Unix in a low cost laptop (Part 2)

The last weekend I restarted my game with Solaris. I downloaded the las release (8/07) and attempted to install it.... with the same results like before. I'm very disapointed: my laptop is the most common system in the market -I think-, with the Intel 945 chipset.

Then, a few days ago, Ben Rockwood published in his blog that the openSolaris community published the new release of the Nevada OS (Solaris open source test build) with a new installer. Downloaded and a new test.... better but not working. Better? Why?... because the installer starts to configure '/dev' but after more than half hour it is still configuring the same (nothing). The machine seems to be not halted (the cursor is still moving) but no led is flashing (hard disk or dvd).

I think the openSolaris community is going to repair this problems soon and then I will be the most happy user of it. Unfortunately my system knowledge and I programming skills are not enought to do this job.. snif.

Well, at the end my Acer laptop is running the last release of Ubuntu (7.10 Gutsi). It isn't as beauty as Fedora but all people says is the best for home use. After change the appearance theme I'm going to test this Compiz window manager. Now is fast as Vista (not very much at all).

See you.

Unix in a low cost laptop (Part 1)

Hey,
following the last post, I tried to install Solaris in my laptop. It's an Acer Aspire 5633 (Intel T5500 Centrino Duo). This laptop comes with Vista Home Premium and to avoid problems with the original installation I had bought a new hard disk this morning. Installing it was easy and then..

First attempt was with Solaris 6/06 (Update 3). I know that it isn't the last version but I have the original DVD's from Sun. Failed... the installation hangs unable to find the hard disk. Seems that this version doesn't have the correct drivers for the chipset. Searching in the Sun forums found that this new chipset has different controllers for ATA devices (serial and Parallel separately).

Second attempt with Solaris Express 2/07. It detected the hard disk OK but hang preparing partitions.. ouff. After this fails I start downloading the latest release of Solaris (8/07). Maybe new drivers were prepared.


At the end I installed Fedora 7 64bits.... Impressive performance .. really fast to install and to work. Now I'm going to play with Fedora some days... I'll maintain you informed...

Come back. I'm here!!!

Ufff. After the dead of my main and my second PC's last moth I was very bussy reconfiguring my new ones. Today I decided to do something with my new workstation (Dell Precision 390 Core2Quad).
Not Unix work but I started my Flickr Album with Octane2 and 13W3 -> VGA adapter photos. In the next days I will upload a lot of pics about my hobbies.
Next to do: Put new entries in this blog speaking about cleaning my software installation in the Octane2, for boot up time optimizing and the results of a new Unix instalation in my new Laptop (maybe Solaris?)

See you.

Gaim!!! ufffff.

Today I tried to install Gaim (nekoware, of course!), the most common multiprotocol chat program in the unix world. Installing a new soft bah! easy... except out of Windows. Here is not a Next, Yes, Next, Next, Finish installation process.

First you have to download the tarball of the desired software. Then look at its dependencies that this program needs, these are more software or software libraries. And then you have to download the dependencies of the dependencies (yes it is!).

Started the Software Manager I opened the Gaim tarball, then clicking in the "Conflicts" button a new window appears with the dependencies that are missing. Choose install the dependencies and browse for the correct file. Sometimes I forgot to download, I open Firefox and download, but one time I downloaded a incorrect file (I confused between the two gtk libraries). The mistake created more dependencies to be needed. Then when I tried to open some file (neko_tiff I think) I found the library is missing again. I downloaded again some times and the same error. Tired I closed Software Manager and go dinner.

After dinner (Carppaccio!!!), second attempt: With all the dependencies in a temporary folder I started to open the Gaim tarball and then the dependencies that Software Manager ask for. When I opened neko_glut the same error than before (glut is missing). I remembered that glut was Okay the first attempt and I was thinking Maybe the Software Manager can't open a lot of tarballs at time. rare but... perhaps.

Third attempt: I started to install neko_tiff and it dependencies.... OK. After this I tried GTK.... Okay again. WOW, Glut and tiff are installed, nothing wrong can come now... I was thinking..... Yeah Gaim installed!!!

Buff, when I saw Gaim running with my friends online in MSN I was very happy for two reasons: First this was the longest installation of a program in my live (and Gaim is a very small software!!!) and second, last week my old server died as my workstation did one month a go and if I keep the laptop in the office I can't chat with friends.

Now I only have to think what OS I'm going to install in my new Core2Quad, I think Dell is going to send the PC next week. Solaris? Fedora? Ubuntu? That's the question!!!!

A lot of new things!!!

A lot of new things and a lot of time without writing anything in this blog. First of all I have to say that my Octane was down because monitor problems (monitor switch problems) but at the end of july a new KVMA switch arrived. It is a Gembird CAS-441. I was surprised by the good quality and its function.

A lot of people says that the Octane's dont work whit KVM's but it does. Just two things:
1.- Only standard keyboards are supported. My newer keyboard with fast access keys -sound, mail, etc.- hangs the KVM.
2.- Sometimes the special keys (ctrl, alt, BloqNum, et.) does not work properly, usually when I change the working computer. A reboot of the computer repairs the problem but I need to do more test (plug-unplug keyboard, cables, etc.)

With the new switch I remade my old adapter 13W3-HD15, doing it short and with HD15 (VGA) female at the end. Special lead with video, keyboard and mouse in one cable do the rest.

After some weeks of work I'm happy this this KVM, the quality of video is excellent comparing with other models, no blur at the monitor and digital control inside works okay. (And is a very cheap model!!!!)

First post from Octane2!!!

Ufff, this was a long week. After my first successful IRIX installation I tried to download de IRIX 6.5.22 overlays from SGI supportfolio. After a few minutes downloading the first file a full disc warning appeared on screen. With a clean installation in a 18Gb disk it is impossible and I start to look the fault. I found that the hard disk had a 15 Gb partition unmounted. I tried to mount without success.

After one night of work I decided to reformat my hard disk and reinstall everything. This was the third attempt but was the best. Wednesday night IRIX was installed without any problem (except a AppleShare application fault, but is normal). Thursday I downloaded the overays and this weekend the overlays and firefox (from nekoware!!!) are installed successful!!!.

Now my Octane2 is full working (I think) and I can start my projects WOW.

I'm tired. more tomorrow.... See you.

I have a working system!!!

YES... my Octane2 has Irix working from today. At the start of this week I received the Irix Package (6.5.11) and the SCSI cable I need for my CD-ROM reader. It was not a easy thing and three times I needed to have my Octane2 booting correctly. First I have problems with the CD reader (Sony) and I changed with an old Plextor. The second time I did't open the discs 2 and 3 of the Overlays and when the system was restarted... It just hang.

Fortunately this night I tried to install just the Overlays (3 cd set). After open this cd's in the install menu (using "boot" command because the Prom was unable to boot from CD), the installer ask for NFS disc. 3 Conflicts was resolved easy: Not install the conflics (BLAS library). And then... REBOOT.

After a long time booting I saw the user menu and I was able to select the EZInst user. I network and desktop and a new restart came. This time I logged with my new user acount a I saw the IRIX desktop. COOL!!!!!!

After logging new network configuration (Routing and DNS), new reboot and I found this:
This is Netscape Navigator with the Neko forums opened. You can see that the result is not fantastic but... I will install Firefox this weekend (after an upgrade to 6.5.22 from SGI Supportfolio).

Ahh, important if you have to install Irix: read this document writed by Ian Mapleson. Without this I could not install nothing!!!!

This is the good news but I have a bad one (not very bat but...): The graphic card is a V6. With the price I paid for the system is OK but I need a better one if I chage my monitor to a Wide 22".