SuSE 9.3 on a BenQ Joybook 7000.G10
[Ich habe mir im April 2005 ein BenQ Joybook 7000 G10 zugelegt und sofort auf seine Linuxtauglichkeit geprüft.
Da ich diese Seite von www.tuxmobil.org weiterverlinke, werde ich ab jetzt ins Englische wechseln!]
In April 2005 I got myself a BenQ Joybook 7000 laptop-computer. I noticed a strange high-frequency noise coming somewhere from the PCMCIA-Slot. There is a new BIOS fixing this issue which comes as a Windows-executable. I fetched it from the BenQ homepage and installed it running the pre-installed Windows. So by the time I started my installation, my BIOS was at version 2.01.03. Apart from that small problem I need to say that this laptop is a really a nice piece of hardware. Good overall quality, the fan is not turning on too often, the battery lasts for about 4.5 hours in average (when fully charged) and the display is one of the brightest I have seen to date!
As a long-time user of SuSE, the current version of this distro, SuSE Linux Professional 9.3 was my linux-flavor of choice. In older versions, I read about problems concerning usb-ports and sound (which still is an issue in 9.3).
In some place, I remember someone writing all devices where supported with Debian Sarge and Gentoo.
The installation with yast is rather easy and somewhat straightforward, so I will skip it and give a brief summary of the devices working / not working. As the Joybook has a wxga-screen, the graphical setup may appear to be a little bit ‘stretched’.
ACPI – works fine, fan is not turning on often, suspend-to-disk works out-of-the-box, battery- and cpu-frequency-monitoring looks good.
Network adapter – works out-of-the-box without any problems
Wireless Interface (Intel Pro Wireless 2200GB) – works out-of-the-box (nice)
DVD+R/RW-Burner – works out-of-the-box (created some DVDs and CDs with both Nautilus CD-Burner and K3b)
Video – ATI Radeon 9700 – x.org-dirver is activated by default and works fine – ATI-binary drivers are also included (and installed). After switching to those, 3D-acceleration looks good.
Display – no problems configuring the rather strange resolution of 1280×768 (14″ WXGA).
Sound – no sound from the internal speakers. External speakers work fine. Did not try the integrated mic. This is a problem with the sound chip similar to something I found about the Asus W1000N-laptop. You need to set the registers of the sound-card manually on boot-up. I will write if this works for me after testing!
Modem – works out-of-the-box (tried to establish a dial-up-connection)
CardReader – read on another page that this device will not work – could not try it lacking any kind of memory-card
PCMCIA – automatically detects and configures my AVM FRITZ! ISDN-Interface
USB-Ports – correctly integrates my external HD (USB 2.0), scanner (USB 2.0) and mouse (USB 1.1) on every of the 4 ports.
FireWire – seems to work – could not try it, though
IrDa – syncs my Palm m100 after manual activation – In another review by Joan (look here) IrDa does not work with KUbuntu linux. Just for your information 
(maybe a ‘SuSE issue’?!?)
Touchpad – works out-of-the-boxSuSE 9.3 on a BenQ Joybook 7000.G10
In April 2005 I got myself a BenQ Joybook 7000 laptop-computer. I noticed a strange high-frequency noise coming somewhere from the PCMCIA-Slot. There is a new BIOS fixing this issue which comes as a Windows-executable. I fetched it from the BenQ homepage and installed it running the pre-installed Windows. So by the time I started my installation, my BIOS was at version 2.01.03. Apart from that small problem I need to say that this laptop is a really a nice piece of hardware. Good overall quality, the fan is not turning on too often, the battery lasts for about 4.5 hours in average (when fully charged) and the display is one of the brightest I have seen to date!
As a long-time user of SuSE, the current version of this distro, SuSE Linux Professional 9.3 was my linux-flavor of choice. In older versions, I read about problems concerning usb-ports and sound (which still is an issue in 9.3).
In some place, I remember someone writing all devices where supported with Debian Sarge and Gentoo.
The installation with yast is rather easy and somewhat straightforward, so I will skip it and give a brief summary of the devices working / not working. As the Joybook has a wxga-screen, the graphical setup may appear to be a little bit ‘stretched’.
ACPI – works fine, fan is not turning on often, suspend-to-disk works out-of-the-box, battery- and cpu-frequency-monitoring looks good.
Network adapter – works out-of-the-box without any problems
Wireless Interface (Intel Pro Wireless 2200GB) – works out-of-the-box (nice)
DVD+R/RW-Burner – works out-of-the-box (created some DVDs and CDs with both Nautilus CD-Burner and K3b)
Video – ATI Radeon 9700 – x.org-dirver is activated by default and works fine – ATI-binary drivers are also included (and installed). After switching to those, 3D-acceleration looks good.
Display – no problems configuring the rather strange resolution of 1280×768 (14″ WXGA).
Sound – no sound from the internal speakers. External speakers work fine. Did not try the integrated mic. This is a problem with the sound chip similar to something I found about the Asus W1000N-laptop. You need to set the registers of the sound-card manually on boot-up. I will write if this works for me after testing!
Modem – works out-of-the-box (tried to establish a dial-up-connection)
CardReader – read on another page that this device will not work – could not try it lacking any kind of memory-card
PCMCIA – automatically detects and configures my AVM FRITZ! ISDN-Interface
USB-Ports – correctly integrates my external HD (USB 2.0), scanner (USB 2.0) and mouse (USB 1.1) on every of the 4 ports.
FireWire – seems to work – could not try it, though
IrDa – syncs my Palm m100 after manual activation – In another review by Joan (look here) IrDa does not work with KUbuntu linux. Just for your information (maybe a ‘SuSE issue’?!?)
Touchpad – works out-of-the-box