This document assumes a passing familiarity with the Sony Vaio Picturebook, with PC hardware in general, and with FreeBSD. It skips mentioning important things like how to click the OK button, how to start or stop services (usually /etc/rc.d/service start or ... stop), etc.

Persons wishing to install Linux instead should direct their attention to these excellent web sites:

Sony Vaio PCG-C1VN Picturebook

Asgard's Realm: PCG-C1VN Live CD (based on Debian GNU/Linux)

Jay's Picturebook Page

The Sony Vaio PCG-C1 Picturebook Project

Note that in some cases, Linux will not properly detect the PCGA-CD51 CD-ROM drive without the following kernel parameters:

  ide2=0x180,0x386 pci=off

pci=off is required to force Linux to probe the PCMCIA bus for the ATA interface. (From Linux on the Sony Vaio PCG-Z600NEK.)

Hardware

The PCG-C1VN is a PC-compatible computer with a 600-MHz Transmeta Crusoe TM5600 CPU, a PCI bus, an IEEE-1394 i.Link port, a powered USB-1.0 port, a Sony memory stick socket, a Sony MOTION EYE video camera, a Conexant HCF "winmodem", a jog dial, a PCMCIA/CardBus socket, and an on-board Yamaha DS-XG audio device. My C1VN has 384 MB RAM and a 20-GB hard drive (any laptop hard drive will work, though models with lower RPM are recommended due to thermal issues).

Preparation

The Sony PCGA-CD51 external ATA/PCMCIA CD-ROM drive is not correctly detected by FreeBSD versions below 5.3. If you wish to install from CD-ROM, you must use FreeBSD 5.3 or newer. FreeBSD 4-STABLE releases from 4.6 onward may also work, but I have not tested them.

I have BIOS version WXP02P1 installed. BIOS version R0211PI may also work.

Operating System Installation

Install FreeBSD as you would normally. No special steps are required.

Post-Install Configuration

Yamaha DS-XG

The Yamaha DS-1 device driver must be loaded manually using kldload(8) or at boot time by loader(8). Use the following command to manually load the DS-1 driver:

   kldload snd_ds1

Add the following line to /boot/loader.conf to load the DS-1 driver when FreeBSD boots:

   snd_ds1_load="YES"

Xorg

The ATI video driver in Xorg version 6.8.1 has a video timing problem that causes the flat panel display to go blank white when X starts. One way to work around the problem is to use the VESA device driver (limited to 640x480). I found this to be a problem in XFree86 4.4 as well. Upgrade to the latest version of Xorg in the ports tree, version 6.8.2 as of 16 August 2005, in order to correct this problem.

Additional Software Installation

S-Jog

This provides wheelmouse or pop-up-menu functionality using the Jog Dial. Install the port sysutils/sjog or the package sjog. Unfortunately, it has little in the way of documentation.

Picturebook

This program can take pictures and record video using the Sony MOTION EYE camera. Install the port graphics/picturebook or the package picturebook.