It sounds like the USB port might be slightly overloaded. See if using a powered hub works any better.
Agreed. The power supply on these things was a common short-coming as the machine itself drew ~2.55A from a 3A power supply (the screen's backlight would dim when the CD would spin-up!) and these power bricks were constantly being replaced.
Click here for typical specsIf memory serves, USB was just an infant during the years this laptop was released and power management was all but non-existent. A powered, and preferably isolated USB hub would be the recommended direction as the VERY best devices of that time were implied to maintain the 1/2 Amp shared power cap and this many years later, if you consider dirt and oxidation, that cap is VERY easy to reach. (Clean the USB contacts thoroughly! Imagine someone's teeth not being brushed for 20-30 years... gold electroplated copper isn't AS bad visually, but tends to leave a debris that could easily cause USB, PS2, VGA and other ports to "come and go" with connectivity. If you have experience with game cards for the Nintendo Entertainment System and how "all of a sudden games wouldn't work without cleaning contacts, blowing air into the cartridges, etc." this is the beginning stages of the same oxidation.)
Secondly, you'll want to look into the
PCMCIA extension
assuming it's still being compiled. Install pci utilities and usb utilities while you're at it to assist in looking closer under the hood.
Lastly, this machine is going to be from the ISA era and I'll be honest, I cannot remember how much of the ISA bus protocol is still being compiled into the kernel, how much in modules and how much is no longer being dealt with in the 21st century.
@Paul_123, @Rich or
@Curaga can you shed a little light there?
Oh, and just for giggles, your video "card" isn't listed by name in the above spec sheet, but just for kicks, install the
firmware-video extension and see if that helps you obtain resolution. According to the spec sheet, you should max out at 1280@256 colors, but your cleanest res looks to be
800x600@16M assuming the kernel sees your actual card details which I'm hoping firmware-video helps with.
The TFT screen has a back-light using cold cathode tubes (think fluorescent light bulbs... less than 1/4" thick) which can be
very fragile; use caution when closing the lid!
IF memory serves, the mouse is serial based, but usually locks in with PS/2 3-Button settings. HDD and CD were both ATA-Mini (IDE) and if you have the docking station, which once upon a time blew up laptops due to shorted ports, plug the power supply into the dock WITHOUT the laptop connected first. If it smokes, you lose a power supply. If the laptop is connected, you lose both.
Beyond that, good luck and keep us apprised!
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