Well, it realized that i actually have never done one of those linux-on-an-old-laptop-installs that i so often think about doing on old laptops i get my hands on. So i tried just one more time. My general approach is to do a net install of debian, with a 3Com PCMCIA NIC, and it never works out allright. Neither this time.
I sighed.
Then i figured i'd see just how good knoppix would find the hardware, and ran a liveCD in the machine. Booted allright, took around four weeks from bios to KDE, but hey it worked, and hey i could use the internet.
I sighed again.
So then i started thinking, maybe Knoppix wouldnt be so bad after all. COnsidering it is phenomenal in finding hardware, what if i could do a HD install and just strip away stuff i dont want. My idea with debian was to get a system with just bash, and then maybe install X if i wanted to, later. Since Knoppix booted allright on the machine, maybe i could just rip out X and some other things after a HD install, and wind up with a pretty lean system anyhow?
And just apt-get from there?

Give me your opinions, and i'd also like to know if theres any specific place that gives the ultimate guide to knoppix HD installs


computer facts:
IBM thinkpad 380D,
pentium 1 around 120 MHz, 48 m RAM, 1.5 gb HD