[Jariel]

Hello all, I wasnt sure should I have write this topic on the "installation" part, but it's a bit too late now, when the damage is done now, heh. So, could you fellows help a linux newbie on his way out of m$?

I have bought this laptop, Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo D 8830, and I always have thought installing a linux on my computer (tech specs will follow on a bit further).

I just wonder, how difficult it is to install linux on laptop, and what things I should think&check before installation... and what distro I should get? I have thought about mandrake or redhat, but I dont know for sure... so I could use a serious help here.

Tech specs:
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.66 Ghz
Chipset: Intel 82845PE, Intel 82801DB (?Intel 845PE chipset?)
Bus: 400/533MHz FSB
Second-level cache: 512
Memory: 512MB DDR SDRAM
Optical drive: (DVD/CD-RW combo), QSI CDRW/DVD SBW-241
Hard disk drive: 60GB, Fujitsu MHT2060AT
Graphic: ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000 (?M9 chip?) 64MB
LCD-Display: 15" TFT XGA, 1024 x 768 | 15" TFT SXGA+, 1400 x 1050
Audio: VT1612A, 2 built-in speakers, built-in microphone, microphone in, headphone out, volume regulator
Modem: 56K V.90 international modem (dont need it anyway )
LAN: (10/100 Mbps LAN ) National semiconductor corp. DP83815/816 MacPhyter PCI Adapter
Battery: Li-Ion, 8 cells, 14.8V/4000mAH
Interfaces: 5 x USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, S-Video, parallel, PS/2, modem, LAN, CRT, microphone-in and headphone out
PC Card slots: 1 x type I/II PC Card slot

Phew, I think I got it all covered here, but please, I really hope that I get some help here, and I can finaly get linux on my comp... I just want to know is it possible to get linux on my laptop... and if yes, how, what distro, what problems I might encounter..

thanks for your effort!

-Jari

[big_k105]

you know i have heard one of the best ways to see if linux will work is to download knoppix or another live cd distro that all you have to do is pop it in the cdrom and set the computer to boot from the cdrom and check stuff out and see if it all works. another good live distro is slackware live:
http://slax.linux-live.org/

knoppix is debian basesd:
http://www.knoppix.org/

your hardware looks like it would work fine with linux but take alook at the distro's different Hardware Database's they will let you know what they know works. and for laptops the hardest things to get working are the touch pad mouse and the batter info.

distro info:

if you decide you want to try out something alittle more difficult for a distro try slackware, gentoo, or debian out. if you want distros with a gui installer then i would go with redhat, fedora, mandrake, or suse(i dont think you can get online anymore).

fedora:
http://fedora.redhat.com/

slackware:
http://www.slackware.com/

gentoo:
http://www.gentoo.org/

debian:
http://www.debian.org/

[Jariel]

thanks a lot of these tips, I downloaded the Slax Live CD, and it worked great. Network connection, sounds, everything worked fine with it..

so, what I should do next? I havent partioned my Hard disk yet, but I'm intend to do it on the weekend, or early next week, it depends on various of things...

so, what I should know about the pre-installation (expect checking the hardware fitting)? If the distro I choose doesnt certify hardware compapility, it could still work? right? if yes, where do I know it...

and for example, neither RedHat or Mandrake (newest versions) didnt show Mobility Radeon 9000 (M9 chip) on the certified hardware list, so how is the thing with my graphic card?

I think that I can still have Windows XP on other partition of the Harddisk, right? But how is the boot menu going to be then?

well, any ideas, suggestions? I would love to get some support on this I have already got some great help (thanks big_k105) but it wouldnt hurt to get some more.

thanks for any effort here, maybe someone else with same laptop can also get some help here..

- Jari

[Jariel]

ok, my little project is complete, and the result is SUCCESS! I installed Mandrake 9.2 on different partition, and now I can boot Mandrake linux or windows XP on startup (well, ofc linux, I just kept XP just in a case...)

there was some MINOR problems on installation, so any Amilo D 8830 users should be able to install Mandrake 9.2 (and other distros too, ofc, but I have now only experiensed mandrake) fine.

The problem was related to unsuccessful installation attempt, for some reason, installation stopped on middleway at first time, and it was uncompleted, but linux still worked fine (funny heh, I would love to see what windows XP does on unsuccessful installation...), well problem solved: reinstall completely, and now it works like a dream

I still havent tested my network, but it should be allright, because the system has found, and installed drives for my NIC.... it's all great!

this project took a bit of time, few months, but it was all worth it! thanks for all helpers here on forum, and take care!

- Jari