[Eug-lug] Linux and Gnu --> Laptops? 3 Perpetual Newbie Gratitude

[Harald Sundt]

Thank you for your comprehensive and clear and funny reply.

I can only wonder if the VISTA folks have the camaraderie of Linux folks.


Thanks again!

Hal


larry price wrote:
> On 2/10/07, Harald Sundt <h_sundt at efn.org> wrote:
>> The other day I went to the ASLabs website
>> (http://www.aslab.com/index.html) to get some support and I just found
>> the folks who sold me my Linux pre-installed Laptop have discontinued
>> it, and all its line of laptops.
>>
>> I called and they said "We won't return to selling Laptops until we find
>> one that can meet our specifications"
>> I am guessing this means "Linux is too tricky to make go well on 
>> laptops".
>>
>> But 3 things are making me crazy and I hope you can answer these three
>> questions:
>>
>> QUESTION ONE:
>>
>> Is there any general Linux reason laptop application is tricky? Or is
>> ASLabs having a problem with their approach and what could that be?
>>
> Laptop hardware is usually idiosyncratic, and can use weird poorly
> documented chipsets,
>
> from the description you posted your laptop is
> a. fairly generic, with known good intel chipset
> b. is old enough to be supported most everywhere
>
> So it should not be impossible to update or upgrade to a different OS
>
>> QUESTION TWO:
>>
>> My CPU is duel boot, Windows XT and Fedora 7. I can only Boot Windows if
>> I boot the default, Linux, first and reboot.
>> If I "escape" during the first part of boot to grub and choose Windows,
>> Windows will boot but never light up or show up on the screen, as if it
>> can't boot a laptop screen without it being "found" previously by a
>> prior Linux boot. Why is this? Is there a cure?
>>
> it sounds like the video card might need to be initialised, you
> probably need to find the manufacturers driver for the card under
> windows...
>
>> QUESTION THREE:
>>
>> I have been "upgrading" via the online upgrade function in the Linux
>> System menu. What happens if I try a install or update from some disks,
>> like Fedora 8? They told me at ASL I had to use their disks because they
>> "fine tune" the Fedora for my laptop.  Am I stranded in Fedora 7? I am
>> not bright or savvy enough to know what questions to ask them or how to
>> re-write any installation scripts.
>>
>
> mixing and matching packages from different versions of fedora is
> asking for trouble, but you should be able to back up your data,
> install fedora 8 and continue from there.
>
>> With above caveats, I'm at home in my Laptop. But its like having a
>> comfortable Mobile-Home in a Gulf-State. I wanna ask "If I'm so f**king
>> comfortable, why can't I relax?
>
> backups and backups of backups, knowing that your mobile home is
> insured goes a long way towards making you feel better about watching
> it's rough peel off in gale force winds...
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