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.

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 make menuconfig 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.

Helpful tools
When used properly, these tools will help diagnose problems. They are included on the Gentoo-based SystemRescueCD, which is a good distribution when installing or troubleshooting Gentoo systems. Be sure to emerge them on the system after the install is complete. This will help with future troubleshooting.

Hardware detection
For more hardware detection tools see the hardware detection article.

Caching Portage in tmpfs
When using a SSD or HDD with a lot of RAM (16GB is more than enough) it is possible to both expand the life of the drive and speed up build time by caching the Portage directory entirely in RAM. Be sure to adjust to the amount of allocated memory. The example below allows Portage to use maximum of 10GBs of RAM (tmpfs) during compiles. Read more about caching Portage in tmpfs by traveling over to this article.

After has been modified, Portage's temp directory will be mounted in RAM on every boot. To mount Portage temp directory now simply run this command:

External resources

 * SystemRescueCD - A Gentoo-based rescue CD that includes many helpful troubleshooting tools.