Running Debian on the NC6400

Introduction

I got stuffed with this enormous widescreen brick as a company laptop without having any choice on the matter. I tried to install Debian on it and nearly all of it works. Overall - it could have been much worse.

Thermal problems and battery efficiency

The NC6400 has a fairly recent version of Core 2 Duo which is not supported by Debian up to Lenny. Neither p4_clockmod, nor cpufreq_acpi, nor cpufreq_centrino recognise the CPU. As a result, in the base install the fans are nearly always on and the battery life is fairly bad.

Hardware Support (as of kernel 2.6.26 in Lenny)

• All onboard devices except the SmartCard? reader work
• The TI SmartCard? reader has no support in Linux. It is rumoured to be very closed to the old GemPC? card drivers, but TI has yet to post any spec on it so someone can write a driver
• The Intel wireless driver works reasonably well using the Lenny drivers
• The video driver barfs once in a while - about once every few days under heavy use.

Hardware details

$ sudo lspci -v
Password:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/PM/GMS/940GML and 945GT Express Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Capabilities: [e0] Vendor Specific Information

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03) (prog-if 00 [VGA])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
        Memory at f4600000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
        I/O ports at 4000 [size=8]
        Memory at e0000000 (32-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
        Memory at f4680000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256K]
        Capabilities: [90] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable-
        Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2

00:02.1 Display controller: Intel Corporation Mobile 945GM/GMS/940GML Express Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 03)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Memory at f4700000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=512K]
        Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2

00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
        Memory at f4780000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [60] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
        Capabilities: [70] Express Unknown type IRQ 0

00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=08, subordinate=08, sec-latency=0
        Memory behind bridge: f4100000-f41fffff
        Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+) IRQ 0
        Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable+
        Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 2

00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=10, subordinate=10, sec-latency=0
        Memory behind bridge: f4000000-f40fffff
        Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+) IRQ 0
        Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable+
        Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 2

00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [Normal decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=20, subordinate=20, sec-latency=0
        I/O behind bridge: 00002000-00003fff
        Memory behind bridge: f0000000-f3ffffff
        Capabilities: [40] Express Root Port (Slot+) IRQ 0
        Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable+
        Capabilities: [90] Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Capabilities: [a0] Power Management version 2

00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 20
        I/O ports at 4020 [size=32]

00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 21
        I/O ports at 4040 [size=32]

00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 19
        I/O ports at 4060 [size=32]

00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 18
        I/O ports at 4080 [size=32]

00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 01) (prog-if 20 [EHCI])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 20
        Memory at f4784000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]
        Capabilities: [50] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [58] Debug port

00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e1) (prog-if 01 [Subtractive decode])
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0
        Bus: primary=00, secondary=02, subordinate=06, sec-latency=32
        I/O behind bridge: 00005000-00005fff
        Memory behind bridge: f4200000-f45fffff
        Prefetchable memory behind bridge: 0000000040000000-0000000043ffffff
        Capabilities: [50] Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad

00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 01)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0
        Capabilities: [e0] Vendor Specific Information

00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller (rev 01) (prog-if 8a [Master SecP PriP])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 16
        I/O ports at 01f0 [size=8]
        I/O ports at 03f4 [size=1]
        I/O ports at 0170 [size=8]
        I/O ports at 0374 [size=1]
        I/O ports at 40a0 [size=16]

00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) Serial ATA Storage Controller AHCI (rev 01) (prog-if 01 [AHCI 1.0])
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, 66MHz, medium devsel, latency 0, IRQ 220
        I/O ports at 13f0 [size=8]
        I/O ports at 15f4 [size=4]
        I/O ports at 1370 [size=8]
        I/O ports at 1574 [size=4]
        I/O ports at 40d0 [size=16]
        Memory at f4785000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1K]
        Capabilities: [80] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit- Queue=0/0 Enable+
        Capabilities: [70] Power Management version 2

02:06.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Cardbus Controller
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 168, IRQ 19
        Memory at f4200000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Bus: primary=02, secondary=03, subordinate=06, sec-latency=176
        Memory window 0: 40000000-43fff000 (prefetchable)
        Memory window 1: 44000000-47fff000
        I/O window 0: 00005000-000050ff
        I/O window 1: 00005400-000054ff
        16-bit legacy interface ports at 0001

02:06.2 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments 5-in-1 Multimedia Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO/xD)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 19
        Memory at f4201000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2

02:06.3 Generic system peripheral [0805]: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 21
        Memory at f4202000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=256]
        Capabilities: [80] Power Management version 2

02:06.4 Communication controller: Texas Instruments PCIxx12 GemCore based SmartCard controller
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: medium devsel, IRQ 11
        Memory at f4203000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Memory at f4204000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [44] Power Management version 2

08:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5753M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express (rev 21)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 30ad
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 219
        Memory at f4100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
        Capabilities: [48] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [50] Vital Product Data
        Capabilities: [58] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/3 Enable+
        Capabilities: [d0] Express Endpoint IRQ 0

10:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection (rev 02)
        Subsystem: Hewlett-Packard Company Unknown device 135c
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 17
        Memory at f4000000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4K]
        Capabilities: [c8] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [d0] Message Signalled Interrupts: Mask- 64bit+ Queue=0/0 Enable-
        Capabilities: [e0] Express Legacy Endpoint IRQ 0

Caveats

The biggest problem with this laptop is that the CPU cannot be handled properly by the power management subsystem in Linux (at least as of Debian Lenny). As a result, it gets at best 70% of its stated battery life. For example with a 12h super-extended life battery and the onboard 3h one you get about 8-9h.