Linux on the NEC VERSA 6200MMX Notebook Computer

• Installing using the external Floppy drive connector kit

  The external floppy drive connector kit is an optional item that NEC typically doesn't given away free with the 6200. Although its rather inexpensive, as with most other brands, this item is something that should be given free with the 6200MX (especially since this is a high-end machine).

  In any case, the product code of this item is OP-510-62001. Bug your vendor about it.

  Obviously with the external floppy drive in place and the CD-ROM drive in the 6200's bay, you can install and re-install Linux to your heart's content.

• Installing directly from the CD-ROM drive using DOS

  I've been told that an alternative that is almost as effective is to boot the 6200 with its original OS inplace. Drop down to DOS and install the Linux distribution directly from the CD-ROM drive (accessed as Drive "R" under MS-Windows or DOS).

  RedHat, Caldera (and a couple of other distributions that come on a CD-ROM disk) allow direct CD-ROM installs from DOS.

  On RedHat 5.0 for example, change to the dosutils directory and execute autoboot.bat to start the Linux install process from DOS (if theres a hard-disk error, just select fail, and when RedHat asks for the second boot disk, just select Cancel).

• Installing a base system from floppy disks

  Packages such a Slackware comes with a set of Base system images that allows you to install a basic Linux system from just floppy disks alone. Using this method, one can install a basic Linux system before installing the remaining system from the CD-ROM directly.

• Installing from an external CDROM drive

  While the above methods all work rather well, the method I used was to install using my external SCSI CD-ROM. Since I needed connectivity to an external Hard Disk and external SCSI CD-ROM, this meant I needed a SCSI PC-Card for the 6200. You can't go wrong with the Adaptec 1460A SlimSCSI.

  I simply plugged the SlimSCSI into the PC-Card socket during the Linux install, booted from the RedHat boot floppy and supplemental floppy, and I could immediately access my external SCSI CDROM drive and begin installing the system. It was as easy as A-B-C.

The rest of the system

• If you do choose to remove MS-Windows/DOS, then when Red Hat asks about disk partitioning, remember to say "Edit" and use Linux's Fdisk to delete the MS-Windows partition and create your own partition(s).

  If you reallocate a partition for DOS, once you're done installing all of Red Hat's options, when it comes to LILO, Red Hat (at least 4.1) assumes you have a working DOS partition (meaning you have DOS already installed). The LILO installation will fail because when you thrashed the original partition, you lost DOS with it.

  What you need to do to successfully install LILO at this point is to switch to another virtual console right before you hit "OK" for LILO to be installed. In that virtual console, remove pointers to DOS in /etc/lilo.conf (and /mnt/etc/lilo.conf) file. The installation should then complete successfully.

  When you reboot at this point, you will notice a boot-up complaint from the Versa;

  Invalid HIBERNATION partition/file...RUN HDPREPEZ...

  This is generated because Linux's fdisk deleted the original "SUSPEND TO FILE" file used during hibernate mode (when the notebook is placed in Standby mode for more than 30minutes). This warning message can be gotten rid off by hitting < F2 > during cold boot and changing the CMOS POWER MANAGEMENT SETUP. The parameter to change is Auto Save To File from ON to OFF.

• If you chose not to remove the MS-Windows/DOS partition, I've been told that you can successfully install Linux from DOS by 1) defragmenting the Harddisk, 2) Bringing the system down to MS-DOS and running FIPS to re-partition the hardisk making room for a Linux partition, 3) Installing Linux by directly accessing the CDROM drive from DOS.

  Done this way, there would be no need to fiddle with /etc/lilo.conf nor the CMOS Power Management settings.

In any case, save this XF86Config file into the /etc/X11 directory and you're off to a running start.

Both 8bit and 16bit display depths are supported at full 1024x768 resolution. At 800x600 resolution, you even get 24bit colour depth support (with the above XF86Config file the default display depth is 8bits, to get 16bit, or 24bit, issue the following startx commands : for 16bit, "startx -- -bpp 16", and for 24bit "startx -- -bpp 24").

If you're on the bleeding edge and have moved to XFree86-3.3, then patch the XF86Config file above with this XF86Config-3.2-3.3.diff and you get all the new Chips & Technology 65550 Enhancements that come with the new XFree86 SVGA server, including the XAA Accelerated performance :)

Note: Occasionally (like once every 10-20 startx) the X-Server comes up to a blank screen. When this happens, you can either shutdown the X-Server by issueing the < Ctrl-Alt-BackSpace > sequence (twice) and bringing up X again with startx.

Or alternatively, (and this is neat!) depress the "screen close" button located near the 6200's power switch. When the button is released, the blank screen will be pleasantly replaced with your normal X screen!

This bug was documented in XF86's release 3.2 of the Chips & Technology driver, but seems to still exist in the 3.3 version, although to a lesser degree.

This is what my screen looks like (AfterStep Window Manager is definitely worth your time :-)

Note: the kernel configuration above shows a very modularised kernel. Since the PCMCIA package only works with modules, it makes sense to support a fully modular kernel. However, this also means you should ensure that the modules package is working perfectly on your systems before re-compiling a modular kernel.

Sound Support

If you're upgrading to the new 2.1.X series kernels, be sure to get the latest modutils from ftp.funet.fi

Also, you might want to apply the following patch to truly integrate support of the PCMCIA package into modutils. This patch will allow cardmgr to make use of kerneld to automagically (cleanly ;-) load the required modules rather then having to use insmod to load the modules when a PC-Card is inserted into your system.

Note: if you're using a module package newer than 2.1.85, the above patch may already be included, so check first.

PC-Card support

If you're upgrading to the new 2.1.X series kernels, then I'd suggest getting pcmcia-cs-3.0.0.tar.gz.

Also, if you patched modutils as mentioned in the previous section, then you'd also want to include the following patch to the PCMCIA package before installing it. This patch tells cardmgr to let kerneld do its job before attempting to use insmod.

About This Document

Thanks also goes out to Brendan J Frey, Ted Mead and Bryce Nesbitt for the information on the direct CDROM install, Michael S. Landy for the information on installing Linux without first removing MS-Windows/DOS, and Rob Miller for the neat trick to resolve the X-Server screen quirk as well as the floppy/CD-ROM drive 'hot-swap' technique ;-)

If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, please feel free to email me.