From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Feb 21 22:49:04 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 032B51065670 for ; Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:49:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd-questions@herveybayaustralia.com.au) Received: from mail.unitedinsong.com.au (mail.unitedinsong.com.au [150.101.178.33]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 72EFC8FC13 for ; Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:49:03 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail.unitedinsong.com.au (bell.herveybayaustralia.com.au [192.168.0.40]) by mail.unitedinsong.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTP id AF9345C28 for ; Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:02:29 +1000 (EST) Received: from laptop1.herveybayaustralia.com.au (laptop1.herveybayaustralia.com.au [192.168.0.177]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-CAMELLIA256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mail.unitedinsong.com.au (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id D84825C22 for ; Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:02:28 +1000 (EST) Message-ID: <4F441E38.5090406@herveybayaustralia.com.au> Date: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:44:08 +1000 From: Da Rock User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; FreeBSD amd64; rv:7.0.1) Gecko/20111109 Thunderbird/7.0.1 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <20120220203515.185b038d.freebsd@edvax.de> <4F42E911.1010202@herveybayaustralia.com.au> <20120221164410.447b4676.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <20120221164410.447b4676.freebsd@edvax.de> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: Hardware compatibility X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:49:04 -0000 On 02/22/12 01:44, Polytropon wrote: > On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:45:05 +1000, Da Rock wrote: >> To the OP, check the pages Polytropon has linked here, but the chances >> of getting exactly that are nil to impossible. I've run about 6 or more >> laptops now without too much trouble. The biggest problems were >> wireless, but that was the bad old days... most support is there now >> thanks to Adrianns work. > Today's problems seem to be suspend/resume/hibernate (all > the variations of "it's not switched on, but also not > switched off entirely") and some specific sorts of wireless > devices. I've never used, so I hadn't thought of it. That doesn't work for desktop either does it? One thing I have tested is the backlight turns off when you close the lid and the power button will do a proper shutdown. I haven't heard of the others working - at the very least you need to script it for your own needs. >> Having a live disk is not likely to help for several reasons: >> 1. there aren't really the tools to see if something will actually work >> in a production environment (unless pc-bsd have a disc I don't know >> about). For instance, wifi maybe recognised but not actually work and >> error like crazy only once you start to use it. > The main idea of using such a system is to most precisely > determine the _present_ hardware to allow further investigations > (e. g. web searches and mailing list questions). The OS from > disc or stick can help to identify the hardware. If you're > running a live file system from a USB stick, you can do > things like: > > # dmesg > # pciconf -lv > # usbconfig > # sysctl -a > > If you start the system by "boot -v" (verbose logging), dmesg > will contain some more lines than usual. If you have a USB > stick, you can easily save the output of those commands to > persistent files. > > If you have X in the mix, you can also check the support for > the display and obtain other information that might be important > later on (especially GPU info): > > # glxinfo > # xvinfo > > Log files worth saving are in /var/log, as well as Xorg.0.log > for X-related things. > > If you prepare some programs, you can also do some testing, > e. g. multimedia, gaming, 3D support, networking and so on. Fair comment. I had in mind mostly a CD, but I admit a USB will be far better. I also had in mind the livefs system produced by the releases, which doesn't give much at all. X would be very helpful and implies a full system on the disk - this _will_ do most tests for a production environment, like test whether components actually work or are just recognised. >> 2. The BIOS will get in your way - see recent thread regarding samsung >> laptop not installing. I don't think the salespeople will let you play >> with that either. > Depends. If you're interested in buying one of the more > expensive ones, they will offer you a "test ride" which > includes that you have a look at the CMOS setup (which is > something very typical for you as an IT professional). > > You can say: "The BIOS is defective, it doesn't allow me > to boot a standard OS. Let's see... for 100$ less, I would > still do you a favour and buy it." :-) You are a devious one Polytropon :) That would depend on the sales enviornment and country your in. Here they have the systems running with a lease on and a screenlock, and try to show you as little as possible to buy the thing... or you buy online. I'd love to try that trick of yours though.... >> If you do this *and* get it to boot, you want to get a copy of pciconf >> -lv which will give you the best idea on whats what. You may be able to >> use a linux live disk (if you can get it to boot) to accomplish this better. > USB sticks seem to be the best solution as they can allow > you to store files (as the results of your investigation). Definitely agreed. But you'd need a full on system to do this, preferably with X - watch the Vid cards. That said you can always use vesa anyway.