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Re: Linux/Solaris/Windows on Notebook
Thanks for all the responses I got. More responses are still welcome
(because there are still open questions). I'll try to credit all
of you for the responses. If anybody's name was missed, sorry!
Middle Summary:
> Hi Linuxers!
>
> I'm going to buy a notebook in order to have Linux, Solaris for
> x86, and the Hebrew Windows '95 on it. Although I have a very
> rich experience in dozens of UNIX platforms, my experience in
> Linux is (CURRENTLY!) very limited. I have some questions; if
> the answers will be valuable, I'll summarize them together with
> my own (hopefully good) experience:
>
> 1. Should I prefer a specific notebook? (yes, I know about
> http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/
> but it is not so useful...)
No responses. Probably I'll have to try the configuration before
buying it.
> 2. I'm going to run X and Motif heavilly (I know that Motif is
> not included; I'll build my version), together with
> Netscape and heavy compilations; Are 16MB sufficient or
> should I have 20MB?
Someone asked what is the big difference between 16 and 20. Well,
it's not only 25% (or 20%). It may be the critical difference
between swapping in and out most of the time (the known cycle of
running applications, talking to a running X-server, etc.) and not
swapping at all. In addition, These 2 configurations are popular
among notebooks (16MB become the new standard, and 20MB is 4MB
notebook (the old standard) with additional 16MB). Anyway, I'll
probably adopt Shay's and Gal's recommendations (20MB).
> 3. What version should I use? Criterias (the order does not have
> any meaning):
> a. the most up-to-date version.
> b. the most popular (=standard ?) version.
> c. the richest ($$) and the strongest version.
> Price is not a subject, so Caldera is OK according to this
> point (anyway, I'm afraid that Caldera is not so up-to-date,
> is it?).
All of you recommended Slackware or RedHat. The most recommended
distribution was Slackware 3.0.0 (Shay & others). Recommended
kernels: 1.3.20 (Shay), 1.3.50 (someone in the meeting, maybe Erez,
I don't remember...).
> 4. Some versions of Linux can be installed also under DOS
> file-system. What is the "price"? I heard that there is an
> overhead in performance, do you know exactly how much?
> Is there other behavior that is damaged? And, does this case
> (installing Linux under DOS file-system) allow me to
> switch between these OSs without rebooting the computer?
Switching is not possible without reboot (except for from DOS to
Linux (of course...) ), disk space is huge under DOS (Matan),
it's neither optimal nor safe (Shay), and performance are worse,
so why bother?
> 5. Many notebooks have removable disks as their standard disks.
> In the case I decide not to install Linux in the DOS
> file-system, what is the better:
> a. using 1 disk for Solaris, 1 for Linux, and 1 for Win'95.
> b. using the same disk for all the OSs, by partitioning.
> In this case, where can I obtain a "multi-boot" software?
> How should I install the OSs (in what order?)
Preface: Solaris 2.3 is very old. I have 2.5, which is much newer,
and is a different Opera at all. Anyway, because of its FULL
compatibily to the SPARC version (now they are based on the same
sources), I'm afraid that Rony's and Gilad's warning (that Solaris
can not live with other OSs on the same disk) is still true...
BTW: I agree with Gilad regarding to the high price of Solaris
for x86 (but still SunSoft have to maintain its workers...), but
I got it for only $350 (together with a conference on Java!), so
I don't complain. I take his note (regarding to real good reason
that I have) as a compliment. Thanks!
Since portability is not an issue (I will not need all the disks
all the time, and besides, what is the size of these tiny disks
after all...), and since I hate to repartition existing disks,
the only problem with separate disks remains how to share a shared
partition (for sources, etc.). On the other hand, putting the
OSs on the same partition is uncertain because of Solaris'
behavior (and maybe future OSs). Although multi-boot is easy (e.g.
by LILO (Shay) ), I think I'll prefer multi disk (unless the
selected notebook has only fixed disks). Otherwise, I'll boot
Solaris from a diskette (Udi mentioned a software called
"System Commander" that makes the floppy unnecessary).
> 6. These OSs will have shared stuff (e.g. my sources, etc.).
> Where should I place this stuff, and how can I use it (mount,
> another device with special drivers for all the OSs, etc.)?
FAT/VFAT is of course the easiest shareable format (Gal & Shay).
Since FAT does not support UNIX names, I'll have to use VFAT (does
it support?). I still don't know what device to select (it must be
supported by all the OSs).
> 7. Devices & peripherals: Did anyone have an experience with
> Motorola's Cellect Fax/Modem (MNP-10)? Do I need a special
> driver? Any other recommended Fax/Modem (cellular -
> preferable)?
Standard modems use standard interface (COM) and does not need
special drivers (Gal). I guess that I have to ask Motorola (or
Pelephone) whether Cellect is included in this category. Does
anybody know if its MNP-10 feature is hardware-only or should
it require a special driver?
> SCSI controller? Ethernet?
???
> Some of the
> notebooks have their 3.5" diskette drive attached through
> the parallel, can they be used?
I found a message of Jacques Goldberg (Sep. 95) noting that Linux
does NOT support ANY device attached through the parallel port :-(
> 8. How can Linux be connected (as a client!) to a PPP server?
> Is it hard?
> Does it limit me to specific ISPs?
Almost all of you told that it's easy and can be done against
any ISP. Anyway, it's surprising me, since the most spoken issue
in the last time (in this list) was problems using PPP against
ISPs (at least 3 of them), so where's the catch?
> 9. And finally, does anybody know something new about a
> dynamically linked version of Netscape Navigator for Linux
> (from Caldera)?
You couldn't tell me anything about it, so let's see what Caldera
says (http://www.caldera.com/tech-ref/cnd-1.0/faq/faq-5.html#ss5.2):
: 5.2 Will Caldera make an ELF version of Netscape available?
:
: Netscape corporation is currently working to develop an ELF version of
: Netscape for Linux. The
: schedule for availability for this version is currently not known.
:
: 5.3 Will Caldera make a dynamically linked version of Netscape
available?
:
: Netscape corporate is working to produce a version of Netscape
Navigator for Linux which will be
: dynamically linked to X. Caldera has asked to get versions of Netscape
: Navigator which are both
: statically and dynamically linked to motif.
:
: The dynamically linked to motif version would be usefull for users who
: have purchased motif dynamic
: link libraries (like purchasers of Caldera's Application Bundle).
> Many questions, but I think that if I'll have a good experience,
> I'll be able to write an excellent FAQ about notebooks, UNIXes,
> and using 3 (5 in the future!) OSs together under the same
> computer. In addition, I'll port all my stuff (including the
> Hebrew Support of X-Windows & Motif!) to Linux, so I'm sure
> I'll have much to report and to tell when everything will be
> ready.
ThanX for the embarrassing compliments...
Anyway, since my stuff is based on Motif which has royalties, I
can install it only on workstation already equiped with Motif.
Moreover, I can not put it on the net (unless I'll develop a
special version that can be run only under OS that already has
an installed Motif). Regarding to parts of the package: maybe;
I can put everything except for the libXm (Motif library) (which
is the most important thing...). Motif based executables will be
statically linked, so there will not be a problem. But this
policy is problematic too; I don't want to disappoint hardware
vendors that paid much money in order to be my customers (maybe
part of the package is a thing that nevertheless can be given for
free, because its value without libXm is limited...). BTW: my
fonts are already free (36 bdf/pcf/snf/fb-ff, and 1 Type1, better
than Webfont). Anyway, I promise not to disappoint you, too.
> Thanks in advance,
and also not in advance,
> Eli Marmor
> marmor@elmar.co.il
> 050-237338