So far...so good


Forum: User Feedback
Topic: So far...so good
started by: djeddiej

Posted by djeddiej on Jan. 11 2004,03:36
Hey all -

Just thought I'd drop a line about a successful install (so far).

The specs:

-Toshiba Tecra 700CT Laptop, running @ P1 120 mHz and most recent BIOS for this system;
-32 Megs of RAM
-1 Meg Video RAM (C & T Graphics Chip)
-3 Gig HD

Install was performed onto Hard Drive. I used Partition Magic 8 to make the partition(s).

Next moves -
1. Figure out what swap space DSL is using. Quick question to those who read it - how do I know what swap space DSL is using? In initial install attempts it appeared to use the same swap space as the data, although I created a 200 Meg partition for it.

2. Is there a way to permanently choose the monitor, resolution and colour depth?

3. Need to get the sound on this laptop running.

4. Get the Linksys PCMCIA 10/100 card working for Net Access.

5. Install PHP with the Monkey Server, and perhaps mySQL (dreaming??? Is it possible?)

Anyhoo  - pretty cool to revive an old machine!

cheers

dj eddie j :D

Posted by Del on Jan. 11 2004,06:06
1) Check /etc/fstab and see if it's using your 200Mb swap partition. If not, edit the file and make it use it.
2) I thought the hdinstall did that automatically. It does on 0.5.1, haven't played with 0.5.2 yet.
3) Sorry, can't help there
4) Sorry, can't help there
5) Shouldn't be a problem. Check < http://monkeyd.sourceforge.net/ > for specifics on getting it to work with PHP. As far as MySQL goes, you should just be able to get the binaries from mysql.com, or 'apt-get install mysql-server'

Posted by djeddiej on Jan. 11 2004,06:30
Quote (Del @ Jan. 11 2004,01:06)
Hi Del -

Thanks for your feedback, here are my notes...

1) Check /etc/fstab and see if it's using your 200Mb swap partition. If not, edit the file and make it use it.

..actually during the booting process I noticed that is states "Using swap partition /dev/hda3" and the drive where DSL is installed in is /dev/hda1, so it appears to be good, going to log in now and check. If it does not match I will psot further details.


2) I thought the hdinstall did that automatically. It does on 0.5.1, haven't played with 0.5.2 yet.

According to the current install instructions, it says that the setup and running of DSL on the HD in version 0.5.2 will run as if it is on the live-CD distro. In any of the distros I have attempted to install on this Tecra laptop, (Mandrake, Redhat, Slackware - all too bloated for this machine I am afraid) they detected the graphics chip but not the monitor type, which kept me having to reconfigure the settings. DSL just asks me the 80x25 setup question.

5) Shouldn't be a problem. Check < http://monkeyd.sourceforge.net/ > for specifics on getting it to work with PHP. As far as MySQL goes, you should just be able to get the binaries from mysql.com, or 'apt-get install mysql-server'

Just looked at it, although I am concerned a little bit that DSL is not as the author states a pure Debian sys, but a hybrid of Debian and Knoppix...I may be a little nieve at this, but apt-get should work fine? I read the site for monkeyd, it looks cool. In anycase, I suppose since the install is small enough if it breaks I will just re-install it.

I am slowly liking DSL more and more.

cheers

djeddiej

see above, I peppered the quote qith my comments. :;):

Posted by Del on Jan. 11 2004,08:03
You can run 'top' or 'cat /proc/meminfo' at a terminal to see just how much swap the system believes it has also. Didn't think of that before now...

Not sure about the 80x25 question really. My old box with a DSL hdinstall asks that every time, my other machines never ask that at all... I figured it was weirdness with that one old vid card?

DSL is a derivative of Knoppix, which is a Debian based system. Therefore, DSL is Debian as well. Apt-get works just fine and dandy, I use it all the time it seems :) However, you will more than likely need to edit /etc/apt/sources.list and change it to 'testing' from 'stable'. As John says, DSL has one foot in each branch.

For PHP+Monkey, look specifically at < http://monkeyd.sourceforge.net/docs/monkey+php.en.html > Should be pretty easy, but no promises, as I haven't tried it myself.

Posted by guest on Jan. 13 2004,12:44
For screen resolution and color depth you can set that permanently in lilo.conf with a vga=??? statement.  On my toshiba 320cdt I have vga=789 to permanently set it at 800x600 by 24bits  since, on this machine, the max "resolution" is 1024x768 but the physical screen is only 800x600.

As for sound, let me know if you do it.  I'm trying to do the same thing right now as well.   I can see the modules are there for my  sound chips but haven't found the   right incantations yet to make them work.  I guess all the "sound config" utilities are gone from this distro so it means rolling your own module files.

Powered by Ikonboard 3.1.2a
Ikonboard © 2001 Jarvis Entertainment Group, Inc.