Centrino - Made for Microsoft Windows XP?

[Jim Durham]

On Saturday 26 June 2004 02:39 am, Robert Storey wrote:
> I recently purchased a new laptop, an IBM X31 ThinkPad, which uses the
> Centrino processor. I had high expectations for this machine.
>
> Alas, my expectations have been shattered. All attempts at installing
> FreeBSD 5.2.1 quickly end with a crash. Interestingly, I have an old FBSD
> 4.8 CD - that installs fine. Lest anybody think my 5.2.1 CDR is bad, I went
> and downloaded it a second time, plus I also tried a network install.
> Failure every time.
>
> Nor is the problem limited to FreeBSD. MEPIS Linux crashes during the
> install as well. Knoppix Linux installed but dmesg was putting out lots of
> error messages (for example, it could not mount a journaled ext3 partition,
> so it mounted as ext2). In the end, I got Knoppix to install and run
> reliably only by using the older 2.4.26 kernel and by disabling APIC.
>
> After doing some Googling and seeing that others were having issues, my
> suspicion is that Centrino's power management features are to blame. But I
> could be wrong.
>
> So I guess my question is this: Has anybody here gotten FreeBSD 5.2.1 to
> install on a Centrino laptop? If so, did you need to do anything special to
> make it work? Any tips, tricks or hints I should try? Or should I just wait
> for FreeBSD 5.3 to come out and hope it works? Or should I file a PR?
>
> If others are not having problems with the Centrino chip, I might to back
> to IBM and demand that they replace the motherboard, but I tend to think
> they'll just tell me to reinstall Windows XP and all will be well. There is
> indeed a sticker on the laptop saying "Made for Microsoft Windows XP"
> (well, there was, I ripped the sticker off, but I still can't install
> FreeBSD).

5.2.1 Here on a Dell Inspiron 600M with Centrino.  All OK ACPI-wise. Won't 
talk to my SCSI Adaptec 1460 card and won't talk to the internal wireless 
adapter.

No special setup on 5.2.1.  I had a Dell Inspiron 4000 before and lots of ACPI 
troubles. I had to select the #2 choice on the boot menu to even boot it.

-- 
-Jim