Gentoo Wiki:Article Blueprints/Hardware/Laptops

The following is a semi-structured, rough laptop blueprint users can copy and paste to create new articles for getting Gentoo working on a specific laptop. In general, it follows the Wiki guidelines (review if necessary). Be sure to substitute the information in the article accordingly, as there can be vast differences between architectures and hardware sets for each laptop. Be aware some information provided in the blueprint may not be needed; it is always easier to delete unneeded content than to type out new content.


 * Before copying it is possible to demo the Laptop article blueprint by going here.

Substitute  in the text below with the correct make and model of the laptop being covered.

Suggestion for the article's Summary field:

The  and its associated hardware components can (potentially) be difficult to configure properly in Gentoo. This article has been written as configuration guide to help users work out some of the gritty details needed to get this notebook working as it should while using Gentoo.

Preparation
Things to be aware of when before installing Gentoo Linux on any machine:


 * 1) Backups - If the computer owner finds any value in being able to restore the factory existing operating system, make sure appropriate measures are taken to create a full system restoration. This is a nice fall back option in the case something goes wrong while installing Linux.
 * 2) Time - Allot enough time for installing Gentoo. The length of the install process varies. Experienced Gentoo users are mostly limited by the speed of their current hardware where beginners are limited by the Gentoo learning curve.
 * 3) Diligence - Dedication is required in order to configure all parts of the hardware to work properly. Unfortunately most manufacturers do not deliver open source drivers for their hardware. Linux users go through great lengths in order to build or find open source drivers that are compatible with their hardware.

Kernel
For users new to Gentoo, configuring the kernel for a certain hardware platform can be among the trickiest tasks. Do not despair! There are many articles on the Wiki available to help with all kernel related things. The sections below provide information on the two main methods of kernel configuration. Currently no tool exists to automatically detect and configure hardware for all platforms, especially if experimental or new kernel features will be used.

Generally speaking for this platform, the following kernel options are needed.

Manual
Use the command to manually configure kernel features:

After configuration run the following commands in this to build and install the system's kernel and modules:

genkernel
The genkernel tool can also be used to help build the kernel and the initramfs.

After downloading a kernel sources packages, start the build process by running the following command:

Additional help with kernel configuration
For additional help with kernel configuration see the configuration help section in the kernel article.

X11
More information on configuring X11 can be found in the Xorg configuration article.

USB
The Wiki's USB guide can be helpful for configuring anything USB related on the system.

Become familiar with helpful tools
Many software tools and hardware detection utilities are available in order to help troubleshoot a new Gentoo installation. Users who are knew to Gentoo have many options to choose from. Quite a few of the packages available in the Portage tree are utilities available on other Linux distributions. Other utilities are included on the Gentoo-based SystemRescueCD, which is a great distribution to use when installing or troubleshooting a Gentoo system.

External resources

 * https://www.gentoo.org/downloads/ - Obtain a Minimal Installation CD from a Gentoo mirror.
 * http://www.sysresccd.org/ - A Gentoo-based rescue CD that includes many helpful troubleshooting tools not included on Gentoo's Minimal Installation CDs.