Laptops :: Cheap Laptops for DSL install

Can anything be done with this lapcritter?

100 MHz processor

32 MB Ram

No HD

2 PCMCIA

CD

Built-in floppy.

2 USB ports (prob USB 1)

Boot floppy to boot a USB key?
Boot floppy to boot a CD?

Anyone who can make this work will earn bragging rights...

I have a Dell L400, 12inch screen cost me ~ $120USD and everything works except 56k modem (has ethernet anyway)... can't say if it has usb 2.0

its a great laptop, 700mhz 256mb ram light as a feather, great screen, great keyboard, great touch pad. External floppy drive/cdrom drive need to be purchased separately.

I would say you'd have difficulty finding a older small, laptop with in built wifi that works, wifi was not standardised like it is nowadays and you need to be picky about your wireless card chipset. Best to go for a pcmcia card version.

Quote (newby @ July 05 2006,01:43)

can't you boot off the cd ?

have you tried putting a dsl cd in the cdrom and booting off a floppy disk? It will probably work.

There is a special usb boot disk so try that as well with dsl installed on a usb memory stick.

Quote

Can anything be done with this lapcritter?

100 MHz processor

32 MB Ram

No HD

2 PCMCIA

CD

Built-in floppy.

2 USB ports (prob USB 1)

The system may well be old enough that it can't boot from CD or USB. Have you considered using a boot floppy? See DSL Wiki on boot floppies for more info.

Quote

For some older or otherwise unique computer systems, it is not possible to boot up DSL directly from the livecd CD-R disk or from a USB pendrive.

* For the CD-R disk, some computer BIOS do not support booting from a CDROM drive or they cannot boot from a non-standard CDROM drive like a parallel port drive or a pcmcia CDROM drive.

* For the USB pendrive, most computers that were manufactured before 2001 have an older BIOS that does not support direct booting from a USB device.

However, it is still possible to boot up DSL if you make the right boot floppy disk.

Whether you use the boot floppy to boot CD or boot USB, you can use the USB pendrive as if it were a hard disk. (Pendrive boot is optimal -- No CD needed, good for battery life, faster.)

Making your own bootable pendrive is easy -- Boot the DSL CD on another box, make the pendrive using the DSL install script, make the boot floppy, as described in the wiki, and boot the lappy with the boot floppy, using the pendrive as if it were a hard disk.

If you are comfortable with command line Linux, you might consider initially booting to text mode (no GUI), at first. Use the boot cheat code "2". Even better, try the "super low RAM text mode" in DSL Wiki on Cheat Codes.

Alternatively, make sure you know your lappy's resolution and use the appropriate "fb" cheat code. In any case, the "lowram" cheat code is advisable.

When you are comfortable with the system and DSL, you can consider whether it is worth googling for memory and/or an HD to upgrade your box. Lots of appropriate used parts available at reasonable costs.

If you do choose to upgrade to HD, consider the excellent instructions found in Caitlin Martin's pieces via DSL on "atticware" laptops

It is possible to get this lappy booted. Some learning required. Not nearly as hard as it looks now. Just trust me... :;):

The Dell Latitude L400 is wat u need got mine for Ł100

12inch screen -3.5pounds

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