NEC Versa E2000 laptop touchpad problem

[silverbirch]

Hi everyone

I have a friend's laptop after a windows failure. I put Mepis 8.5 onto it and everything seems to work except the touch pad, which she really wants.

Knoppix 5.1 tells me the touch pad is an ALPS GlidePoint and the touch pad works fine in that (live). Mepis tells me it's Macintosh or something, and doesn't work. I've messed around endlessly in xorg.conf but with no luck.

My question now is: would installing Knoppix be a good idea? How user friendly is it installed? E.g. she uses Facebook, email, and looks at photos, so need to be able to call a photo viewing programme when CD or flash drive inserted. Also, if I do install Knoppix what version is recommended? The laptop is limited by only having 256 memory and she cannot afford to buy more.

Many thanks.

[OErjan]

try installing Debian instead, which Knoppix is a customised version of (special set-up to make it boot and work from CD or DVD) or perhaps Ubuntu or xubuntu (xubuntu should be lighter on the resources).
these above are more likely to work first try in my experience, reason I say this is that Knoppix is not really intended to be installed, it is a live disk (I think that buntu can be run live as a test though)

[OErjan]

hmm, perhaps an older version of Debian or puppy linux would be better as it is limited hardware

[silverbirch]

Thanks, but I think I'll suggest she uses a mouse. Not sure if Debian would be easy enough for her.

Thanks anyway

[Harry Kuhman]

... everything seems to work except the touch pad, which she really wants.

Knoppix 5.1 tells me the touch pad is an ALPS GlidePoint and the touch pad works fine in that (live). ...

My question now is: would installing Knoppix be a good idea? How user friendly is it installed?..
Knoppix is really not intended for Live install. But if the touch pad works under Knoppix it can be made to work under Debian, which is intended for hard disk install. I suggest trying a net-install of the "testing" version of Debian. I also suggest that you get her an inexpensive mouse (I have several wireless ones that I got for less than $10 each). While I occasionally use the touch pad, I find the mouse much more handy most of the time. Using a mouse should not prevent one from using the touch pad also.

Knoppix is pretty much Debian, with a bunch of stuff installed. If Knoppix is suitable then Debian should be to, just apt-get the applications that you or she want.

[silverbirch]

Thanks for your comments. I spoke to her today and she's agreeable to using a mouse. I feel a bit frustrated in not being able to get the touchpad working, but I see it is a common problem from my googling, and reading of the forums.

I'm not sure if Debian would be easy enough for her.

Thanks for your input.

[OErjan]

As far as user friendliness Debian and knoppix are the same, it should be near to 100% same experience, uhm, ok when installed that is.

[silverbirch]

Thanks - truth to tell I can't be bother with another install - will see how she goes with Mepis since it is on there. Thanks for your input.