This document describes how I installed and configured Debian GNU/Linux on my Toshiba Satellite A80-117 laptop.

Note: This is work in progress, more info will be added later. Any comments are welcome!

Operating System

I run my laptop on Debian unstable, using a custom compiled 2.6.xx kernel (not the Debian packages).

3D Graphics

The video card is a nVidia GeForce Go 6200, so there's no stock kernel driver. You have to get the nVidia drivers from nVidia driver download page. Download and install the Linux IA32 version and you should have a working (accelerated) 3D setup.

If you dislike proprietary software you're stuck with the "nv" driver which comes with Xorg and does 2D acceleration, but not 3D acceleration. In the future the open-source nouveau driver might be a good choice, as it supports 3D acceleration (but is still in early development stages).

Networking

The Fast Ethernet card is a Marvell Yukon. Although there is a kernel driver for this card, it doesn't seem to work for me. The SysKonnect sk98lin driver works fine, though. With recent kernels (e.g. 2.6.16 or better) the "sky2" driver works fine.

WLAN

The built-in WLAN card is a Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG. The Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200BG Driver for Linux works fine. Recent 2.6 kernels already include this driver.

(U)DMA

In order to get the most out of your hard drive you should enable (U)DMA. See my blog post (U)DMA On My Toshiba Satellite A80-117 for details (requires a small kernel patch as of 2.6.13). An updated patch for more recent kernels is here. It seems recent kernels do no longer require this patch.

Sound

Works fine using ALSA. You need the "Intel/SiS/nVidia/AMD/ALi AC97 Controller" (CONFIG_SND_INTEL8X0) option in your kernel.

USB

Works fine.

Saving Power

ACPI works fine.

CPU frequency scaling works fine.

Supend-to-disk (using the "hibernate" Debian package) works fine with recent kernels. I didn't test suspend-to-RAM, though.

Burning CDs / DVDs

Works fine using cdrecord and growisofs from dvd+rw-tools.

Firewire

Works fine with recent kernels.

PCMCIA

Works fine.

SD-card slot

Works fine with recent kernels.

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/PM/GMS/910GML Express Processor to DRAM Controller (rev 03)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/PM Express PCI Express Root Port (rev 03)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 03)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 03)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 03)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 03)
00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 03)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 03)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev d3)
00:1e.2 Multimedia audio controller: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Audio Controller (rev 03)
00:1e.3 Modem: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) AC'97 Modem Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801FBM (ICH6M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 03)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801FBM (ICH6M) SATA Controller (rev 03)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801FB/FBM/FR/FW/FRW (ICH6 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GeForce Go 6200 TurboCache (rev a1)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8036 PCI-E Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 10)
06:02.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection (rev 05)
06:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCIxx21/x515 Cardbus Controller
06:04.2 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller
06:04.3 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments PCIxx21 Integrated FlashMedia Controller
06:04.4 Generic system peripheral [0805]: Texas Instruments PCI6411/6421/6611/6621/7411/7421/7611/7621 Secure Digital Controller

Update 2007-08-11: Added lspci output, several updates on current kernel driver support.
Update 2009-03-04: Several updates on current kernel driver support (suspend, firewire and SD card controller work fine now).