Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Tue, 10 May 2005, David Moberg wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "sindi keesan" <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>
>
> > Xvesa still displays everything in pale green, but the text in the
> > rxvt is much better looking.  It also crashes things on exit, but I
> > can try the SVGA X server instead of the framebuffer approach -
> > have you ever tried to read 132 columns on a 9" screen?
>
> Note that the full 12" of the screen is used at 1024x768.

In any graphical mode (including Windows or BL3 Xvesa 800x600) it used the 
entire screen.  It does have 2MB RAM so can do 16-bit at 1024 but Xvesa is 
hopeless.  I will try SVGA so as not to get 132 columns in text mode with 
fb.


> > > It's definitely much nicer looking to have a letterbox instead of a
> > > horribly blurred display. My old laptop had an option like this,
> > > only I could change it on the fly by hitting a button combination.
> >
> > I don't see that here.  I found LCD/CRT - would this override the
> > CMOS setting which I left at LCD+CRT?  (Just in case the LCD dimmed
> > again).
>
> Yes. Usually, this probes for a CRT. If none is found, it reverts to
> LCD. You can probably choose between LCD, CRT, or both. That NeoMagic
> chip may be multi-headed (half of desktop on CRT, half on LCD) if you
> need it to be.

In CMOS I can choose either or both, so I set it to both.  There is also 
an output to TV.

I wonder if I could get the video to display two terminals on each screen.


> > Why would ANYONE want the video expanded mode?
>
> To have a more CRT-like display? My modern Dell doesn't give me a
> choice (I can only have fullscreen), but the Intel graphics are much
> better at keeping text readable. I still prefer to use the full
> resolution in X, as everything looks sharper.


In X it does not seem to matter whether or not you choose video expansion, 
it is full-screen anyway. Only the text mode is affected (DOS or linux or 
even the MS-DOS prompt).

> > > You will need a newer kernel, as usual. What brand of wireless card?
> > > If it's supported by this Mandrake kernel I have here, I can email
> > > this kernel to you.
> >
> > truckstop.net  Hi-speed Wireless Internet
> > GetOn!  UNPLUG your laptop and surf the INTERNET the WIRELESS WAY
> > It appears to work with both white and yellow trucks.
>
> I never heard of it, so I went to truckstop.net. Their FAQ has a
> driver for Windows (6MB download). Any clues as to the chip which
> is on it?

We went to the neighbor who owns the wireless card and installed the 
software, which says it is Linksys.  7MB on a CD.  We could not get the 
card recognized even with the antenna part in a computer a few feet away, 
but this may be because we did not have the user password (we have it 
now). You can get into Windows with ESC but not into the network.  The 
reason for trying out a card is to see if we can pick up the DSL line from 
a nice Bulgarian neighbor who offered to let us use it but lives a few 
houses away.  He is a computer professional and likes linux and could 
help.  He suggested we do 'linux from scratch'.

> > The neighbor lent it to us and may be interested in using it with
> > linux. I think he is using Redhat, a recent version.
> > Someone sent us Slackware 9 - will a SW91 kernel work?
> > We have to return this card but could conceivably purchase one some day.
> > Is there some brand that is more likely to work?

> Linksys WUSB11 is what I have. The manufacturer lists Linux drivers at
> the download site. Mandrake came with drivers for the PCI, PCMCIA, and

Perfect!  First we need to make sure this will work with the borrowed card 
in Windows.

> USB versions. You can compile your own if you need to. The only trick
> to it is to make sure that your kernel has all of the necessary things
> enabled (USB or PCMCIA support, wireless LAN support, etc.) There are
> other chipsets listed in the 2.4.x Linux config. I bought this USB
> one from eBay. $30 about 1-2 years ago. I chose USB so I could share
> it with my laptop and desktop.

They are supposedly down to $10 or so, the older types of PCMCIA which are 
not as fast.  We are not in a hurry but it would be nice to have a free 
phone line.  Does 2.2.16 not support wireless LAN at all?

This computer came with a working 56K PCMCIA modem which says it will only 
work in Windows, not DOS or an MS-DOS prompt.  Gateway Telepath - I don't 
expect it to work in linux.  Could we add a 28K modem to the other slot?


Also if I install both BL3 and BL3 can I chroot to BL3 on one terminal, 
dial there, and then go online with a browser from a different terminal 
with BL2?  (Rather than installing pcmcia.tgz in BL2).  I have 600MB free 
even before deleting things from Windows and won't be compiling on here so 
have plenty of room for both versions.


> David
>
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keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org