PCLinuxOS LXDE 2011.06-Full

[JNibski]

Test# 4.) ....Handicapped student's LAPTOP...general usage...presently running lxde-2010.12  (solely) on HD.

LIVE CD - 2011.06 lxde full....

Acer aspire 3102wlmi

Processor: AMD Mobile Sempron 3200+ 1.8 GHz
video: Integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 1100  id'd:(RS482[Radeon Xpress 200m] ...works.
Screen Size: 15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800)
Memory: 1 g (2-512)
Hard Drive: 60 GB
Sound: ATI - IXP SB4x0 High Definition Audio Controller...driver:Intel HDA driver (snd_hda_intel[ALSA])...works.

Atheros AR2413 ...intregrated wireless nic.......Had NO LUCK connecting {wirelessly} with the internet...tried basic things - wasted 30 min....maybe a kernel thing, live CD thing , or a driver thing...

>>>WORKS PERFECT IN 2010.12 - SOMETHING is amiss in/with 2011.06 wifi ...  

Luckily the girl had a wifi router {at home} with ethernet....I plugged in, and LXDE automatically detected... i could then check sound, and the NET....

No Problemo with You Tube, Pandora, etc... Volume control works.

Keypad works.

Don't have much time today to troubleshoot the wi-fi : BUT= while testing the wi-fi , I did notice a 'DROP OFF" {disconnect}  when i closed the internet window, back to desktop-on : MY personal Toshiba laptop with 2011.06 installed...UH-OH...  (It worked fine with 2010.12 lxde, also...)  

Noticed a weird visual upon ACER logout -{but not my toshiba}...some of the "LOGOUT" or "SHUTDOWN" window backround was missing...

Otherwise the rest seems to work ok...here, at this location...

I do realize Laptops can be weird with LINUX, but both worked perfect before...

I'm going to burn and try another ISO-check all 'checksums' , and report more later this week...

Here are some Atheros notes...maybe you can SEE something....

Atheros AR5005G
Chipset:   AR5005G = (AR2413)
Chip:   AR2413 (802.11b+g)
URL:   http://www.atheros.com/pt/AR5005G.htm
Supports:   IEEE 802.11b, 802.11g
Working:    Working perfectly as of 2008-12-30 on an Acer Aspire 5040. See this page for how to get it going: http://madwifi-project.org/wiki/Compatibility/Atheros/AR5005G
Working:    not working with version 0.9.2, dmesg reports: "unable to attach hardware: 'Hardware revision not supported' (HAL status 13)"
Notes:    Several tickets indicate this; no response was ever given. However, some users have reported success, but could not confirm this.
Notes:    Works perfectly on Slackware 11 (kernel 2.6.18.3) and madwifi 0.9.2. Just modprobe ath_pci after compiling/installing. (this on an Acer 3102 wlmi)
Notes:    For Kernel 2.6.22.1 use trunk version (madwifi 0.9.3.1 release doesn't compile): svn checkout http://madwifi-project.org/svn/madwifi/trunk madwifi. That works perfectly (I'm running Slackware 12 on Acer 3102wlmi).
Notes:    SMC PCI card: OK for Slackware 12.1 (kernel 2.6.25.2), with madwifi-0.9.4
Notes:    I can confirm that this chipset works great with the madwifi-ng drivers on Debian Testing. Also monitor mode.
Notes:    chipset is AR1423, as you can see through URL
Notes:    This chipset works on the Acer Aspire 5040 if you install the acer_acpi driver http://www.archernar.co.uk/acer_acpi/acer_acpi_main.html
Notes:    Works on the Acer Aspire 3053 if you reload the modules (see http://rik.rikva.nl/?q=node/10) and then run depmod -a (as root)
Notes:    Works on the Acer Aspire 5051 using madwifi source pulled 2006-12-18 (OpenSuSE 10.2/x86_64)
Notes:    Works on the Acer Aspire 5100 using madwifi source (Mandriva 2007.0/x86_64)
Notes:    Cheap Ativa card works ok in gentoo. /etc/init.d/net.athx start does not ifconfig athx up the device, so preferred wireless won't work
Notes:    Works out of the box with Narly Nachos 7.10 and 6.06
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I did an : iwconfig with 2010.12 ----------shows : ath0 - IEEE 802.11g

I did an : iwconfig with 2011.06 ----------shows : wlan0 - IEEE 802.11g

Maybe this is all it is? ...........Maybe i missed something about this, or something in the new kernel changed...

JN.

[Neal ManBear]

JN,
Have you tried deleting and recreating the wireless connection? That may work.
Otherwise, post in Networking about this and see if any of our members who work with wireless have a solution.

[JNibski]

Have you tried deleting and recreating the wireless connection?

Yes, i did .   The Acer will not connect - but sees wifi routers in the area...
I am just reporting on the tests, and will relay info to "NETWORKING" section...
...Will have more tests {clients machines} results -later this week....
....I am beginning to see VIDEO chipset patterns/problems - eg: S3UniChrome .....

JN.

[Hootiegibbon]

Jeeze could ya lclam it doen with the FONT size changes , my eyes do not need that knda workout (or maybe they do....)

ok

With ATHEROS chipsets

ath0 = using madwifi

wlan0 = using native kernel driver

the problematic card works better with the native drivers (I have not had to use madwifi for over 18 months now)

just make sure you are  not having both active at the same time (they dont like each other much)

if removing madwifi, make sure that the ath5k module has not been blacklisted

Jase

[JNibski]

Jeeze could ya lclam it doen with the FONT .........

Sorry,  just trying to emphasize some important words....i learned old school typing in the 1960's..and did a stint in advertising.....i'll just use the bold type -i guess.  

Thank you very much for the IMPORTANT Atheros info - i believe you are right on! and I will check if BOTH are enabled!...

if removing madwifi, make sure that the ath5k module has not been blacklisted

 ....could you pleeze elaborate on this?  do you mean from SYNAPTIC?  or somewhere else in the file system- ...?

Thanks Hootie.!

post in Networking about this and see if any of our members who work with wireless have a solution.

I have found important CLI information in the NETWORKING section of this forum-posted by coffeetime....Thank you Neal and coffeetime for this info.

JN.

[JNibski]

...Sorry for double posting here...but Things on the ACER seemed to work themselves out!  

I have to APOLOGIZE to PCLOS for the emotional TYPOGRAPHY about the atheros chip on the ACER not working.....ITS WORKING NOW!!!   ...but just dropped off...

Here's what i did.... I opened a terminal and typed lspci to double check if the chip was being detected properly....then I opened the detected WI-FI routers in the area....and re configured to connect, and this time -IT DID.....I am about 6 feet from the router, and the NON-detecting posts happened from about 30 feet away -2 rooms over.  I do not know if this signal strength had anything to do with it....but i'm using the SAME cd, as I have been for all my tests... maybe it does'nt like the router...I'll check somewhere else...

I'm thinking maybe a glitch in the loading/reading process must have happened - and at this point all my other checks have been positive...

I will shutdown and load the LIVE CD for the third time, and post the final results here.....At that time I will have another clients computer test to report...

JN

Edit:  The owner (handicapped girl) just informed me that the laptop SCREEN was replaced due to her dropping it...
Scrutinizing the machine -it all checks out ok, but the WI-FI ANTENNA IS IMBEDDED in the screen and not the original!....
This might have something to do with things...{for others reading this....something to think about...}
...also at this time, i am under time constraints here.....I cannot make an ACCURATE assesment on this ACER 3102wlmi unit -with the LXDE live CD....The ACER works perfectly on WI-FI with kernel 2.6.33.7 ....and WI-FI does not work properly with kernel 2.6.38.8 Live lxde cd.
Checking all the BASIC settings, mechanical and otherwise... - something still seems amiss....

To be continued...

JN.

[JNibski]

.............LIVE CD lxde full TEST #10 : Seniors computer for basic usage and to bring up-to-date.

Asus Terminator - A7VT -AMD sempron 2400+

---------*SPLASHSCREEN loads (beginning) and unloads(ending) - a distorted PINK, GREY and GREEN....

Video : KM400[s3Unichrome]*seems problematic with this kernel.
sound: VT8233-ac97-snd_via82xx
ethernet: VT6102[Rhinel ll]
Memory: 768mb ddr333.
Monitor: Dell 17" lcd.
HD: WD40g ide...running pclos Lxde2007.xx -perfectly.

.......* Installed an AGP 4x video card in the empty slot....NV ll [GeForce2 mx/mx400]

Upon BOOTUP everything autodetected - and splashscreen was visible to desktop...monitor resolution =1280x1024 bpp.

---all other basic tests worked ok.   Overall {with some finagling} another successful test.

>>> dunno about "legacy" driver problems with Nvidia?  how far back is a "LEGACY"?  I am seeing a pattern with s3Unichrome chips that USED to work in older versions of PCLOS, though....and I am also aware of a newer/better LINUX DRIVER being presently worked on for these.  

JN.