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dougcb68
09-23-2002, 04:45 PM
I'm interested in installing Linux (I have SuSE 8.0) on a Compaq Presario 12XL300 laptop on which I am running Windoze ME. I am reluctant to get rid of Windoze until I get up to speed on Linux. BUT--the automatic disk repartition only gave me about 0.5 GB for Linux. Not much.
Compaq tells me that there is no way to upgrade the hard disk on this machine. My question is if there is any way that I could add an external USB hard drive to support Linux or do I need to buy a new machine? (which I cannot afford) Or, is there some other option which has not occured to me?
Thanks,
d.
mdwatts
09-23-2002, 04:58 PM
Linux does have support of USB HD's.
What size of HD do you have and how much space is ME using?
It will be hard to get a useable system on only 0.5GB. Try a minial install and remove ME asap. avoid big programs like KDE and Gnome as they eat hard disk space like crazy.
there is a website that tells you about linux on laptops. I can't remeber the address but someone esle might
about upgrading: look around on the web. it could be done.
I did a fast google search and found a website that might help
http://www.ahpcc.unm.edu/~summers/compaq18XL380/
not tollay useful but some info could lurk below the surface.
try a search yourself (sorry if that sounds like STFW) you might find more stuff than I did
on USB: USB hard drives are slow unless you have USB 2.0. They are also expenise when compered with normal hard drives.
good luck!
dougcb68
09-23-2002, 05:20 PM
The computer has 6.0 GB. ME is using 3.5 GB on C: and 1.5 GB on D:
dougcb68
09-23-2002, 05:38 PM
Thanx pnu. I went to the site you cited (no pun intended) and found a link to Linux Laptop-HOWTO (http://www.ibiblio.org/mdw/HOWTO/Laptop-HOWTO.html)
This is VERY long so I will take a while to plow through it.
The site you sent me to did confirm some things I already knew.
1) Windows ME is the WORST of a very bad series.
2) Buying a Compaq laptop is a very big mistake.
d.
The Whizzard
09-23-2002, 05:38 PM
10, 20 and 30 Gig drives. (http://shop.store.yahoo.com/a-c/compres1212126.html) Kinda expensive, though. You can also just get a standard 2.5 inch drive without the upgrade kit. (http://www.nextag.com/serv/main/buyer/OutPDir.jsp?node=&otherForm=n&doSearch=y&advanced=n&search=2.5+inch+eide+hard+drive&searchnodeid=-1) You just use the tray from your existing drive.
mdwatts
09-24-2002, 05:53 AM
Is ME using ALL the space in both those partitions?
Can you resize both C and D to give enough space to install Linux?
carlywarly
09-24-2002, 05:58 AM
You could have a go at the Live Evaluation disk - runs from CDrom. It will give you a good idea if SuSE 8.0 will work with all your hardware. Obviously it's slow compared to an HDD install, but it's an option.
Two surgestions:
First: Delete ME and take your plunge into Linux from the high board. You will not be able to reload ME onto your laptop if something goes wrong. (before doing this try the demo disk)
second: try a linux distro that permits more control of the install rather than just blunging a couple of GBs of software on your system. Two surgestions: debian and slackware debian is free www.debian.org and the new version is surposed to be quite good.
Try resizing but it might not work very well. I have never used ME and I dont know how much space it needs.
dougcb68
09-24-2002, 04:56 PM
Thanks for all the ideas. I am leaving early tomorrow morning to drive from Minnesota to Mexico, so I'll be off line for about five days. It will be a while before I get to try all the possibilities you have suggested.
I guess I wasn't clear in my original post. I DID get Linux to install in my original .5 GB partition, but only a minimal installation. I can't get any graphics drivers to install in that small space.
The D: drive is named SYSTEM_SAV. Does anybody know if this is really necessary or is it just something Bill Gates stuck in there as a safty net for an unreliable system? If I could gain access to this space I'd be golden.
I'm not brave enough to jump off the high board. I have a couple of mission critical apps that keep bread on the table. I will try the demo disk to see if I can run these first. If I can---Geronimo!
Back in a few days.
d.