Newish laptops running Knoppix -- pls post here

[GFBurke]

I just setup a dual boot (XP Pro SP2 and Knoppix 3.7) on my:

B3 Intel Centrino 12.1" Slim BMobile.
(it's laptops that we sale, not some big manufacturer brand)
Intel M 1.6Ghz/2M Dothan uFCPGA2
Integrated 256MB uSODIMM DDR333
40GB
Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME video
CDRW/DVD
Intel 802.11bg PRO2100 (although device manager shows 2200)

Here is pictures in case you wanted to see it.
About 2lbs.

Blank screen. I had to use 'fb1024x768' to make it work - otherwise it just gave me a blank screen.

Works great. Although I did have an issue of installing Knoppix and lilo, then rebooting and having no lilo - it just went to XP. I just re did the process and now lilo works. Incase somebody googles for it: "After install no lilo just XP". - Just re-do it.

Also I cannot get the audio to work or the WiFi to work. I'm not really concered about the Wifi because I just ordered an Orinoco Classic Gold. The audio is a SoundMAX intergrated. Anybody know how to get that to work?

[Tom2000]

Contents deleted due to duplicate post. See my post below.

[fpd]

Knoppix 3.7 installed on HDD and LiveCD on Compaq Presario 1200 (1.2 GHz)
I use a PCMCIA 56k MODEM to avoid the pain of the on-board software MODEM.

[Tom2000]

**Preliminary Report**

Quick summary: v3.7 boots OK, no cheatcodes applied. No KDE toolbar in 1440x768 mode; 1024x768 OK. I'd call the installation a basic success. it was absolutely amazing to watch Knoppix detect everything and bring my laptop up as a functional Linux machine with no intervention required!

Laptop info:

P4, 3 GHz
1 GB RAM
Toshiba 80 GB, 5400 rpm HDD, formatted as one NTFS partition
nVidia GEForce Go 5200, 64 MB video RAM, 1440x990 17" screen
Realtek AC-97 sound chip
Alps touchpad
Pioneer K12D DVD/CD R/W
Atheros 802.11g wireless


I just received my Knoppix 3.7 CD yesterday, so I have only about two hours experience with the package. I fooled around with Linux in the kernel 0.95 days and haven't worked with Linux since, so I'd rate myself a Linux newbie, just about as new as can be.

Knoppix booted up to a 1024x768 KDE desktop, or into a 1440x900 desktop by including "screen=1440x900" command in the boot command. In 1440x900 mode, KDE didn't display a toolbar.
I need to follow up on this problem as I learn more about Linux in general, and Knoppix specifically.
1024x768 is fine, though, for preliminary testing.

Knoppix recognized my USB, Ethernet, and Firewire systems.. I didn't see any mention of wireless networking or (of course) the internal modem. It automatically found and activated the PCMCIA system and, of course, the CD-ROM drive. Sound output seems to work OK.

The biggest surprise was the Alps touchpad working right out of the box. I didn't expect that, at all. (It works as a normal 2-button mouse. The right-edge vertical scroll function doesn't work. No surprise there - it only recently became functional in XP with the latest - buggy - Alps XP driver. It will take the Linux world a while to catch up.)

I was able to successfully install Knoppix in the ramdisk, but haven't yet tested Knoppix' handling of the CD or DVD capabilities of this machine. Since there's not much RAM left for the system and no HDD write access, I suspect that I won't be able to do much with the drive unless I install Knoppix on the HDD. Likewise, I haven't actually connected anything to the USB, Firewire, Ethernet, or PCMCIA ports to see if they actually work.

I'll be happy to follow this up as I gain experience, if anyone is interested.

Thanks for these forums, and particularly, thanks to everyone involved in Knoppix' development. It's an amazing package!

Best Regards,

Tom
Seattle


Further info:

-- I can burn CD-R's just fine by loading Knoppix into the ramdisk with the toram switch at boot.
-- Starting Knoppix with the screen=1440x900 switch brings my machine up in the 1400x1050 mode, pushing the toolbar off the bottom of the KDE desktop screen.
-- I can't get Knoppix to recognize my USB flash drive.

Feb 16, 2005:

-- Installed Knoppix to the hard drive. It was very easy and goof-proof. For those struggling with CD/USB drive or poor man's HDD installations, go for the full HDD configuration. Your life will be much simpler.

-- The display is now working in 1440x900 using the new nVidia Linux driver "nvidia," found at http://www.nvidia.com/object/linux.html .
-- I've learned that the SmartLink driver, slmodem-2.9.10 ( http://www.smlink.com ), is supposed to drive this machine's winmodem.

Feb 17, 2005:
-- Verified that the CDROM works. No setup changes required.
-- The USB thumb drive is now recognized by hotplug after the HDD installation, and automounts as /mnt/sda1. However, I get no KDE desktop icon. Not a big problem...

Feb 19, 2005
-- Good news and bad news: The good news is that the modem is working. The bad news is that it's not working in Knoppix, but works just fine in Kanotix.

The only way I could get the modem to work was with the two Debian packages sl-modem-source-2.9.9a-i386.deb and sl-modem-daemon-2.9.9a-i386.deb under Kanotix. The .deb packages installed just fine under Knoppix, but KPPP didn't see the modem.

I'm sure I could sort out the problem if I knew a good deal more about Linux, but solving this problem is way over my head right now. I'm just happy that Kanotix got me on the air.

Well, that's it for this post. The machine is now, in my opinion, a functional XP/Linux machine. I'm happy, and I'll now go out and learn Linux.

Many thanks to the posters here on Knoppix forums, and those who have shared their experience on the net.. This machine would have been dead in the water without your advice!

[foamrotreturns]

Knoppix 3.7 boots on my HP ZE4560us laptop.
cheatcodes: knoppix26 fb1024x768
Specs:
AMD XP2500-M
512MB DDR RAM
Broadcom Integrated wireless
external HDD and Flash drives work with little configuration

More info at my thread devoted to getting this model working:
http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16917

[pedingto]

Dell Inspiron 1100
P4 - 2.7ghz
Intel 82845GM Graphics Controller
256MB RAM

Using Knoppix 3.7 I can boot into X without any cheatcodes needed.
HOWEVER, If you use any (I assume unless they broke it in an update, don't particularly relish the task of flashing my bios with previous versions over and over again) bios revision prior to A32, it is impossible to get X to run in anything higher then 640x480 at 60hz, even with cheatcodes.

Now, at the startup, which was the same as before, when you pick whatever kernal with whatever cheat code, it says you've passed an invalid video number. Pressing space to skip choosing another one (with the A32) revision will boot into X, at 1024 x 768. Prior to the A32 revision when I tried to do that, X failed to load, unless I used scan at that menu.

If any other information is needed let me know

heh - edited to correct a typo I saw, I hate typos.

Edited: I'm a retard from Retardia. - Just noticed that in my bios the vid card was on 1mb, turning this to 8mb, fixes the undefined/invalid video number at startup. --though doesn't fix the prior to A32 640x480 bios problem

[Olive]

Hi everyone,
My Sony VAIO VGN-FS115Z boots successfully, although acpi=off is required.
The touchpad works.
USB does not work (my mouse, printer, scanner, modem are USB so I can't test them ATM).
No sound. The soundcard (Realtek AC'97) wasn't working in Win XP sp2 either until I installed drivers from realtek.com.
Also, I wish I could set screen size to 1200x800 (might want to use recent Nvidia drivers).

[Psycho]

I wish I could set screen size to 1200x800 (might want to use recent Nvidia drivers).

Olive, add the modelines below to /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

  Modeline "1280x800" 68.56 1280 1336 1472 1664 800 801 804 824 -HSync +VSync
  Modeline "1280x800" 80.58 1280 1344 1480 1680 800 801 804 827 -HSync -Vsync

You'll also need to add the 1280x800 resolution to the screens sections.
That works 'good enough' on my HP Pavilion zv5270us

Regards,
--glenn

[Psycho]

Hi all,

I have a hard drive install of Knoppix 3.7 on an hp zv5270us where everything important seems to work.

On board Realtek 10/100, nVidia 440 MX 64Meg, alps touchpad, dvd-rw should work, I just checked and there's a typo in menu.lst, sound works. It's plugging along at 800MHz, I'll have to get powernow! working. It works great in my Gentoo amd64 install in 'on-demand' mode.

The winmodem has no Linux driver, no great loss. The onboard Broadcom wireless works in Gentoo with the LinuxAnt driverloader, so I imagine it will work under Knoppix as well

Only one problem so far, the usb mouse locks up after a while and I'm reduced to the touchpad
I'll have to figure that one out... The touchpad is difficult compared to a real mouse.

Cheers,
--glenn

[Olive]

I wish I could set screen size to 1200x800 (might want to use recent Nvidia drivers).

Olive, add the modelines below to /etc/X11/XF86Config-4

  Modeline "1280x800" 68.56 1280 1336 1472 1664 800 801 804 824 -HSync +VSync
  Modeline "1280x800" 80.58 1280 1344 1480 1680 800 801 804 827 -HSync -Vsync

You'll also need to add the 1280x800 resolution to the screens sections.
That works 'good enough' on my HP Pavilion zv5270us

Regards,
--glenn

Thanks for the tip =)
I guess this requires hdd install though?