I attempted to install suse linux 10.1 on my toshiba laptop. All went smoothly until it finished and tried to boot up in graphical mode. The screen went all garbled and mouse turned into a garbled white square. Um, I'm assuming I have to install the ati linux driver, but I would have no idea on how to do that in text mode. Any ideas?

Thanks in advanced =)

I think ATI is supported by kernel. Check kernel config.

Well, normally the ati-drivers are only needed if you want 3d- acceleration, and not to run the normal xserver, so I would suggest you post your /etc/X11/xorg.conf and your /var/log/Xorg.0.log here because I don't think the ati drivers should be the problem. Anyway, if you want the ati drivers, at first you have to download them from the ati website, because suse does not support them, you can do this either by using links ( if its includesd in Suse) a text-mode browser
[HTML]links www.ati.com[/HTML] or by booting a live cd and download it.
Then best follow the instructions given here http://en.opensuse.org/Howto/ATI_Driver

P.S. If your able to boot with a liveCd have a look at the /etc/X11/xorg.conf and compare it with the one in your normal system

I had similiar problems with my toshiba, I had to set the resolution to 800x600 and install the ati drivers, then everything was fine.

So what your saying is, before the isntall I set it to 800x600 then install the ati driver afterwards? That'll work? Will it boot in graphical mode without the driver? Hmm, ok I guess I'll try that...

Ok that deffinetly didn't work. Hmm, I read the instructions on installing the ati driver, but does this require me to have an internet connection? I obviously have no idea what I'm doing lol.

Oh and I don't have a live cd. Nor can I burn one, because I do not own a dvd burner =/
I did try a ubuntu live cd I had though. Which didn't work. If that means anything. I'm a bit frustrated with all of this to say the least.

Thanks for all your help in advance once again.

I installed xandros distro on my Toshiba, everything went fine it booted perfectly, but I can not get the WIFI to work. I am new at Linux perhaps there is more I need to do?

Maybe Xandros is not the way to go. Could someone give me an idea which distro would be best for Toshiba laptop with built in wifi?

So what your saying is, is that your notebook has integrated wifi? So it's not an atheros card or anything? Because if it's an atheros card you have, then it may be a bit difficult to have wifi on any Linux distro. However, if your up for a challenge you could try using madwifi.

If it's integrated, I would just try using opensuse 10.1
Linspire should do the trick as well. Unfortunately I don't know much about xandros.

Ati should work on your Toshiba. Try this:
Login into a text mode; or Control-Alt-F1 switch the console
$ su root (passsword)
# init 3
# cp /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf.bak (backup xorg, just in case)
# sax2 -m 0=vesa (start sax and choose the graphic driver vesa, save)
# init 5
# su (your user name)
# startx
Go to http://en.opensuse.org/ATI_Driver_HOWTO
and do the rest.

Getting WiFi working on a toshiba A105 is straight forward with madwifi drivers:

First install some stuff through YAST

1) kernel source
2) sharutils
3) gcc
4) yum
5) yum-utils

# cd /usr/src/linux
# cp /boot/config-2.6.16.13-4-default ./.config
# make

(obviously use the correct version that you have. 2.6.16.13-4 was on my suse 10.1 DVD)

# cd /usr/local/src
# wget http://snapshots.madwifi.org/madwifi...0060707.tar.gz

# tar xvzf madwifi-ng-r1679-20060707.tar.gz
# cd madwifi-ng-r1679-20060707
# make KERNELPATH=/usr/src/linux-2.6.16.13-4
# make KERNELPATH=/usr/src/linux-2.6.16.13-4 install
# reboot

i have the same problem trying to install SUSE 10.1 and i did tried to use the 800x600 reolution, but that didnt work, what else could it be??? please help me, another thing has anyone installed any linux distribution in a toshiba A105 S20501???

Unfortunately I wasn't able to install suse linux on my Toshiba notebook, so I'm of no use there.
However, Freespire and Linspire both work on my laptop =) Those worked right of the bat! The only thing that didn't work at first was the wifi, but I was able to figure out the madwifi driver and got it to work. If you decide to go with either of these two let me know. I'll be happy to help you =)

Slackware 12.0 worked on my Toshiba M115-S3094, except Xorg crashed when I exited KDE, had to do Ctrl+Alt+Del to shut down.

Here is everything I did:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=575698