Laptop: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 3: | Line 3: | ||
The VIA vx700 and vx800 chipsets have recently become popular in many netbook designs. Most of these netbooks are being produced by [http://www.quantatw.com Quanta] for several different OEM's. | The VIA vx700 and vx800 chipsets have recently become popular in many netbook designs. Most of these netbooks are being produced by [http://www.quantatw.com Quanta] for several different OEM's. | ||
VIA has recently released open documentation for the vx700 and vx800 chipsets at the [http://linux.via.com.tw/support/downloadFiles.action VIA Download Portal] and open documentation for the latest [http://www.x.org/docs/via/ Unichrome] graphics controllers. VIA is currently developing coreboot support for the vx800 chipset. [http://www.openchrome.org/ openChrome] support is also in the works for many new chipsets including the vx700 and vx800. | VIA has recently released open documentation for the vx700 and vx800 chipsets at the [http://linux.via.com.tw/support/downloadFiles.action VIA Download Portal] and open documentation for the latest [http://www.x.org/docs/via/ Unichrome] graphics controllers. VIA has also released binary unichrome drivers with 2D and 3D accel support for Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 as well as source for 2D at [http://linux.via.com.tw/support/downloadFiles.action VIA Linux Portal]. | ||
VIA is currently developing coreboot support for the vx800 chipset. [http://www.openchrome.org/ openChrome] support including 2D and 3D accel is also in the works for many new chipsets including the vx700 and vx800. | |||
The remaining issue with supporting these and other similar netbooks is open firmware support for the Embedded Controller (EC). The most common EC's in these netbooks are the KB9110 or KB3886 from [http://www.ene.com.tw/en/index.asp ENE Technology]. The ENE EC's are 8051 based and are used to support keyboard scan, lid open/closed, battery charging, power management, etc. | The remaining issue with supporting these and other similar netbooks is open firmware support for the Embedded Controller (EC). The most common EC's in these netbooks are the KB9110 or KB3886 from [http://www.ene.com.tw/en/index.asp ENE Technology]. The ENE EC's are 8051 based and are used to support keyboard scan, lid open/closed, battery charging, power management, etc. | ||
Revision as of 08:02, 13 December 2008
Recent Progress of coreboot on Laptops
The VIA vx700 and vx800 chipsets have recently become popular in many netbook designs. Most of these netbooks are being produced by Quanta for several different OEM's.
VIA has recently released open documentation for the vx700 and vx800 chipsets at the VIA Download Portal and open documentation for the latest Unichrome graphics controllers. VIA has also released binary unichrome drivers with 2D and 3D accel support for Ubuntu 8.04 and 8.10 as well as source for 2D at VIA Linux Portal.
VIA is currently developing coreboot support for the vx800 chipset. openChrome support including 2D and 3D accel is also in the works for many new chipsets including the vx700 and vx800.
The remaining issue with supporting these and other similar netbooks is open firmware support for the Embedded Controller (EC). The most common EC's in these netbooks are the KB9110 or KB3886 from ENE Technology. The ENE EC's are 8051 based and are used to support keyboard scan, lid open/closed, battery charging, power management, etc.
The ENE KB3700 may be very similar to the other ENE EC's.
More discussion and info on the ENE EC's:
VIA has a list of many netbooks at VIA Partner Mobility Devices.
VIA also has information on other mobile platforms at VIA Mobility Platform.
The Quanta IL1 vx800 based reference design covers similar models/clones such as:
- One Mini A120/A150
- One Mini A110
- Airis Kira 100/350/740
- Norhtec Gecko
- Pioneer DreamBook Light IL1
- CTL IL1
- ACi Ethos 7
- BDSI Deep Blue H1
HP has a vx800 netbook that may be slightly different from the Quanta IL1 designs.
There are still a few netbook designs currently on the market that use the VIA vx700 chipset.
There are also several AMD 690/600 laptops still available that may be candidates as well:
A few earlier coreboot discussions on laptops are linked here, you might get useful information out of them:
- Any update on coreboot for laptops
- Notebook 340s2 (sis630) 256k Flash
- yet another reason to use coreboot in laptops I guess
- coreboot laptop hunt wiki page
- HP Pavillion ZV5000 (Laptop)
- SA1100
- Laptop with Sis 650 chipset
- coreboot on Laptops
Laptop Survey (Old)
This page attempts to list laptops to find out which one might be easiest to port coreboot to.
| Make | Type | Model | CPU | Chipset | Video | Super I/O | Micro | Flash Chip | Flash Size | Flash Socketed | Flash Type | Still Made | Major Obstacle | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic | Toughbook CF-25 | CF-25LJM8EAM | P166MMX | 430TX | MagicGraph 128ZV NM2093 | Renesas 3886 | SST 29EE020 | 256 kB | no | no | Miernik | |||
| Toshiba | Libretto 50M | PA1243CM | P133 | custom FPGA | C&T 65550 | no | Miernik | |||||||
| Sony | Vaio Picturebook | PCG-C1XD | P2 400 | 443ZX | MagicMedia 256AV NM2200 | M29W004BT | 512 kB | no | no | Miernik (broken) | ||||
| Sony | Vaio Picturebook | PCG-C1X | P266MMX | 430TX | MagicMedia 256AV NM???? | no | Miernik (stolen) | |||||||
| Gericom | Webboy | 340S2 | PIII | SiS630 | SiS630 | PC87393VJG | PC87570 | Winbond 29C020 | 256 kB | yes | PLCC | Norbert Schmidt | ||
| Highscreen | XD | 14-C1700 | Intel Celeron 1.7 GHz | SiS650 | SiS65x/M650/740 | PC87391(?) | ? | EON EN29F040(A) | 512 kB | yes | PLCC | no | No SIS650 docs | Uwe Hermann |
| HP | Omnibook | XE3(L) | PIII, 750 MHz | Intel 82371MB PIIX4M | ? | SMSC FDC37N869 | ? | ? | ? | no | PLCC | ? | ? | Uwe Hermann |
| Fujitsu-Siemens | Lifebook | S-4572 | PIII, 750 MHz | Intel 82440MX | ATI Rage Mobility P/M [1002:4c52] | SMSC FDC37N769 | ? | Fujitsu MBM29F400T1 | ? | no | SPI(?), TSOP(?) | no | No socketed PLCC, unknown EC | Uwe Hermann |
1 According to the vendor BIOS update tool.
Further Links:
- Tuxmobil Laptop Survey
- Laptops/Notebooks with Linux Preinstalled
- The Free Software Foundation's Campaign for Free BIOS
Who really makes your laptop?
There are several various brands of laptops, but there are only a few actual laptop makers.
Name brand companies like Hewlet Packard, Compaq, IBM, Dell, Gateway, Sony, Micron, Toshiba and others; including Alienware and Voodoo do not make their own laptops. The exceptions are Asus and Apple, and even Apple doesn't make all of their laptops.
Original Design Manufacturers (ODM) make the laptops for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). They in turn, add their preloaded hard drives and sell them to consumers. This is why a laptop is a bit more complicated to support with coreboot. The OEM's may not even have all the specifications for the laptop since the ODM has done all the design and assembly.
Some Laptop ODMs are:
- Quanta makes laptops for Sony, Dell, and IBM
- Inventec and Arima make the Compaq line
- Compal also makes IBM and Dell lines, as well as Hewlett Packard
- Clevo makes the popular Alienware and Voodoo gaming laptops
Further Links: