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Linux/Solaris/Windows on Notebook
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...)
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