First of all, Intel SATA support needs to be enabled in the kernel, which is not a problem when using a latest 2.6.x version. Make sure you have configured your kernel as follows:
Device Drivers ->
SCSI device support --->
< *> SCSI device support
< *> SCSI disk support
SCSI low-level drivers --->
< *> Serial ATA (SATA) support
< *> AHCI SATA support
< *> Intel PIIX/ICH SATA support
SCSI device support --->
< *> SCSI device support
< *> SCSI disk support
SCSI low-level drivers --->
< *> Serial ATA (SATA) support
< *> AHCI SATA support
< *> Intel PIIX/ICH SATA support
Second, the network card did not work with the driver included with the kernel 2.6.11.7. After some investigation I found a latest release of the module called sklin98 in this URL:
ously posted link is broken.
The driver for the SK-9E21D PCI card (same chipset as the Toshiba A80-135) is now here
If you have any questions feel free to email me. You can find more info on this laptop at Manolo's article about Debian on Toshiba A80