Configuring Pikachu

Summary: Configuring a Toshiba Satellite Pro 430CDT laptop with Linux and XFree86.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Configuration
   1. Hardware
   2. Software
3. Hardware Setup
4. Linux Setup
   1. Install Linux
   2. Configure Linux and X
   3. Create User Accounts
   4. Configure Dialup
   5. Configure Mail
5. Applications
   1. Amaya
   2. Star Office

1. References

Introduction

I (Ted Ruegsegger) prepared this document as:

• A log of what I did to construct and configure the machine

• A record of the machine's hardware and software configuration, which I'll endeavor to keep up-to-date as I make changes

• A reference to guide me and others in building similarly-configured PCs

Configuration

Hardware

Software

Hardware Setup

Hardware already set up when I got it. Once I open the case and make changes, I'll document them here.

Linux Setup

Install Linux

Boot the Linux install media and carry out the installation procedure. Some notes:

1. Specify PCMCIA support for the installation. This requires the PCMCIA support diskette in addition to the boot diskette. Both are on the CDROM in the images directory; write the images thus:
   # dd <boot.img >/dev/fd0
2. Set up the disk partitions using fdisk (Disk Druid needlessly makes an extended partition):

   Disk /dev/hda: 128 heads, 63 sectors, 993 cylinders Units = cylinders of 8064 * 512 bytes
   Device	Cyls	Start	End	MB	Type	Mount Point
   /dev/hda1	508	1	508	2000	83 Linux native	/
   /dev/hda2	33	509	541	130	82 Linux swap
   /dev/hda3	452	542	993	1780	83 Linux native	/home
   Total	993	1	993	3910

3. Install everything but stuff we know we don't need. Some things to exclude are the foreign-language, dvi, ps, and sgml how-to's and manpages; the plain text how-to's, the installation guide, and unneeded fonts (Cyrillic and Central European).
4. Network configuration:

   Fully-qualified domain name	pikachu.home
   IP address	192.168.0.100
   Subnet mask	255.255.255.0
   Gateway	192.168.0.250
   DNS servers	131.131.20.20 131.131.10.20 131.131.131.131

5. Specify these services to start at boot:

   [amd off] apmd atd autofs on crond [dhcpd off] gpm httpd inet [innd off]

   keytable linuxconf [lpd off] named netfs network nfs nscd on pcmcia portmap

   [postfix off] random [sendmail off] sound syslog xntpd on ypbind on yppasswdd on ypserv on

6. Make a boot diskette.
7. Install LILO to the master boot record.
8. Boot Linux.

Configure Linux and X

1. Use sndconfig to set up sound--this is best done immediately or, at least in older versions, it will fail.
2. Create, edit, or verify the following configuration files. Save copies under /home/config (reference copies are in the config subdirectory relative to this document).

Create User Accounts

Create some local user accounts, including a guest account (uid 60000, gid 60000) with an easy, welcoming password.

Configure Dialup

1. Note that the PCMCIA modem is automatically enabled at (and /dev/modem is linked to) /dev/ttyS1.
2. For each account that will need it, set up kppp by starting it and clicking the Setup button:

   Accounts tab

   Create a new account:

   Dial tab

   Assign a connection name and specify the ISP's dialup number.

   DNS tab

   Specify the ISP's DNS server addresses.

   Gateway tab

   Check Assign the Default Route to this Gateway.

   Device tab

   Set Modem Device to /dev/modem.

   Set Connection Speed to 115200.

   Modem tab

   Set the volume.

   Click Modem Commands:

   Set Volume/high to M1L3.

   Click Terminal:

   Set ATW2 and save it with AT&W (this reports connect speed).

   PPP tab

   Check the following options:

   PPP: Dock into Panel on Connect

   Automatic Redial on Disconnect

   Show Clock on Caption

   Disconnect on X-server Shutdown

   Minimize Window on Connect

   with appropriate settings for the available ISPs.

3. Install eznet (optional if kppp is working satisfactorily, but has the advantage that it need be set up only once):
   • Install the software and configure it according to the documentation.
   • Install xeznet.
   • Make tailored /etc/resolv.conf files for each ISP and a dial script that installs the appropriate one for any particular ISP. Make the dial script chmod 754 with group pppusers.
   • Add selected users to the pppusers group.
   • chmod g+rw /dev/ttyS* (they start out as crw-------)
   • Add selected users to the tty group.

Configure Mail

For each account that will need it, set up kmail by starting it and specifying the ISP's mail and news servers.

Applications

Amaya

Get the Amaya web browser/editor from the World Wide Web Consortium at http://www.w3c.org or, more conveniently, as an RPM from ftp://rpmfind.net/pub/amaya/amaya-2.1-1.rh52.i386.rpm. Check rpmfind.net (see References) for newer versions.

Star Office

1. Download Star Office (now free to anyone, for any purpose) from http://www.sun.com/staroffice/ as a tar file (I keep installation packages in individual directories under /home/pkg).
2. Untar the file (it will create a subdirectory so51inst):
   tar xvf so51a_lnx_01.tar
3. Note that complete instructions are in a PDF file in so51inst/documentation/setup.pdf but KDE's built-in PDF reader has some trouble with it--it's a good idea to install Adobe's acrobat reader anyway, but these steps should suffice for typical installations.
4. As root (to avoid fiddling with DISPLAY settings, it's simplest to log out and log in to KDE as root):
   # cd so51inst/office51
   # ./setup /net
   (The /net parameter is very important; it sets up a multiuser installation. We could, in fact, install it on a central server but, in this case, we're going to install it on the local box. The important thing is that more than one user can use it.)
5. When it asks for an installation directory, specify /usr/local/Office51.
6. Let it finish and log out.

For each user:

1. Log in as that user.
2. Open a terminal and:
   cd /usr/local/Office51/bin
   ./setup
   (No /net this time.)
3. Select the smaller installation (the default) which will install just the individual user's config files.
4. Use the default directory (a subdirectory of the user's home).
5. Log out and log back in to update the KDE menu.
6. Star Office will be under "Personal" in the K-menu.

References

Linux-Mandrake Installation & Use Guide

On CDROM in doc/mandrake/en/mdkuserguide/index.html
After installation, in /usr/doc/mandrake/en/mdkuserguide/index.html
On web at http://www.linuxmandrake.com/en/fdoc.php3 (Installation and User guides are separate)

Linux Mandrake web site

http://www.linuxmandrake.com/

Toshiba Satellite Pro 430 Series documentation

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Toshiba.woa/wa/ssDownload?series=72
The detailed specs and support bulletins are useful. The User's Guide at the bottom of the download list has some value, but it runs only under Windows. However, the individual pages can be saved as Postscript as needed.

RPM Index by Name at rpmfind.net

Lots of software can be had, in convenient RPM format, at http://www.rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/ByName.html