Matt40k

Over the weekend I’ve been playing with varies types of Linux. I’ve been posting over at EduGeek – http://www.edugeek.net/forums/nix/32847-recommend-os.html.

Basically, I have a old HP Compaq N1015v, which I’ve doubled the RAM from 256mb to 512mb and add a Atheros 802.11A\B\G mini-PCI wireless card. Overall it works pretty well in XP Pro (which it’s got a COA for), however lately it becoming more and more sluggish, so I though, before I (low-level) format it, I’ll give a linux ago.

Pretty much Atheros drivers are still a lie, Windows is supported by direct by Atheros, they do have the odd bug, but they do work out of the box. Linux however, well, they’ve passed it off to Madwifi or someone or other. I’ve got it working with Ubuntu, OpenSolaris (LiveCD). However OpenSolaris doesn’t install, or at least, once it’s installed it won’t boot. I can’t be arsed to spend time debugging it. I’m not a developer, so anything I do will be non-stable and basically, a hack.

I tried installing XUbuntu, however this appears to be broken, either it’s my laptop, or I got a bad build or it downloaded wrong. Either way, I gave up after burning two CD ISO. Both of which, came up with rather worrying errors during the inital loadup (of the installer). So I canned that earily on.

I was thinking about installing OpenBSD. I know for a fact OpenBSD has full support for the laptop, from a previous “project” and I know they support the Atheros AR5212 card, one it’s on the website and two I’ve used it one a WRAP. The only problem with OpenBSD is that no-one, or at least I haven’t found anyone, who has a made a distro that includes Gnome by default. So I’ll have to install OpenBSD, then pkg_add gnome and all the other little bits, which ok, isn’t hard, but it does take time and a little bit of though. Never of which I wanted to use.

After getting Ubuntu install, I showed it to my gf, who, pretty much, doesn’t like change. So I’m off back to XP Pro. I think I might think a bit more about the install this time. Anyway am off to watch stuff on YouTube… before I get killed!