Baslinux mailing list

[Sindi Keesan <keesan AT iamjlamb.com>]

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004, James Miller wrote:

> On Wed, 28 Jul 2004, Sindi Keesan wrote:
> 
> > DamnSmallLinux analyzed the hardware and told me that the CD-ROM drive is
> > scd0.  I think this means it is a SCSI drive, which might be why the hard
> > drive controller can be bad but the CD-ROM drive still works.
> 
> I think it's just the typical scsi emulation Linux uses for CD drives.

Does this mean that there are two IDE controllers, one each for HD and 
CD-ROM drive?  

> 
> > It also told me cardmgr was ttyS2.  I was able to learn enough vi to edit
> > the wvdial.conf file to set modem to ttyS2 (it dialed) and also to ttyS0
> > (dialed with a external modem as well).  Also had to set userid and
> > password in two places, and phone number but not DNS servers.
> > Too bad I have to re-edit all this stuff every time I boot, but I suppose
> > I could copy the file to floppy disk as with BL ramdisk.
> 
> Don't know about that older version of DSL you have, but newer version
> have a configuration script you run to enter modem settings (under
> Applications > net > modem or something like that in the fluxbox popup
> menu).

I used a script of some sort, which taught me minimal vi, found in
Applications, System, Wvppp (?).  It walked me through which files to
edit.  And mentioned wvdial.conf by name.  I had used SuSE once by editing 
that file.  Wvdial ties up an rxvt (or terminal) after connecting, unlike 
ppp-on.  Are there any advantages of wvdial over ppp-on?  Probably people 
using X don't care about tying up an rxvt, but wvdial does not seem 
suitable for systems like BL.  

> 
> Also, newer versions of DSL have a backup to HD routine where you can save
> key settings, then restore them on subsequent boots from the CD.  I made
> an ext2 partition specifically for saving some such settings on a machine
> I have, and boot DSL to a previous configuration that way.  This is all
> stuff borrowed from Knoppix, I believe, so ultimate credit for this
> wizardry probably goes to Klaus Knopper.
> 
> James

Unfortunately this computer won't let me do that since the hard drive 
controller is not working.  I hope I can just save wvdial.conf to the same 
DOS floppy disk that has Smart Bootmanager.  The floppy disk is 
automounted by DSL.  The eventual use of the computer might be to run BL2 
off rewritable CD-ROM, and make changes on another computer.  

Is Zipslack on CD something you can also boot with?

Sindi