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Turning Lead into Gold - A Linux problem solved
I'm a new guy in this forum, intending to ask how in the world would I get Debian 5 (Lenny) to display a gnome desktop. But by careful application of "Now let me try this.... that didn't work.... now let me try this", I finally found the desktop manager selector on the login page, popped the Gnome checkbox, and there it was!
Making this short... we built a MakerBOT Cupcake robotic plastic extruder. This got us (my son and I) interested in the Arduino controller board that runs the MakerBOT. After a few days, we had Arduino Uno experimenter boards but needed a mobile computer to try out sensor software-hardware installed in the engine of an old Jeep CJ-7. A 12yr old HP4150 running Win98, with no CD drive and no driver for USB memory sticks wasn't gonna cut it.
So this is the short part - We made an older Debian ETCH floppy set, got that running on the HP, then did an on-line LENNY upgrade. This turned a laptop that was essentially a boat anchor into a golden opportunity to replace old inop or unreliable Jeep cockpit displays into new sensor and digital display suites using Arduino Uno's to run the show, displaying via LCD 4X40 displays.
This weekend, T/S Lee is hammering the MS Gulf Coast (let it rain! we need it), so the HP4150, Lenny, and the arduino board are getting a good workout.
If you have an older laptop stuffed in a closet, I highly recommend Debian 5 Lenny as an operating system, rather than Ubuntu, which seems more needy in resource demands.
I should sink the How It Happened into a blog and follow on with the Arduino-Jeep Gauges and Display Saga. Someone else might want to tread that path.
Bonne chance,
Denny Hugg
Gulfport, MS
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