Ok here we go,I have a laptop "toshiba satellite 2100cds " with Win2k pro installed and a PCI card "D-link dfe-670txd" fast ethernet card which connects me to my desktop machine where i share my internet connection,DSL connection.

The toshibe laptop is old but in goos working order with 96m ram 6.2 h/d and runs win2k pro fine.

So why can't i find a version of linux that will work on it and allow me to share my internet connection and there fore learn linux whist using it, All i want to do is load linux connect to the web and google to my hearts content to teatch myself linux.

I've tried xandros,Knoppix live CD,Gnoppix Live CD,Suse Live CD, Plus some that i can't remember the name of.

Some load ok others dont load at all Suse would'nt load because it needs 256m memory to run Gnoppix just would run at all Knoppix runs but can't see or find my fast ethernet card so i can't get net connection anywhere.

I've been trying for weeks now and am really going off linux before i even try it,Windows M$ is so bad for us but i can't escape it.old laptop windows 95,98,98se,win2k pro all work fine on it and net connection is easy linux as been a nightmare and i hav'nt even used it yet.

Ahhh sorry for ranting,But i feel better for that.

PLEASE can anyone give me any advice that might get my running linux and getting a shared net connection.

Try some Kanotix or Ubuntu, see how that works out?

You can make any distribution work on it. First step will be to install linux.. post if you have problems.. second step will be to get internet working. Wireless cards can be made to work with linux using a couple different things.. personally I like ndiswrapper.

Stealth870 i looked at Kanotix first thing i saw was it needs 128m ram to run prefered 256,just looking at Ubuntu now.


Jatt_thugz i've installed and posted questions here and the reply i got was try another distro,this is like a lottery and i'm getting ready to announce windows m$ foreever linux never this is stupid everyone says try linux it's so much better,yeah right if you can spend a life time d/loading distro's till you find one that;ll work on your system.

I might recommend VectorLinux.. very quick and easy install.. it would run quite well on that also..

Man guy I dont get you, how come I never had any problems installing any distros? And I tried a LOT. They all startup and work fine, detect all my hardware. tsss. And plus You need patience with LINUX, it like learning the computer all over again, do you remember the first time you touched a windooz pc? How did that feel for the first 3 weeks? And Remember how you felt the first time that you had to go in to DOS to fix something and hten reinstall winddooz 98 from scratch? how did that feel. Now why dont you get some more patience and install that god damn pinguin on your system and then ask question if it doesnt work.

I've got a Slackware installation running well on a similar laptop (Compaq 1210, 96MB, 6Gb HD) Wireless enabled and everything! I use XFCE as the window manager, and the only time I notice any slowdown is when running FireFox, and even then it's still quite usable... The wireless card was detected on startup, I just had to get the configuration scripts setup properly.

Slackware can be kinda intimidating for a new Linux user, but if you read the install prompts and follow the directions, you should be able to handle it - I was able to It's not a GUI install, but the instructions are quite clear... Hardest part for me in the beginning was understanding how Linux references hard drive partitions, but once I got the logic of it I had no problems...

If you do choose Slackware, I recommend doing the install next to a computer that already has internet access - it could make things alot easier...

Good Luck!

You know, if its such a problem and you dont wanna spend a "lifetime", there's always the alternative: Windows.. its not too bad, easy to use and has very good support. Tell yourself that linux is not for you and get on with your life

IroN-RuS - Don't be so aggressive towards people here. It will not be tolerated. This forum is for Linux newbies and we offer all the help we can. Not everyone has the same experience with installing Linux as you. I'm a Network Support Technician, and the first install I did was red hat... and it's a good thing it partitioined it for me because I had no idea.. But I've come a long way since then, and can appreciate where he's coming from. If you wanted to tell him to have patience and be persistant, fine; but do it in a more appropriate manner, please.

Yup I guess I was bit hars and Im sorry :P

Thanks for the thought's guy's,I'm in the UK and i've just got up another day another try i guess,As for persisting with linux i've been trying for 3 weeks to just install this damn linux.

I'll download a few more distro's and try and get them to run then i'll post back here and ask for help with detecting my pci fast ethernet card,I just hope i don't get the same answer i got before,Which was " Try another distro "

Thanks again ajc

I too am a Linux Newbie, still looking for the 'right' combination of a system that I can see great promise in. 'Free' software, meaning that it is freely achievable, distributable, operational, and open for all to see and learn from is akin only to another renaissaince in humanities progress through knowledge sharing, as so it should be, indeed , MUST be , if we are to survive as the human race. But, I certainly identify with ajc275 when he /she laid out the problems that can be had in the different distros. I have tried Knoppix, Damn Small Linux, Basic Linux, University Linux, Simply Mepis, Pclinuxos 2k4, and Yoper Linux thus far in my efforts to 'make' something work and hopefully get away from Windows. I am not against Windows so much per se as a functional operating system, but do not, will not, be under anyones 'control' when I spend my own money to get there. I do NOT agree with 'renting' software. Sorry, left the subject. Anyway, I had all the problems that ajc275 mentioned , PLUS. I never got ANY of the above systems to work in any reliable fashion except Knoppix, and that was only one time on my old Pentium mmx 233 box with win98 and 48 megs of ram , which , of course, meant making a swap file to get Knoppix to boot at all. I had no idea what that was and fortunately Knoppix more or less did it itself. Now, at this point, you may want to say that If I don't know anythin that I ought to stick with Windows. But, I will argue with you. I WANT to know it all, and by gum, I intend to stick with it till I do, and frankly, I don't care whether you like it or not. But , my impression was that A 'NEWBIES' forum was to HELP newbies, lissen to their problems and help em along a bit. And there were several posts in this thread that went against that allright.


Anyway, this is for you ajc275. I have a'winmodem' in the 'other' box I have tried those distros in and it just flat don't work with Linux. I can get simply Mepis to load on there but it is a bit memory hungry, still it is a good one. Damn Small Linux is NOT memeory hungry and loaded right up on my old box with only 48 m of ram and it had a really cool desktop with a browser called 'dillo', but it sent a koo koo script to my modem, which is Linux compatable so it didnt work for the internet, but just might work with your setup. But, more to the point and possibly more helpful is what I am doing now. There is a thing called 'Workspot'-- www.workspot.com . It is run by some cats out of California. They provide a java program to let you have a 'virtual' desktop Linux system. If you have a broadband connection it is QUICK, or at least it is with my 1.5gig amd processor and dsl. . You can get a 10 minute 'demo' and play with it to see if you like it, and then they do want $10 a month to use it full time, but here is the thing. you want to 'surf' and learn linux while using it right? Well, that works out fine because you can use 'workspots' virtual Mandrake system to surf with open source browser till you find the 'right' linux for you. All the features of a Mandrake system are there as well includng a BUNCH of applications to play with. I dont think you can do some of the stuff 'root' can do but the education to be had, WITHOUT the hassle of trying to figure out where to 'put' things in Linux, is readily availible. Hope this helps.

I hope you get some good news soon. It can't be too far away. The bug eats at ya till you find a way.

Good luck!!

Well, I would be recommending distros if what you want to do is find one that works right out of the box, but if you don't want to keep looking, then stop, see which distro you've liked best so far, install it, and we'll try to guide you through getting that card detected

OK sorry it took a while to answer,I'm now at the point where i can load DSL " damn small linux" and SLAX kill bill and they load ok and by using pci=biosirq they both find my pci card and my networks see's it,But i still can't get on the net.

When i open a browser it says error loading page ?

Is there something else i have to do now either to my desktop which is my main machine using win xp pro or to the laptop, to allow me to get on the net