PC-BSD 9.0 on a Compaq Presario CQ61-408SL laptop

[emmex]

I have update this thread. Now the laptop is usable at least as as in Windows :-))).

I have used FreeBSD for about a year, but I am new to PC-BSD so I prefer to share my experience.
I have replaced Windows 7 with a dual boot: PC-BSD 9.0 using ZFS as primary File System and the latest Debian Linux. In this thread I speak about PC-BSD only.

The hardware is supported by the OS, except Sleep (suspend to disk), it don't works.
The laptop works better than in Windows: I can view 720p video with mplayer and 480p video on YouTube and the wireless connection takes only few seconds to complete.

During the installation select the correct keyboard layout: Laptop/notebook Compaq (eg. Presario) Internet Keyboard.
If you have disk space install all four desktop managers: Kde, Gnome, Lxde and Xfce. With Kde I have this strange behaviour as noted in this thread, so I use Gnome or Xfce, but I’d like some Kde games and the Konsole terminal emulator.
Update: now I only use Gnome and, occasionally Xfce, I have removed Kde and Lxde from laptop.

During installation you can enable disk compression: right-click to open a terminal emulator and issue the command:

# zfs set compression=on tank0



The PC-BSD 9.0 Installer installs the wrong video driver. In this thread http://forums.freebsd.org/showpost.php?p=144794&postcount=26 the FreeBSD developer wblock@, explain how to use the correct video driver.

Update: To use the Synaptics touchpad look at my post #6.

I’d like to use fn-f8 and fn-f8 to control screen brigtness. The driver acpi_video.ko must be loaded. in /boot/loader.conf add

# Load acpi_video for brightness control
acpi_video_load="YES"

More info here

This is optional. The Laptop don’t have BlueTooth. I have removed the BlueTooth support from /etc/rc.conf

hcsecd_enable="NO"
sdpd_enable="NO"

[emmex]

In this post I explain how I have set up “fn” keys on keyboards, eg. fn+F1, fn+F2, etc. I don’t like very much this solution so if someone has a better idea please let me know.
In my home directory I have the ~/.Xmodmap file where the keys are defined.

keycode 178=XF86WWW
keycode 140=XF86AudioMute
keycode 138=XF86ModeLock
keycode 177=osfHelp

As desktop environment I am using Gnome and with the Gnome Keyboard Shortcut application I have assigned the above keys to the corresponding functions: the Action “Sound - Volume Mute” to the “XF86AudioMute” shortcut, the Action “Desktop - Launch help browser” the the “osfHelp” shortcut, the Action “Desktop - Launch web browser” the the “XF86WWW” shortcut and, finally, the Action “ Desktop - Lock Screen” to the “XF86ModeLock” shortcut.

With this solution I do not like that is not a global solution: it is only valid with Gnome, every application shortcuts must be configured. Is there a better solution ?

Thanks.

[milesroces]

I always wanted an alternative OS for my projects. Kinda not comfortable for windows on some system requirements that takes a lot of data to process on some older laptops. Hope this one works.
______________________
Chicago Laptop Repair (http://crescentrepair.com/services/laptop-repair)

[emmex]

The led near the power button can blink in response to wireless activity.
In /etc/sysctl.conf add the lines:


# wireless activity led
dev.ath.0.ledpin=1
dev.ath.0.softled=1
# normally blue
dev.ath.0.ledon=1

[emmex]

It works out of the box, you can test it with the command

pwcview

I don’t use the webcan, so this is my only test.

[emmex]

I have started a new thread for Synaptics touchpad because an usable touchpad with scroll is essential for laptop usage and I have found a solution that, hopefully, can be applied to others laptop models.

This is my /etc/X11/xorg.conf. You can download it at pastebin (http://pastebin.com/n9EmKpN3)

# Xorg.conf for Compaq Presario CQ61-408SL on PC-BSD 9.0

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "XFree86 Configured"
Screen 0 "Screen0" 0 0
InputDevice "Synaptics_Touchpad" "AlwaysCore"
# InputDevice "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
Option "Clone" "off"
Option "AIGLX" "true"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
Option "AutoAddDevices" "Off"
EndSection

Section "Files"
ModulePath "/usr/local/lib/xorg/modules"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/TrueType/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/illinoy/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/webfonts/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/OTF/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/CID/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/dejavu/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/bitstream-vera/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/cyrillic/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/hebrew/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/vietnamese/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/indic/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/fonts-indic/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/ae_fonts1/AAHS"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/ae_fonts1/AGA"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/ae_fonts1/FS"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/ae_fonts1/Kasr"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/ae_fonts1/MCS"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/ae_fonts1/Shmookh"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/local/"
FontPath "/usr/local/lib/X11/fonts/util/"
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "ddc"
Load "dbe"
Load "dri"
Load "dri2"
Load "extmod"
Load "glx"
Load "synaptics"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard0"
Driver "keyboard"
Option "XkbModel" "presario"
Option "XkbLayout" "it"
Option "XkbVariant" ""
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Synaptics_Touchpad"
Driver "Synaptics"
Option "TapButton1" "1"
Option "UseShm" "true"
Option "SHMConfig" "on"
Option "Protocol" "psm"
Option "Device" "/dev/psm0"
Option "SendCoreEvents" "true"
Option "ZAxisMapping" "4 5 6 7"
# Option "TapButton2" "2"
# Option "TapButton3" "3"
# Option "FingerLow" "26"
# Option "FingerHigh" "51"
# Option "FingerPress" "254"
# Option "HorizEdgeScroll" "1"
Option "MinSpeed" "0.5"
Option "MaxSpeed" "1"
# Option "RTCornerButton" "2"
# Option "RBCornerButton" "3"
Option "RightEdge" "5300"
Option "AccelFactor" "0.03"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite" "Enable"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Monitor0"
VendorName "Monitor Vendor"
ModelName "Monitor Model"
EndSection


Section "Device"
Identifier "Card0"
Screen 0
Driver "radeon"
VendorName "ATI Video Driver"
# Option "CPPIOMode" "yes"
# Option "XAANoOffscreenPixmaps" "true"
# Option "AccelMethod" "EXA"
# Option "DynamicPM" "on"
BusID "PCI:1:5:0"
EndSection


Section "Screen"
Identifier "Screen0"
Device "Card0"
Monitor "Monitor0"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1366x768"
EndSubSection
EndSection