Zathras' Great Machine

Never mind... this thing is so old that it doesn't even have enough RAM (only 32 megs). Well... regardless of that, though, if there are any Linux SMEs who'd care to comment on any potential pitfalls of using Linux on notebooks vis a vis desktops, I'd still like to hear what you have to say. :-)

Fairly simple pitfall: notebooks use proprietary hardware, and it can be a megabitch getting even *Windows* to handle them, let alone finding drivers for Linux. It's supposed to be easier than it used to be, but it's still a PITA from what I've heard.

32 megs - that sucka sounds like it's too old to even run as a good flashlight.

You might try an older version of Linux that is not so resource intensive. In general, IBM has been very linux friendly, and since they have been popular laptops over the years, I would think SuSE would have the drivers by default. Before you format it, take a look in the windows system devices and write down all the makes and models of the hardware - most important is the video and ethernet hardware, but sound is nice to have.

I have a Dell laptop dual booting win98SE and SuSE 7.3 that has been working fine - the only installation problem was fixed by going to the SuSE site and get a patch to get the sound working.

Before that, I had a Toshiba laptop running win95/RedHat 5.2. I couldn't get the power management features working (hibernate), but I generally used it on the mains.

You just have to be very persistent and patient in finding the drivers and looking around for fixes to problems.

Try to find da drivers to 'dis thing:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00009QR9X/103-9216099-4085401?v=glance&s=electronics#review

Prob. gonna generate enuff radiation to sver yer hand. It'll make a better flashlight though...

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT:

Someone who was angry with me about somethin' just told me to "Eat It."

I can't believe that some 'un actually used a Weird Al Yankovic song to put me down. Has that experience ever happened to you?

(see what I wuz talkin' about with people)

Good point, Matt. I'll ask my brother what the stated requirements in the copy of SuSE he has are, and if they're under 32mb I'll have copies sent to Parrish for his nefarious experiment.

"(see what I wuz talkin' about with people)"

To carry our conversation to the newer post, because Parrish hasn't seen fit to add a "recently commented on" section for our convenience...

I tend to classify *all* people into two groups: those I am willing to be friends with, and everyone else I avoid. There aren't many people in the first category, and a -lot- in the second -- which is fine, as the second group tends to dislike me as much as I avoid them!

> "recently commented on" section for our convenience

Mind if I borrow your source code for that purpose? :-)

Thank you all for your comments on the notebook stuff... I'll keep it in mind for when I finally get a chance to start messing around with this. More likely for the short term, I'll end up installing it dual-boot on my workstation at the office, though (after backing my workstation up, of course). Things are a bit too busy at the office right now for me to spend too much time experimenting, unfortunately... the downside of having a job in a "fun" field. *chuckle*

"32 megs - that sucka sounds like it's too old to even run as a good flashlight."

Thinking back to the dark ages.... I can't remember how much RAM the machine had, but I ran my first BBS on a machine that had a 20 meg *hard drive*. (And had a few games and some word processing software on the drive as well.)

Oh yeah, and a 1200 baud modem. I remember there were like two users who always bitched that I should upgrade to a faster modem, but at the time, anything faster than 1200 was bleeding edge and they were the only two, out of 80-something users, who had anything faster.

Hell, about half my users were still crawling along at 300 baud. I remember the first time I tried 1200 baud. I thought it was blazing speed! LOL

"I tend to classify *all* people into two groups: those I am willing to be friends with, and everyone else I avoid. There aren't many people in the first category, and a -lot- in the second -- which is fine, as the second group tends to dislike me as much as I avoid them"

Y'see, I used to do that, but I eventually learned that there's a million or so "shades" in-between. So many different kinds of people...

At *THAT SCHOOL* me and Parrish used to go to, I used to think that 99.9% of the folks there were all cartoon characters; just really strong personalities. But they were all different in many different ways. When I start wrtitin' about them, I'll be able to explain it better.

"Things are a bit too busy at the office right now for me to spend too much time experimenting, unfortunately... the downside of having a job in a "fun" field."

Oh, come on, it's not because you're in a 'fun' field, it's because you've failed to make your employer not treat you like c**p. (Sorry, bull***tting about that is one thing I've never been "user friendly" about.)

There is supposedly something about all employers treating employees like crap. From what Parrish told me, I envision his employer to be somethin' outta one of those late-70's/early 80's sitcoms. Maybe something like Boss Hogg

"There is supposedly something about all employers treating employees like crap."

Eh, but if he's told you a quarter of what he's complained about to me, you know that not all employees are treated *that* badly. At least, not the ones that don't like it -- I know some people live for that kind of stuff. (I personally think Parrish does and just doesn't want to admit it.)

"From what Parrish told me, I envision his employer to be somethin' outta one of those late-70's/early 80's sitcoms. Maybe something like Boss Hogg"

*snicker* Having been born in 1977, I didn't get to watch any sitcoms like that, but from what I can imagine based on what I know of the era, it sounds about right! I can't imagine what character Parrish would be, then, aside from one that is perpetually in the far background, because the stars in television/movies always find ways to get out of the work, otherwise the show would be too dull to watch.

Well, if his boss is Boss Hogg, that would make Parrish Roscoe P. Coletrain. *snicker*

(Sorry Parrish. No insult directed towards you intended. I *don't* think you're Roscoe P. Coletrain but it's kind of funny to think of. Hmmmm.. would Denise be Daisy Duke?)

"...Roscoe P. Coletrain"

What was he like? (One never knows. You might be unintentionally very accurate.)

"Hmmmm.. would Denise be Daisy Duke?"

LOL, so that's the show Shaw was referencing! I think I'd only be Daisy Duke if she is the kind of woman that dresses like a guy and goes around getting into fights because she can't handle not standing up for what she believes in. I'm sure there was some woman that was characterized as gender-confused (or as a stereotypical butch lesbian, which is what a lot of people think I am despite the long hair) -- there almost always is. *grin*

(Now I'm just wondering how far this thread can go before Parrish steps in and tells us all to STFU.)

> Oh, come on, it's not because you're in a 'fun'
> field, it's because you've failed to make your
> employer not treat you like c**p.

Actually, it's because installing Linux would take several hours, during which I wouldn't be able to get any other work done.

> (I personally think Parrish does and just
> doesn't want to admit it.)

No, I'm not into being mistreated, I just pick my battles carefully. :-)

what the heck is a STFU???? R U a STFU?

"Actually, it's because installing Linux would take several hours, during which I wouldn't be able to get any other work done."

Okay, but that's nowhere near the same as saying it's because you're in a "fun" field.

"what the heck is a STFU????"

STFU = "Shut The F*ck Up!"

Not that he'd actually be that blatant. I think.

> Okay, but that's nowhere near the same as
> saying it's because you're in a "fun" field.

I think you may have misunderstood me. Computers are fun. My job is not. Capisce? :-)

""...Roscoe P. Coletrain"

What was he like? (One never knows. You might be unintentionally very accurate.)"

He was good hearted but whipped by Boss Hogg. He was bumbling and only caught the bad guys if the Duke boys helped him.

"I think I'd only be Daisy Duke if she is the kind of woman that dresses like a guy and goes around getting into fights because she can't handle not standing up for what she believes in."

Daisy Duke wore very very short blue jean shorts (still called "Daisy Dukes" today, I've noticed) and a plaid button-down top, half-unbuttoned and with the tails tied under her breasts to make a sort of bare-midriff halter top. She was often barefoot. She drove a jeep she called "Dixie" and though she didn't dress or look at all like a guy she would kick ass and take names and always stood up for what was right.

"I'm sure there was some woman that was characterized as gender-confused (or as a stereotypical butch lesbian, which is what a lot of people think I am despite the long hair) -- there almost always is. *grin*"

I don't really remember there being many females on the show. Daisy Duke was mostly it.

"(Now I'm just wondering how far this thread can go before Parrish steps in and tells us all to STFU.)"

I'm surprised he hasn't already.

At least I didn't compare him to Cletus.

Cletus? That was that other dude's name? I kinda remember that...

Roscoe was just as bumbling as Boss Hogg. He was sorta like Smokey's son in Smokey and the Bandit. "I'm gonna get those dukes!" and he had a small bloodhound who would, um, sleep all the time (some action hero).

"Daisy Duke wore very very short blue jean shorts (still called "Daisy Dukes" today, I've noticed) and a plaid button-down top, half-unbuttoned and with the tails tied under her breasts to make a sort of bare-midriff halter top."

Me and Parrish knew someone like that "way back when". We have the pix (and the memories) to prove it . . .

And no, I don't remember many females on the show either - except for maybe Boss Hogg's Ma or some other fat chick chasing the Duke Boys.

sheeooot - wasn't this originally a conversation on Linux? wow - we've gone pretty far...

'Least I now know a STFU isn't a Stouffer's frozen meal...

Yeah, It started out as a conversation on Linux. To take it back on track, I finally picked out what PDA I'm going to get for school. It's pretty groovy. Modifiable on a very basic level. You can even get a software developer's kit from the manufacturer. Lots of open source applications available for it and someone even ported linux to it (though I don't think I'll be running linux on it. Maybe I'll get a second one to play with linux on and keep the first one closer to how it comes out of the box.) It doesn't seem to be that popular in the U.S. for some reason (I guess there aren't as many open source tinkering gadget geeks in this country as I would have thought) but it's monstrously popular in Germany and that's where most of the open source applications are coming from.

Best of all? It's only fifty bucks! Woo! Well within my budget (I was planning on spending up to $200 but how can I pass up something that lets me tinker with it's internal goodies like this?) It's so geek-chic it hurts. :-)

!!!! Where d'ya get it?

got mine on amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005O71Z

There are some pictures and more information here:

http://www.pocket-viewer.com/

It's pretty impressive for a cheapie. And read what the amazon.com reviewers say about the abuse they put theirs through and still had a working machine (one guy pretty much dropped his in water and sat on it!)

?!?!?! WHere did all the other entries go?

The blog is set to only show entries from the last 7 days, I believe it is...so there's only the one entry because it's all he's made in the past week. (I have my blog set to 2 days, so if I don't update *really* regularly, I wind up with a blank blog!)

Yep. I'll have to make one when I get home this evening.

*puts on ice skates and starts to skate on dude's blog's white space*

CHRIIIISMASSS TIIIIME ISSSS HEEEEERE

HAPPIIINEEES ANNNND CHEEEEEER

*laughing far too hard at Shaw's skating*

Do you ice skate IRL? I enjoy it, but it and skiing aren't things that one gets frequent opportunities to do here! (Okay, technically I could go to the ice arena like I always used to, or drive four hours to the mountains, but I don't have the money to do either one!)

"?!?!?! WHere did all the other entries go?"

*points to the left*

They're over there under "recent entries." Rumor has it that there are some responses to a post of yours over there.

I'll see if I can find 'em. And yes, I do ice skate, er...kinda. Last time was in Feb. with a few friends. I ice, er, walked, I guess you can say.

*skates figure 8 on dude's blog*