Toshiba Satellite P205

This is a guide to running Linux with the Toshiba Satellite P205laptop. The Satellite P205 is a large screen notebook with standard level internal components. This laptop was first tested with Fedora 7, then switched to Ubuntu for better support.

Don Desjardin

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.

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After messing up the Vista installation and having the recover CDs fail, I bit the bullet and loaded the Fedora 7 Live CD. I chose that partially because of my familiarity with RHEL4 at work, and partially because:

• Knoppix - wouldn't load
• Ubuntu 8.04 - loaded but gave a “non open source module” warning
• Ubuntu 9.04 - loaded using the generic kernel, Atheros Wireless started working!
• Ubuntu 9.10 - upgrade everything still working, but no longer likes CD-R's, but DVD's and CD+Rs work fine. This looks to be the firmware/hardware, but since I'm not running Vista, I can't seem to get support to update the BIOS.

The FC7 Live CD ran OK, but no wireless support for the Atheros wifi chipset (this was expected).

Loaded Linux to the HD (20GIG partition) OK. Found the wired enet card and upgraded 200+ packages in about 35 minutes.

The correct screen resolution came up right away (1440 x 900), and the stereo sound worked after the updates and a reboot completed.

Working buttons tested:

• Screen brightness +/-
• Volume +/- (a little jerky)
• Sleep mode

Non-working buttons:

• Hibernate mode

Works

• Wired enet
• USB
• 5-1 (mini-SD was all I had and it worked)
• External VGA
• Firewire
• Webcam
• S-Video

Not yet tested

• Modem

Happy with the Ubuntu distro, and 9.X go the Atheros Wifi fixes, so now I don't need my USB Wifi adapters any more. Wish the volume wasn't so touchy.