Copyright (c) 2003, 2004 Emma Jane Hogbin.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in Appendix D, GNU Free Documentation License.
This document is also available in the following languages:
Français. Merci à Guillaume Lelarge et Vanessa Conchodon pour le traduction !
If you know of any other translations, please email me <emmajane@xtrinsic.com>.
When I first started the switch from APM to ACPI I did not realize the kernel needed to be patched. My problem (very loud fan) was fixed just by upgrading to 2.4.20 (Debian packaged kernel with an earlier patch from acpi.sourceforge.net). Unfortunately after the first upgrade I was not able to correctly power down my computer. It was not until later that I realized I had an old, ineffectual ACPI patch. This HOWTO was written to summarize the install process for myself, and hopefully help others who are also having a hard time finding information about ACPI. Please note: the main article outlines The Debian Way of doing things. There is also generic information in the Appendix B, Compiling Kernels the Non-Debian Way for those of you who prefer ... the generic way.
I have found that it takes a whole community to write a technical guide. I am forever grateful for all of the support that I have received along the way. Without this (ever growing) group of people our document would not exist.
TLDP mailing lists (discuss and docbook)
Sebastian Henschel for reminding me I had promised to write it all down
Erich Schubert for writing the section on DSDTs when I could not
Werner Heuser for suggesting I submit the document to The LDP
Tabatha Marshall for editing and generally being very enthusiastic about learning DocBook
Pavel Machek, Len Brown and Hartwig Felger for patiently answering my questions
Werner (again) and Nicolas “nico” Boulay for helping me to update my BIOS at the 2004 Libre Software Meeting
Michal “mizu” Zimen for discovering the solution to the acpi_power_off problem
Traduc for working on the French translation.
Find something wrong with this document? (Or perhaps something right?) I would love to hear from you. Please email me at <emmajane@xtrinsic.com>.
The following typographic and usage conventions occur in this text:
Table 1. Typographic and usage conventions
| Text type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| “Quoted text” | Quotes from people, quoted computer output. |
terminal view | Literal computer input and output captured from the terminal. |
| command | Name of a command that can be entered on the command line. |
option | Option to a command, as in “the -a option to the
ls command”. |
parameter | Parameter to a command, as in “read
man ls”. |
| Command synopsis or general usage, on a separated line. |
filename | Name of a file or directory, for example “Change to the
/usr/bin directory.” |
| → | Choice to select from a graphical menu, for instance: “Select → in your browser.” |
| The author | Click-able link to an external web resource. |
Thanks to Machtelt “Tille” Garrels for this list of conventions.