On Mon, Mar 31, 2003 at 05:27:58PM -0500, Jacob Tennant wrote: > I am in the preliminary process of converting my IBM Thinkpad 770 from > Win98se to linux and have a few questions. > > 1. Is there anything special I need to know before I start this about > setups? I have seen the web page refering to this laptop and debian linux > but some of the links are dead. > have you checked www.linuxonlaptops.com (or .org, can't remember now)?? Usually laptops use special hardware an this makes it a bit more triky to configure under linux than desktop computers. > 2. Can linux accomidate all of the ports I have/need such as pcmcia cards, > infared, USB? > you'll have no problem with them, but they "work" in a different way than under windows. I mean, you'll have to add usb and pcmcia support under kernel (debian kernels habe both, you won't need to recompile one yourself), and also will need to install a daemon (a special program) to detect the hardware and load the drivers. the packet names are: pcmcia-cs (i think) hotplug (for usb support) > 3. Also in the process of getting a cable modem so is there anything I need > to know/do in the setup special to handle this? > never configured a cable, but i think that depends, if it uses USB o ethernet interface. anyway you'll shure have to use pppoe to configure you'r conection. > 4. Any advice in any other aspects to this subject would be a big help as I > am totally new to linux. > Advice... The first one would be not to use Debian as your first Linux distro, unless you want to learn a lot, read a lot and work hard. For begginers Mandrake Linux works great, it has a great hardware detection system and will configure your system without asking you almost anything. Once you learn how to move around on linux systems, you'll be able to put your hands on Debian! If you want to try linux first (without the need of installing anything), download Knoppix (a live-cd distribution based on Debian). You can get it at: www.knoppix.org And if you like it it has the option to be installed on your hard disk (you'll need 2 Gigs as the CD is higly compressed). To install knoppix: once you are in KDE desktop, press Ctrl+Alt +F2 (any Fx key with x between 1 and 5 or 6, to change to that console) and then type: knoppix-hdinstall (or something similar) Hope this will help you. Sorry about my english, i'm spanish and it has been ages since i last wrote something in shakespeare's language. Aritz Beraza -- Aritz Beraza Garayalde [aritz.beraza@estudiant.upc.es] Linux User 272970 [http://www.upcnet.es/~abg] ************ 110011 TThhiinnggss YYoouu DDoo NNoott WWaanntt YYoouurr SSyysstteemm AAddmmiinniissttrraattoorr TToo SSaayy ************ 89. Any more trouble from you and your account gets moved to the 750
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