Linux 2.4.x on ACER TravelMate 240 FX

Laptop Acer TravelMate 240 FX has problem with Linux kernel 2.4.x, especially if it is installed either with Mandrake (9.0-9.2), Knoppix, or also if you compile it with default configuration. This laptop will extract the kernel, but then become freezes (hang). It happens because of the ACPI problem betwen the 2.4 version and the laptop. We have installed the laptop with RedHat (9) and Slackware 10 without problem.

If you still want to use kernel 2.4 on the laptop, you can compile it by yourself with ACPI is not set. Below is the steps to compile the kernel 2.4 on ACER TravelMate 240 FX based on our experience via Mandrake 10.

• Download the kernel source 2.4.x from either www.kernel.org or www.rpmfind.org. We used the latest version (at the time of writing was 2.4.27, and the file was: linux-2.4.27.tar.bz2)

• We must be as root. Move/copy the file to subdirectory /usr/src/

# ls
linux-2.4.27.tar.bz2
# cp linux-2.4.27.tar.bz2 /usr/src/

• Extract the file

  #cd /usr/src/
  src]#tar -xjvf linux-2.4.27.tar.bz2
  src]# ls
  linux@ linux-2.4.27/ linux-2.6.3-4mdk/
  linux-2.4.27.tar.bz2 RPM/

• Go to the subdirectory linux-2.4.27. We can compile the kernel from now.

• For compilation, first we must configure, and here is our configuration. You can download, and rename it to .config, and then place the file to subdirectory: usr/src/linux-2.4.27. Afterthat, type via console :

#make oldconfig

• The newest kernel may ask some configurations not added by this version already. But if you want to configure by yourself, type: make menuconfig (instead of make oldconfig), and you must select the configurations. Remember with the ACPI problem on the laptop. The configuration also will be saved automatically to file, named: .config.

• Then type

• Be sure that there is no error between these instructions. After successful, the modules will be in : /lib/modules/2.4.27, and the kernel will be placed in : /boot

• Edit LILO, so that all of the kernels can be selected when booting. Actually, make install changes the 2.4.27 as default booting, and also it adds this kernel as a choice, but no choice for kernel 2.6 we have had. So, the 2.6 never can be selected.

• Move to the subdir: /boot. You can look that the new simlink of vmlinuz is vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.4.27, while the original simlink that points to 2.6.3-4mdk moves to vmlinuz.old (vmlinuz.old -> vmlinuz-2.6.3-4mdk). Change it back to the original (vmlinuz -> vmlinuz-2.6.3-4mdk), so that the 2.6 still can be loaded.

#rm -f vmlinuz
#cp vmlinuz.old vmlinuz

• In a while, the new simlink of initrd.img is initrd.img -> initrd-2.4.27.img. Change it back to initrd.img -> initrd-2.6.3-4mdk.img

#rm -f initrd.img
#ln -s initrd-2.6.3-4mdk.img initrd.img

• Look at the file: /etc/lilo.conf. Be sure that the kernel 2.4.27 and 2.6.3-4mdk can be loaded. The parts of the lilo configuration may look like this (The full version of our lilo.conf is here)

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label="linux"
root=/dev/hda7
initrd=/boot/initrd.img
append="devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda8 splash=silent"
vga=788
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27
label=2427
root=/dev/hda7
read-only
optional
vga=788
append=" devfs=mount acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda8 splash=silent"
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.27.img

• Type lilo from Console to install it to the system

# lilo
Added linux *
Added linux-nonfb
Added failsafe
Added windows
Added floppy
Added 2427
#

• Reboot, and good luck.