Long ago, I installed Windows XP onto my old Compaq Presario 12XL510A notebook computer. I shouldn't have - it was way more than the machine could handle. With my exposure to Linux on the Nokia n800, the Asus eee and an application at work, I decided to see if a low-impact Linux installation could bring the old machine back to useful life.
After researching my options, I decided to go for Xubuntu 7.1.
Here's where I downloaded it
Instructions on burning the CD image
How to make sure the image is valid
Software for performing the validation
Hash comparison code
GraphicalInstall instructions
Here are the particulars on the machine:
Compaq Presario
Model 12XL510A
PCMCIA: Texas Instruments PCI-1410 CardBus Controller
Two USBs
CD-ROM
1.44MB Floppy Drive
Intel Pentium III 797MHz
124MB RAM
12GB hard drive
Display: Trident Video Accelerator CyberBlade-i1, 1024x768x60HZ
Modem: generic softK56
Network adapter: RAS Async adapter
The machine was so overtaxed, it could hardly run the installer CD. So I deleted everything in My Documents, uninstalled a bunch of big memory-hogging programs, and then also uninstalled Windows XP. The machine reverted back to Windows ME.
Based on what I've read here, I think I'm just going to dump it completely and have this machine run exclusively on Linux.
Wish me luck.
Update: After repeated attempts, the normal CD installation would not work. So I'm switching to the Alternate CD instead.
Update: The Alternate Install CD is working just great. It even detected my Wireless Card in the PCMCIA slot, then asked for and accepted my wireless home network WEP key. Woo-hoo!
Okay. Making progress on connecting the eee to my Verizon phone.
I already had my phone configured according to randyman's excellent instructions.
I had problems pairing the eee to my phone but then found this simple command resolved the problem, whatever it was:
sudo hciconfig hci0 piscan
Next, I followed the three light blue boxes on this post (down to the 'ppp' part). Then over to this post to get wvdial installed and configured. Note that for Verizon EVDO users, the username is your10digitnumber@vzw3g.com and the password is verizon (the commenter has these switched).
I've got the phone and the eee talking to each other, and I'm connected to the Verizon network. But I can't seem to use the connection in any meaningful way (like to open a browser, for example). I'm thinking this might be of help but I'm too tired to pursue it.
Trying to get this thing up and running with the Linux operating system; not as straightforward for a newbie as Windows XP would be. Still, I will soldier on since I think this will be the most efficient use of this machine's resources.
Connected to the home wireless network easily with the WEP key.
Connecting at the office was a little trickier - the SSID is not broadcast. Here's how to do it:
- Click on the Network icon
- Add a new connection
- Select Local Area Network - Wireless
- Follow the prompts, leaving everything at default
- Input the name of the SSID when promped (network name and password must be provided to you by a network administrator)
- For encryption, select WAP and then enter the password
It took a while to connect but voilà, it all works!
Now trying to get the bluetooth dongle to talk to my phone. Grr.
