LinuxQuestions.org - SUSE 9.3 / 10.1 beta 4 / RC 1 Mistakes I made

Hopefully you can get a properly running system with all the bits and pieces you need.

I'm posting this as I hope I can save you a lot of time and frustration -- so you can get a system up and running as quickly as possible.

I'll confine these remarks to a Laptop as it's usually not so much of a problem to get a Desktop to work.

OK Laptop is a Sony VAIO PCG-GRT816S with the SIS chipset - and a FULL pentium 2.8 processor.

This Laptop is not made any more as it is a power hungry HOG on the road but I don't care as it has a beautiful 16 inch X-Brite type screen and I usually have power available.

Graphics card is a Nvidia Go Fx5200 and screen resolution is 1400 X 1050. Hard Disk 80GB and a DVD-WRITER (Panasonic / Matshita dual layer DVD+R(W),-R(W) and DVD-RAM capable. Model UJ-845-S -- I replaced the crap Pioneer drive the laptop was originally fitted with.

Wireless card Linksys wpc54g pcmcia/cardbus type with Broadcom chipset, and internal Lan and modem --never bothered with the modem as I never use Dial up. I don't normally bother with the LAN card either as I prefer wireless for a laptop but it did work --bog standard generic lan card.

Start install (9.3) with Boot option insmod=ide-generic.

First mistake I made -- I didn't have that option (9.3) and the system would hang on booting the install CD. Boots OK with the above option typed in.

Choose the 1400X1050 (or highest resolution your screen is capable of --otherwise you'll get hideously ugly start up messages --the resolution you select will be used as well AFTER the system is installed. There probably is a way to change this but I couldn't find it.

Right -- packages selected -- most of the default plus NDISWRAPPER, Wireless tools.

extra package I also installed was from the 9.0 SUSE disk was C3270 --I wanted the IBM mainframe terminal emulators --999.99% of you won't want or need these.

Exclude KAFFEINE and all the XINE multimedia stuff -- NOT XINETD that's a necessary network service .

Install fine -- no probs.

What I did now to get a workable system.

Audio for USER other than root. -- Needed (9.3) to add a non root user to group AUDIO and also group USERS -- add the box in YAST --I know default says USERS but click the X in the box as well.

DVD and multi-media -- install LIBDVDCSS and follow instructions elsewhere in this forum.

Problem --still couldn't get it to work on my inbuilt DVD writer although it worked on an external drive. --This caused me about 2 weeks of searching but the fix was rediculously simple.

How I fixed it -- created a follder /media/dvdram
inserted DVD in the machine and then issued mount command as follows

mount -t /dev/cdrom /media/dvdram.

Changed Kaffeine settings===>XINE Engine parameters for media to /media/dvdram.

Then it worked. If I'd left the default /DVD it in no way would work. Because of the DVD-RAM capability of my DVD writer SUSE generated 2 devices. However using the standard /dev/cdrom device it all worked but not when using /dvd-- don't ask me why.

Wireless -- ndiswrapper worked fine with the normal install === BUT modprobe -m didn't yield result. You have to go into YAST ==> etc/sysconfig editor==>system==>kernel>> modules loaded on boot. Add ndiswrapper to this.

Set your LAN (wired) card (eth0) to start Manually --not on Boot.

FIREFOX Browser -- taking AGES to get to sites -- KONQUEROR was faster -- so changed setting -- go into FIREFOX browser and enter about:config in the url bar (address) go to Network and change disable ipv6 from FALSE to TRUE (right mouse click and toggle). --Note this does not sto access to IPV6 sites.

Hey presto --speeded up firefox no end.

SAMBA -- follow the instructions on this link

http://www.tweakhound.com/linux/samba/page_1.htm

Printing using printer (epson 1290) locally attached to a Windows machine

YAST ===> Hardware==>Printers select Print via SMB Network server

under workgroup -- MUST BE THE WINDOWS WORKGROUP

HOST NAME of server --- Put the actual IP address of the windows machine -- OK once it's all up and running you can change it all later AND DON'T FORGET A USER AND PASSWORD.

Now on my Windows machine I don't have a user and password as I'm the only one so just put anything in user and password --windows will ignore it.

Ensure the LOCAL filtering box is checked (this cost me a lot of time as I didn't do this).

Now you'll be prompted for printer model etc etc. Should all work fine. The printer queue name is the name of the printer share (the printer you've set as SHARED on your Windows box).

KDE space between menu items for USER -- show hidden files and go to .kde==>share==>config kickerrc. Find Menu entry height and just delete it or insert a number 16 or greater.

That's it -- There is just one thing --if you've installed Windows Service pack 2 (SP 2) on Windows XP then Windows doesn't like a null connection for accessing shares (no user ID / no password) -- you can fix this with a registry fix -- For anybody who really wants to do this you can find the info on Bart's PE site (google on BARTPE). I'm not posting it here as I'm not going to be responsible for hosing up people Windows machines --Windows does a pretty good job of doing that istself already.

Windows XP with SP2 actually needs a user ID and a password when accessing shares from a network-- the registry fix allows you to enter any user + any password (doesn't have to be actual users or passwords). This simulates the old way Windows allowed shares.

Linux might not need this but if you are sharing also with other Windows machines you'll probably need the fix.

One addition on 10.0 RC 1 you need to install kernel-default-nongpl-2.6.13-8.1586.rpm otherwise when using ndiswrapper you can lose wireless connectivity when starting the X-Server.

Final tip -- switch off Firewall while testing and also don't have any Wireless encryption. Once it's working you can add the firewall etc -- because if it DOESN'T work is the problem in the Firewall or the application and it's not easy to find.

Happy SUSE'ing.

And DO backup your system once you've got it right -- take an Image partition dump as you can restore without having to re-install / rebuid your Linux system.

Been busy for over 2 weeks now but have learnt a lot and have got the system the WAY I WANT it.

So hopefully BYE BYE 'DOZE soon -- I still need unfortunately Photoshop CS2 but eventually WINE ??.

Cheers -- and after a little frustration -- and some attempts with other distros I'm back to SUSE and very glad I am.

Only wish left -- Anybody got the Audigy ZS2 pcmcia SOUND card working on a laptop -- this is really great with 5.1 and 7.1 sound. I know Linux supports the PCI card on a desktop but I don't think anybody has got the laptop card to work yet. My Normal Laptop' s sound card works fine however.

-K