Originally posted by: FrustratedUser
So I just unpacked the $150 rig from Outpost. It came shipped with Linspire 4.5.
New to Linux so I need a few pointers.
1. Does Linspire work with 'standard' packages, such as rpm?
Linspire is Debian based, with such things as Debian, Mephis, Ubuntu, Knoppix and several other distros.
They use .deb for packages. Linspire offers a subscription service that you might want to look into. It's a pay-for service but they offer software that often you have to pay for anyways in Linux..
I think they offer things like cedega and stuff for running Windows apps and games. But I don't know for certain. I am not paticularly familar with Linspire. Be aware that much of their offered software is rebadged versions of regular Linux software aviable for free from many places.
2. How is the support for Wireless network cards? Got an Xterasys XN-2522g.
This is a very difficult question to answer, and as a Linux Newbie it's probably going to be to much for you.
There are 2 or maybe 3 completely seperate and unique cards that are all called exactly 'XN-2522g' by Xterasys. I don't know why the hell wifi cards makers do this as it makes figuring out what chipset they use almost impossible, but it's common practice.
One version of Xterasys XN-2522g is a card that uses what they call the 'Intersil Frisbee chipset'. This chipset was made by intersil and we have VERY good drivers aviable for Linux and those are aviable by default on any newer distro with a 2.6.8 or newer kernel. The only downside is that you have to install a firmware image sometimes, which is loaded up with the driver module when you use the card. This needs to be copied to a paticular directory and named a certain name. The driver is called 'prism54'
However that company was bought out by Conextent. Conextent is a corporation that run by morons apparently. They took the cards and a effort to reduce costs they changed how the card functioned and then lied about it. As manufacturers bought more cards they got the modified version of the chipset and these don't work in Linux, unfortunately.
Now the other type of card that is called Xterasys XN-2522g is actually based on a chipset by a completley different company. This chipset is Texas Instrument's TNETW1130 and has nothing and no relation whatsoever with stuff used the other XN-2522g.
I don't know which one came out first or anything like that.
See Xterasys's FAQ page for identifying which chipset your using.
If your using the Intersil stuff, you want the prism54 driver, (this is best)
http://prism54.org/
If your using the Texas Instruments stuff, you may be able to get it working with the AXC100 driver.
http://www.houseofcraig.net/acx100_howto.php
If neither of those work.. you can probably get it going with the Windows driver and the NDISWrapper program.
Sorry, I wish there was a easy answer.
3. I've heard support for nVidia is good under Linux. I've got a GF2-MX400 PCI with TV-Out. What are my chances of getting this to work?
It should be fairly easy. I don't know about how Linspire does there stuff though.
They may offer the driver by default, or thru their subscription services. I don't know.
Normally I'd say.. 'Make sure that you have the linux head package installed and then download the install software from nvidia's website. Then read the readme very carefully and use that to get it going'.
But this isn't debian or ubuntu.
I _think_ that Linspire supports 3d out of the box for nvidia, but they may be using a older revision of the driver.
I found this:
http://www.linspireguide.com/nvidia
For installing upgraded drivers.
This is probably a case of 'if it's not broken don't fix it.'
It's maybe a good idea to upgrade to Linspire 5.0 or maybe install Ubuntu on your machine for latest versions of programs and such. It's usually best to have the latest version of Linux you can get.. maybe call Linspire and tell them you just bought a new computer, but you'd like to upgrade to 5.0 and maybe get a discount on it or something.
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