Hello debian people,
this is my first post, so let's do some presentation: I'm a web developer but not a total geek. After more then 10 working life took me from writing articles for the web to building websites. I'd like make debian my main working platform, I think you clearly bet why. Alongside servers machines, some time ago I had a nice experience when debian (+ LXDE) give a new birth to an old compaq Presario from the year 2002 AD.
As I told you, I'm not a geek, but I don't have too much fear of terminal: it barks sometimes, but it never bitten.
Oh, as you can read I'm not a native English speaker, sorry for mistakes here and there
Technical Stuff
In a Human Readable terms, after an installation of debian 8.7.1 amd64 from official iso I noticed two main issues: wi-fi card and brightness/contrast/color control. I tried to solve by myself reading lots of documentation, winning some battles but loosing the war. I understand that could be related to non-free firmware, maybe involving kernel. So I tried again with a unofficial debian 8.7.1 release netinst with non-free firmware. Unfortunately the firmware I probably need it's not included.
to be more specific on the version in use
In my first attempt I tried to install the ath10k firmware, cause I sorted out that could fit the wi-fi card. For those who can understand this (not me) I runned a very verbose lspci:[ 0.000000] Linux version 3.16.0-4-amd64 (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc version 4.8.4 (Debian 4.8.4-1) ) #1 SMP Debian 3.16.39-1 (2016-12-30)
[ 0.000000] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-4-amd64 root=UUID=b0c67866-0465-4ef3-b903-28a68b62aef7 ro quiet
The rebirth of the compaq (see premise) came useful because at the time I bought a wi-fi usb adapter ready for linux, which I'm using instead of the built-in.02:00.0 Network controller: Qualcomm Atheros Device 0042 (rev 30)
Subsystem: Lenovo Device 4035
Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at d1000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=2M]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3
Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1- D2- AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)
Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/8 Maskable+ 64bit-
Address: 00000000 Data: 0000
Masking: 00000000 Pending: 00000000
Capabilities: [70] Express (v2) Endpoint, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 256 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s unlimited, L1 <64us
ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset-
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
MaxPayload 256 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr+ UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr+ TransPend-
LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Exit Latency L0s <4us, L1 <64us
ClockPM+ Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-
LnkCtl: ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- CommClk+
ExtSynch- ClockPM+ AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-
LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-
DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Not Supported, TimeoutDis+, LTR+, OBFF Via message
DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-, LTR+, OBFF Disabled
LnkCtl2: Target Link Speed: 2.5GT/s, EnterCompliance- SpeedDis-
Transmit Margin: Normal Operating Range, EnterModifiedCompliance- ComplianceSOS-
Compliance De-emphasis: -6dB
LnkSta2: Current De-emphasis Level: -6dB, EqualizationComplete-, EqualizationPhase1-
EqualizationPhase2-, EqualizationPhase3-, LinkEqualizationRequest-
Capabilities: [100 v2] Advanced Error Reporting
UESta: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
UEMsk: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
UESvrt: DLP+ SDES+ TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-
CESta: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+
CEMsk: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+
AERCap: First Error Pointer: 00, GenCap- CGenEn- ChkCap- ChkEn-
Capabilities: [148 v1] Virtual Channel
Caps: LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128-
Ctrl: ArbSelect=Fixed
Status: InProgress-
VC0: Caps: PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans-
Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256-
Ctrl: Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=ff
Status: NegoPending- InProgress-
Capabilities: [168 v1] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00
Capabilities: [178 v1] Latency Tolerance Reporting
Max snoop latency: 3145728ns
Max no snoop latency: 3145728ns
Capabilities: [180 v1] L1 PM Substates
L1SubCap: PCI-PM_L1.2+ PCI-PM_L1.1+ ASPM_L1.2+ ASPM_L1.1+ L1_PM_Substates+
PortCommonModeRestoreTime=50us PortTPowerOnTime=10us
After installing the ath10k firmware from https://github.com/kvalo/ath10k-firmware by the "make" method, the system recognized the wi-fi card, but it was unstable, had waving signal and above all I noticed that the notebook never shoot down or stuck on reboot.
I tried a backport, but didn't solved.
I tried to update the kernel to solve the shootdown problem, but maybe I messed something and can't even boot.
I don't know if I should post another thread: let me know better guidelines to adjust the title (make it more useful for other users) and split the post. Anyway I think it's firmware-related but I can't find documentation that fits my case, or maybe I'm missing something.
I have problem with brightness control (this screen is hurting my eyes and wasting energy). The folder /sys/class/backlight is empty. I read it is a common issue. Hope this information will help you to drive me to the right point.
00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Device 1916 (rev 07) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
Subsystem: Lenovo Device 3802
Control: I/O+ Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx-
Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-
Latency: 0
Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 11
Region 0: Memory at d0000000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16M]
Region 2: Memory at c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
Region 4: I/O ports at e000
Expansion ROM at <unassigned> [disabled]
Capabilities: [40] Vendor Specific Information: Len=0c <?>
Capabilities: [70] Express (v2) Root Complex Integrated Endpoint, MSI 00
DevCap: MaxPayload 128 bytes, PhantFunc 0
ExtTag- RBE+
DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported-
RlxdOrd- ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop-
MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 128 bytes
DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr- TransPend-
DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Not Supported, TimeoutDis-, LTR-, OBFF Not Supported
DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-, LTR-, OBFF Disabled
Capabilities: [ac] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
Address: 00000000 Data: 0000
Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0-,D1-,D2-,D3hot-,D3cold-)
Status: D0 NoSoftRst- PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME-
Capabilities: [100 v1] #1b
Capabilities: [200 v1] Address Translation Service (ATS)
ATSCap: Invalidate Queue Depth: 00
ATSCtl: Enable-, Smallest Translation Unit: 00
Capabilities: [300 v1] #13
I know thees are common questions, but I'm not sure all the answer cover my case, and above all I fear to made a mess again, so I faced that I need help.
I can provide more information if needed, like posting dmesg.
Thank you, and sorry for being long.