Re: Compaq Presario 17XL2 X Config

[Heather <star@betelgeuse.starshine.org>]

> I was wondering if anyone has configured Compaq
> Presario 17XL2 (1700T) with X.  I have been having
> some time with it.
> 
> Any help, thanks.
> Matthew

I haven't directly, but...

I recommend using lspci to ask your machine what it has.
This won't tell you how much video RAM you have, but it's a start.

Mobilix (www.mobilix.org) shows some Compaqs; it doesn't list your model 
at all though. :(

Kenneth Harker's "Linux on Laptops" (www.linux-laptop.net) has a Compaq
subsection (/compaq.html) which shows 7 different Presario 1700 pages.
Whether any of them is an actual match for your model is a good question,
apparently Compaq has multiple revisions within that model line. The first
link reported success (except needing a fresh kernel for sound) with Progeny.
The others don't mention Debian.  One of them is barely started configuring
anything and I'd call it useless.

So, a quick visit to http://www.google.com/linux using keywords:
	Compaq  1700T  X

reveals people who have, and that for some reason, other folks point to
them a bunch :)  That they aren't using Debian should have minimal effect, 
they have lots of good notes anyway.

http://www.jasensky.com/linuxlaptop.html
	(Also listed at Kharker's link farm)
	warns 1700T has different models within the class, his = 17XL4
	goes into good detail about the hardware all around
	e.g. it doesn't have APM at all, only ACPI.
	He uses Slackware 8.  He gives his XF86Config file, for the
	ATI 264CT chip.

One fellow ATI Radeon videoi with 8 MB RAM.  I note acerbicly that this 
isn't anything like the ATI 264CT;  the comment about checking the model 
more closely clearly will be important for you.

All he needed to do was not test it until he had fixed the XF96Config to 
mention that he has enough RAM to handle the resolution he wanted. As he
had no config file and is listed at Kharker's I'll skip the URL.

http://www.xig.com/Pages/Atop/Demos-SummitLine/Demos-LX-PlatinumLinux.html
http://www.xig.com/Pages/Atop/Demos-SummitLine/Demos-LX-SilverLinux.html
	The Compaq 1700T is one of the very few supported models for Xig's
	optimized-for-specific-laptop X servers.

	Apparently Silver only gives 2D, and Platinum gives 2D/3D/OpenGL.

	If you go this route we'll have to advise you how to lie to dpkg
	so it knows you have X and will let you install GUI apps without
	complaint, nor "accidentally" blasting your idealized X setup with
	more generic stuff during upgrade binges.

Some thread on slashdot included the note that it's got a real NIC and modem
inside, so you shouldn't have to fight with softmodem junk.

Hope that's enough - Happy New Year

* Heather Stern * star@ many places...