The linux support thread

[xiaomhome]

I made this thread for you guys with problems with linux and or distributions, so you dont have to look help in another forums. Since i have some free time to spare ill try to help as much as possible.

For those wondering, yes im a linux / opensource lover.

Usefull links:
Kernel patches-->
Con Kolivas - The kernel patch homepage of Con Kolivas
(the main purpose of this patch is provide the most stable and fast kernel - it includes low latencies and memory tweaks including a different processor scheduler)
Beyond sources - /projects/old/beyond
(the same developer of arch linux, his kernel patch is nothing more than the fusion of most kernel patches around, its main features are undervolting, ck patch (con kolivas kernel patch), suspend2, gentoo patches (so you can use fbsplash with gentoo))
Viper Sources - gentoo layman repository -- custom kernels - Gentoo Forums :: View topic - 2.6.21-viper2: No Place To Hide
(The most stable and fast kernel i ever used, please read the post in the gentoo forum for more information. Hes the same developer of emission sources too.)

Linux Gaming -->
Tux Games - The Online Store for Linux Games (Games that run native)
Loki | Products | Products (Get your old games to work on linux (native support))
linuX-gamers.net - Howtos - Welcome to our HOWTO Section (Linux gaming tutorials / howto)

Distro Information / Reviews -->
DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD.

nForce related problems please read this--->
NVIDIA nForce Linux Known Problems

Opensuse usefull links--->
Additional YaST Package Repositories - openSUSE (Yast additional repositories)
Beryl - openSUSE (Opensuse eye candy for KDE / GNOME)

Gentoo usefull links--->
Main Page - Gentoo Linux Wiki (Gentoo howtos, and usefull stuff)
Main Page - Gentoo Xeffects (Gentoo eye candy)
Portage Overlay Listing - Gentoo Linux Wiki ("layman" new overlay system for gentoo, since overlay is deprecated -- contain usefull "repositories" like custom kernels and experimental xeffects)

Another links ---> Thank you Unixlord for this:
http://happypenguin.org/news/ (More linux gaming)
LinuxDevices.com -- All About Linux-powered Devices (Linux powered gadgets)
Image:Unix.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Linux Timeline)

Thank you Phk for this:
http://730x.up.md/wp-content/44218-1.png --> Linux timeline

[Mac Daddy]

A novel idea me thinks .... Cheers for the thread Bro

[Unixlord]

I'm looking to buy a laptop with full Linux compatibility in mind. Primary use will be programming but I'd like to have moderate graphical processing power. Any thoughts/previous experiences?

[xiaomhome]

Originally Posted by Unixlord

I'm looking to buy a laptop with full Linux compatibility in mind. Primary use will be programming but I'd like to have moderate graphical processing power. Any thoughts/previous experiences?

First thing, avoid nforce chipsets, nforce chipset support under linux is really poor but if you have no choice you'll have eighter to disable ACPI / APIC / APM in your BIOS or boot your linux system with the following flag ( kernel acpi=off noapic ) otherwise youll have problems with your harddrivers writing or it even wont boot. About the graphics card, its up to you choose it, what are you going to do? Games, 3d modeling, or just normal use? About the distros, gentoo is a good distro for those aiming performance, but its hard to set it up for the first time, ( i personally recomend you to install layman and get beyond3 (beyond-sources) from custom kernel, great stability and performance), otherwise you should get an easier distro like opensuse or fedora. About programming, i use nano, never managed to use Eclipse but it looks good, for gui I use qt4 really easy to use, but you can use kdevelop too.

edit: nv**** is aware of this http://download.nvidia.com/XFree86/n...nProblems.html

[Phk]

About this linux thread, CEDEGA is a Direct-X and Windows Binaries Loader (binfmt)

The majority of the games does not support linux natively... So... use cedega

The worst part: You have to buy it.
The best part: The rest of the OS is free.

___

For the question about a working laptop:

I bought a Sony Vaio FE31M and i am running Gentoo Linux, full up-to-date, fully working, except for the webcam..... till now

I play Warcraft 3, CounterStrike, and some other using CEDEGA,
and,
indeed i also need programming, so yes, it runs GCC perfectly well

All the ACPI powerstates work fine, and the Go7600 downclock effect works perfectly too.

___


cheers

[xiaomhome]

Originally Posted by Phk

About this linux thread, CEDEGA is a Direct-X and Windows Binaries Loader (binfmt)

The majority of the games does not support linux natively... So... use cedega

The worst part: You have to buy it.
The best part: The rest of the OS is free.

___

For the question about a working laptop:

I bought a Sony Vaio FE31M and i am running Gentoo Linux, full up-to-date, fully working, except for the webcam..... till now

I play Warcraft 3, CounterStrike, and some other using CEDEGA,
and,
indeed i also need programming, so yes, it runs GCC perfectly well

All the ACPI powerstates work fine, and the Go7600 downclock effect works perfectly too.

___


cheers

Note, you can have cedega for free, google for Cedega CVS or search in this site for a cedega CVS howto --> http://www.linux-gamers.net/modules/wiwimod/ (Linux gaming tutorials / howto), also wine is better than cedega with some games, and worse with others. Need help to get your webcam to work Phk?

[Mac Daddy]

I think this thread is a keeper Cheers and nicely done xiaomhome

[Unixlord]

I'd like to add:
The best Linux gaming site I've come across is: The Linux Game Tome
For linux powered gadgets go to: LinuxDevices

I know your laptop must be running perfectly but I'd rather avoid sony.
Here's one to think on: Ubuntu dapper and fedora core 6 both boot on my nforce5 system but zenwalk 4.2 hangs on boot (unless I turn of apic). When I first got this computer no Linux Distro would boot without noapic and windows couldn't go to stand by mode. After a bios update that's all fixed but perhaps slackware based zenwalk is just lagging behind?

I've heard the Intel based laptops have opensource graphics drivers. Are they any good? Would they be able to power beryl/compiz?

[xiaomhome]

Originally Posted by Unixlord

I know your laptop must be running perfectly but I'd rather avoid sony.
Here's one to think on: Ubuntu dapper and fedora core 6 both boot on my nforce5 system but zenwalk 4.2 hangs on boot (unless I turn of apic). When I first got this computer no Linux Distro would boot without noapic and windows couldn't go to stand by mode. After a bios update that's all fixed but perhaps slackware based zenwalk is just lagging behind?

I've heard the Intel based laptops have opensource graphics drivers. Are they any good? Would they be able to power beryl/compiz?

What kernel are you using to cause this lag?
About the intel video cards, yes there are opensource drivers. If you are going to run beryl or compiz you'll need eighter aiglx or xgl, XGL works, im not sure if aiGLX will work for you. I think you should get a nv**** card, because the lastest drivers lets you use compiz and or beryl without xgl or aiglx so you can run games or 3D stuff with no problems.

The following graphics hardware is known to work well or recommended for use with XGL. Please add exceptions if there are any.

• Intel
  All intel graphics chips need the newest packages of Xgl and compiz for running flawlessly.
  • i915, i945
    Accelerated XVideo is broken on these cards. See Troubleshooting.
  • compiz --replace will most likely crash the Xserver due to a long standing DRI bug.
  Intel
  • i855GM
  Works, but effects are overall very slow.
  • i815, i845
  Too old, Xgl works, but compiz will not work. Maybe a compatibility layer will be added later.

edit: link ---> http://en.opensuse.org/Xgl#Hardware_Advisory
edit2: If you are really interested --> Intel video sources
http://intellinuxgraphics.org/
edit3: You'll also need DRM, if you are going to use a intel graphics device, avoid built-in kernel DRM, mainly if you are going to use gentoo, you can simple emerge its lastest version.

[Unixlord]

Thanks for the info. Seems like Intel graphics don't satisfy my needs. Here's an interesting announcement from a Linux kernel hacker about Linux drivers in general: click here
I've boycotted openSUSE not because they sold their soul to micro$haft but because everyone in the community hates them for the cruel betrayal they committed. Pity, openSUSE was one of those distros that made you feel warm, fuzzy and @home. I've been using ubuntu for quite a while, mainly because of the large repositories. Gentoo is lots of time wasted for 1-2% performance increase. The trouble with ubuntu is that kubuntu (the kde flavor) doesn't get half as much love and attention.