Debian on Dell XPS m1210 (as of 07 Feb 2008)

After initial installation, I did apt-get dist-upgrade with the /etc/apt/sources.list from the CSE mirror. I also upgraded the linux-image to the latest one, and rebooted the machine. However, the start-up froze because of a kernel panic caused by SATA HDD and DVD+/-RW. For X sessions, you can use my xorg.conf.

CPU (Intel Core Duo)

In order to use speedstep (cpu frequency scaling technology),
  1. Change
    # kopt=root=/dev/sda1 ro
    in /boot/grub/menu.lst to
    # kopt=root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet
    if you do not want the verbose boot-up message.
    If your clock keeps on getting out of sync, try notsc kernel option as well. However, it should not happen with kernel > 2.6.21.
    Run update-grub.
  2. $ echo "speedstep_centrino" >> /etc/modules (for kernel < 2.6.21)
    $ echo "acpi_cpufreq" >> /etc/modules (for kernel > 2.6.21)
  3. $ echo "cpufreq_ondemand" >> /etc/modules
  4. $ apt-get install sysfsutils
  5. $ echo "devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_governor = ondemand" >> /etc/sysfs.conf
  6. $ echo "devices/system/cpu/cpu1/cpufreq/scaling_governor = ondemand" >> /etc/sysfs.conf

Video (NVIDIA GeForce 7400 TurboCache 256MB)

It requries the proprietary kernel module. This task can be simplified using module-assistant, nvidia-xconfig.
  1. $ m-a prepare
  2. $ m-a a-i nvidia
  3. $ apt-get install nvidia-glx nvidia-xconfig nvidia-settings
  4. $ apt-get install x-window-system-core
  5. $ nvidia-xconfig

Wireless Network (Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Dual Band 802.11a/g 54Mbps Wireless Mini Card)

  1. $ apt-get install iproute firmware-iwlwifi
  2. Add
    pre-up ip link set wlan0 up
    to wlan section of /etc/network/interfaces.

Audio
(Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy Advanced HD)

The output works fine, but the input does not work out of box.
  1. $ apt-get install alsa-base alsa-utils alsa-oss
/* To be written */

ACPI

You need to install acpi-support first.
  1. $ apt-get install acpi-support acpi acpid
  2. Make changes to /etc/default/acpi-support.
    ACPI_SLEEP=true
    # ACPI_HIBERNATE=true
    SAVE_VBE_STATE=false
    POST_VIDEO=false
    USE_DPMS=false
    HIBERNATE_MODE=platform
    ENABLE_LAPTOP_MODE=true
  3. $ apt-get install laptop-mode-tools

Configuration

  1. $ echo "blacklist eth1394" >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist

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