Re: Looking for THE laptop expert (SOLVED!)

[bicol_willem]

OK, so part of the model number is incorporated in the networking name for the computer. That isn't the same as the full model number.

Well the good news is that eMachines sell a version of this machine with Linpus Linux pre-installed (http://www.emachines.com.ph/ec/en/PH/content/model/LX.NE30C.009), so it is capable of running Linux as the main OS without Windows if it's a similar machine.

I did not say you'd find an answer in Synaptic or that any pre-compiled pclos kernel would have any special configuration needed. Only a custom-compiled kernel would have that.

We don't know the answer to any of your questions because you haven't given us enough information to look for it. I was trying to point you in the right direction for searching.

We can only respond to the information you give us. You said it wouldn't boot, so people wasted their time trying to help you with bootloader problems. Then it turned out it does boot but the GUI hangs and doesn't start. That's a very different problem. The clue that it will reboot from a working OS but Linux won't get to a desktop from cold tells us it's a hardware configuration or firmware problem which the other OS sorts out but Linux kernels do not. Which hardware item might be revealed when we know where it stops. The video card/chip is a possibility, but it could be something else.

If you can get it into runlevel 3 you will at least have 6 terminals to play with. If lynx is installed you can even visit this forum in one of those, though you might prefer to use another machine for that. Then do the things suggested above to investigate further.

It's not insoluble, I'm sure. You just need to find out what's wrong.

With all respect due, I suggest you to READ this thread and not just "scan" it, if interested, as I have given all info thinkable.
These comments are counterproductive.

Samples:
The laptop came with Linpus Linux pre-installed but ... no X or any desktop. A farce.
The driver CD contains drivers for (guess what?) Windows.
It is obviously that this thing is sold with in mind saving on Windows tax. (Which sounds like a good idea to me).

The specs of the laptop are:
AMD Dual core processor E450
AMD Radeon HD6320
2 Gb DDR3
500 Gb HDD

lspci shows;
marlene@Laptop-eMD443:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 14h Processor Root Complex
00:01.0 VGA compatible controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI Wrestler [Radeon HD 6320]
00:11.0 SATA controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 SATA Controller [AHCI mode]
00:12.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
00:12.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
00:13.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
00:13.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
00:14.0 SMBus: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SBx00 SMBus Controller (rev 42)
00:14.2 Audio device: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA) (rev 40)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 LPC host controller (rev 40)
00:14.4 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SBx00 PCI to PCI Bridge (rev 40)
00:14.5 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI2 Controller
00:15.0 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB700/SB800/SB900 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 0)
00:15.1 PCI bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB700/SB800/SB900 PCI to PCI bridge (PCIE port 1)
00:16.0 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
00:16.2 USB controller: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] nee ATI SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 0 (rev 43)
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 1
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 2
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 3
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 4
00:18.5 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 6
00:18.6 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 5
00:18.7 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 12h/14h Processor Function 7
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Atheros Communications Inc. AR8152 v2.0 Fast Ethernet (rev c1)
06:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM4313 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN Controller (rev 01)
marlene@Laptop-eMD443:~$

All that is what I came up with already in this thread as you will find out by reading it.
What more you expect me to let you know? 

[Xenaflux]

I have not read the whole tread, so................!
Question..:
What would happen if you tried to use a Boot Manager, like GAG.
I know the theoretical answer, but since you seem to be stuck, what is the harm of spending another X minutes. Fair chance it turns out not to be of use, but if I was in your shoes, one chance in a million would look good !

[bicol_willem]

I have not read the whole tread, so................!
Question..:
What would happen if you tried to use a Boot Manager, like GAG.
I know the theoretical answer, but since you seem to be stuck, what is the harm of spending another X minutes. Fair chance it turns out not to be of use, but if I was in your shoes, one chance in a million would look good !

I think we have meanwhile concluded that initializing boot is not the problem. Boot goes off normal but the "boot process" stops at Login (startX). I am pretty sure about that meanwhile as I also tried the Windows boot manager and a boot disk (Supergrub). So I don't think any other boot solution would give better results. Thanks for the suggestion. I might even try it. For now the only way to a successful boot into Linux remains a "reboot". (Yes, me too am flabbergasted!)

[Xenaflux]

sorry I can't help out.
I have a laptop which gave me some grief as well.
Thanks to the help of this forum ( by eliminating what didn't work) I managed to get it working.
My graphics card is a Radeon 6300 series ( onboard)  and I use the following driver ( as other, similar ones didn't work, afaik)
ATI - Radeon HD 2000 and later (radeon/fglrx)

Sorry to be of no help. Good luck

[bicol_willem]

sorry I can't help out.
I have a laptop which gave me some grief as well.
Thanks to the help of this forum ( by eliminating what didn't work) I managed to get it working.
My graphics card is a Radeon 6300 series ( onboard)  and I use the following driver ( as other, similar ones didn't work, afaik)
ATI - Radeon HD 2000 and later (radeon/fglrx)

Sorry to be of no help. Good luck

Well as you can see in the specs, this very laptop is equiped with the same card (HD6320).

I just found out that glxgears doesn't run in this thing.
[willem@localhost ~]$ glxgears
Error: couldn't get an RGB, Double-buffered visual
[willem@localhost ~]$

I also found something in Synaptic called "vaapi-driver-fglrx". Installed the same....
Then rebooted and tried glxgears again. No joy.
Tried some other drivers .... no joy.
Resorted to the recommended driver (the same as yours) and saw a first real indication popping up:

"The proprietary driver for your grafic card can not be found. The system is now using the free software driver.
Reason: The proprietary kernel driver was not found for fglrx, X.org driver"

So here we have it: It seems a driver question and so far we don't have the correct driver.
Who got ideas?

[horusfalcon]

Now might be a good time to acknowledge that language plays a critical role in our ability to help each other here.  It's easy to get frustrated and upset over little things that may even be unintended.  (I know I come across in email and fora like a real jackass sometimes...)

That said, it's beginning to look more and more as if eMachines (read: Gateway) indeed took the "cheap" way out of not including Windows to save on the sale price.  I do find it hard to believe they would ship this machine without a working X system, though, and that the hardware is so resistant to running what has been, in my experience, a very stable and reliable distribution of Linux (namely, PCLinuxOS).

It does sound as though comparing the xorg.conf from Xenaflux's machine with the one from this eMachine might be edifying, though.  (At least we should be able to eliminate video problems as a source of the trouble, if nothing else.)

I believe this might be the "official" support page for your laptop, bicol_willem:

http://support.gateway.com/us/en/emac/product/default.aspx?tab=1&modelId=3744

And the specifications for this machine:

http://support.gateway.com/emachines/notebook/2011/eMachines/emd/emd443/eMD443sp2.shtml

It looks like these specs vary somewhat from those we have in hand, so maybe I've got the wrong support pages?

Your specs seem to be close to those given earlier by kjpetrie in the link he posted:

http://www.emachines.com.ph/ec/en/PH/content/model/LX.NE30C.009

We geekish types tend to get hung up on knowing the specifications sometimes, but knowing them for sure could really help here.

If you can hang in there, and if we all work the problem, sooner or later we will know if it can be solved.

Later On,
D

[bicol_willem]

Yes, I noticed also various specs can be found for the same type of machine on line 
But we got to hang on with what lspci tells us in this case. That after all that IS this machine.

And you better believe me: The original Linux install is VERY basic and sure no X or any Desktop. Barely the kernel (a 2.6 version)
Its gone now of course and as I mentioned earlier on the supporting CD that came with it has nothing Linux.
Linux was installed to be removed! In the eyes of salesmen "No OS" doesn't sound as good.

IF it is a (failing)driver question (what I believe now it is) then PCLinuxOS can comfort itself as it is in good company as ALL Linux I tried on this machine (deb based as well as rpm based) shows the same failure.  There seems simply not a correct driver for this setup. Hurdles past, it all runs fine be it that video is under performing. So I am for example unable to make a video with i.e. Cheese. It lacks the speed needed it seems. If I set Cheese to lower video specs, sound goes balony. It plays back the sound first and then the video! glxgears don't even think of starting up.
 I was able to boot up the new LXDE version LiveCD of PCLinuxOS more then once with no problems this morning.... Maybe just luck? The wife needs this machine but if a chance given I will try to install it to the hard drive. Looks great on this laptop. As good as sure in vain for the same driver problem should pop up logically thinking.
Hang on?  Yes!

[DeBaas]

Leave this laptop for a month.
Then try the latest kernel and fglrx or opensource drivers or compile your own.
Not working ?
Wait another month and so on.
What I'm reading about this AMD video, it's still not really usable in Linux but progress is on it's way.

Good luck,
Ed

[bicol_willem]

Leave this laptop for a month.
Then try the latest kernel and fglrx or opensource drivers or compile your own.
Not working ?
Wait another month and so on.
What I'm reading about this AMD video, it's still not really usable in Linux but progress is on it's way.

Good luck,
Ed

Amen. At least a conclusion seems arrived. 

[kjpetrie]

My apology. I didn't notice you bought it with Linpus installed. However, the problem can't be the driver because X works if the hardware is first initialised by Windows. It must be firmware or configuration. Maybe a later driver will give better performance, but that's a different issue.

Waiting for a later kernel to come out is a possible option, if the current kernel doesn't know how to do that initialisation. However, I suspect if it was sold with a Linux installed that is probably not the problem, as I can't think they'd sell a laptop with an OS that couldn't run properly on it, even if it's not a very good OS. The system as sold needs to work (basic consumer legislation in most countries requires that). My money's still on a BIOS setting.

Silly question - have you visited the support section on the eMachines website? If I were you, I'd put the original OS back and get the manufacturer's support on a new machine. Once that's working properly you can install pclos alongside to start with. I would never remove the OEM OS from a new machine until I was satisfied I wouldn't need to claim under warranty. My laptop still has the uninstalled Windows installer partition on it and even a primary partition reserved for the uninstalled Win just in case.

[Just17]

I had wondered about the laptop itself ........  if the original Linpus never got to a desktop, as one would expect .....  then maybe there was something amiss from day 1?

[bicol_willem]

My apology. I didn't notice you bought it with Linpus installed. However, the problem can't be the driver because X works if the hardware is first initialised by Windows. It must be firmware or configuration. Maybe a later driver will give better performance, but that's a different issue.

No problem. However I can hardly imagine the driver still being initialized AFTER windows shut down and then Linux starts up during a reboot  

Waiting for a later kernel to come out is a possible option, if the current kernel doesn't know how to do that initialisation. However, I suspect if it was sold with a Linux installed that is probably not the problem, as I can't think they'd sell a laptop with an OS that couldn't run properly on it, even if it's not a very good OS. The system as sold needs to work (basic consumer legislation in most countries requires that). My money's still on a BIOS setting.

Well, Linpus Linux is in fact not that bad (I had a look at it some time ago). But really (I am after all a Linux user) there was no X or any app on this machine. Just a bare and bold kernel. And of course they did comply with consumer legislation as the system did run. It boots into a kind of safe mode. A expert can move on from there.  It must have been known that a "lite" or "full" install would lead to the problems with X. And as I explained earlier on, the driver CD that came with it (Windows drivers) let us know where this setup was aimed at: Windows users.
I wish I could show you the BIOS but there is NOthing of interest in this.

Silly question - have you visited the support section on the eMachines website? If I were you, I'd put the original OS back and get the manufacturer's support on a new machine. Once that's working properly you can install pclos alongside to start with. I would never remove the OEM OS from a new machine until I was satisfied I wouldn't need to claim under warranty. My laptop still has the uninstalled Windows installer partition on it and even a primary partition reserved for the uninstalled Win just in case.

On the eMachines site we find not even the word Linux.
http://support.gateway.com/us/en/emac/product/default.aspx?modelId=3744
At the Acer site yes but not related to this model.
Moreover the "recovery DVD's" offered there are meawhile outdated.
These are from way before this machine came on the market and often EeePC related..
http://eeepc.itrunsonlinux.com/the-news/249-acer-aspire-one-linpus-linux-lite-recovery-dvd-online

I am thinking trying to break a rule (do not install outside the repo's) and download a driver from here:
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/linux/Pages/radeon_linux.aspx
(It is hard to be patient!)

[Xenaflux]

What about......
Make a separate install, upgrade the kernel
Make a remaster
See what happens

No ? Bad idea ?

[bicol_willem]

What about......
Make a separate install, upgrade the kernel
Make a remaster
See what happens

No ? Bad idea ?

I think your idea is excellent. Been there, done that. 

[bicol_willem]

OK, I meanwhile installed the AMD driver found here: 
http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/linux/Pages/radeon_linux.aspx

and ..... video performance has dramatically improved!

That gives a nice feel for sure.

Now I am going to shutdown the laptop, have a nice dream and see if tomorrow this thing will "cold boot" into PCLinuxOS.
It feels like I have a chance again