Last updated: October 1
NEWS
Laptops specifications:
Quick note and warnings:
I have switched to Slackware Linux and am no longer using RedHat Linux! That means that any updates that I will post on this guide will be from those people who claim that they work. I will not be able to confirm them! Please be sure that you have read the Disclaimer before continuing.This guide is not an intensive guide to installing Linux, nor to using it. Rather I will assume that you've already read the installation manuals. This guide will just make life a little easier by giving you the warnings and tips you need. With that in mind, let's go on to the things I don't like about this laptop...
Video card:
This laptop comes with the NeoMagic video card. This card is supported in RedHat 5.2 and 6.0, so you will have little problems with it, except for maybe a few video quirks.Modem:
The laptop modem is a winmodem. Generally a winmodem will not work under Linux. However, I have been recently informed by someone that it is possible to get the modem working. Lucent has recently released Linux drivers for its winmodems, and so we can get this particular winmodem to work under Linux. Note that this was done under Slackware 7.0, but should generally work under any Linux distribution. This is how you do it. First go to http://www.linmodems.org and download the LucentPCI winmodem zip file. It should be under Vendor Linmodems. The current version at this time of writing is linux568.zip. Save it and then unpack it as follows:
unzip linux568.zip
This should generate four files. To install the modem, type:
./ltinst
This will automatically load and install the modem driver. Depending on the kernel version you are using, you may get a warning. You can safely ignore this. The next thing to do is to modify /etc/rc.d/rc.local. So open it with your text editor and append the following line to it:
setserial /dev/ttyS14 uart 16550
Now if you reboot your system, your modem will be properly initialized. If you got the warning when you installed the modem driver and don't want to get it (or rather see it), then modify the following line in your /etc/rc.d:
/sbin/insmod -f ltmodem
to the following line:
/sbin/insmod -fs ltmodem
Now instead of seeing the warning, the warning will be logged into your log files instead, so you don't have to see it again. You should now be able to use your PPP software to estabilish a PPP connection to your ISP.
Rating the laptop:
All in all, I would say this laptop is pretty good, considering that 99% of the hardware is Linux compatible.
Preparations before installing:
Before you begin, you should realize that there are two ways to set up Linux on the laptop. The first method is a destructive way, which requires you to completely format and repartition your hardrive, and this is what I have outlined here. A second method, non-destructive, has been emailed to me by Jason E. Massey. Both methods will be discussed. This section will assume a few things:
Destructive method:
First of all, use the Windows 98 startup disk to boot up your computer to MS-DOS. When you enter the MS-DOS command line prompt, run FDISK. From here you want to create a Primary DOS partition as well as any other partition you may want to use under Windows 98. Don't bother creating the Linux partitions here, because you can do it later on. On my laptop I have the hard disk partitioned 50-50 for Windows 98 and Linux. After creating your DOS/Windows 98 partitions, reboot with the Windows 98 startup disk, and format your newly created partitions. When you're done formatting, that's when you want to install Windows 98. It is important that you install Windows 98 first because it tends to overwrite the Master Boot Record (MBR) and so you won't be able to boot Linux with LILO if you install Linux first, and then Windows 98. When installing Windows 98, do not use the Compaq Restore Disk! The Compaq Restore Disk will destroy your newly created partitions and restore your laptop to the way it was when you first bought it. You don't want that.
After Windows 98 is fully installed, you'll find that certain things in your computer aren't working the way they were supposed to. Like the mouse pad icon is no longer in the System Tray. Don't worry, we'll restore them. Get the Compaq Restore Disk and using Explorer, navigate your way to D:\DATA\. Copy the file D:\DATA\Cpqdrv.zip to some temporary folder. Extract it, and you'll be extracting all the drivers that your laptop requires. Just install whatever drivers you think you'll be using. When you're finally done with all the installing and the rebooting, you're ready to install RedHat.
Non-destructive method:
Warning: I have not tried out this method, so I cannot confirm if it will work or not. Please do not email me with questions about it. The following is the email I received from Jason E. Massey:
Compaq corporation in its infinite wisdom provided something called a Quick Restore CD with the Presario 1230 instead of the Windows 98 CD. While this Restore CD is great to restore your computer to its factory state, it does not allow the existence of multiple partitions, which are needed to install a dual boot Linux/Win98 system. The following method is a way around that limitation using a freeware utility, called Partition Resizer, to shrink the single partition without data loss.
Note: Step number 3 below may not be necessary. It seems logical that as long as you have sufficient space left on your hard drive you shouldn't need to use the Quick Restore CD to reformat your hard drive. In that case you should be able to skip that step and follow the rest to shrink the partition. However, the directions that follow are what I did to my laptop.
=================
Partition Resizer v.1.2.0
=================
Steps to Install Linux and Compaq Restore CD together.
Partition Resizer is available at http://members.xoom.com/Zeleps/. Thank you to Jason E. Massey for this bit of information. If you have questions about the non-destructive method, please contact him at jemasse@gte.net
Creating the boot disk:
If you are installing from a CD, skip this section. Otherwise, you will be required to create a RedHat boot disk. You will need to use rawrite for this, which will be included in the RedHat package. Upon execution, it will ask you for the image source, and the target source:
Enter disk image source file name: D:\images\boot.img
Enter target diskette drive: A:
Please insert a formatted diskette into drive A: and press --ENTER-- :
The boot.img file will be written to the disk. RedHat allows you to create a supplementary disk for PCMCIA services. You do not need to do this during installation.
Choosing the method of installation:
RedHat allows you to choose if you want to install using Custom, Server, or Workstation. Choose Custom because it gives you more choices on what packages you want to install. If you just aren't sure what packages you want to install, then under Custom choose to install everything.
Creating the Linux partitions:
RedHat allows you to use two utilities when creating the Linux partitions. I suggest using Disk Druid if you're not sure of what you're doing. Otherwise, you can use fdisk. Under fdisk's print option (p), here is what I have:
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 394 1588576+ 6 DOS 16-bit >=32M /dev/hda2 395 787 1584576 5 Extended /dev/hda5 395 755 1455520+ 83 Linux native /dev/hda6 756 787 128992+ 82 Linux swap
Remember that it will most probably look different on your system, depending on the size and number of partitions you crate. When you're done writing your partitions to disk, exit the partitioning utility and follow the instructions. You'll be asked to format and your newly created Linux partitions. Make sure you have them checked for bad blocks.
Authentication Configuration
One new feature during installation is the Authentication Configuration section. Here you have the option of enabling NIS, Shadow passwords, and MD5 passwords. RedHat 5.2 by default did not shadow the password files. In RedHat 6.0 you have the choice to do so. Do not disable Shadow and MD5 passwords. These are crucial for your system's security. Enabling NIS is up to you.
Installing the X Window System
During Installation, RedHat will detect your PS/2 mouse. Install will then run Xconfigurator, and this is where you'll need to enter some of the laptop's specifications. Choose the NeoMagic (laptop/notebook) card. Choose Custom, Extended Super VGA, 50-70. You'll be asked if you want to run probe for your video card. Say no to this. You'll then be asked for the video memory. Choose 1 mb. When asked for the Clockchip, choose No Clockchip Setting (recommended). When you are asked if you want to run X -probeonly, Skip it. Finally choose your own video mode settings and make it 16-bit, 800x600. A small window with buttons will appear. Click on Yes. And finally another window pops up asking if you want to start X when you reboot. That's up to you. If you choose to have X start up on reboot, you will be presented with gdm, a graphical login screen. Otherwise you will be presented with the traditional console screen. These configurations should get X working properly, but there are some minor problems, discussed next.
Minor problems when running the X Window System
When you use the GNOME Control Center and play with the Theme Selector, you may notice that certain themes give you some weird video garbage. Not sure why it's like this. But fortunately, it's only a few themes. The rest seem to work properly. Unfortunately, you may encounter this video garbage in other applications and graphics as well. I have no idea how to fix this, if it can be fixed at all. If you know how to, I would appreciate an email telling me how to fix it.
Installing LILO
If you want to use LILO, go ahead and install it in the MBR. Everything should work well. LILO will overwrite the MBR and will let you boot between Windows 98 and Linux. As already mentioned above, if you install Windows 98 after installing Linux, Windows 98 will overwrite the MBR and you'll have to install LILO all over again. Check the manual pages for LILO for more information on this.
Configuring sound:
Getting the sound card to work in RedHat 6.0 is extremely simple. As root, run the command sndconfig and choose the following settings:
You'll be asked to try out a couple of sound files. Be sure to try them out. You should be able to hear them.
Advanced Power Management:
I think the one thing I like best about RedHat 6.0 is that it comes with APM support already compiled in the kernel. This is great because now when you run shutdown -h now the entire laptop shuts down. No more kernel recompiling to add APM support. Unfortunately, you get an NMI error whenever you press the sound buttons on the laptop's front panel. Why it does this, I do not know. I'm assuming that it has something to do with APM not properly being configured. What do you do about it? Well if you're using GNOME in the Multimedia menu, run the program Audio Mixer and adjust your sound from there. If you are using KDE, under the Multimedia menu, run the program Sound Mixer Panel and adjust the sound from there. One thing you can do is to add these programs to your panel. For GNOME, choose Panel -> Add applet -> Multimedia -> Mixer. For KDE, choose Panel -> Add Application -> Multimedia -> Sound Mixer Panel. If you are not using GNOME or KDE, you could probably download and install a similar kind of application.
When to email me:
Read the following before you decide to send me an email: Email Rules.
X_console
shellscope@yahoo.com