrus Logic Crystal CS4281 PCI Audio (rev 01)
00:10.0 Communication controller: Lucent Microelectronics LT WinModem
00:11.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc 3D Rage P/M Mobility AGP 2x (rev 64)
Here you can find 'lspci -vx'

Installation

You can install SuSE Linux with YaST or YaST2. I prefer YAST.

Video

To use the full screen an textmode you have to compile your Kernel with framebuffer enabled.

CONFIG_FB=y

Also edit /etc/lilo.conf and insert the line

vga=791
 

XWindows

Only XFree86 4.x supports the ATI Rage Mobility 3D chip. So if you would install SuSE7.0 or other distributions wich installs as default XFree 3.x,
you have to upgrade your system.

You can download the latest release of XFree86 from ftp://ftp.xfree86.org/pub/XFree86/  .

Audio

The Cirrus Logic Crystal CS4281 chip is supported by
- Kernel 2.4.x (not OSS-Kernel-Module)
- ALSA (at the moment not good supported)
http://www.alsa-project.org/

I use the the Kernel 2.4.1. It works realy fine.
 

Network

The Intel Ethernet Pro 100 should work without problems.

Modem

This was the biggest problem on installation and konfiguration time. But, it works!
The Lucent WinModem is NOT  a "normal" Modem you know from your PC.

To get them working you must install a driver directly to the /lib/modules/2.x.x directory.

Here you can find my startscript for the internal Modem.

Lucent Winmodem information and drivers: http://linmodems.org/
Please contact me, if you have problems to get your Modem working. Don`t give up, it works realy with linux :-)
 

Application Panel:

This hardware components was _not_ supported at this time. I stay in conntact with Wilem van Engen,  he wrotes an driver for the Lifebook C4110.
He says that it is possible, that he has an driver ready in about 2-4 weeks. You can find his Homepage under http://www.stack.nl/~wvengen  .
 

Other: IrDA, PCMCIA, Hardware monitoring ...

Irda: working
PCMCIA: working
Hardware-minitor: not tested yet

For this and other parts of your Lifebook, i will write more, on next update.

You may find more information on this model from others at Linux on Laptops

Have a lot of fun ... with your new notebook!

Thomas Goebel