[wplug] Linux Setup

[sds18+ at pitt.edu]

Hey Bobbie Lynn ~

Thanks for the welcome and the good introduction to what I face in trying
to complete this project!

So yeah, I figured that the fact that I'm working on a laptop would factor
negatively into the equation.  From linux-laptop.net, however, it looks
like there is a glimmer of hope.  Though they didn't have any info on my
specific laptop (Sony Vaio PCG-K45), there were some individuals who
reported successes with similar K-series laptops.  Which is a good segue
into my laptop and more specific info about what I'm trying to do.

I'm on a Sony Vaio (PCG-K45) mobile desktop laptop. Notable specs include
*3.2GHz Mobile Pentium 4 Processor (non-HT) with 533 front-side bus
*80GB hard drive (NTFS FIle System)
*ATI Radeon IGP
*512MB RAM (upgradeable)
*QSI CDRW/DVD Drive

If there are any other important stats, I'm sure I could easily send those
to the list as well.

With respect to distributions, though I'm familiar with Fedora Core, I was
actually looking to branch out and try some other distros.  Specifically I
was interested in Gentoo or Ubuntu.  Fortunately at least one individual
reported almost no difficulties in getting Gentoo to work with their
K-Series laptop, again from that site you linked me to.  As for the
design/layout of the system, ultimately I'd like to allocate most of my
system to the linux operating system and keep windows around as a backup
(for instance, in the event that I can't get a presentation from Open
Office to work, I may need to fall back on Power Point, etc..)  In the
end, after I'm completely comfortable with the transition, I'll likely
blow Windows off the system for good however!

So yeah, that's about where I stand with the system at the moment.  I'm
hoping that I can find a way to re-arrange my Saturdays such that I could
actually get to at least part of a meeting here next month, though if that
doesn't work, any help, suggestions, etc over the list will be greatly
appreciated!  Let me know what you think about the feasibility of my goals
given the info above and any further suggestions (especially with respect
to distributions) you may have.  Thanks again for your rapid response and
I look forward to hearing back from you soon!
Until later ~
Steve

> Steve,
>
> Welcome to the mailing list!
>
> You've asked for advice on how to install Linux on your laptop.  Laptops
> are
> often a bit more difficult to install Linux on than desktops, because
> laptop
> hardware is sometimes not supported, and because of the way they're built,
> replacing hardware with something compatible really isn't an option.  It's
> rare that Linux just won't work at all with a particular laptop, but I
> wanted to warn you about the possibility that it'd be a small bit more
> work
> than you might have found it to be on desktop machines.
>
> You didn't give any detail on what kind of laptop you have, so the first
> thing you should do is go somewhere like http://www.linux-laptop.net/ and
> look up your laptop's model.  This website is especially for people to
> discuss how well Linux has worked for them on various laptop models.  It
> often includes information about how to install specific distributions, or
> tips to make the process go more smoothly.
>
> If you want to just run a version of Linux from the CD drive to give it a
> whirl on your laptop and see how it manages, you can download a
> distribution
> like Knoppix.  The only thing you have to know when you're running it from
> the CD drive like that, it'll seem to run much more slowly than it
> actually
> would if you installed to the hard drive, because computers can access the
> hard drive for more data faster than they can a CD.  The advantage is that
> you won't disturb the current contents of your computer at all when you're
> trying it out that way.
>
> It would also help if you gave us a sense of whether you'd like to stick
> with Fedora, or try out a new distribution.  Fedora is a nice general
> purpose distribution, and you're already familiar with it, so you may be
> most comfortable sticking with that.  If you'd rather try out something
> else, you can send to the list with your basic system specifications.
>
> Once you're doing the actual install, it's typically a process that
> someone
> with a lot of computer familiarity finds simple.  A installer will ask you
> some things like how much of the hard drive space it can take over, and
> give
> you some of the same preference options you'd see from a Windows installer
> (what time zone are you in, what do you want your user name to be, that
> kind
> of thing).  We normally walk people through the install process at
> installfests or meetings, since even if you're pretty sure you know what
> you're doing it can be nervewracking the first time, but since you can't
> make it to any of those for a couple of months we can certainly offer
> advice
> through the mailing list.  If you really want help in person, depending on
> exactly what time your class is, someone might be able to stick around
> after
> a meeting to help you out.  Our next actual installfest won't be until
> May,
> I think, anyway.
>
> Something you may want to think about is that when Linux and  Windows are
> coexisting on the same computer, Linux is actually able the files on the
> section of the hard drive being used by Windows.  This is very nice for
> things like school papers that can easily be worked on under either
> operating system, or as a way of pulling the files off the windows section
> of the hard drive and putting them in the Linux section without having to
> write it to a CD or put it on a USB drive or anything like that.
>
> Exactly how well that works can depend on which file system your copy of
> Windows is using.  If you're using Windows XP, your computer is using
> either
> the FAT32 system or NTFS (Probably the latter if it was installed with the
> default options).  FAT32 is very well understood, and can be read and
> written to (so that you can see the file when you go back to windows too)
> from Linux.  NTFS can also be accessed and written to, but last I heard
> writing to it was still considered to be somewhat risky -- risky in the
> sense that the developers aren't yet absolutely confident that they have
> that trick nailed so that it'll go the way you want every time.
>
> If you're using Windows XP and you want to check which file system your
> computer is set up to use, you should be able to find that out by hitting
> the start button and choosing "My Computer" then right-clicking the hard
> drive's icon and choosing properties.   Just above where it shows you how
> much space is used and how much is free, there should be a line that says
> something like  "File system:  NTFS"  or "File system:  FAT32".
>
> That should be a start.  I hope it helps.
>
> - Bobbie Lynn
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