laptop question

[Richard A. Franklin]

Leo J Mauler wrote:

>On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 10:44:19 -0600 Jonathan Hutchins
><hutchins at tarcanfel.org> writes:
>  
>
>>On Sunday 16 November 2003 03:56 am, Leo J Mauler wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Feel lucky.  Getting Linux to run on laptops is a piecemeal 
>>>operation, and anyone who successfully gets it to run properly 
>>>on a laptop is someone who has worked on it for days, weeks, 
>>>months.
>>>      
>>>
>>Leo, I've installed Linux on some IBM laptops over the past year or 
>>so - systems ranging from P 300's to 800's or so - and I haven't had 
>>any more difficulty with them than with desktop systems.  I've used 
>>either Mandrake or RedHat and been able to use the GUI on first 
>>reboot.
>>    
>>
>
>I'm sorry, I should have stated that "low-income people like me" 
>have problems with laptop installs. 
>
>Folks who can  afford high-end laptop hardware have a better time of 
>it since the newer stuff is getting more Linux support than the older 
>laptop hardware.
>
>If you can afford a used laptop costing more than $150, you'll have 
>*his* experience.  
>
>If you can't, you'll have *my* experience.
>
>Right now mine is choking on the Mandrake 9.1 installer in *text mode*.
>Four hours just to get through the *language selection*.
>
>I'm hoping that Morphix might work better.  I'm also looking into Slinky 
>and R.U.L.E.  for low-end installs.
>
>  
>
Leo ... thanks for the encouragement and suggestions. Everyone here is 
helpful, always in unique ways.

In the meantime, I installed a Linux magazine (i.e. download version) of 
Mandrake 9.1, and achieved a full screen viewing area on the laptop. On 
the third or forth boot, however, Mandrake turned to $h**, and the GUI 
started to dissolve, for lack of a technical term. Have heard that the 
magazine version had bugs, so will give it another shot with a borrowed 
boxed set of discs. Perhaps this is what I get for borrowing discs from 
my neighbor's Brit. Linux Magazine.

Tried the virtual resolution adjustments as suggested to make SUSE work 
(after re-installing), but I could only make the screen smaller.

Not made of money either, but I may try a couple more distros via 
download or eBay. Will play with a few distros, and as suggested, stick 
with one. It will be the one that has given me the most satisfaction and 
the least headache on issues of basic functionality (screens, sounds, 
network cards, printers and so on).

Rick