Novatech (MiTAC) 8355 Laptop Running FreeBSD (Unix)

BIOS announces: "Insyde Software SCU"

BIOS: Boot Sector Protect Mechanism Is Misleadingly Labelled

BIOS Upgrade

BIOS Information
        Vendor: Insyde Software
        Version: R1.08
        Release Date: 06/08/2004
                BIOS is upgrade-able
Base Board Information
        Manufacturer: MiTAC
        Product Name:
        Version: 5a
Chassis Information
        Manufacturer: MiTAC
        Type: Portable
        Lock: Not Present
        Version: S2054S
OEM Strings
        String 1: Insyde Software SM-BIOS For VT8383

Memory

A laptop here emits a puzzling dmesg to both 8.1-RC2 & 8.1-RELEASE:
>   real memory  = 8572108800 (8175 MB)
>   avail memory = 1018789888 (971 MB)
> BIOS reckons it has 1G. No panel to unscrew to inspect memory. 
> I don't believe 8G

real memory  = 8572108800 (8175 MB)
Physical memory chunk(s):
0x0000000000001000 - 0x000000000009bfff, 634880 bytes (155 pages)
0x0000000000f1a000 - 0x000000003e19ffff, 1026056192 bytes (250502 pages)
avail memory = 1018191872 (971 MB)
ACPI APIC Table: <INSYDE APIC_000>
x86bios:   IVT 0x000000-0x0004ff at 0xffffff0000000000
x86bios:  SSEG 0x010000-0x01ffff at 0xffffff8000007000
x86bios:  EBDA 0x09f000-0x09ffff at 0xffffff000009f000
x86bios:   ROM 0x0a0000-0x0effff at 0xffffff00000a0000

vi -c/reasonable /sys/amd64/amd64/machdep.c

NOTES To Source
http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/src/bsd/fixes/freebsd/src/gen/sys/amd64/amd64/ machdep.c.REL=*.diff

• FreeBSD-8.4-RELEASE runs,
  FreeBSD-8.1-RELEASE runs, & has built many packages.
  ( ls -l /var/db/pkg | wc -l # 848 @ 17 Aug 2010 )

• Video Outputs & X-Windows

  works
  
  • I only have it running at 1024x768m but
    Hardware manual (from cdrom from Mitac) says in spec. on page 111 of 117 lists more :
    14.1/15-inch TFT, resolution up to 1024768 / 14001050 XGA / SXGA+
    & my particular screen is 15" so need to try harder.
  • Before X starts, Observations (I haven't got an SVGA connected to observe, just S-VHS connected)
    • Fn F5 (square, line under surrounded by another square - maybe a symbol for monitor ?) allocates video to S-VHS
      but doesn't seem to bring it back to LCD on 2nd push
    • Fn F10 (Multiple overlapping squares within a square) Seems to toggle LCD screen on & off.
      
    • I wonder if a switch is also buried in the lid latch hole
    • Fn F11 (2 vertical bar) Doesn't seem to do anything
  • xorg.conf
  • Xorg.0.log
  • If video is on S-VHS, then xinit, then screen switches to internal LCD OK,
    but after X finishes, video reverts to S-VHS, & TV fails to display properly (too high a frequency I guess)
  • I haven't got X working on S-VHS output.
• Ethernet: OK. ifconfig shows: media: Ethernet autoselect (100baseTX <full-duplex> man vr does not show capability for 1G

• Battery

  • Hardware manual (from cdrom from Mitac) says in spec. on page 111 of 117: 12-cell 6600 mAh / 14.8 V Li-ion battery
  • To remove battery you need to slide both release latches simultaneously (one is a 2 position, one is spring loaded).
  • Battery beeps & acpi message on console when low, "sysctl -a | grep battery": OK
  • sysctl hw.acpi.battery.life reports 100 when running on battery, & still 100 after some discharge, as soon as you plug in mains power it reduces to a real number eg 51.
  • sysctl hw.acpi.battery.time while running on battery shows eg 165, as soon as you plug in mains power it changes to -1
  • sysctl hw.acpi.battery.state running on battery shows 1, mains power shows 2
• CPU frequency: powerd -v shows a range of between 800 & 2200.
  sysctl:
  • dev.cpu.0.freq_levels:
    2200/81500 2000/65000 1800/48000 800/19000
  • dev.powernow.0.freq_settings:
    2200/81500 2000/65000 1800/48000 800/19000
• sound: Works, (but crappy horrible sound on internal speakers compared with Toshiba Satellite), Sound is fine if taken from 3.5 mm jack at front & fed to a TV phono. It reports via8235, I use snd_via8233.ko via loader.conf

  Hardware manual (from cdrom from Mitac) says in spec. on page 111 of 117 : AC97 v.2.1 codec, Sound Blaster Pro compatible.

• To Do Later
  • USB : Works with a mouse. Not tried further if 1 & 2 & which ports provide power (1 port on my Toshiba Satellite does not provide power)
  • mbmon does not work.
  • if powerd runs, & a load, eg ports build in progress, sysctl hw.acpi.thermal.tz0.temperature jumps from 47 to 75 !
    See note in article by Adrian Allen: Take a look at that crummy foil TIM joint! When I was peeling it off, it seemed to consist of a layer of thin foil with a thick waxy thermal compound under it. No thermal compound actually contacted the CPU.
  • Screen Brightness (Yellow Num Lock Function Keys Fn F6 & Fn F7 Do work work under BSD ! The difference is slight, as the bell beeps too, one first assumes the key is rejected, & one assumes no difference, pay more attention, there is a little difference at each key stroke. The bell beeps up to 7 times per direction, indicating 8 states. No difference visible on output from sysctl -a. Hardware manual on CDROM says: The display output might be set to an external device. To switch the display back to the LCD, press Fn+F5
  • cpu suspend/ resume: Not tried.
  • Memory (camera size) slot at front: Not tried.
  • Firewire: Not tried.
  • Parallel port: Not tried.
  • WiFi: Not tried. Hardware manual (from cdrom from Mitac) says in spec. on page 111 of 117 : IEEE 802.11b compliant.