OS for lappy question

jediphx

Platinum Member
Oct 4, 2000
2,270
1
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ok two part question:

1. For the following lappy which OS is better Win2k SP4 or WinXP Pro SP2?

Inspiron 8000
1ghz P3
512 megs pc133
30 Gig HD
GF2 Go 32 meg
MS MN-510 wifi card
15" UXGA lcd
dvd/cdrw

2. What is the best Linux Distro for the same above lappy?
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
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1. I'll answer XP Pro SP2 almost every time.
2. I'll answer whatever you like the best every time. Unless I answer with something else. Today it's Conectiva.
 

timswim78

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2003
4,330
1
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Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
1. I'll answer XP Pro SP2 almost every time.
2. I'll answer whatever you like the best every time. Unless I answer with something else. Today it's Conectiva.


I just checked out the Conectiva Linux on distro watch. Is it supposed to be good for laptops or something? I am asking because I just ordered a Compaq 3000z and people have been having a heck of a time getting the drivers for its touchpad and wireless to work with ubuntu and Fedora.

However, I got a wireless card instead of the integrated wireless because I figured that drivers would be easier to get for the card than for tht integrated wireless.
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
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Originally posted by: timswim78
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
1. I'll answer XP Pro SP2 almost every time.
2. I'll answer whatever you like the best every time. Unless I answer with something else. Today it's Conectiva.


I just checked out the Conectiva Linux on distro watch. Is it supposed to be good for laptops or something? I am asking because I just ordered a Compaq 3000z and people have been having a heck of a time getting the drivers for its touchpad and wireless to work with ubuntu and Fedora.

However, I got a wireless card instead of the integrated wireless because I figured that drivers would be easier to get for the card than for tht integrated wireless.

I just wrote the first one that came to mind. Send me the laptop, I'll get it working. :evil:

What wireless card? Have you tried SuSE?
 

timswim78

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2003
4,330
1
81
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: timswim78
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
1. I'll answer XP Pro SP2 almost every time.
2. I'll answer whatever you like the best every time. Unless I answer with something else. Today it's Conectiva.


I just checked out the Conectiva Linux on distro watch. Is it supposed to be good for laptops or something? I am asking because I just ordered a Compaq 3000z and people have been having a heck of a time getting the drivers for its touchpad and wireless to work with ubuntu and Fedora.

However, I got a wireless card instead of the integrated wireless because I figured that drivers would be easier to get for the card than for tht integrated wireless.

I just wrote the first one that came to mind. Send me the laptop, I'll get it working. :evil:

What wireless card? Have you tried SuSE?

I installed SUSE on a desktop and did not like it. If I cannot my wireless card working with any other distro, I MAY try SUSE again.
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
0
Originally posted by: timswim78
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: timswim78
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
1. I'll answer XP Pro SP2 almost every time.
2. I'll answer whatever you like the best every time. Unless I answer with something else. Today it's Conectiva.


I just checked out the Conectiva Linux on distro watch. Is it supposed to be good for laptops or something? I am asking because I just ordered a Compaq 3000z and people have been having a heck of a time getting the drivers for its touchpad and wireless to work with ubuntu and Fedora.

However, I got a wireless card instead of the integrated wireless because I figured that drivers would be easier to get for the card than for tht integrated wireless.

I just wrote the first one that came to mind. Send me the laptop, I'll get it working. :evil:

What wireless card? Have you tried SuSE?

I installed SUSE on a desktop and did not like it. If I cannot my wireless card working with any other distro, I MAY try SUSE again.

Whatever you do, don't tell us what wireless card you have. :confused:
 

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
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However, I got a wireless card instead of the integrated wireless because I figured that drivers would be easier to get for the card than for tht integrated wireless.

If the built-in is Centrino it should be simple to get working, if the card you got is using a Broadcom chip it'll be impossible without using something like ndiswrapper.
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
1
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Has anyone ever looked in the Suse kernel? OMG Bloat (relatively speaking, of course).

I run Gentoo, because then I know what is on my box, and in my kernel. Course, recompiling the kernel every other week to add.....Thumbdrive, wireless, loop device, etc support can get old. (Just had to emerge tcpdump, cause I have never used it on one of my boxes).

2.4 kernel on an old P3 500 256 MB lappy runs zippy, but then I rarely use the gui, it usually sits in the docking station and I use SSH/Web/MRTG/NTOP etc on it.
 

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
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Has anyone ever looked in the Suse kernel? OMG Bloat (relatively speaking, of course).

I haven't looked personally, but I'm willing to be that 99% of the features are compiled as modules so there's no bloat.

I run Gentoo, because then I know what is on my box, and in my kernel. Course, recompiling the kernel every other week to add.....Thumbdrive, wireless, loop device, etc support can get old.

And it's completely pointless, compile everything as a module to start with (like distro maintainers do) and you won't have to recompile every time you buy a new piece of hardware.
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
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Originally posted by: nweaver
Has anyone ever looked in the Suse kernel? OMG Bloat (relatively speaking, of course).

I run Gentoo, because then I know what is on my box, and in my kernel. Course, recompiling the kernel every other week to add.....Thumbdrive, wireless, loop device, etc support can get old. (Just had to emerge tcpdump, cause I have never used it on one of my boxes).

2.4 kernel on an old P3 500 256 MB lappy runs zippy, but then I rarely use the gui, it usually sits in the docking station and I use SSH/Web/MRTG/NTOP etc on it.

Not having tcpdump installed by default is ridiculous. That'd piss me off. :|

See my sig about gentoo though. :laugh:
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
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having every driver ever thought about loaded into my kernel is rediculous. Having things installed that i don't know about is rediculous. I like knowing what is where, and the emerge (on a p3 500) took 2 mins or so, I can wait that long. (just cause the box took 3 full days to get built, X, and gnome on it :D)
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
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Originally posted by: nweaver
having every driver ever thought about loaded into my kernel is rediculous. Having things installed that i don't know about is rediculous. I like knowing what is where, and the emerge (on a p3 500) took 2 mins or so, I can wait that long. (just cause the box took 3 full days to get built, X, and gnome on it :D)

It's ridiculous to spell ridiculous any other way.

It's ridiculous to not understand the point of modules.

It's ridiculous to expect emerge to do anything when you need tcpdump to find out why you cannot connect to the internet.
 

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
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having every driver ever thought about loaded into my kernel is rediculous

They're modules, they're not loaded. They use ~30M of space, who cares?

Having things installed that i don't know about is rediculous.

Because if you don't know about it, it's not important? Learn to use a package manager and remove what you don't want.

I like knowing what is where

Again, learn to use a package manager.

(just cause the box took 3 full days to get built, X, and gnome on it

And in 2hrs I can have the exact same software and the packages I used will have had more QA on them so I'll have a more stable system.
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
6,813
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Originally posted by: Nothinman

Having things installed that i don't know about is rediculous.

Because if you don't know about it, it's not important? Learn to use a package manager and remove what you don't want.

I like knowing what is where

Again, learn to use a package manager.

(just cause the box took 3 full days to get built, X, and gnome on it

And in 2hrs I can have the exact same software and the packages I used will have had more QA on them so I'll have a more stable system.


So you can have the system up in 2 hours, but it takes how many hours to use your package manager to get rid of stuff you don't need/want.

Look, I don't think Gentoo is the end all be all of distro's, but I prefer it over suse and redhat. It's also not crap. Distro preference is like ford/chevy argument, there is no winner. The portage system is also a decent way of keeping thing up to date. If you don't like it, don't use it. It's a valid tool and a decent distro. There is amazingly great install documentation (of course, there has to be). It also taught me alot about using linux from the CLI. I do so very little in the gui, because I can do it faster in the cli. Does that make me a "better" user then a gui person? No, it makes me different. It also was nice and documented so that I learned some kernel stuff, module/drivers stuff, lots of things. I have 3 Linux boxes, 2 Suse boxes, and 4 Redhat boxes. You know the one I have had the most trouble with? Redhat 9. Do I think my gentoo boxes are "'leet fast rigs"? No, they are a good answer to crappy hardware (like a laptop I have). I also like a clean, no frills added distro. You remove what you don't like from yours, I don't put it in mine, pick your poison.


 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
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Originally posted by: nweaver
Originally posted by: Nothinman

Having things installed that i don't know about is rediculous.

Because if you don't know about it, it's not important? Learn to use a package manager and remove what you don't want.

I like knowing what is where

Again, learn to use a package manager.

(just cause the box took 3 full days to get built, X, and gnome on it

And in 2hrs I can have the exact same software and the packages I used will have had more QA on them so I'll have a more stable system.


So you can have the system up in 2 hours, but it takes how many hours to use your package manager to get rid of stuff you don't need/want.

Look, I don't think Gentoo is the end all be all of distro's, but I prefer it over suse and redhat. It's also not crap. Distro preference is like ford/chevy argument, there is no winner. The portage system is also a decent way of keeping thing up to date. If you don't like it, don't use it. It's a valid tool and a decent distro. There is amazingly great install documentation (of course, there has to be). It also taught me alot about using linux from the CLI. I do so very little in the gui, because I can do it faster in the cli. Does that make me a "better" user then a gui person? No, it makes me different. It also was nice and documented so that I learned some kernel stuff, module/drivers stuff, lots of things. I have 3 Linux boxes, 2 Suse boxes, and 4 Redhat boxes. You know the one I have had the most trouble with? Redhat 9. Do I think my gentoo boxes are "'leet fast rigs"? No, they are a good answer to crappy hardware (like a laptop I have). I also like a clean, no frills added distro. You remove what you don't like from yours, I don't put it in mine, pick your poison.

Solution. ;)
 

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
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So you can have the system up in 2 hours, but it takes how many hours to use your package manager to get rid of stuff you don't need/want.

None, a base Debian install is like 100M and from there I just add on what I want.

Distro preference is like ford/chevy argument, there is no winner.

And Gentoo is head of the ricer category.

The portage system is also a decent way of keeping thing up to date.

It's also a terrible package manager compared to what's already out there.

I have 3 Linux boxes, 2 Suse boxes, and 4 Redhat boxes.

4 + 2 = 3?

You know the one I have had the most trouble with? Redhat 9

Noone supports RH9 any more, that's like saying "Man I hate running NT 4".
 

timswim78

Diamond Member
Jan 1, 2003
4,330
1
81
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: timswim78
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: timswim78
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
1. I'll answer XP Pro SP2 almost every time.
2. I'll answer whatever you like the best every time. Unless I answer with something else. Today it's Conectiva.


I just checked out the Conectiva Linux on distro watch. Is it supposed to be good for laptops or something? I am asking because I just ordered a Compaq 3000z and people have been having a heck of a time getting the drivers for its touchpad and wireless to work with ubuntu and Fedora.

However, I got a wireless card instead of the integrated wireless because I figured that drivers would be easier to get for the card than for tht integrated wireless.

I just wrote the first one that came to mind. Send me the laptop, I'll get it working. :evil:

What wireless card? Have you tried SuSE?

I installed SUSE on a desktop and did not like it. If I cannot my wireless card working with any other distro, I MAY try SUSE again.

Whatever you do, don't tell us what wireless card you have. :confused:


Oops, its an ATT 6700G