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Table of Contents
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This is a guide to running Linux with the Toshiba Portege R500 laptop.
This guide is intended to provide you details on how well this laptop works with Linux and which modules you need to configure. For details on how to actually install and configure the required modules have a look at our guides section for distribution specific instructions.
If you would like to edit this page please first view our Editing Guidelines.
For full specifications see the Toshiba Portege R500 specifications page.
| Name | Toshiba Portege R500 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo ULV U7600 1.2GHz |
| Screen | 12.1” WSXGA+ |
| RAM | 1GB |
| HDD | 120GB |
| Optical Drive | DVD+-RW |
| Graphics | Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 |
| Network | 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Intel 4965 802.11abgn Wireless, Bluetooth |
| Other | 3 x USB2.0, 1 x Firewire, Fingerprint Reader |
| Device | Compatibility | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Yes | |
| Screen | Yes | |
| HDD | Yes | |
| Optical Drive | Yes | |
| Graphics | Yes | |
| Sound | Yes | Use the snd-hda-intel module |
| Ethernet | Yes | Uses the e1000 module |
| Wireless | Yes | Use the iwlwifi driver |
| Bluetooth | Not Tested | |
| USB | Yes | |
| Firewire | Not Tested | |
| Card Reader | Not Tested | |
| PCMCIA | Not Tested | |
| Fingerprint Reader | Not Tested |
Older distibutions will have issues with the new Intel 4965 wireless controller found in the R500. Ubuntu 7.10, Fedora 8 and other new Linux distributions support this controller without issue.
Make sure you use an up to date Linux distribution and the Toshiba Portege R500 works fine. I did not experience any difficulty with Ubuntu 7.10.
Discussion
When I run powertop on my R500 it reports that USB device 1-4 : Optical Drive Controller (TOSHIBA) is active 100% of the time (and thereby consuming mucho battery.) Enabling USB suspend doesn't help. modprobe -r usb_storage makes it stop (disabling the cdrom drive I assume.)
HSDPA modem: under development, see http://www.novatelwireless.com/index.php?option=com_fireboard&func=view&catid=18&id=180
Hi. Did you found howto suspend the optical drive in linux? I thinkg, that toshset might help but not found the right option.
I have a Portégé R500-12R,
with linux ubuntu, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic.
Bluetooth: works, with
toshset -bluetooth onCard Reader: works
Fingerprint Reader: works, with
fprintmodulesHSDPA Modem: does NOT work, see http://groups.google.com/group/comp.protocols.ppp/browse_thread/thread/fb3fb94d5fa887dd# for details
have anyone successfully installet the sound in Ubuntu 8.10?? I can't get it to work even if modified the /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base to include the options snd-hda-intel model=<all> where all is all the model under alc262
Can you tell me, does the transflective screen button still work under Ubuntu? I'm really using the transflectiveness a lot, and I don't see it mentioned there. If that is not lost I'd be switching, but I read somewhere that it didn't work? I hope to get an answer. Thanks!
Hi, I've a tosiba R500, I try to use the transflectives botton, but when I push this boton, ubuntu open a new window
Have you installed toshset?
You can control Transflectives modes using toshset tool (in Ubuntu 9.04). I have posted a script to automate toggling it on and off. Look it up at:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=7490203
From what I can see in the homepage of toshset, they have included support to the built-in 3G modem in version 1.75 which is not in ubuntu repositories yet.
Howto make the MMC card work
The MMC card works perfectly with TIFM driver. Make the change in core.c as per this page:
http://www.burningimage.net/sdcard.htm
(Just follow the update section — find mmc_delay(2) in core.c and change it to mmc_delay(10). That is all you need).