Slackware 7.1 on Dell Latitude XPi CD

learnlinux · 05-05-2006, 12:07 AM

I think this notebook is great for slack 7.1. I can't get the wireless working because of the ndiswrapper needs a newer kernel . Question 1 : How do I update the kernel because the only tut I saw was bogus. Question 2 : What would be another Linux OS that I could run on this laptop and have a nice gui like kde 1.? run if I would like. With wireless capabilities too because thats the only way for me to connect to the internet with this laptop. Thanks.

rkelsen · 05-05-2006, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by learnlinux

I think this notebook is great for slack 7.1.

Dude, Slack 7.1 is ancient.

What feature of KDE 1.x do you need so desperately?

learnlinux · 05-05-2006, 01:42 AM

Its not that , its just the laptop is older that slack 7.1. I can't run 10.2 even with fluxbox . Something always goes wrong with the cd drive. If you can tell me how to mount the cd to the harddrive then I would like to try that with 10.2. I really just want my wireless running on it. So I can browse the internet with it. And do more to it.

rkelsen · 05-05-2006, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by learnlinux

Something always goes wrong with the cd drive. If you can tell me how to mount the cd to the harddrive then I would like to try that with 10.2.

Unfortunately, I don't have the power of extra sensory perception

, so you'll have to post the error message you get before I can help you with it.

learnlinux · 05-05-2006, 04:59 AM

hmmm I don't want to go do it all again , about an hour of work for nothing so I will just try to give you what I can remember.

Code:

hda_dma ( something like that) timeout. 
hda_dma restarting
over
and 
over
then, 
maybe X11 didn't install
installing X11 fonts
same error
X11 fonts didn't install

The hda might be the hdc . Do you know how to mount the cd to the harddisk? Then I might be able to install all of it from there. Or if you know a good tutorial . I have searched and searched but, to no avail. Thanks.

rkelsen · 05-05-2006, 05:10 AM

At what stage do you get these errors? Is it at the point where the installer looks for the CD? Does the installer even start? Does the installer's kernel boot OK?

learnlinux · 05-05-2006, 05:14 AM

yeh I get all the way through the installing except when it starts to install all the x server stuff. It boots too , but it takes along time to boot up compared to the short time that 7.1 boots.

mark.woodrow · 05-23-2006, 04:31 AM

Hi,

I have one of these beasties, and unfortunately the dma chip in this machine is very buggy. You can get linux working on it:- I've had Redhat 6.2, 7.3, Dragonlinux (old) and Slackware 10.2 running on it. Redhat 6.2 worked flawlessly, but 7.3 and slackware 10.2 need the additional kernel parameter "ide=nodma". This turns off all dma (direct memory access) for the hard disk and CD - what you were seeing was most likely dma timeouts. That's what I had, everything ran so slowly.

It does mean that the system won't run as fast as a similar one with dma that works, but it is useable. I started with zipslack 10.2, got that working using the "ide=nodma" fix, then added X and KDE packages. Change the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to make the default colour depth 16 bit instead of 24. Its a nice little system, and slackware seems to work well on it.

Good luck!

mark