A log of a Gentoo configuration. Michael Schmitz 29 March 2005 [ Linux 2.4 or 2.6? ] My first problem with Gentoo was that I used the 2.6* kernel. While this works for many, on my computer it moved my processor up to around 55 degrees Celsius. Sometimes it even passed 60. As my computer typically runs more than ten degrees cooler, I decided to downgrade to 2.4*. However, it is likely that some compiler option might have fixed the wild temperature. (note: I later reupgraded to 2.6.) [ Installation ] (Primary source: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86-quickinstall.xml) During the perscribed installation sequence I installed the "gentoo-sources" for the kernel (2.4*). I emerged "nvidia-kernel" although I am not sure that I needed to. For the network setup section I ran: "vim -w /etc/conf.d/net" and set 'iface_eth0="dhcp"' "rc-update add net.eth0 default" After following the installation procedure, I set up ALSA, Linux's sound system. Without ALSA, sound would not play. "emerge alsa-driver alsa-oss alsa-utils" "modules-update" "rc-update add alsasound boot" "/etc/init.d/alsasound start" "amixer set Master 100 unmute" "amixer set PCM 100 unmute" and ALSA worked thereafter. I also needed to make some kernel config file modifications. Here is an outline of the changes to gentoo-sources defaults: Key: * compiled in 0 not compiled in M compiled as module Code maturity level options -> *Prompt for development and/or... Processor type... -> (set "Processor family" to "AthlonXP") Filesystems -> ReiserFS (and all others applicable) Pseudo filesystems -> *Virtual memory file syste support (former shm fs) -> * /proc file system support -> /dev file system support (EXPERIMENTAL) -> *Automatically mount at boot -> 0 /dev/pts file system for Unix98 PTYs ATA/IDE/MFM/RLL support ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support -> *Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support -> 0Use multi-mode by default -> *Auto-Geometry Resizing support PCI IDE chipset support Generic PCI sub-master DMA support -> VIA82Cxxx chipset support (see DMA section) Network support Network device support -> *PPP (point-to-point protocol) support -> *PPP support for async serial ports -> *PPP support for sync tty ports [ HARDWARE DMA ] (Primary source for DMA setup: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_DMA_and_you) Hardware DMA greatly increases the speed and efficiency of file transfer to and from the hard disk. It speeds this up by bypassing the processor durring write. Before DMA was enabled, my computer often lagged durring compile, and if I copied a movie the lag would be so great that I could not use my computer without becoming very angry. Sound also jittered during processor intensive tasks. To enable DMA, I first compiled support into my kernel for my IDE controller. I found the name of my controller by using the command lspci and looking for the line containing "IDE". To compile this feature in, for my card I added support for: Kernel -> "IDE, ATA, and ATAPI Block devices" -> VIA82Cxxx chipset support (to edit the kernel move a terminal to /usr/src/linux and type "make menuconfig") and then recompiled and installed my kernel. (in /etc/src/linux for kernel 2.4*: "make dep && make clean bzImage modules modules_install" and then copy /etc/src/linux/System.map to /boot/System.map and /etc/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /boot. These instructions may vary due to system configuration.) Then, to make DMA enabled on startup (and thus avoid the abnoxious DMA error message on boot), run: rc-update add hdparam default [ The /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/menu.lst files ] To set up filesystem mounting and grub multiboot, I wrote the files and . [ NVIDIA Drivers ] To reap the benefits of my GeForce 4 I downloaded the Nvidia drivers from www.nvidia.com/linux and installed them, ignoring the conflict with a kernel module. I then modified my xorg.conf to use the graphics driver "nvidia". Also, to stop the Nvidia splash screen, I added 'Option "NOLOGO"' to the same section. [ X Configuration ] One of my principal problems with X was to set up a notepad on my fluxbox desktop. I wanted a transparent aterm running vim with no window decorations. The ~/.fluxbox/apps file specifies default window configurations, but if I added that aterm should run on the desktop layer, all aterms would run there. Although this may not be the best solution, I eventually decided to create a symbolic link to aterm called note-term. "note-term" resides in /usr/local/bin/. Now I added this section to my ~/.fluxbox/apps: [app] (note-term) [Layer] {12} [end] Now, when note-term is run it begins on the desktop layers, but when aterm is run it has the normal settings. To load programs on boot, I created the file ~/.fluxbox/startup and changed a line in the ~/.fluxbox/init file to: session.screen0.rootCommand: sh /home/michael/.flubox/startup Then I put the appicatoins that I wanted to load on startup into ~/.fluxbox/startup. To configure my aterm's colors and other properties (as well as note-terms), I modified the file .Xdefaults in my home directory, specifying a number of settings. [ SAMBA ] After "emerge samba" I configured /etc/samba/smb.conf to my specifications. After "rc-update add samba default" it loaded and worked on boot. [ LINUX KERNEL 2.6 ] But then I wanted more. I principally desired a way to automatically mount my ipod and camera. I had been having the problem that they switched from sda to sdb, so my /etc/fstab could not keep up with them. After some research, I learned that I needed udev. After more research I learned that I needed kernel 2.6, so I ignored the temperature and went forth. I had to re-add some initrd scripts by using "rc-update add {scriptname} default". Only a couple had to be modified. For example, in /etc/modules.d/alsasound I had to add "alias snd-card-0 snd-via82xx" to avoid an abnoxious "Could not detect custom ALSA settings. Loading all detected alsa drivers." error. (Primary source: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?p=1896531#1896531 I ended up downgrading my NVIDIA drivers to 1.0.6111. Portage can install these, so it only takes a "emerge nvidia-glx" (this is a dependent of nvidia-kernel, so nvidia-kernel is installed as well). I downgraded because of the wealth of errors that occur with 1.0.6629 and udev. I found few solutions after hours of searching, and I could not see what benefit the new drivers would bring anyway. My first problem with udev was that X wouldn't start. "startx" brought me to a black screen that refused input. The keyboard lights even turned off. It turns out that /dev/mouse does not exist under the udev system. So I changed /etc/X11/xorg.conf mouse section from Option "Device" "/dev/mouse" to Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice" And it worked! Maybe I could get a more intuitive error in the future? But I still could not set up automounting for my ipod. In fact, my ipod would not load at all. I kept error like: usb 1-8: new high speed USB device using address 4 usb 1-8: control timeout on ep0out usb 1-8: control timeout on ep0out usb 1-8: device not accepting address 4, error -110 I compared my 2.6 kernel config file to the 2.4 config file and found that the USB device EHCI was enabled under 2.6 but UHCI was enabled under 2.4. First I tried adding UHCI in addition to EHCI under kernel 2.6, but the same error persised. But when I removed EHCI from kernel 2.6, linux properly detected my ipod. Unfortunately, now my camera cannot connect at USB 2.0 rates through EHCI. [ SETTING UP NTP ] NTP is a program that will automatically syncronize the local time with a chosen server. A HOWTO at: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_NTP explains the installation process far better than I could here.