SONY SuperSlim VAIO

Curtis Brune curtis_brune@workspot.com
Sun Jun 27 04:39:15 1999


Prelim results of using the internal ethernet adapter of the Sony VAIO
Z505S with Debian GNU/Linux.

1. booted Debian install off of CD-ROM drive; for examples of installing
linux on SONY super-slim VAIO check out
http://home.rochester.rr.com/specht/505/index.html and
http://www.joechiu.com/computing/vaio/linuxon505.html

though neither of these describes the Z505S model explicitly.

2. you have to add append="ide1=0x180,0x386" to the lilo boot parameters
to get the CD-ROM drive to work.  See the above links for why.

3. This VAIO model uses USB to connect the floppy drive; nice under
windows since for the other VAIO models you have to reboot your machine
when you add the floppy drive.

4. install the base system and selected the "eepro100" during the
install.  I did not add any additional parameters.  The system said
"module installed successfully". Great.

5.  reboot the sytem and boot linux from the hard drive.  Listed below
is from my boot log.  There's a bunch of errors from eth0.  Any clues?

eepro100.c:v0.99B 4/7/98 Donald Becker ...
The PCI BIOS has not enabled this device!  Updating PCI command
0013->0017.
eepro100.c:v0.99B 4/7/98 Donald Becker ...
eth0: Invalid EEPROM checksum 0xffc0, check settings before activating
this device!
eth0: OEM i82557/i82558 10/100 Ethernet at 0xfcc0, FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF,
IRQ 9.
 Receiver lock-up bug exists -- enabling work-around
 Board assembly ffffff-255, Physical connectors present: RJ45 BNC AUI
MII
 Primary interface chip unknown-15 PHY #31.
  Secondary interface chip i82557.
  Verify that the card is a bus-master capable slot.
Self test failed, status ffffffff:
 Failure to initialize the i82557.
 Verify that the card is a bus-master capable slot.


After booting up I get the following two lines printed ot the console
every 10 seconds or so:

eth0: Transmit timed out: status ffff command ffff.
eth0: Trying to restart the transmitter...

Cheers,
Curt

Here /proc/pci and /proc/interrupts
 0:	250912	timer
 1:	1091	keyboard
 2:	0	cascade
 8:	3 +	rtc
 9:	0	Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 Ethernet
11:	0 +	ide1
13:	1	math error
14:	2298 + 	ide0

...
Bus 0, device 6, function 0:
  Ethernet controller: Intel 82557 (rev 8).
    Medium devsel.  Fast back-to-back capable. IRQ 9. Master Capable.
Latency=66. Min Gnt=8.Max Lat=56.
    Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xfecff000.
    I/O at 0xfcc0.
    Non-prefetchable 32 bit memory at 0xfed00000.

Donald Becker wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 25 Jun 1999, Curtis Brune wrote:
> 
> > I just bought a SONY PCG-Z505S notebook that comes with an integrated
> > Ethernet adapter.  THe Windows98 system identifies the adapter as
> 
> I've been looking at the 505 for myself.
> 
> > Intel 8255x-based PCI Ethernet Adapter (10/100)
> 
> Read /proc/pci for the real chip type.
> 
> > Is the eepro100 module the right network driver for this adapter?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> Please send me a report ASAP.
> 
> Donald Becker                                     becker@cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov
> USRA-CESDIS, Center of Excellence in Space Data and Information Sciences.
> Code 930.5, Goddard Space Flight Center,  Greenbelt, MD.  20771
> 301-286-0882         http://cesdis.gsfc.nasa.gov/people/becker/whoiam.html