Installing Mandriva Linux on Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V5535
Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V5535
The laptop with Fujitsu Siemens brand is a new thing for me, because i knew the laptop with Fujitsu brand but not Siemens. Both names are a large player in electronic and telecommunication field world wide. And this combination brand only exists for computer, not anything else.
The Esprimo V5535 comes with Windows Vista Home Basic. And it is normal that the new computer or laptop is installed within a single partition. View full specification of Esprimo V5535 here.
Creating partition
Before installing Linux on a system that already has an operating system (OS), user have to prepare a space for Linux. User can choose either preparing the empty partition within running OS or creating a new partition by formatting during Linux installation. I choose to create empty partition on Windows to avoid erasing Windows partition (during installation).
Since i don’t have partition manager application, i have to use open source application, because o don’t want to spend money just for an easy (but important) task. Therefore i’m using Gparted live CD.
Gparted is stand for Gnome Partition Editor. It can create, delete and resize partition and support both Windows and Unix filesystem type including FAT, NTFS and ext3. More about Gparted here and here.
Using Mandriva 2006
Mandriva is one of the popular distro among Linux distro. It’s User Interface (UI) is very user friendly and easy to install. I suggest this distro for a Linux newbie.
I’m using Mandriva 2006 and Mandriva One 2008 within Esprimo V5535. Fisrtly I’m running Mandriva 2006 DVD version (full package – got it from my beloved supervisor).
I faced a problem at the installation beginning with Mandriva 2006. I simply press the ‘Enter’ key to start the installation but failed. It does not loading anything after that. Then i tried again using other installation option. I give an option with ‘noapic’ command as in picture below.
Install with noapic option – apic (advanced programmable interrupt controller)
After loading the kernel and initialize important package, the the instllation process began with language selection. I thought everything will run smoothly after that, but no. I’m never found this problem before. The message said that it does not recognize the IDE driver, so user has to manually choose the driver for IDE. I just tried a few driver listed but none succeed.
Problem at verifying IDE driver
Error
I decided to stop here and try the latest version of Mandriva.
Installation using Mandriva One
Mandriva One is a free distribution where user can download from Mandriva site or from any download page such as Softpedia. The appearance and UI of Mandriva is very nice and cool and Mandriva 2008 has added several new awesome features such as 3D view.
I used to install Mandriva One on HP laptop and successfully running. Let see whether the result is similar or vice versa for Fujitsu Siemens laptop.
I don’t give any optional installation command and it just loading the kernel by default. After initialized all needed package, it enter to a text mode background.
Loading kernel
There was an error about the network connection and the error message is always prompt out at the text mode background screen. It stopped after i connected with the local area network (LAN).
Error on network connection
After that the login message appeared. I login as a root. Then i tried to run the UI, X manager but failed. I don’t really care about the error message, and i think it related with display or graphical driver. The system running recognized all the partition on it including the new partition (with the red line).
Boot in text mode – detect partition
The summary of this work is i failed installiing Mandriva on Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V5535. The problem might be the hardware or no driver include for this model in Mandriva. And the challenge is i didn’t found any method installing Mandriva on this model. But I don’t want to go any further with the installation. I will try other distro next time.
[...] The installation is running smoothly. I don’t give any extra installation option command like the previous installation using Mandriva. [...]
Installing Ubuntu Linux in Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo V5535 « wm.azmi
May 10, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I have been trying to store lexmark x1180 series. It can’t work i want to fineout what the problem is
SAM K GAISIE
June 19, 2008 at 4:42 pm
In fact, all distributions will be the same problem. I installed Suse 10.3, Fedora 9, Fedora 10 alpha, Ubuntu 8.04. Everywhere the same thing – a problem with the graphics card driver. Some information on the settings for Ubuntu. This option will soon be trying.
Mafusail
July 23, 2008 at 9:06 am
Sorry wrong wrote: I installed Fedora 8, 9 and Fedora alpha.
Mafusail
July 23, 2008 at 9:13 am
Thanks to mafusail for sharing your observation here. actually i’m also thinking like you when tried a few distro with this esprimo v5535.. maybe have a problem with some hardware driver.. since this model is quite new and less popular.
wan muhamad azmi mamat
July 23, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I’ve been trying a few distros on my V5535 and can’t get any up and running.
I’d be pissed if this were my own machine but it’s just my work laptop. It would be nice to be able to dual boot Linux and XP though. Linux for myself and XP for at work.
I’m pretty sure it all comes down to an incompatibility with the SIS graphics. I hope that a driver for this is released sometime in the near future.
For anyone thinking of buying a V5535 – they’re cheap but you get what you pay for. For slightly more you could get a much better machine.
Luke Addison
July 29, 2008 at 2:49 pm
What distros have you been tried before Addison? I’m agree with you that the problem maybe caused by the SIS graphics.. i saw some error stated on it, but don’t ’shot’ on that error, and i also found that problem stated when googling around. I run openSUSE 10.3 well on this machine right now, detail here, but have a problem with networking.
wan muhamad azmi mamat
July 29, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Hi. I agree that this laptop – an economy version of purchase. But with all this, he has as good characteristics for good office (and sometimes playing) PC)).
2 wan muhamad azmi mamat.
Two systems simultaneously Put very simply, the main setup then Linux), has increasingly found information on how to set in 5535 graphics card under Linux. As soon as you have free time, be sure to put, spirit and then write the whole process).
P.S. And who is from where you live? I’m from Ukraine, Kiev.
Mafusail
July 30, 2008 at 10:58 am
thanks mafusail for giving me a spirit to further explore on this topic. actually i had to install other distro that can run on this machine since i need to run my code ASAP. i’ll post any information or observation related to this topic when i have time soon. i love to explore and don’t wanna stop when i still breathing. i’m at newcastle upon tyne, UK right now, but i’m gonna go back to Malaysia end of this september.
wan muhamad azmi mamat
July 31, 2008 at 11:37 am
I have the esprimo dual booting vista and ubuntu 8.04. It was a job, the graphics are 2d but clear and precise, i used wicd for wireless networking, the whole system is very robust now. I am quite new to linux but just kept asking quetions with google.
Good luck
D Moult
July 31, 2008 at 7:22 pm
i’m happy to hear you can run ubuntu hardy heron on esprimo well, and with wireless, that’s really great. i used to installed ubuntu gutsy gibbon on this model here, and it run well. i’m not familiar with ubuntu then i tried mandriva since i used it previously. it’s my first time hear about wicd, this is good sharing, thanks moult.
wan muhamad azmi mamat
July 31, 2008 at 7:50 pm
wicd worked when no other would. The built in network managers would not work with my card. It is working with kernal .16 Ubuntu suits the graphics card and i got 1280 x 768 eventually
D Moult
August 1, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I install Mandriva 2008 on FSC Esprimo Mobile V5535 without any trick or special commands. Hardware is standard SIS chipset and is not compatible with HarryPoter (HP) mistic
))
Only one problem – screen brightness control keys don’t work. Command line control of brightness from terminal work fine.
Georgi Slavov
August 16, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Ha3x so do I, Hope there would be someone build new kernel for this chipset
)
Montera
October 7, 2008 at 4:54 am
Chipset SIS M672 + 968 are not supported by linux,
does anyone know how to install this chipset in linux
Montera
October 7, 2008 at 4:56 am
You should try the newer Mandriva 2009, installs without problem, and this is the only distro where everything worked out o the box! If you’re happy, you may spread the news through this forum.
kmbasu
November 4, 2008 at 12:51 am
thanks kmbasu for sharing about mandriva 2009. i just realize about this new version after reading your comment. eagering to try it now!
wan muhamad azmi mamat
November 4, 2008 at 10:01 am
I share your pain for buying this very linux-unfriendly piece of hardware!
Thankfully after mandriva I’ve (almost) forgot about the constant hacking this-and-that, and enjoying the machine. 
kmbasu
November 4, 2008 at 8:04 pm