Arch Linux

0ct0pus

Member

From: Uberlândia - MG - Brazil

Registered: 2010-08-07

Posts: 1

VIA PCI USB doesn't work

I'm trying to make usable an old pc that I got here. It's a Pentium II 350Mhz, 128MB RAM, 2GB HDD.
The chipset of the motherboard is SiS. It's sound and VGA are onboard. For network it's a Realtek offboard and for USB plugs it's a VIA offboard. The motherboard doesn't have a onboard USB.

I need these USB plugs to plug a new keyboard and mouse, because they are not even PS/2 and I couldn't make my COM1 Serial Mouse to work especially that I'm not got used to this new Xorg version.

First problem I got in booting, I had to set a pci=bios or nousb to kernel parameters, or I take my PCI USB board off. So for installing Arch Linux I unpluged the USB board and installed the system. Everything work fine, I installed Xorg and LXDE, and only the old keyboard working, no mouse.

I tried to put the USB PCI card back, without the kernel parameters it crashes before it shows Arch Linux and those things of BUSY and DONE. The last message is that:
pci 0000:00:09.0: HCRESET not completed yet, and go on this screen forever.

With pci=bios, it crash on Waiting for UDev uevents to be processed.

I tried disabling auto loading modules, and use hwdetect. The pc only doens't crash with the USB PCI board when I blacklisted ehci-hcd and uhci-hcd modules. But I think I need them to get my usb mouse and usb keyboard to work.

I don't know more how to get further. Thanks for help.

The system is updated: Aug 07 2010. Kernel 2.6.34-ARCH . Xorg 1.8.1.902-1

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: VIA PCI USB doesn't work

I'm not sure Arch is the best choice for old hardware.

Post your Xorg.0.log and kernel.log

Last edited by karol (2010-08-07 03:44:29)

cesura

Package Maintainer (PM)

From: Tallinn, Estonia

Registered: 2010-01-23

Posts: 1,867

Re: VIA PCI USB doesn't work

I'm not sure Arch is the best choice for old hardware.

Even Damn Small Linux on my old Pentium 2 lags horribly.

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PGP Key

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: VIA PCI USB doesn't work

I think using xserver and usb is going to make it really hard. Getting a ps/2 kbd+mouse could help but you may be better off saving that money to buy a second-hand P4.

Skripka

Member

From: 2X1280X1024

Registered: 2009-02-19

Posts: 555

Re: VIA PCI USB doesn't work

I'm not sure Arch is the best choice for old hardware.

Post your Xorg.0.log and kernel.log

The skeptic in me is wanting to recommend spending some money and getting new hardware at a garage sale.  I knew a guy who got a stripped down Ubuntu to actually boot and "run" on an i386 rig....of course booting took 15 minutes, and it lagged so bad it served no useful purpose....but he still did it.

With only 128MB of memory, he only meets the requirements for the base install....getting X and the rest of it...eeeek.