How friendly would Debian be to my set up?

**bidi** · 06-23-2005

The reason I ask is because Windows XP is really starting to piss me off. Recently it has been disabling my wireless network all by itself, and then won't let me enable it again unless I restart the computer.

Anyway, I have a pretty unusual set up, so I was wondering how friendly Debian would be to all the crap I have. I'd like to do the Net install on this computer since I did it a few weeks ago on another computer and found it to be extremely relaxing.

Here's a picture if you'd like to see what my desk looks like: my desk

The first thing that comes to mind is the wireless adapter. It's a Netgear MA101 (pretty old), which is a USB unit and I found to be a Atmel AT76C503A based wireless USB device (don't really know what that means, but seems to be important).

Another issue would be my monitor, which isn't really a monitor, it's a LCD TV. As you can see from the picture, it's a wide screen, and in Windows I use a 1280x720 pixel resolution (highest wide screen setup my graphics card excepts), does Debian also have that resolution? I check the setting for the PC I installed Debian on and it doesn't seem to have that wide of a setting. The good news is that since it's a LCD it has a VGA connection, so that isn't an issue.

Net issue is the printer (I haven't read up much on this). Mine is a Lexmark X1150, it's one of those all-in-one units and I'd really like to keep it's capabilities. Also connects to the computer via USB cable. Like I've said, I haven't read much on how printers work in Linux, but I've read enough to know it's sometime and issue, so I'm guessing it gets worst with this one.

Last issue that I definately will have is my Pocket PC (you can't see it in the picture). It has Windows Pocket PC 2002 (based on Windows CE) on it and connects to the computer through ActiveSync (a Microsoft program). I'd be willing to move it to another computer if I don't have a choice, but would be nice keeping it with me. I use frequently, it's where I do most of my school work in (has Excel and Word). Also connects to the computer through USB.

Do you guys think it would be a good idea to get rid of Windows at this point? I really don't need a dual boot system, I have enough computers that having a dual boot PC would be useless.

**kkubasik** · 06-23-2005

You should be able to use it all, none of your devices will be impossible to get working, and should all work in debian. However you will probably have a good hour or 2 of work to get it all set up, if your interested, heres some links you can read up on to get you aqainted. The Monitor should be no issue at all, that can all be configured almost however you want. As long as you have the manufactueres specifications for vertical and horizontal sync rates, you can just enter the resolution and color depth you want.

a linux driver for your wireless device
http://at76c503a.berlios.de/

a howto for Lexmark All-in-ones on linux
http://users.netwit.net.au/~pursang/lex.html

a relativly new program that allows the syncing of pocket-pc's and linux desktops
http://synce.sourceforge.net/synce/

**bidi** · 06-23-2005

I'm more worried about if the wireless adapter is going to detected for the net install. Is the driver for it available in the net-driver floppy of the net install set?

**kkubasik** · 06-23-2005

Can't speak to that, the best bet would be to download the net install iso, and boot it, because no changes will be made to your disk for the first several steps (just don't do any partitioning until you can be sure the net is working) you can check it that way, sometimes its just easier to give it a shot.

There are 3 other simple solutions.

1) Download all the disk. I know its not the most economical solution, but as soon as the install finishish from that, just add an ftp/http mirror (my favorate is ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/debian sarge main ) to your /etc/apt/sources.list then run apt-get update && apt-get upgrade && apt-get dist-upgrade. At which point you will have an updated system. Since a wireless connection can sometimes be fickle and a little slow, this might make the install faster/easer (post the dowload/burning iso phase)

2) Download and try knoppix, its a debian derivative (thats primary seller is its live-boot capacity) should it detect your wireless card, you could use its 'install to disk' feature, then change the /etc/apt/sources.list to debian mirrors, run an

Code:

apt-get update && apt-get dist-upgrade

and you'll be more or less set with a debian system.

NOTE: This is probably the least likely to work perfectly as in the process of the dist-upgrade, it may replace the driver that was working for your wireless card and in the process, halt the install, which may lead to a borked system, probably the last of the 'free' choices to try

3) Buy 75 meters of cat5 cable for about 15 bucks from your local computer wholesale joint and do the install wired, it'll only take about an hour to an hour and a half tops (with a machine that plays in the shallow end of the pool) and once its set up, you can follow the howto and get a nice wireless connection running. Store the cable away for later use (lassoing, decorations, there are endless oportunnitues)

The greatest strength of Linux is all the choices you can make, in the end, if somone really doesn't like that philosohpy, debian is not for them (being as debian is something akin to a 'Vanilla' linux, and the most community backed of any) I am NOT giving you some 'if you have to ask these questions, debian isnt for you' condesending junk. (au-contrare, props to you for having the forsight to post something like this before whining and complainig that Linux deleted your windows partition and now won't run on your hardware) Just don't view these options as there becuase they rarely work, rather, there are lots of options because they all have strenghts and weaknesses and someone at some point wanted to see if they could do it another way.

**bidi** · 06-23-2005

Thanks for the response... I guess I'll have to try it.

Another question I forgot to ask, does Linux play well with a Microsoft wireless keyboard? Shouldn't be an issue with the regular keys since mine is an older one and connects to the computer through the PS/2 connections for the mouse and keyboard (not USB). What I'm wondering is if all the keys on it can be configured to work with Linux. It has a whole bunch of useful crap that I do actually use, the first one that comes to mind is the Volume control, but there's also Play, Stop, Fast Forward, Open Browser, etc...

**kkubasik** · 06-23-2005

I have heard of someone getting some of those keys to work, I have used a Microsoft wireless keyboard with a traditional 104 key layout, but I never tried to get any of the 'special and fun' keys working. I wouldn't make it a priority until the rest of your system is running smoothly.

A nice alternative, Gnome (and probably KDE as well) offer keyboard shortcuts I believe (for example, ctrl-shift-e would open your e-mail client) while not the exact same, they would serve about the same functionality, unfortnetly, the don't come preconfigured, and you would have to do all that yourslef. (just selecting the key combonation and program to start)

**Kingedgar** · 06-23-2005

I have a Microsoft wireless comfort combo that works great with Debian Sid and Zen Linux plugged into the ps2 ports. However when I tried to use it on my laptop which has Ubuntu 5.04, it didnt work at all. It was plugged into usb, and Im sure I was doing something wrong.

It should probably work for you.

**ToastedToad** · 06-23-2005

I don't have a Microsoft keyboard, but a Logitech. In gnome, it makes it pretty easy to set up all of the multimedia keys. ie. volume,paly,stop, etc. And also some of the shortcut keys.

**Namibia Linux** · 06-26-2005

Go 4 it u wont look back i guarantee u

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