Baslinux mailing list

[baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org]

On Thu, 9 Sep 2010, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> "Some hardware is not supported by 2.4."
>
> I wish good luck to those that need a 2.6 kernel. I am not one of them.

Some bugs have been patched in that kernel.  My 300Mhz Winbook works with 
two 2.6-kernel linuxes work, but 2.4 or 2.2 lose input ability when you do 
anything graphical.  svgalib or X, same problem. (Probably for a different 
reason than your hinote, but who knows).  Also 2.6 supports SATA, not that 
I need it, but BL with all my 2.4 kernels gets confused and won't work 
when I try to run it in any computer that has an SATA drive even with BL 
on the IDE drive.


> "Which BL are you using?  BL1 and BL2 start with console."
>
> I am using BL3. Am considering changing to BL2 as it seems to be more modern.

BL3 is actually more recent but is based on older Slackware.
How do you boot it without graphics?  Loop version?

> "There are lots of old CF cards around but you would need an adaptor.  We
> got one some place for $5 with a 4MB card in it."

> I am aware that the hardware is cheap, but I have a more important use 
> for the small amount of spare cash that I have. I could buy a CF card, 
> and adaptors for each end, and it would cost me about £20. I could buy a 
> more modern laptop for £20. Or, alternatively, I can do what I can with 
> the hardware I have, and put the £20 towards getting my bike license. I 
> choose the last option.

People keep giving us pentium I or sometimes II laptops, many of which are 
fixable or even work.  Do you have a local freecycle group?

> Challenging, and educational are both correct, but I am far better with 
> hardware than software. Combine that with the fact that I have used 
> micro$haft operating systems since I was a small boy, I would have 
> chosen frustrating and annoying. Still, I managed to fix the problem, I 
> suppose that is all that counts really.

Frustrating and annoying is how I described Windows.  Like trying to do 
things with mittens and your hands tied behind your back.
> "Did you try a 2.4 kernel with the laptop?  Maybe the bug was already fixed in 
> it."

> Yes I did, I tried various 2.4 slackware kernels, and a few that you 
> made. None of them worked. My current kernel has run in X for a few 
> hours, with no problems. (2.4.33.3, the source code was included with 
> slackware 11) The fix is quite easy, I can send you my kernel + modules, 
> or I can send you a modified version of the buggy keyboard driver. I 
> think you would be best compiling your own with my hacked driver, as I 
> really don't know what I'm doing.

Congratulations.  I know of maybe three other people on this list who know 
how to compile, and one of them taught me.

Can you post your kernel and modules for general use?  	I could find no 
specific reference to the similar problem with the Winbook XLi but it 
might have the same cause and seems to have been fixed in 2.6.

Sindi Keesan