Frustration with finding workable distro

[ormus]

So, here's my story. Should keep you on the edge of your seats...

Whilst in a very idealistic bent of mind a week I decided to get completely rid of WinXP from my Packard Bell Easynote laptop and install Ubuntu 9.10.

Mistake. What I had not foreseen was that Ubuntu does not seem to like my ethernet controller: VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6102 [Rhine-II] (rev 78 ). So I spent quite a bit of time trawling bug reports and asking on the Ubuntu forums how this could be fixed, but to no avail. Relevant threads under this search entry:

ubuntuforums.org/search.php?searchid=66787977

What I had actually done prior to installing 9.10 was use an old 7.04 boot disc. Of note there was that I had no problem using my ethernet connection. So from my limited computer knowledge, which has recently grown considerably, it seems to have something to do with a change in the kernel between 7.04 and 9.10. From what I could gather, 7.10 uses the 2.6.20 kernel.

Giving up on Ubuntu (also wouldn't safely remove my external h.d., whilst the fixes suggested by forum members again didn't work), I did lots of reading on distros. First chose TinyMeLinux, but they no longer offer a download of a stable version. Next, chose Zenwalk, downloaded ISO, booted, installed, then at configuration stage of installation, computer stalls.

Starting to act a little irrationally by this point. So, cursing Zenwalk, I decide that I will download Debian ISO instead. Do so, following the instructions on the site (first downloading a download manager to preclude against any cuts in the download), put boot disc in, nothing. Thinking something weird from Zenwalk could be the cause, I use a programme to completely wipe the h.d., then try again. Still nothing. Then download an ISO a second time from a different source. Again nothing.

Becoming even more desperate, I do some more reading. Choose VectorLinux. Download ISO, install (having to read userwiki to figure out what the hell the thing was asking me but OK at least it's possible), then finally get a working distro. Doesn't even seem to recognise when an ethernet cable has been plugged in, and didn't seem to recognise my hard drive.

Since I have been downloading all of these files and thus going over our download limit plus occupying my mother's laptop all this time, I finally give in and reinstalled XP! I realise that there might have been things I could have done to fix these things. However my patience had just run out.

If this whole experience is not to be considered a complete waste of time, perhaps one of you kind people could advise me whether there is a distro that would do what I need it to do, i.e. be compatible with my ethernet controller, recognise my hard drive, and generally not require much fiddling with its innards in order for it to work (the more 'out of the box', the better). Things I look out for are 'ease of installation' and 'user-friendly'. I have little desire to spend my time configuring the computer. I just want it to do some very simple things.

Phew. So, if anyone out there is able to advise me, I'd be most grateful.

[MikeTbob]

Hello and Welcome.
I'd suggest that you try Linux Mint. It is one of the more feature rich distros and it comes with a ton of hardware support.
Main Page - Linux Mint

[daark.child]

When it comes to hardware support, I think openSUSE and Mandriva are very good. Linux Mint is alright, but because its built from Ubuntu sometimes if something does not work right in Ubuntu then the same applies to Mint.

[grishi_111]

if Ubuntu didn't work, trying Mint is not a good option.
i think, options suggested by daark.child are good.
go man, have a try! nothing impossible.

[reed9]

To sum up, there's no way to tell if a distro will work perfectly out of the box without trying it.

FWIW, I've seen reference to bugs with your network card, and some folks had success passing

acpi=noirq

as a boot option.

[racepres]

2 words
Puppy Linux

KISS

[rokytnji]

Sorry to hear you have a Packard Bell. Very problematic hardware in those babies.

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...ar-laptop.html

Notes on upgrading Slackware to 12.2 on Packard Bell EasyNote R1370 - LinuxQuestions.org

If Puppy doesn't work out for you or above links help. All I can suggest is to give
AntiX a shot maybe running as a Live session first to see what works and doesn't work maybe.

If Antix works Ok for you.Gnome,KDE,XFCE and other Desktops are available via meta package installer. Just in case you are uncomfortable with Icewm and Fluxbox interface. Good Luck with a Packard Bell Easynote.