Must use ACPI=off to boot Bionicpup32 in ACER Aspire One ZA3

[fernan]

Hello. I changed my computer to an ACER Aspire One ZA3, 32 bit machine, and tried to install different Puppies on it (tried Tahrpup, lucid, Slacko7 and BionicPup32). The computer has a dead battery, installed.

Finally installed BionicPup32.

With all the different versions, the only way I managed to boot the computer was adding the "ACPI=OFF" option at boot. If I don't add that line, the computer hangs at boot, not always at the same point, showing just lines on the screen and not responding to any key or touchpad movement.

Is there a fix for that, or is just this computer not compatible with ACPI?

Thanks very much.

[bigpup]

Could be the dead battery still installed causing the hangup with ACPI enabled.

could look in the computers bios setup for settings for ACPI

ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is an industry specification for the efficient handling of power consumption in desktop and mobile computers. ACPI specifies how a computer's basic input/output system, operating system, and peripheral devices communicate with each other about power usage.

It is still OK not to use ACPI if you are using AC power.

Do you know how to add this command to the boot menu entry?

[fernan]

Hello. Thanks very much.

It seems the problem was at the computer.

I solved the problem faster than I thought, following this instructions, posted by a user named "bionik" (coincidence)

https://ccm.net/forum/affich-539814-ace ... ot-booting

I'll copy the instructions here for future reference (credits to Bionik from ccm.net forum)

"Try this:

Remove all USB cable.

Unplug the power cord --> Remove the battery --> Hold the power button for 60

seconds --> Connect the power supply then try to switch ON the laptop and later

put the battery back into the laptop.

Good Luck "

After doing that kind of hard reset, the battery is still dead, but I can boot the notebook without the "acpi=off" option, and the power button works as it should, poping a 30 seconds countdown. and closing the lid puts the computer to sleep.

[fernan]

Well, the problem came back after one night "charging" the battery. It's definitely a problem with my hardware.

I had to do the reset process again, but the right procedure to make my ACER ASPIRE ONE ZA3 to boot with ACPI enabled was the following:

----------------------------
Remove all USB cables

Unplug the power cord --> Remove the battery --> Hold the power button for 60

seconds --> put the battery back into the laptop --> Connect the power supply then switch ON the laptop.
-----------------------------

I'll do more testing trying to reproduce the problem, and post back, in case some other ACER users are having this problem.

The Bios setup doesn't have many options, I don't see anything related to ACPI, just some boot devices options, date and time, security passwords.

[HerrBert]

If i may ask:

Why put a dead battery back into the laptop?

All my netbooks/laptops run well without battery attached.

[Wiz57]

Well HerrBert, if the OPs Acer Aspire is like my Acer Aspire One AO150, it will NOT power on with the
battery removed even if plugged in. In fact, removing the battery while running results in immediate
power off, without the usual OS checks/safeguards! I also have an old Compaq Presario CQ62 with a
dead battery...I keep the battery in place, but run it off AC just like a desktop.
Wiz

[bigpup]

It is still OK not to use ACPI if you are using AC power.

Do you know how to add this command to the boot menu entry?

ACPI=OFF

[fernan]

I'd have to install the battery because the battery is part of the case, if you take a look at one Acer ZA3, without the battery the computer rests flat on the table, affecting the cooling air flow. Anyway I'm running it without the battery now, placing it on a wood grid I had laying around.

I find convenient ACPI working as it should even when powered from the wall. Sleeping the computer when closing the lid instead of the fan running all day, shutting down from the OS or from the power button, without waiting for the "system halted" message... With ACPI=OFF, the power button acts as a switch, it interrupts immediately the power, same as a power failure.

Anyway it seems ACPI has some problems on this computer running linux. It doesn't wake after some hours hibernating, and time to time it hangs at startup, even without the battery. It works fine with Windows 7, but in Linux (tried 4 different Puppy linux) it has random problems, not consistent, not always the same problem at the same point.

It is still OK not to use ACPI if you are using AC power.

Do you know how to add this command to the boot menu entry?

ACPI=OFF

I've added the ACPI=OFF option the the menu.lst file (now removed the option for testing purposes)

[fernan]

Well, it seems there is more than energy saving when enabling ACPI.

The processor is seen different with acpi ON or OFF, I also did some benchmark tests and the performance is different with or without Acpi enabled.

ACPI-OFF-cpu.png (129.81 KiB) Viewed 1251 times

ACPI-ON-cpu.png (135.98 KiB) Viewed 1251 times

[fernan]

Well, I had to delete the tag "Solved", since the problem is not solved. The machine is a bit unstable whith ACPI enabled.

I can use it when it boots, sometimes it fails at boot, sometimes not, and when closing the lid, most of the times it won't come back from the "sleep" state, showing a broken display, all stripes, and mouse and keyboard not responding.

Also, the sound from the USB ports to my DAC is very distorted, which works better when ACPI is OFF. Sound from the computer sound card is OK.

When I boot with ACPI OFF, the processor is detected as a single core, and the performance is poorer as the benchmark tests show. USB sound works better.

CPU is an Intel Atom Z520 @ 1.33GHz .