Yelläks /ˈyæl•eks/

Today kernel 2.6.33 became stable. This post describes, how to get 2.6.33 running on a Debian box running on Lenny (the stable version).

1. If you use make-kpkg (like me) to compile the kernel, you have to get a newer version of the the package “kernel-package”. In Lenny the current version is 11.015. The compilation works with the version that is shipped with testing (currently 12.032). So download the package from a server of your choice and install it with dpkg -i <packageName>. All dependencies are already met.
2. Obviously the nvidia-kernel-source will create problems as usual:
   

   /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nvacpi.c: In function ‘nv_acpi_methods_init’:
   /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nvacpi.c:511: error: too few arguments to function ‘acpi_walk_namespace’
   make[5]: *** [/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel/nvacpi.o] Error 1
   make[4]: *** [_module_/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel] Error 2
   make[4]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.33′
   make[3]: *** [modules] Error 2
   make[3]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel’
   make[2]: *** [binary-modules] Error 2
   make[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel’
   make[1]: *** [kdist_build] Error 2
   make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel’
   Module /usr/src/modules/nvidia-kernel failed.

   The patch from this thread in the nVidia forum helped and it works without any problems (apart from all the warning during compilation).

3. The kernel module for VirtualBox is quite aged and currently at version 1.6.6. The compilation process complains about missing files:
   

   In file included from /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/include/VBox/types.h:34,
   from /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/SUPDRV.h:39,
   from /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/linux/SUPDrv-linux.c:35:
   /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/include/iprt/types.h:87:30: error: linux/autoconf.h: No such file or directory
   /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/linux/SUPDrv-linux.c: In function ‘VBoxDrvLinuxCreate’:
   /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/linux/SUPDrv-linux.c:734: error: ‘struct task_struct’ has no member named ‘euid’
   /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/linux/SUPDrv-linux.c:735: error: ‘struct task_struct’ has no member named ‘egid’
   kmk[2]: *** [/usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose/linux/SUPDrv-linux.o] Error 1
   kmk[2]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.33′
   kmk[1]: *** [_module_/usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose] Error 2
   kmk[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.33′
   kmk: *** [binary-modules] Error 2
   kmk: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose’
   make[1]: *** [kdist_build] Error 2
   make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose’
   Module /usr/src/modules/virtualbox-ose failed.

   Fortunately it is easy and fast to be fixed either by applying virtualbox-ose-2.6.33.patch.zip or by replacing

   #include <linux/autoconf.h>

   by

   #include <generated/autoconf.h>

   in the files SUPDRV.h, r0drv/linux/the-linux-kernel.h and include/iprt/types.h.

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As mentioned earlier, the water crisis started some time back. Just yesterday an institute internal broadcast message filled the mail boxes:

Subject: “REGARDING WATER IN THE HOSTEL BLOCKS”
Body:
Dear All,

There is severe water shortage in the Institute. Hence, Hostel Blocks has
not got the required quantity of water; as the Institute has not received
full supply of water from the BWSSB. This position of water shortage is
likely to continue during the summer months. This is for the information
of all the inmates of the Hostel Blocks. Students are requested to
co-operate.

Assistant Registrar, Hostel

The students have to co-operate. Ironically the administration does happily ignore leaking taps, not functioning toilet tanks where the water keeps rushing through or dripping and dirty drinking water dispensers, which have been maintained recently and improperly. The students have to co-operate with the reluctance of the administration to learn? They should apologize for the zero learn effect, which seems to be unique in this institute. The water issue is not up since yesterday, but it is repeating every year since I am here. Any measurement to prevent this? Maybe next year, it is too late for this one.

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From time to time I find some time to work a little bit on my broken laptop from Bullman. I would like to publish my research results here from time to time so that maybe someone benefits from the information. Since the price of a replacement of EUR 242 is too much, I bought a graphics adapter from a seller in China through eBay. It is exactly the same model (nVidia GT8600M with 512MB RAM), but it does not work in my machine. Even the lamp for the screen is not powered up and the laptop switches itself off after around 10 seconds after turning it on.

A little bit more digging revealed that there are mainly 3 manufactures for laptops: Compal, Quanta and Wistron. Acer, Asus, Dell and Bullman just buy the laptop from them and re-brand them with their own logo. For instance the Bullman V-Klasse 8 is an IFL90. If you search for IFL90 in Google you will find many entries related but from different manufactures. Have a look of the specifications of the V-Klasse 8 and IFL90. Finding any similarities?

I have to speculate, but my guessing is that graphics cards with an MXM II interface are only produced for one of the manufactures and hence is incompatible to the others. So the new GT8600M does not work in IFL90, but it will work in Acer. But that is just a guess, since I do not have any Acer here. I think, I will spend some more money to buy also an ATI RadeonHD 3650 and try it out in my IFL90. I found someone who actually succeeded in upgrading his laptop with this adapter. I will let you know. Currently there is the Chinese New Year going on till 18th of February and I have to wait till it is over.

[Update 17/02/2010]
I strongly suspect the Video BIOS to be incompatible to the BIOS of the main board. To get it to work, both BIOS need to be flashed even before any of them gets executed. The IFL90 provides a routine for that. However it involves the need of an external USB Floppy Drive (for those from the post-floppy-era: It is a device able to read/write a plastic disc holding something like 1.44MB per disc. ), which are rarely seen these days. Btw, a pen drive does not work (at least not in my machine). For details how to do flash the BIOS or in case you bricked your BIOS have a look at this post number 184. I will try it out as soon as the old graphics adapter shows its faulty behavior again, since I just got an USB FDD. Unfortunately (for you) it seems to work currently. I recently replaced all thermal pads of the memory. If it was the case that over the time the thermal pads shrink and did not make contact with either the memory chip or the heat sink, then I have a working adapter again. Anyhow the Radeon is on its way and I will try that one too. It seems a little bit more powerful than the GT8600M and the driver development by ATI goes in a very much appreciated direction (hint: open source).

[Update 07/03/2010]
The Radeon has arrived and I can confirm that it is working in my Compal FL90 machine. I had the problem that the thermal pads for the memory where to big and the copper of the heat sink did not touch the die properly resulting in a nice crash and white screen after something like a minute after boot. Do ensure that all memory chips and the die have proper contact. The card is up and running now. However the installation of the same was a complete mess.

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A Bullman laptop comes with lots of advantages: high resolution and especially anti-glare screen (that means, you cannot see yourself and the room behind you, when the screen is darker), excellent keyboard and superb support in Linux apart from the very friendly costumer support.

I bought a Bullman laptop around 2.5 years ago and I never had any trouble. It worked right from the start. However recently my graphics adapter started to fail (GT8600M) and I suspect the famous hardware bug that finally shows up. Unfortunately my warranty is over for around 6 months and I shifted to India. However I got in touch with the support of Bullman. A new graphics adapter is available and there is not problem to ship it to a German address so that I can replace it by myself. In that case my brother would forward the adapter further to India.

And this service would have cost me only EUR242 including shipping within Germany! Honestly, who is going to pay that price? EUR242 for a graphics adapter as a spare part for a laptop that is more than 2.5 years old? For your information, when I bought the laptop, I paid around EUR1200 including shipping and bag in total. For that money I can get a completely new machine. I do not know, who is making the prices there, but this is way to much. So currently I am trying to get a graphics card on eBay, but I doubt that it will work. I guess Bullman has locked the BIOS so that this option will not be available. In fact I tried another GT8600M (MXM II interface, same memory, but newer board revision) with the same configuration in my laptop, but nothing came up. Not even the light for the LCD. It seems I have to throw this machine into the garbage and buy a new one. But this time, it will be from a company that offers service worldwide and a long warranty. Actually Bullman offers to provide warranty for a longer period for extra money. I should have done that. If you are interested in a Bullman laptop, then take that offer. Otherwise you might spend too much money, if you need a spare part one fine day. In my opinion, the price politics is a very big minus point for that company despite the many advantages on the other side. But how will I benefit or use these advantages, if it broke down and I have to invest more than 20% of the original buying price for spare parts?

Anyone interested in the remainings of the laptop? Everything apart from graphical output works without a problem. I can SSH into the laptop and start simulations and compilations. But the graphical output on the LCD is not readable.

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Originally the idea was to lower a pump into the rain water capacitor located between the blocks of the New Hostel Complex of the Indian Institute of Science, to empty it. But this is physically impossible, if the pipe transporting the water to the drain broke down. The whole night the sounds of the splashing water were audible and I am curious, if the frequency in which people had to go to the toilet, went up. We might never know. However in the morning a nice, healthy and inviting bubble bath was prepared. The leaves will soften the sensitive skin. And please do not rush. The capacitor is big enough for all.

A nice, healthy and inviting bubble bath. Prepared between the blocks of the New Hostel Complex. Please ignore the traces of oil swimming on the water.

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