Thinking of putting Ubuntu on my IBM Thinkpad R40

DaBeast · 11-18-2008, 12:55 PM

Hi all, as im using windows since windows 98, im kinda bored looking at windows. Thats why id like to try a new OS, with Linux. Ive got a spare laptop i rarely use, so thats pretty cool. And also when im setting up a server soon, id like to know some command and stuff. Ive looked on the site Linux on laptops, but i saw that allmost all laptops wont have the modem and wireless reciever supported in linux. Why is that? And is there any way to fix this? Because i want some interwebs on my laptop lol

.

Some more detailed laptop info copied from Everest.

Code:

Field	Value
Computer	
Computer Name	IBM-A4F12856CFD
DirectX	4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)
Operating System	Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Service Pack	Service Pack 2
User Name	IBM USER
	
Motherboard	
BIOS Type	Phoenix (11/07/03)
Communication Port	Communications Port (COM2)
Communication Port	Printer Port (LPT1)
CPU Type	Mobile Intel Celeron, 1800 MHz (18 x 100)
Motherboard Chipset	Intel Brookdale i845MP
Motherboard Name	IBM
System Memory	512 MB  (PC2100 DDR SDRAM)
	
Display	
3D Accelerator	ATI Mobility Radeon (M6)
Monitor	IBM ThinkPad 1024x768 TFT LCD  (93516843009)
Monitor	Generic Television  (93516843009)
Video Adapter	ATI MOBILITY RADEON  (16 MB)
Video Adapter	ATI MOBILITY RADEON  (16 MB)
	
Multimedia	
Audio Adapter	Intel 82801DBM ICH4-M - AC'97 Audio Controller [B-1]
	
Storage	
Disk Drive	FUJITSU MHT2040AH  (40 GB, 5400 RPM, Ultra-ATA/100)
Disk Drive	Kingston DataTraveler 2.0 USB Device  (949 MB, USB)
IDE Controller	Intel(R) 82801DBM Ultra ATA Storage Controller - 24CA
Optical Drive	MATSHITA DVD-ROM SR-8177  (8x/24x DVD-ROM)
SMART Hard Disks Status	OK
	
Partitions	
C: (NTFS)	38146 MB (7569 MB free)
	
Input	
Keyboard	Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse	ThinkPad UltraNav Pointing Device
	
Network	
Modem	Agere Systems AC'97 Modem #2
Network Adapter	High Rate Wireless LAN Mini PCI Adapter III
	
Peripherals	
Battery	Microsoft AC Adapter
Battery	Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery
USB Device	USB Mass Storage Device
USB1 Controller	Intel 82801DBM ICH4-M - USB Controller [B-1]
USB1 Controller	Intel 82801DBM ICH4-M - USB Controller [B-1]
USB1 Controller	Intel 82801DBM ICH4-M - USB Controller [B-1]
USB2 Controller	Intel 82801DBM ICH4-M - Enhanced USB2 Controller [B-1]

Thanks in advance,
DaBeast

elliott678 · 11-18-2008, 01:11 PM

That wireless card is a Prism2 chipset, which has been supported in Linux for a very long time, it should work right out of the box with just about any recent distribution.

The 56k modem, I'm not so sure about, it will probably work though.

Poor support of wireless cards used to be a real issue, 3-4 years ago, a lot has changed since then.

DaBeast · 11-18-2008, 01:51 PM

So what your saying is that they both basicly should work?

Btw, Are there any apps i should install to make Ubuntu far more easy?

Thanks

tredegar · 11-18-2008, 05:37 PM

Just go ahead and install a linux distro.

(K)ubuntu will be fine as a "taster".

If you have problems, please come back here with the DETAILS. If you don't know what I mean, just try reading / searching for, some of the many threads on this forum.

We are all a bit tired of "Will this work?", "Which distro is best for me?, "I'm frightened to try linux":
Where are your cojones?

Quote:

Btw, Are there any apps i should install to make Ubuntu far more easy?

Yes. No. Maybe. We won't know until you have tried. (And here at LQ we prefer proper spelling, capitalisation and punctuation. This is not a TXT SPK FRM. If you cannot be bothered to express yourself concisely and correctly, then why should we be bothered to help you, for nothing?).

I do not intend any insult, but please read this link now: http://www.linuxsilo.net/docs/smart-questions_en.html

So, just get stuck in and started. If you encounter problems, then start a new thread, with an appropriate title.

Then you can have a productive and happy experience with linux (it is worth the learning-curve, believe me).

Have fun and welcome to LQ!

DaBeast · 11-19-2008, 06:48 AM

Wow, im sorry im not a native english speaking person. Im doing my best to give as many info about the machine, and title it as proper as i can. I cant see anything wrong, exept the BTW. But who doesnt use BTW..

Anyways, i came to here because i wanted advice from the experianced guys, and not to get pushed away like a noob. Read the whole story instead of reacting like a bulldog on me, thanks. Also it would have ben much easier if i knew where i could get apps and such (wich i dont know obiusly)..

tredegar · 11-19-2008, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Wow, im sorry im not a native english speaking person.

We might realise that english isn't your first language if you had put your location into your LQ profile (do you see mine, at the left, where it says "London, UK"? What does yours say? Nothing).

Please update your LQ profile. The next time I read it, I'll be looking not only for "Location" but for "Distribution" as well, because at the moment you have nothing. You have not even attempted to install linux.

Quote:

Anyways, i came to here because i wanted advice from the experianced guys, and not to get pushed away like a noob.

You have received "advice": First install linux, then ask us questions. You are not being "pushed away", you are receiving advice, but are not following it. This is annoying.

Quote:

Also it would have ben much easier if i knew where i could get apps and such (wich i dont know obiusly)..

How you "get apps and such" depends on the linux distro you install, there are several different ways Eg: "Install from source and compile yourself" (This might at first appear to be complicated, but in reality, it's easy, once you have mastered, errr, typing a few commands), or "use your distro's package manager" (Eg yum or apt). With the GUI frontends you can: Point. Click. It installs. Use it: So this is very easy.

Which might be best advice depends on your choice of installation and desire for applications. You have chosen not to choose, but merely to ask questions, the answers to which could have been easily discovered by yourself, in your native language, had you chosen to do a little bit of basic research for yourself.

As you haven't even attempted to install linux yet, I don't think we can advise you further on the details of problems you might encounter.

Again: Where are your cojones?

Get stuck in and started. Here at LQ, we are generally helpful.

Come back if you need further help. Start a new thread with an appropriate title. You did read that link, I hope.

ricstirato · 11-22-2008, 02:57 AM

While I agree with tredegar in that some newbie questions return frequently, this is something we have to accept if new Linux users is what we want.

I also think it's not helpful to mention compiling from source as the first way to install software on any Linux distro (excepting Gentoo and similar ;-).

DaBeast: go ahead and install Ubuntu or Kubuntu. After the default installation is finished you will have already installed tons of applications including web, mail, messaging, office, (simple) games, ...

Linux distributions are not like Windows where you have to install each application from a differenz source using a differenz installer.

Instead there is a package management tool (e.g. Synaptic, depending on the distro you use) in which you can select applications to install.
So, if the default installation is not sufficient for you, just look around which packages you find there and try them. There are many thousands available.

tredegar: Windows users typically don't know this and get confused by configure / make / make install instructions on the web.

Concerning DaBeast's hardware question: Wireless should work out of the box.
The modem is a so called WinModem, meaning that some hardware has been replaced by software. For many of these are drivers available, but it might not work out of the box. Search for "restricted modules" in the package management or look at http://www.linmodems.org/ if you need to use it. If not: who cares about modems in times of high speed connections?