Linux hardware handbook

Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com www.Ebook777.com 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page i Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com  Linux Hardware Handbook Roderick W Smith A Division of Macmillan USA 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, Indiana, 46290 USA www.Ebook777.com 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page ii Linux Hardware Handbook Copyright © 2000 by Sams Publishing All rights reserved No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Neil Rowe DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Laura N Williams MANAGING EDITOR Charlotte Clapp PROJECT EDITOR Carol Bowers COPY EDITOR International Standard Book Number: 0-672-31918-7 Mary Ellen Stephenson Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 00-100061 INDEXER Printed in the United States of America Sandra Henselmeier First Printing: July 2000 PROOFREADERS 03 02 01 00 Katherin Bidwell Daniel Ponder Trademarks TECHNICAL EDITOR All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized Sams Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark Roman Rochelt Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied The information provided is on an “as is” basis The author and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book INTERIOR DESIGNER Anne Jones COVER DESIGNER Anne Jones COPY WRITER Eric Borgert 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page iii Overview Introduction PART I Core Systems The Central Processing Unit Motherboards Memory Case and Power Supply PART II 31 75 Storage 103 133 Hard Disks Removable Disks Optical Drives Tape Backup SCSI Host Adapters PART III 135 167 191 227 Audio/Video 257 279 10 Sound Cards 11 Audio Input/Output 12 Video Cards 13 Video Capture and AV Input Hardware 14 Monitors PART IV 281 313 335 377 Input/Output 401 15 Keyboards and Mice 16 Parallel and Serial Ports 17 Network Hardware 18 Modems 483 19 Scanners 511 20 Printers 529 403 453 435 357 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page iv Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com PART V Prebuilt Systems 553 21 Store-Bought Non-Linux Systems 22 Linux Workstations 23 Notebooks 587 PART VI Appendixes 555 573 605 A Linux Device Drivers B Hardware Manufacturers (List of Hardware Manufacturers) Index 607 649 www.Ebook777.com 625 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page v Contents Introduction PART I Core Systems The Central Processing Unit CPU Architectures 10 CISC Versus RISC 11 x86 12 Alpha 12 SPARC 13 PowerPC 13 Other Architectures 14 Generations of x86 CPUs 15 The Stone Age: 8086 Through 80286 15 80386: The Earliest Linux-Capable CPUs 16 80486 17 Pentium-Class 18 Pentium Pro Through Pentium III 21 Advanced Non-Intel x86 CPUs 23 Mixed-Generation CPUs 24 Linux CPU Requirements 24 Supported CPU Architectures 25 Requirements for Minimum Functionality 25 Requirements for Adequate Performance 27 The x86 CPU Marketplace 27 Intel CPUs 28 AMD CPUs 28 VIA/Cyrix/IDT CPUs 29 Transmeta CPUs 29 Summary 30 Motherboards 31 Matching the Motherboard and CPU 33 CPU Sockets and Slots 33 CPU Bus Speeds 35 CPU Voltage Requirements 36 CPU BIOS Support 37 Motherboard Busses 38 ISA Bus 39 MCA Bus 42 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page vi vi LINUX HARDWARE HANDBOOK EISA Bus 42 VL-Bus 43 PCI Bus 44 AGP Bus 45 PC Card Bus 46 Motherboard Form Factors 46 AT and Baby AT 47 ATX, Mini-ATX, Micro-ATX, and Flex-ATX 48 NLX 52 Proprietary and Rare Layouts 53 Motherboard Chipsets 53 Identifying Your Chipset 54 ALi Chipsets 56 AMD Chipsets 58 Intel Chipsets 58 SiS Chipsets 58 VIA Chipsets 62 Onboard Ports 65 Keyboard and Mouse 65 Serial and Parallel 66 Floppy 67 EIDE 67 USB 69 Optional Extras 69 Memory 72 Summary 73 Memory 75 Linux Memory Requirements 76 Minimum Memory Requirements 76 Adjusting Memory Estimates for Your System’s Uses 78 Using Virtual Memory 79 Memory Module Types 81 SIMMs 82 DIMMs 84 RIMMs 85 Error Detection and Correction 86 Memory Electrical Types 87 FPM DRAM 87 EDO DRAM 87 SDRAM 88 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page vii CONTENTS RDRAM 88 Exotic and Non-Motherboard RAM Types 89 Matching Memory to the Motherboard 89 Checking Supported Memory Speed 89 Mixing Memory Types 91 Miscellaneous Additional Factors 91 Cache Memory 92 What Is the Cache Memory? 93 L1 Cache 93 L2 Cache 94 ROM 96 Motherboard ROMs and ROM Variants 97 The Importance of the System BIOS 99 ROMs on Plug-In Boards 99 Summary 101 Case and Power Supply 103 Case Designs 104 Desktop Designs 104 Tower Designs 106 Slimline Cases 107 Specialty Cases 109 Matching the Case to the Motherboard 111 Motherboard Layouts and Cases 111 Ensuring Adequate Case Size 112 Expansion Room 113 Free Drive Bays 113 Back Panel Cutouts 116 Beware of Non-Standard Designs 117 Expansion in the Face of Insufficient Space 118 Evaluating Computer Cases 118 Construction Materials 118 Checking for Cut Corners 119 Evaluating Ease of Access 121 Cooling 122 Power Supply 124 Estimating Required Capacity 124 On/Off Switches 127 Power Supply Quality 129 Power Protection 130 Summary 132 vii 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page viii viii LINUX HARDWARE HANDBOOK PART II Storage Hard Disks 135 Linux Disk Space Requirements 136 Minimum Space Needed 136 Estimating Space for Your Needs 137 Tips for Disk Partitioning 138 Swap Space Requirements 142 EIDE Versus SCSI Disks 143 EIDE Controllers 143 Characteristics of EIDE Disks 146 Characteristics of SCSI Disks 148 Using EIDE and SCSI in a Single System 149 The 1024-Cylinder Limit 150 Evaluating Disk Performance 151 Disk Seek Times 151 Disk Transfer Rates 152 Disk Cache Size 155 Hard Disk Form Factors 156 2.5-Inch Disks for Portables 156 3.5-Inch Disks for Desktops 156 5.25-Inch Disks for Desktops 157 Disk Heights 158 Tuning Disk Performance in Linux 158 Using hdparm to Activate Advanced Features 158 Using Multiple Disks for Better Performance 162 Linux RAID Support 163 Summary 165 Removable Disks 167 Types of Removable Disk 168 Floppy Disks 169 Iomega Zip Disks 171 LS-120 SuperFloppies 173 Magneto-Optical Disks 173 High-Capacity Removable Disks 174 Choosing an Appropriate Interface 174 The Floppy Interface 175 EIDE/ATAPI Interface 175 SCSI Interface 176 Parallel-Port Interface 176 USB Interface 177 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page ix Free ebooks ==> www.Ebook777.com CONTENTS FireWire 178 PC-Card Interface 178 Linux Compatibility with Removable Disks 178 Kernel Options for Accessing Drives 178 Using Appropriate Device Files 182 Exchanging Media with Other OSs 184 Removable Disk Partitioning Schemes 184 Filesystem Drivers for Foreign OSs 185 Direct-Access Tools and Miscellaneous Utilities 187 Summary 189 Optical Drives 191 Optical Media Overview 192 CD-ROM: The Granddaddy of Optical Media 192 CD-R: Making Your Own CD-ROMs 196 CD-RW: Erasable CD-Rs 197 DVD: The Next Step in CD-ROM 198 Recordable DVDs 199 Drive Interfaces 199 SCSI Interfaces 200 EIDE/ATAPI Interfaces 201 Older Proprietary Interfaces 201 Parallel-Port Interfaces 202 USB Interfaces 203 CD Versus CD-R Versus DVD 203 Choosing CD for Speed or Cost 203 Choosing CD-R or CD-RW for Capability to Record 204 Choosing DVD for Access to New Media 206 Evaluating Optical Drive Performance 207 Spin Speed 207 Head Movement Times 208 Digital Audio Extraction Capability 209 Choosing a Recordable Drive 211 Do You Need Rewritable Functionality? 212 Disk-at-Once Versus Track-at-Once 212 Checking Compatibility with Linux CD-Creation Tools 213 Accessing Optical Media in Linux 214 Accessing Optical Devices 214 Optical Filesystem Options 218 Burning a CD-R or CD-RW Disc in Linux 219 Using Command-Line Tools 219 Using X-CD-Roast 221 Summary 225 www.Ebook777.com ix 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 684 684 reproducing sound reproducing sound, 287-288 reprogramming flash ROMs, 98 requirements hard disk space, 136-142 Linux CPU, 24 memory, 76-81 space, Linux distributions, 136 resolutions audio/video input boards, 365 digital cameras, 361 interpolated, 514 lines of, 387 mice, 422 monitors, maximum, 388-389 raw, 514 video RAM, requirements, 347 resource allocations, sound cards, 303, 305 retailers, 557-558, 623, 648 retension operation, 252 rewind operation, 252 rewinding tape device files, 248 rewoffl operation, 252 rewritable disks, 212 RF (radio frequency) radiation, FCC (Federal Communications Commission), 119 Rhin, 615 RIMMs (Rambus inline memory modules) sockets, 72, 85-86 ring topology, 464 ripping, DAE (digital audio extraction), 209-213, 309 RISC (reduced instruction set computer) CPU, 11-12 risers, NLX system, 52 rm= option, 548 Rock Ridge extensions, optical filesystems, 218 Rockwell Semiconductor Systems, contact information, 643 rods (human eye), 380 Rodsbooks Web site, 501 Roland Corporation, U.S., contact information, 634 rollers in mice, 426, 428 ROM (read-only memory) firmware, 96 flash ROMs, reprogramming, 98 plug-ins, 99, 101 sound card ROM, 292 root (/) partitions, hard disk partitions, 140 rotating head design, DAT (Digital Audio Tape), 243 route command, 479-480 routers, 479, 503 routes default, 479-480 local networks, 479 setting up, 479-480 routing tables, addresses, 480 rp= option, 548 RR (refresh rate) hertz, 398 RS-232 serial ports, 436 RS-32 serial ports, tuning, setserial program, 448 RTL8129 chipset, 459 rubber dome keyboards, 412-413 Rufus Web site, 172, 293 runaway files, hard disk partitions, 139 running Linux, 569-571 S S3 chipsets, Web site, 299, 340 sample bit size, sound cards, 284-286 frequency, sound cards, 286-288 testing, monitors, 392-393 Sams Teach Yourself the Gimp in 24 Hours, 373 Samsung Web site, 589 SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) scanners, 521, 523 Web site, 523, 619, 622 satellite speakers, 315 SCAM (SCSI Configured Automatically), SCSI host adapters, 264 scan codes, 416 scan rate lines, setting, 395-396 scanimage—device=mustek, /dev/scanner, 527 scanimage program, 527 Scanner Access Now Easy See SANE scanners applications, 524-528 Deja News Web site, 523 drivers, 520-523 drum, 516 film scanning services, 516 flatbed, 512-516 GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), 527 GOCR (GNU Optical Character Recognition), Web site, 527 GUI (graphical user interface), scanner utilities, 527 hand, 515-516 interfaces, 517-520 interpolated resolution, 514 kernel drivers, 520-521 Linux-compatible, 523 manufacturers, 644-645 multifunction, 517 OCRShop, 528 parallel port interfaces, 519 kernel drivers, 520 photo, 516 raw resolution, 514 SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy), 521, 523 SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), 518-519 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 685 serial ports sheet-fed, 514-515 slide and negative, 516 support, Picante Web site, 517 technology, 512 TWAIN interface, 521 USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface Buzzard Web site, 523 compatibility, Linux Web site, 520 interface, 2.2.x kernel, 520-521 Linux Web site, 523 screen flatness (monitors), 392 Screen section (XF86Config file), 394-395, 399 screens, touch-sensitive, palmtop computers, 420 scripts, /etc/pcmcia, 595 scroll wheel (mouse), 421-423 SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), 176 See also SCSI host adapters 1024-cylinder limit, 150-151 adapters, 39, 518 boot BIOSes, 99 both in a single system, 149-150 cards, 269 CD-ROM drives, supporting, 200 characteristics, 148-149 connectors, internal/external, 71 data backups, 228 device files, locating, 214-215 DMA mode-setting commands, 160 drives, 180, 183 EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Device Electronics) disks, 143-151, 258 hard disks, 126, 591 interfaces, 200 kernel drivers, 520 LVD (low voltage differential), 267 protocols, 258 scanners, 518-519 tape backups, 235-237 tape drive, accessing, 236 SCSI Configured Automatically (SCAM), host adapters, 264 SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) host adapters See also SCSI alphabetical listing, 274 BIOS support, 274-276 boot options, 275 cables, 258-262 chains, terminating, 262-263 characteristics, 258 chipsets, 272-276 connectors, 258-262, 270 devices, internal and external, 258-259 disks, 275 drives, LVD versus HVD, 267 Fast SCSI-2, 265-266 Fast/Wide SCSI-2, 266 future of, 268 IDs, 263-264, 275 manufacturers, 632-633 MBR (Master Boot Record), deleting, 275 motherboards, 70, 268-274 parallel-port support, 272 PC-Card support, 272 SCAM (SCSI Configured Automatically), 264 SCSI-1, 265 SCSI-2, 265-266 SCSI-3, 266 SE (single-ended) signaling, 267 terminators, 262-263 Ultra2 SCSI, 267 Ultra2 Wide SCSI, 267 Ultra3 SCSI, 268 Ultra3 Wide SCSI, 268 UltraSCSI, 266-267 UltraWide SCSI, 266-267 USB support, 272 varieties of, 264-265 SCSI-1, SCSI host adapters, 265 SCSI-2, SCSI host adapters, 265-266 SCSI-3, SCSI host adapters, 266 sd= option, 548 SDRAM (synchronous DRAM), 88, 347 SDSL (Symmetric DSL), 500 SE (single-ended) signaling, 267 Seagate Technology, contact information, 629, 632 searchstring, 617 SECAM (Sequential Color and Memory), 364 sections, XF86Config file, 394 sectors cylinders, floppy disks, 153 fixed linear or fixed number, CD-ROM (compact diskread only memory), 193 secure shell (SSH) server, 505 security, hard disk partitions, 139 seek operation, 252 seek time heads, 208 hard disk performance, 151-152 sensitivity microphones, 326 sensor technology, mice, 422 seod operation, 251 sequencers, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), 307-308 Sequential Color and Memory (SECAM), 364 sequential-access medium (tape backups), 228-229 serial ports, 66, 368, 409 9-pin connectors, 408 25-pin connectors, 408 adding, 443-444 cable connectors, 439, 441 devices, 441-442 drivers, serial mice, 430 685 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 686 686 serial ports expansion cards, adding, 443 extended dumb, 445 hardware requirements, 436-437 I/O, 439 IRQs (interrupt requests), 437-439 ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) cards, 446-447 Linxu, configuring for multiple ports, 447-449 modems, adding, 443-444 multiport cards, 445-446 notebooks and desktops, comparing, 592 null modem cables, 494, 496 PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) cards, 446-447 printers, accessing, 539 RS-32, 448 RS-232, 436 UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), 444 serial support, kernel drivers, 370 Series A connector, 410 Series B connector, 410 server case designs, 109 servers commercial for XFree86, 356 DNS (Domain Name System), setting up, 480-481 Linux X, Intel Web site, 58 SSH (secure shell), 505 X, 349, 355-356 XFree86, 351 service, one-way or two-way, cable modems, 508-509 service available, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modems, 504-505 setiathome Web site, 332 setserial program, RS-32 serial ports, tuning, 448 SGI (Silicon Graphics), 343, 575 SGRAM (Synchronous Graphics RAM), 347 sh= option, 549 shadow mask tubes, 380-381 shared bandwidth, cable modems, 507 Shareware OSS Web site, 598 sharing IRQs (interrupt requests), 437 Sharp Electronics Corporation, contact information, 639 sharpness (monitors), 390 sheet-fed scanners, 514-515 shielded speakers, 318-319 shoe-shining, 233 showkey command, 418 shrinking Windows, 565-566 signals, video, interlaced, 366 SIIG, Inc., contact information, 273, 633 Silicon Graphics (SGI), 343, 575, 647 Silicon Integrated Systems See SiS SIMMs (single inline memory modules), 82-87, 590 single-ended (SE) signaling, 267 sinks See heat sinks SiS (Silicon Integrated Systems) chipsets, 58, 62 contact information, 58, 627 Web site, 58, 299, 340 size (monitors), 392 sizes caches, 93-95 cases, 112-113 hard disk partitions, uncertainties, 139 motherboards, 112-113 Slackware 7.0 installing on removable drives, 175 Web site, 569 slide and negative scanners, 516 slimline case designs, 107-108 SLIP (serial line Internet protocol), Network device support kernel configuration menu, 476 Slot 1, 35 Slot 2, 35 Slot A, 35 Slot A CPU interface method, 28 slots, 33, 51 slotted designs, matching motherboards and CPUs (central processing units), 35 Small Computer Systems Interface See SCSI SmartMedia cards, 361, 369, 595 SMC Networks, Inc., contact information, 642 SO-DIMM, 590 Socket 1, 34 Socket 2, 34 Socket 3, 34 Socket 4, 34 Socket 5, 34 Socket 6, 34 Socket 7, 34-35 Socket CPU, 486 CPU, comparing pins, 19 Socket motherboards, 96 Socket 8, 34 Socket 370, 34 socket designs, matching motherboards and CPUs (central processing units), 33-35 Socket Nx586, 34 sockets motherboards, 33, 72 RIMM, 72, 86 Socket 1, 34 Socket 2, 34 Socket 3, 34 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 687 specifications Socket 4, 34 Socket 5, 34 Socket 6, 34 Socket 7, 34-35 Socket 8, 34 Socket 370, 34 Socket Nx586, 34 ZIF (zero insertion force), 34 SoftOSS Gravis UltraSound sound card, 293 wavetable synthesis, 294-296 software architecture, 11 data compression, 230 DOS boot floppy, 583 evaluating, 580, 582 Linux Web site, 492 Microsoft Windows, 583 modems, 444, 488, 490-492 non-Linux, evaluating, 583 OSs, 583 power management, notebooks, 600-602 retailers, 648 SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy), scanners, 521, 523 SoftOSS, wavetable synthesis, 294-296 support, wavetable synthesis, 293-296 TiMidity, wavetable synthesis, 293-294 Windows, 583 SOHOware, contact information, 642 Sony Corporation of America, contact information, 631-632, 635, 638-639, 647 sound See also audio bass, 315 DAT (digital audio tape) recorders, 286 high-pitched, 315 low-pitched, 315 PCM (pulse code modulation), 289 pure tones, 290 recording, 375-376 reproducing, 287-288 treble, 315 waveforms, 284-285 sound cards, 559 -e option, 307 -g option, 307 /dev/audio file, 304 /dev/dsp file, 304 /dev/midi file, 304 /dev/mixer file, 304 /dev/sequencer file, 304 /dev/sndstat file, 304 audio, 305-311 audio drivers, 299-305 CD players, 309-310 channels, 288-289 chipsets, 296-297 digital audio, playing or recording, 305-307 Gravis UltraSound sound card, 293 ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), 40-41, 283, 297-298 manufacturers, 633-634 MCA (Microchannel) computer, 282 MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), 289-296, 307-308 mixer utilities, 310-311 motherboard busses, 282-284 PC CardWeb site, 598 PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) chipsets, 299 RAM or ROM, 292 resource allocations, 303, 305 sample frequency, 284-288 Sound Studio, 306 SoundBlaster, compatibility, 296-297 Sound Studio, 306 SoundBlaster card, compatibility, 296-297 source code kernel, 621 Linux source code directory, 178 trees, drivers, 620 SOYO Tek, Inc., contact information, 628 space requirements hard disks, 136-142 Linux distributions, 136 tape backups, 231-232 space, swap, 79-81, 142 SPARC CPU, 13, 25 speakers 1/8-inch jacks, 317 amplified, 317 backup tapes, magnetic field damage, 318 connectors, 316, 318 designs, 314 disks, magnetic field damage, 318 frequency response, 322-323 headphones, 320-323 magnetic field damage, 318 monitors, magnetic field damage, 318 non-computer, 319 notebooks, 599 options, 316, 318 RCA plugs, 317 satellite, 315 shielded, 318-319 subwoofers, 315 three-piece, 314-316 two-piece, 314-316 unshielded, 318-319 USB, 598 USB-interfaced, 316 volume controls, 318 woofers, 315 special application cards, ISA cards, 41 specialty case designs, 109-110 vendors, computers, 576 specifications, OpenGL 3D, 343-345 687 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 688 688 specifying monitors or screens specifying monitors or screens, Xfree86, 399 speed asymmetrical, 487 CD-ROM drives, 203-204 Ethernet, 455-457 hard disks, 139, 159-160 hubs, 472 improvement, CPUs (central processing units), 21 memory, 89-90 mouse tracking, adjusting, 422 requirements, tape backups, 233-234 spin speeds, optical drives, 207-209 switches, 472 symmetrical, 487 telephone modems, 485-487 units of, 233 USB ports, 450 v.34 modems, testing, 487 variable, CD-ROM, 204 x86 serial ports, 488 spin rates, hard disk performance, 154 speeds, optical drives, 207-209 spindown times, hard disks, hdparm –S options, 602 spinning down (hard drives), 158 spiral tracks, CD-ROM (compact disk-read only memory), 193 split accesses, memory, 84 splitters, 127, 500 splitting Linux across hard disk drives, 163 SPP (standard parallel port), 445 SPS (standby power supply), 131 SSH (secure shell) server, 505 stacks, networks, 454 standard keyboard ports, 405-406 parallel port (SPP), 445 standard-variant case designs, 109 standards, PC Card, 594 standby power supply (SPS), 131 star topology, 464-465 StarOffice Web site, 18 static IP addresses, 501 status operation, 252 stereos audio/video input boards, 364 home, 327-332 microphones, 325-326 speakers, 317 still images, capturing, 372-374 STN (supertwist numatic), 383 storage media, removable, comparing notebooks and desktops, 591 system events in log files, 602 wavetable synthesis, 292-293 straight-through cables, 440 subsystems, notebooks, replacing, 589 subtractive color schemes (monitors), 379 subwoofers, 315 summaries, linux-kernel mailing list, 621 Sun Microsystems, Inc., contact information, 647 Sun Systems Web site, 558 Sunsite FTP site, 567 Supermicro Computer, Inc., contact information, 628 Superpower Supply, Inc., contact information, 629 SuperProbe program, chipsets, 339 supertwist numatic (STN), 383 support, PC Cards, notebooks, 595 surge protectors or suppressors, 130 SuSE AGP bus, 45 PowerPC CPU support, 14 video adapters, 72 Web site, 342, 351, 566, 569, 598, 618 YaST, 581 swap files, 79 partitions, 79, 140 swap space, 79-81, 142 swapoff command, 80 swapon command, 80 switch boxes, 442 switched connections, 473 switches, 468 capacitive, 413-414 choosing, 474 features, 472-473 hubs, comparing, 469, 472 LCDs (liquid crystal displays), 473 mechanical key, 411-412 noise, 473 on/off, power supplies, 127-128 ports, 473 speed, 472 switched connections, 473 throughput, 473 uplink ports, 473 Symbios Logic Web site, 70, 273 symbolic links, tape backups, 248 Symmetric DSL (SDSL), 500 symmetrical speeds, 487 symmetry, mice, 422 synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), 88, 347 Synchronous Graphics RAM (SGRAM), 347 syntax ifconfig command, 477 mt command, 251 route command, 479 synthesis FM (frequency modulation), 290-291 wavetable, 291-296 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 689 thermal dye transfer Syntrillium Web site, 331 System Commander 2000, 566 System Properties dialog box, Device Manager tab, 612 systems administration, linuxconf tool, 580 events, log files, storing, 602 upgrades, hard disk partitions, 139 T T-connectors thick, 466 thin, 465 tables, routing, addresses, 480 TAO (track-at-once) versus DAO (disk-at-once), 212-213 tape backups ATAPI (Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface), 237-238 backup frequency requirements, 234-235 capacity requirements, 229-231 changers, 229, 247-248 compatibility, 245 data compression, 230-231 drives, 233, 631-632 EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Device Electronics), 237-238 features, 245 floppy interfaces, 238-239 full backups, 232 GUI utilities, 255 hardware data compression, 245 incremental backups, 232 interfaces, 235-240 needs, evaluating, 229-235 parallel port interfaces, 239-240 proprietary interfaces, 240 read-after-write verification, 246-247 SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), 235-237 sequential-access medium, 228-229 space requirements, 231-234 symbolic links, 248 tape drives, 229, 248-254 tar commands, 249 tar parameters, 250 technologies, 240-244 verifying, 247 tape device files, 248-249 tape drives ATAPI (Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface), accessing, 238 compressed, 229 data compression, 230-231 GUI backups, 254 mt command, 251-254 SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), accessing, 236 tape device files, 248-249 tar, 249-251 tar commands, 249 tar parameters, 250 uncompressed, 229 tar, tape backups, 249-251 Tatung Company of America, Inc., contact information, 639 TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), 462, 475 TDK Corporation of America, contact information, 631-632 Teac America, Inc., contact information, 631-632 technical support, computers, 562-564, 583-584 See also help technologies cable modems, 506-509 DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modems, 499-502 keyboard, 411-415 LCDs (liquid crystal displays), 382 mice, 426-429 monitors, 378 printers, 530-534 scanners, 512-517, 520 sensors for mice, 422 tape backups, 240-244 telephone modems, 485-492 trackballs, optical, 428-429 Tecmar Technologies, Inc., contact information, 632 Tekram Technologies, contact information, 628, 633 Tektronix, Inc., contact information, 646 telephones modems, 484-493 wiring kits, 468 tell operation, 252 terminal codes, 417 terminals, dumb, 445, 496 terminating chains, SCSI host adapters, 262-263 terminations active, SCSI-2, 266 SCSI host adapters, 275 terminators, SCSI host adapters, 262-263 testing hard disks, 159-160 monitors, 392-393 v.34 modem speed, 487 text files, drivers, 613 text mode gpm program, 431-432 layout of keyboards, 417-418 TFT (thin-film transistor), LCDs (liquid crystal displays), 383 theories, mapping of keyboards, 416-417 thermal dye transfer, sublimation printers, 536 689 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 690 690 thermal wax transfer printers thermal wax transfer printers, 536 thick coaxial cable, 541 thick T-connectors, 466 thin coaxial cable, 541 thin T-connectors, 465 thin-film transistor (TFT), LCDs (liquid crystal displays), 383 third-height bays, 114 third-party device drivers, 617-619 thrashing, swap space, 79 three connectors, SCSI host adapters, attaching devices, 259 three-piece speakers, 314-316 throughput, hubs or switches, 473 TiMidity, wavetable synthesis, 293-294 Token Ring networks, 460-461 toner, 530-531, 535 toolkits, GUI, 350 tools cdrdao, Web site, 220 cdrecord, Web site, 220 cdwrite, 220 command-line, CD-R or CDRW, burning in Linux, 219-221 direct-access, OSs media exchanges, 187-189 grep, drivers, finding, 615, 617 hfsutils package, Web site, 188 Linux CD-creation tools, recordable drives, compatibility checks, 213-214 linuxconf, system administration, 580 mikisofs, FTP site, 219 mkhybrid, Web site, 219 mtools package, 187, Web site, 188 needs estimates, 137 printer configurations, 541 topologies, 464-465 Torvalds, Linus, 620 Toshiba America, Inc., contact information, 629, 631, 639, 647 touch pads, 423, 425 touch-sensitive screens, palmtop computers, 420 tower cases, 106-107 TR-1 (Travan), 241 TR-2 (Travan), 241 TR-3 (Travan), 241 TR-4 (Travan), 241 TR-5 (Travan), 241 trackballs, 423, 426-429 tracking speeds of mice, adjusting, 422 TrackPoint, 425-426 tracks, spiral, CD-ROMs, 193 transfer rates, hard disk performance, 152-153 Transmeta CPUs (central processing units), 29 CPU Web site, 590 Crusoe CPU (central processing unit), 23 Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), 462, 475 Travan, tape backups, 241-242 trays, motherboards, 121 treble sounds, 315 Trident Microsystems, 299 chipsets, Web site, 340 contact information, 637 Trinitron, aperture grille tubes, 380 Tripp Lite Manufacturing, contact information, 629 TrueX technology, 204 Tseng Labs chipsets, Web site, 341 tubes, aperture grille or shadow mask, 380-381 Tulip, 459, 615 tune2fs utility, 189 tunelp utility, options, 447-448 tuners, radio or TV, 364-366 tuning hard disk performance, 158-165 parallel ports, 447-448 RS-32 serial ports, setserial program, 448 Turbo LapLink cable, 497 Turtle Beach, contact information, 634 Tuxtops, Inc., contact information, 647 TVs, 364-366, 371, 375, 385 TWAIN interface, scanners, 521 twisted-pair cables, 466-469, 541 two-piece speakers, 314-316 two-way service, cable modems, 508-509 Tyan Computer Corporation, contact information, 628 U UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), serial ports, 444 uart uarttype (setserial program option), 448 UDF (Universal Disk Format), 219 Ultra-33 or Ultra-66 support, EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Device Electronics), 146 Ultra2 LVD (low voltage differential), 267 SCSI, host adapters, 267 Wide SCSI, host adapters, 267 Ultra3 SCSI, host adapters, 268 Wide SCSI, host adapters, 268 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 691 VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) UltraLinux project Web site, 13 UltraSCSI, host adapters, 266-267 UltraWide SCSI, host adapters, 266-267 UMAX Technologies, Inc., contact information, 638, 644 uncompressed tape drives, 229 Unicore Software, Inc., contact information, 628 unidirectional microphones, 323-324 uninterruptible power supply (UPS), 131 units of speeds, 233 Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART), serial ports, 444 Universal Disk Format (UDF), 219 universal serial bus See USB unmounting CD-ROM, 216 unshielded speakers, 318-319 upgrading CPUs (central processing units), 27 hardware, 561-562 systems, hard disk partitions, 139 uplink ports, hubs or switches, 473 UPS (uninterruptible power supply), 131 usable slots, 51 USB (universal serial bus), 177, 203, 436 2.2.x kernels, 409 development page Web site, 69 device files, locating, 215 devices, 448-449, 559 digital cameras, device file, 371 drives, 182-183 FireWire protocol, 450 future of, 449-450 hot swapping, 450 hubs, 441 interfaces, 203, 520-521 kernel drivers, 520 keyboards, 559 Linux Web site, 177 mice, 430, 559 modems, 490 multi-device design, 450 ports, 69, 366-367, 409-411, 439, 592 printers, 539-540 scanners, 520, 523 SCSI supporting, 272 Series A connector, 410 Series B connector, 410 speakers, 598 speed, 450 support, kernel drivers, 370 Web site, 69, 618 USB-interfaced DSL modem, Linux Web site, 503 speakers, 316 use estimates of memory, adjusting, 78-79 Usenet newsgroups, comp.lang.postscript, 543 users, files, needs estimates, 138 utilities audio, 305-311 aumix, 310 Backup and Recovery Utility Web site, 245 BIOS flash, 37 CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor), 549 fdisk, 189 gmix, 311 GUI (graphical user interface), 255, 549 hdparm, 158-162 mixer, 310-311 mt, 246 multi-OS, 583 OSs media exchanges, 187-189 scanners, 527 tune2fs, 189 tunelp, 447-448 video input hardware, 372-376 V v (volts), 124 V Communications System Commander 2000 Web site, 566, 583 v.34 modems, speed, testing, 487 v.42 protocol, 487 v.42bis protocol, 487 v.90 protocol (analog modems), 485 VA Linux Systems, 576, 647 vampire tap, 465 vendors Compaq Web site, Linux support, 575 computers, 574-577 Dell Web site, Linux support, 575 Hewlett-Packard Web site, Linux support, 575 IBM Web site, Linux support, 575 knowledge of Linux hardware, evaluating, 578-580 local versus mail-order, 557 questions to ask, 560-561 SGI (Silicon Graphics) Web site, Linux support, 575 technical support, policies, 584 Verbatim Corporation, contact information, 631-632 verifications, 246-247 vertical frame length (VFL), 398 VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association), 337 691 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 692 692 VESA Local Bus (VL-Bus) VESA Local Bus (VL-Bus), 43-44, 270, 337 VFL (vertical frame length), 398 VGA (Video Graphics Adapter), 337 vgetty Web site, 493 VIA Technologies chipsets, 62 contact information, 62, 299, 626, 628, 634, 642 CPUs (central processing units), 29 Rhine chipset, 459 Web site, 29 vidcat, files or parameters, 374 video cards 3D graphics, 342-345 AGP (Peripheral Component Inteconnect) bus, 338 chipsets, 338-341 dot clocks, 396-397 ISA bus, 336-337 motherboards, video RAM, 346 PCI (Peripheral Component Inteconnect) bus, 337 RAM, 345-349 refresh rates, 388 rendering images, 348 VL-Bus, 337 XFree86, 341-342, 349-356 Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), 337 Video for Linux drivers, 370-371 interfaces, Web site, 364 Resources Web site, 372 still images, capturing, 374 Web site, 366, 372 Video Graphics Adapter (VGA), 337 video input hardware applications, 372-376 kernel drivers, 370-371 Video RAM (VRAM), 346-347 VideoLogic Systems, contact information, 635, 637-638 videos adapters, motherboards, 71-72 capture, 358-366, 637-638 cards, manufacturers, 636-637 chipsets, 338-341 drivers, X server, 349 expansion connectors, 342 FireWire, 367 hardware, 559, 591-592 input card, 364-365 interfaces, 366-370 RAM, 345-349 recording, 375-376 signals, 364-366 XFree86 compatibility, 341-342 viewing angles, monitors, 389-390 ViewSonic, contact information, 639 virtual consoles, 496 memory, 79-81 X desktops, 348 visible bays, 113 Visioneer, contact information, 644 Vividata OCRShop Web site, 528 VL-Bus (VESA Local Bus), 43-44, 270, 337 VLSI Technology, Inc., contact information, 628 voice features, modems, 493 voltage regulators, motherboards, 47 requirements, matching motherboards and CPUs (central processing units), 36-37 volts (v), 124 volume controls headphones, 322 speaker, 318 Voyetra Turtle Beach, Inc., contact information, 634 VRAM (Video RAM), 347 Vstream, 376 W W (watts), 124 Wacom, Inc., contact information, 641 watching TVs, 375 watts (W), 124 waveforms, 284-285 wavetable synthesis, 291-296 Web sites 3dfx chipsets, 339 4Front Technologies, 618 Accelerated-X, 45, 598 Acer Laboratories, Inc., chipsets, 56 Activision, 137 Acude, 14 Adaptec, 70, 272 Advansys, 273 AIT (Advanced Intelligent Tape), 244 Aladdin Ghostscript, 619 Alpha-based systems, 558 ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture), 303, 598, 618 AMD, 28, 58, 297 Apple Macintosh, compatibility with Linux, 558 ApplixWare, 544 ARKEIA, 254 Asante, 462 Astec, 129 ASUS, chipsets, 273 ATI chipsets, 340 Audio Advisor, 333 Aureal, 299 Aztech, 297 Backup and Recovery Utility, 245 Beowulf, 15, 109 BRU, 254 BTTV driver, 366 Buzzard, USB home page, 523 Cable Modem Mini-HOWTO, 510 Caere, 528 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 693 Web sites Calcaria, 14 Castlewood, 174 cdrdao program, 213, 220 cdrecord tool, 220 Cheapbytes, 567, 582 Compact Disc Digital Audio, 210 Compaq, 12, 558, 575 CoolEdit, 331 Corel, 568 Corel Linux, 566 Corel WordPerfect Office 2000, 578 Covad, 504 Creative DXR2, 206 Creative Labs, 296, 298-299, 359 Crystal Semiconductor, 298-299 Debian, 13, 293, 568 Debian GNU/Linux, PowerPC CPU support, 14 DECStation, 14 Deja News, 181, 210, 560, 564 chipsets, 609, 611 drivers, 624 Linux support, 177 monitor defect discussions, 393 newsgroups, 579 scanners, 523 Dell, 575 device driver information, 618-619 Diamond Multimedia, 340 DSL Reports, 504 eBay, 270, 503 Eclipt, 178 ELKS (Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset) project, 26 ESS, 298 Evergreen Technologies, 24, 27 Exabyte, 244 Excite, chipsets, 611 FreeDOS, 37, 101, 583 GFax, 493 Ghostscript, 550, 619, 622 GIMP, 369 GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment), 350 GNU GRUB, 151 GOCR (GNU Optical Character Recognition), scanners, 527 gPhoto, 362, 368, 372 Gravis, 298 hardware manufacturers, 619 dealer listing, 589 kernels, obtaining, 177 Linux Hardware Compatibility HOWTO document, 577 notebooks, 589 patch files, 367 software modems, 492 USB (Universal Serial Bus), 177 USB home page, 523 USB scanner compatibility, 520 USB tape drives, 240 USB-interfaced DSL modem, 503 vendors, 576 Hewlett-Packard, 575 hfsutils package, 188 HylaFax, 493 IBM, 298, 575 Imation, 173, 241 InfoWorld Best Technical Support award, 586 Initio, chipsets, 273 Intel, 28, 58 Intel chipsets, 340 Iomega, 171 J-Bond, chipsets, 273 Jazz, 307 Kdat, 254 KDE (K Desktop Environment), 350 Kernel, 367 Kmp3, 307 kWinTV, 375 LinModems, 618 Linux, 14-15, 177, 521 Linux Cable Modem MiniHOWTO document, 509 Linux hardware, 579, 618 Linux kernel, 618 Linux Mall, 567, 582 Linux Mandrake, 568 Linux on Laptops, 597 Linux PC Card, kernel modules, 595 Linux PCMCIA Information Page, 46 Linux USB, 69, 618 Linuxberg, 567 LinuxPPC, PowerPC CPU support, 14 Logitech, trackballs, 429 Matrox chipsets, 340 Mesa (OpenGL), 344 Metro-X, 45, 598 Metrolink, 355 Metrolink OpenGL (OpenGL), 344 mgetty+sendfax, 493 Microsoft, 429 mkhybrid tool, 219 Modems, 444 Mouse Systems, 429 mtools package, 188 Netatalk, 462 NMB Web, keyboards, 412 Northpoint, 504 NVIDIA chipsets, 340 OpenAl, 283 OPTi, 298 OSS (Open Sound System), 618, 301 palmtop computers, 589 PartitionMagic program, 565 PC Card sound card, 598 PC Power and Cooling, 129 PCMCIA Information Page, 46 Picante, 517, 619 Plextor, 207 PowerQuest, 80, 565, 583 693 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 694 694 Web sites printers, compatibility checks, 552 Printing HOWTO Support Database, 546, 550 Ranish Partition Manager, 566 Real Networks, 306 Red Hat, 13, 568 Rendition chipsets, 340 Rodsbooks, 501 Rufus, 172, 293 S3 chipsets, 299, 340 Samsung, 589 SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy), 523, 619, 622 setiathome, 332 SGI (Silicon Graphics), 575 Shareware OSS, 598 SIIG, chipsets, 273 SiS (Silicon Integrated Systems), 58, 299, 340 Slackware, 569 StarOffice, 18 Sun Systems, 558 SuSE, 45, 72, 342, 351, 569, 598, 618 SuSE Linux, 14, 566 Symbios Logic, 70, 273 Syntrillium, 331 TiMidity, 293 Transmeta, 23, 29, 590 Trident, 299, 340 Tseng Labs chipsets, 341 UltraLinux project, 13 USB development page, 69 V Communications System Commander 2000, 566, 583 VA Linux, 576 vgety, 493 VIA Technologies, 29, 62, 299 Video for Linux, 364, 366, 372 Vividata OCRShop, 528 Vstream Web site, 376 Wheel Mouse, 433 Wim’s BIOS Page, 37 window manager (XFree86), 349 WTX, 53, 112 xbenchmark, 341 XFree86, 45, 72, 341, 351, 559, 598, 622-623 Xi Graphics 3D AcceleratedX (OpenGL), 344, 355 Yahoo! chipsets, 611, 624 Yamaha, 298 Yellow Dog Linux, PowerPC CPU support, 14 WebCams, 363-364, 371 weight of monitors, 105, 392 weof operation, 252 Westell Technologies, Inc., contact information, 643 Western Digital Corporation, contact information, 630 Wheel Mouse Web site, 433 wheels, scroll (mice), 407, 421, 423, 433 whole-case fans, 123 Wide bus, 269 Wide SCSI, host adapters, 266 Wim’s BIOS Page Web site, 37 window manager (XFree86) Web site, 349 windows Linux Kernel Configuration, 179 Master From/To, 222 Master Image, 223 Write Image, 224 Windows, 567, 583 Partition Commander, 566 PartitionMagic program, Web site, 565 printers, 546 Ranish Partition Manager, Web site, 566 refunds, obtaining, 571-572 removing, 564-565 shrinking, 565-566 System Commander 2000, 566 TWAIN interface, scanners, 521 Windows 95 or 98, chipsets, finding information, 612 Windows RAM (WRAM), 347 Windows software, 583 Windows Systems Properties dialog box, Device Manager tab, 596 Windows-only modems, 101 WinModems, 444 wire colors, power supply connections, 128-129 wireless networking, 463 wiring kits (telephone), 468 woofers, 315 workstation CPU, 14 WRAM (Windows RAM), 347 Write Image window, 224 write protection, Iomega Zip disks, 172 wset operation, 252 WTX form factor, 112 Web site, 53, 112 X X configuration, 570 X libraries, 349 X servers, 58, 349, 355-356 X utilities, 349 X Window System, 77 X-based CD player, 309 layout of keyboards, 419 X-CD-Roast CD-R or CD-RW, burning in Linux, 221-222, 225 file extensions, 222 x2 modems, 492 x86 computers floppy interface chips, 186 non-x86 computers, PCI devices, 100 serial ports, speed, 488 x86 CPUs, 12, 25-29 8086, 15-16 8088, 15 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 695 ZyXEL Communications, Inc 80286, 15-16 80386, 16-17 80486, 17-18 generations of, 15 mixed generation, 24 motherboards match, 15 non-Intel, 23-24 Pentium, 18-20 Pentium Pro-Pentium III, 21-23 XawTV, 375 xbenchmark Web site, 341 xDSL, 501 Xerox Alto computer, 420 Xerox Corporation, contact information, 645-646 xev program, keyboard events, 415 XF86Config file, 354-355, 597 Keyboard section, 419 sections, 394 XFree86 commercial servers, 356 compatibility, 341-342 configuring, 351-355, 393 design of, 349-350 dot clocks, 396-397 GUI toolkits, 350 modelines, 395-398 monitors, specifying, 399 mouse protocols, 432-433 project Web site, 622-623 scan rate lines, setting, 395-396 screens, specifying, 399 servers, 351 video cards, 349 Web site, 72, 45, 341, 559, 598 window manager, Web site, 349 X libraries, 349 X servers, 349, 355-356 X utilities, 349 xhfs utility, 188 Xi Graphics 3D Accelerated-X (OpenGL) Web sites, 344, 355 Xircom, contact information, 642 xmodmap command, 419 xplaymidi, 308 xscanimage program, 527 xset m acceleration threshold command, 422 XT keyboards, 406 xterm program, 349 Y Yahoo! Web site, 611, 624 Yamaha Corporation of America, contact information, 634, 636 Yamaha Web site, 298 YaST (SuSE), 581 Yellow Book CDs, 195 Yellow Dog Linux Web site, PowerPC CPU support, 14 Z zero insertion force (ZIF) sockets, 34 ZIF (zero insertion force) sockets, 34 Zip drives, floppy disks, inserting, 172 ziptool package, 172, 174 zoom ranges, digital cameras, 359 Zoom Telephonics, contact information, 643 ZyXEL Communications, Inc., contact information, 644 695 33 0672319187 index 6/26/00 10:45 AM Page 696 34 0672319187 InformIt 6/26/00 9:14 AM Page 697 s It’ re! He The IT site you asked for InformIT is a complete online library delivering information, technology, reference, training, news, and opinion to IT professionals, students, and corporate users Find IT Solutions Here! www.informit.com InformIT is a trademark of Macmillan USA, Inc Copyright © 2000 Macmillan USA, Inc 34 0672319187 InformIt 6/26/00 9:14 AM Page 698 ... drivers, and a Linux user faces an additional challenge—locating hardware that works with Linux In the past, few hardware manufacturers supported Linux in any way The most important Linux hardware. .. intro 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page 2 LINUX HARDWARE HANDBOOK Who Should Buy This Book Linux Hardware Handbook is intended for two overlapping audiences: • People who want to run Linux on their computers,...  Linux Hardware Handbook Roderick W Smith A Division of Macmillan USA 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, Indiana, 46290 USA www.Ebook777.com 00 0672319187 FM 6/26/00 9:00 AM Page ii Linux Hardware