[GLLUG] Laptop Linux Installation Fun

[Jason Green]

After a few months of toying around with distributions and learning some of
the Linux/Unix basics, I decided to get rid of W2K on my laptop and install
a Linux flavor.  I figured RedHat or Mandrake would have the best
auto-configuration support for my hardware, and I'd rather not spend hours
on end searching down drivers and learning how to configure everything
manually.  By the way, the system is an IBM Thinkpad i Series 1400 - 2621.
Celeron 500, 128MB Ram, 11GB HD, 3Com 5C589C PCMCIA NIC, Lucent WinModem
(yuck), Trackpoint mouse, and S-Video output, too.

So, I check out RedHat's installation options.  I decide to try the FTP
install method (listed as a menu option on their graphical install) over my
DSL 512k line.  I made the boot disks for a PCMCIA NIC, and I find an FTP
mirror with 7.2, and start the process.  I was pretty surprised that it
found my NIC immediately and had no trouble connecting to the FTP site.  I
chose a bunch of packages that I wanted, and it was about a 1.3GB download.
No problem, I think to myself, and I let it go overnight.

When I wake up, it's stuck at about 1/3 of the way, and doesn't move for 3
hours.  So, I rebooted, went through the process again, and this time chose
about 600 MB of packages.  It freezes halfway through (different file this
time).  I get curious, and unplug the ethernet cable.  Nothing happens.  The
caps lock and num lock still respond, but no errors, no download, nothing.
This doesn't make me feel very comfortable with RedHat since their install
doesn't have very good error checking abilities.

Finally, I say "forget it" and download the ISO images for Mandrake 8.1.
Install went great, auto-detected everything (including a notice for the
WinModem).  I haven't checked the S-Video stuff yet, though.  The only
problem was it immediately started Draknet on the first boot and asked me
for my LAN card.  I chose the 3Com EtherLink (which is what I have)...
didn't work...  Chose a few other 3Com's... didn't work.  Clicking Cancel
brought my back into Draknet...  I was stuck in a loop.  Finally, I remember
that Ctrl-Alt-Backspace shut down X.  After that, it let me in fine.  The
NIC was working great, and I never had to run Draknet.

So, my conclusion is that laptop installation with those distro's isn't
quite up to a "user-friendly" status yet, at least with my hardware.  I'm
sure some script tweaking or pre-config stuff would make it work, but most
users won't be willing or able to do that.  If I hadn't already played
around with it on some "standard" hardware, I probably would have went back
to W2K.  The FreeBSD FTP install went great with some "standard" hardware
for me, but it doesn't auto-configure X, which is a set-back if you don't
know what you're doing.  Anyway, that's enough ranting.  Just thought I'd
share a semi-newbie's Linux installation experience.

Jason Green