Acer Emachines EL1200

About

Two years ago, I bought for 200EUR (VAT incl.) an Acer EL1200 desktop (1GB RAM, 160GB disk) with a 15 inches LCD screen, a keyboard and a mouse. The desktop was sold at that price because it was shipped with Ubuntu preinstalled, thus not including the Microsoft tax. While I mainly use my laptop to work, I used this box once upon a time, notably to flash hundreds of USB keys for the OLPC project.

Now, I have decided to use this box as a media center and home server, I have upgraded it with a 1TB harddisk, and tried XBMC live on it. I have tried to install XBMC on it, but I hit an error with grub refusing to install on the disk.

Flashing a more recent BIOS with flashrom

root@el1200 /home/zoobab [2]# flashrom 
flashrom v0.9.4-r1394 on Linux 3.0.0-14-generic (x86_64), built with libpci 3.1.7, GCC 4.6.1, little endian
flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org

Calibrating delay loop... OK.
Found chipset "NVIDIA MCP61". 
This chipset is marked as untested. If you are using an up-to-date version
of flashrom please email a report to flashrom@flashrom.org including a
verbose (-V) log. Thank you!
Enabling flash write... This chipset is not really supported yet. Guesswork...
SPI on this chipset is WIP. Please report any success or failure by mailing us the verbose output to flashrom@flashrom.org, thanks!
Mapping NVIDIA MCP6x SPI at 0xfec80000, unaligned size 0x544.
Please send the output of "flashrom -V" to flashrom@flashrom.org with
your board name: flashrom -V as the subject to help us finish support for your
chipset. Thanks.
OK.
This chipset supports the following protocols: SPI.
Found Macronix flash chip "MX25L8005" (1024 kB, SPI) at physical address 0xfff00000.
No operations were specified.

Flashing a more recent BIOS with R01A2.BIN to see if this version supports more graphic cards:

root@sabayon /home/zoobab [8]# flashrom -w R01A2.BIN
flashrom v0.9.4-r1395 on Linux 3.1.0-sabayon (i686), built with libpci 3.1.7, GCC 4.6.2, little endian
flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org

Calibrating delay loop... OK.
Found chipset "NVIDIA MCP61". 
This chipset is marked as untested. If you are using an up-to-date version
of flashrom please email a report to flashrom@flashrom.org including a
verbose (-V) log. Thank you!
Enabling flash write... This chipset is not really supported yet. Guesswork...
SPI on this chipset is WIP. Please report any success or failure by mailing us the verbose output to flashrom@flashrom.org, thanks!
Mapping NVIDIA MCP6x SPI at 0xfec80000, unaligned size 0x544.
Please send the output of "flashrom -V" to flashrom@flashrom.org with
your board name: flashrom -V as the subject to help us finish support for your
chipset. Thanks.
OK.
This chipset supports the following protocols: SPI.
Found Macronix flash chip "MX25L8005" (1024 kB, SPI) at physical address 0xfff00000.
Flash image seems to be a legacy BIOS. Disabling coreboot-related checks.
Reading old flash chip contents... done.
Erasing and writing flash chip... Erase/write done.
Verifying flash... VERIFIED.          
root@sabayon /home/zoobab [9]# flashrom -r bios-v2.bin
flashrom v0.9.4-r1395 on Linux 3.1.0-sabayon (i686), built with libpci 3.1.7, GCC 4.6.2, little endian
flashrom is free software, get the source code at http://www.flashrom.org

Calibrating delay loop... OK.
Found chipset "NVIDIA MCP61". 
This chipset is marked as untested. If you are using an up-to-date version
of flashrom please email a report to flashrom@flashrom.org including a
verbose (-V) log. Thank you!
Enabling flash write... This chipset is not really supported yet. Guesswork...
SPI on this chipset is WIP. Please report any success or failure by mailing us the verbose output to flashrom@flashrom.org, thanks!
Mapping NVIDIA MCP6x SPI at 0xfec80000, unaligned size 0x544.
Please send the output of "flashrom -V" to flashrom@flashrom.org with
your board name: flashrom -V as the subject to help us finish support for your
chipset. Thanks.
OK.
This chipset supports the following protocols: SPI.
Found Macronix flash chip "MX25L8005" (1024 kB, SPI) at physical address 0xfff00000.
Reading flash... done.
root@sabayon /home/zoobab [10]# l
total 3080
-rw-r--r-- 1 zoobab zoobab    3519 Jan  2 02:48 2cards.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root   1048576 Jan  2 14:35 bios-backup.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root   root   1048576 Jan  2 14:39 bios-v2.bin
drwxr-xr-x 2 zoobab zoobab    4096 Jan  2 00:58 Desktop
-rw-r--r-- 1 zoobab zoobab 1048576 Jan  2 13:48 R01A2.BIN
root@sabayon /home/zoobab [11]# md5sum bios-v2.bin
d3c0fcfc479047bf77f626143d49028e  bios-v2.bin
root@sabayon /home/zoobab [12]# md5sum R01A2.BIN 
d3c0fcfc479047bf77f626143d49028e  R01A2.BIN
root@sabayon /home/zoobab [13]#

Lshw

el1200
    description: Desktop Computer
    product: EL1200 ()
    vendor: eMachines
    version: R01-A0
    serial: 9VY2D7ZEF0842040CA3001
    width: 64 bits
    capabilities: smbios-2.5 dmi-2.5 vsyscall64 vsyscall32
    configuration: administrator_password=disabled boot=normal chassis=desktop power-on_password=disabled uuid=00000000-0000-0000-0807-060504030201
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       product: WMCP61M
       vendor: eMachines
       physical id: 0
       serial: 0000000000000000000000
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: Phoenix Technologies, LTD
          physical id: 0
          version: R01-A0L
          date: 09/17/2008
          size: 128KiB
          capacity: 960KiB
          capabilities: isa pci pnp apm upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect socketedrom edd int13floppy360 int13floppy1200 int13floppy720 int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int9keyboard int14serial int17printer int10video acpi usb ls120boot zipboot biosbootspecification netboot
     *-cpu
          description: CPU
          product: AMD Athlon(tm) Processor LE-1600
          vendor: Hynix Semiconductor (Hyundai Electronics)
          physical id: 3
          bus info: cpu@0
          version: AMD Athlon(tm) Processor LE-1600
          slot: Socket AM2
          size: 2200MHz
          capacity: 2200MHz
          width: 64 bits
          clock: 201MHz
          capabilities: x86-64 fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush mmx fxsr sse sse2 syscall nx mmxext fxsr_opt rdtscp 3dnowext 3dnow up rep_good nopl extd_apicid pni cx16 lahf_lm svm extapic cr8_legacy cpufreq
          configuration: cores=1 enabledcores=1 threads=1
        *-cache:0
             description: L1 cache
             physical id: 8
             slot: Internal Cache
             size: 128KiB
             capacity: 128KiB
             capabilities: synchronous internal write-back
        *-cache:1
             description: L2 cache
             physical id: 9
             slot: External Cache
             size: 1MiB
             capacity: 1MiB
             capabilities: synchronous internal write-back
     *-memory:0
          description: System Memory
          physical id: 13
          slot: System board or motherboard
          size: 1GiB
        *-bank:0
             description: DIMM DDR2 2048 MHz (0.5 ns)
             product: None
             vendor: None
             physical id: 0
             serial: None
             slot: A0
             size: 1GiB
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 2048MHz (0.5ns)
        *-bank:1
             description: DIMM DDR2 2048 MHz (0.5 ns) [empty]
             product: None
             vendor: None
             physical id: 1
             serial: None
             slot: A1
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 2048MHz (0.5ns)
     *-memory:1 UNCLAIMED
          description: RAM memory
          product: MCP61 Memory Controller
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 4
          bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
          version: a1
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz (15.2ns)
          capabilities: ht bus_master cap_list
          configuration: latency=0
     *-isa
          description: ISA bridge
          product: MCP61 LPC Bridge
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 1
          bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: isa bus_master
          configuration: latency=0
          resources: ioport:800(size=256)
     *-serial
          description: SMBus
          product: MCP61 SMBus
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 1.1
          bus info: pci@0000:00:01.1
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: pm cap_list
          configuration: driver=nForce2_smbus latency=0
          resources: irq:10 ioport:fc00(size=64) ioport:1c00(size=64) ioport:f400(size=64)
     *-memory:2 UNCLAIMED
          description: RAM memory
          product: MCP61 Memory Controller
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 1.2
          bus info: pci@0000:00:01.2
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz (15.2ns)
          configuration: latency=0
     *-usb:0
          description: USB Controller
          product: MCP61 USB Controller
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 2
          bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
          version: a3
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: pm ohci bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=ohci_hcd latency=0 maxlatency=1 mingnt=3
          resources: irq:21 memory:fe02f000-fe02ffff
     *-usb:1
          description: USB Controller
          product: MCP61 USB Controller
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 2.1
          bus info: pci@0000:00:02.1
          version: a3
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: debug pm ehci bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=ehci_hcd latency=0 maxlatency=1 mingnt=3
          resources: irq:22 memory:fe02e000-fe02e0ff
     *-pci:0
          description: PCI bridge
          product: MCP61 PCI bridge
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:04.0
          version: a1
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: pci ht subtractive_decode bus_master cap_list
          resources: ioport:b000(size=4096) memory:fda00000-fdafffff memory:fdf00000-fdffffff
     *-multimedia
          description: Audio device
          product: MCP61 High Definition Audio
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 5
          bus info: pci@0000:00:05.0
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: pm msi ht bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=HDA Intel latency=0 maxlatency=5 mingnt=2
          resources: irq:22 memory:fe024000-fe027fff
     *-ide:0
          description: IDE interface
          product: MCP61 IDE
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 6
          bus info: pci@0000:00:06.0
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: ide pm bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=pata_amd latency=0 maxlatency=1 mingnt=3
          resources: irq:0 ioport:1f0(size=8) ioport:3f6 ioport:170(size=8) ioport:376 ioport:f000(size=16)
     *-bridge
          description: Ethernet interface
          product: MCP61 Ethernet
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 7
          bus info: pci@0000:00:07.0
          logical name: eth0
          version: a2
          serial: 00:1d:72:aa:96:ba
          size: 1000000000
          capacity: 1000000000
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: bridge pm msi ht bus_master cap_list ethernet physical mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
          configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=forcedeth driverversion=0.64 duplex=full ip=10.20.30.105 latency=0 link=yes maxlatency=20 mingnt=1 multicast=yes port=MII speed=1Gbit/s
          resources: irq:43 memory:fe02d000-fe02dfff ioport:ec00(size=8)
     *-ide:1
          description: IDE interface
          product: MCP61 SATA Controller
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 8
          bus info: pci@0000:00:08.0
          logical name: scsi3
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: ide pm msi ht bus_master cap_list emulated
          configuration: driver=sata_nv latency=0 maxlatency=1 mingnt=3
          resources: irq:23 ioport:9f0(size=8) ioport:bf0(size=4) ioport:970(size=8) ioport:b70(size=4) ioport:d800(size=16) memory:fe02c000-fe02cfff
        *-disk
             description: ATA Disk
             product: ST31000528AS
             vendor: Seagate
             physical id: 0.0.0
             bus info: scsi@3:0.0.0
             logical name: /dev/sda
             version: CC38
             serial: 6VP3KJ95
             size: 931GiB (1TB)
             capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos
             configuration: ansiversion=5 signature=0008f483
           *-volume:0
                description: EXT4 volume
                vendor: Linux
                physical id: 1
                bus info: scsi@3:0.0.0,1
                logical name: /dev/sda1
                logical name: /
                version: 1.0
                serial: a3e14c26-1282-4549-a4e9-e35a9dd0738a
                size: 930GiB
                capacity: 930GiB
                capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files dir_nlink recover extents ext4 ext2 initialized
                configuration: created=2011-12-22 14:26:44 filesystem=ext4 lastmountpoint=/ modified=2011-12-22 14:35:00 mount.fstype=ext4 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,user_xattr,acl,barrier=1,data=ordered mounted=2012-01-01 19:11:26 state=mounted
           *-volume:1
                description: Extended partition
                physical id: 2
                bus info: scsi@3:0.0.0,2
                logical name: /dev/sda2
                size: 765MiB
                capacity: 765MiB
                capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
              *-logicalvolume
                   description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
                   physical id: 5
                   logical name: /dev/sda5
                   capacity: 765MiB
                   capabilities: nofs
     *-ide:2
          description: IDE interface
          product: MCP61 SATA Controller
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 8.1
          bus info: pci@0000:00:08.1
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: ide pm msi ht bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=sata_nv latency=0 maxlatency=1 mingnt=3
          resources: irq:23 ioport:9e0(size=8) ioport:be0(size=4) ioport:960(size=8) ioport:b60(size=4) ioport:c400(size=16) memory:fe02b000-fe02bfff
     *-pci:1
          description: PCI bridge
          product: MCP61 PCI Express bridge
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: 9
          bus info: pci@0000:00:09.0
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          capabilities: pci pm msi ht pciexpress normal_decode bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=pcieport
          resources: irq:40 ioport:a000(size=4096) memory:fde00000-fdefffff ioport:fdd00000(size=1048576)
     *-pci:2
          description: PCI bridge
          product: MCP61 PCI Express bridge
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: b
          bus info: pci@0000:00:0b.0
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          capabilities: pci pm msi ht pciexpress normal_decode bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=pcieport
          resources: irq:41 ioport:9000(size=4096) memory:f9000000-faffffff ioport:d0000000(size=536870912)
        *-display
             description: VGA compatible controller
             product: GT218 [ION]
             vendor: nVidia Corporation
             physical id: 0
             bus info: pci@0000:03:00.0
             version: a2
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi pciexpress vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
             configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
             resources: irq:16 memory:f9000000-f9ffffff memory:d0000000-dfffffff memory:ee000000-efffffff ioport:9c00(size=128) memory:e0000000-e007ffff
        *-multimedia
             description: Audio device
             product: High Definition Audio Controller
             vendor: nVidia Corporation
             physical id: 0.1
             bus info: pci@0000:03:00.1
             version: a1
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=HDA Intel latency=0
             resources: irq:16 memory:faffc000-faffffff
     *-pci:3
          description: PCI bridge
          product: MCP61 PCI Express bridge
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: c
          bus info: pci@0000:00:0c.0
          version: a2
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          capabilities: pci pm msi ht pciexpress normal_decode bus_master cap_list
          configuration: driver=pcieport
          resources: irq:42 ioport:8000(size=4096) memory:fdc00000-fdcfffff ioport:fdb00000(size=1048576)
     *-display
          description: VGA compatible controller
          product: C61 [GeForce 6150SE nForce 430]
          vendor: nVidia Corporation
          physical id: d
          bus info: pci@0000:00:0d.0
          version: a2
          width: 64 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          capabilities: pm msi vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
          configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
          resources: irq:21 memory:fc000000-fcffffff memory:c0000000-cfffffff memory:fb000000-fbffffff memory:40000000-4001ffff
     *-pci:4
          description: Host bridge
          product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] HyperTransport Technology Configuration
          vendor: Hynix Semiconductor (Hyundai Electronics)
          physical id: 101
          bus info: pci@0000:00:18.0
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
     *-pci:5
          description: Host bridge
          product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Address Map
          vendor: Hynix Semiconductor (Hyundai Electronics)
          physical id: 102
          bus info: pci@0000:00:18.1
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
     *-pci:6
          description: Host bridge
          product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] DRAM Controller
          vendor: Hynix Semiconductor (Hyundai Electronics)
          physical id: 103
          bus info: pci@0000:00:18.2
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
     *-pci:7
          description: Host bridge
          product: K8 [Athlon64/Opteron] Miscellaneous Control
          vendor: Hynix Semiconductor (Hyundai Electronics)
          physical id: 104
          bus info: pci@0000:00:18.3
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          configuration: driver=k8temp
          resources: irq:0
     *-scsi
          physical id: a
          bus info: usb@1:8
          logical name: scsi6
          capabilities: emulated scsi-host
          configuration: driver=usb-storage
        *-disk
             description: SCSI Disk
             physical id: 0.0.0
             bus info: scsi@6:0.0.0
             logical name: /dev/sdb

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