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Re: Linux/Solaris/Windows on Notebook



'Eli Marmor'
>
>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:

I tried to do it once with Solaris 2.3. It didn't work. Solaris demand
the first hard drive and it refused to boot with any boot loader excpt
it own. it also did not know how to boot other oses.

>
>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...)
>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?
>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?).
>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?
>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 Windows '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?)
>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.)?
>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)?  SCSI controller?
>   Ethernet?  Some of the notebooks have their 3.5" diskette drive
>attached
>   through the parallel, can they be used?
>8. How can Linux be connected (as a client!) to a PPP server?  Is it
>hard?
>   Does it limit me to specific ISPs?
>9. And finally, does anybody know something new about a dynamically
>linked
>   version of Netscape Navigator for Linux (from Caldera)?
>
>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.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Eli Marmor
>marmor@elmar.co.il
>050-237338
>


                   Ron Cohen, Tel-Aviv University Computation Center
                   Office 03-6407043, Home 09-663590
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