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[tickmike]

I'm typing this on my daughters new Laptop for xmas/birthday present  , It came about 20 minutes ago.

It's running on a PCLinuxOS 2009.2 live cd, kernel 2.6.26.8.tex3 (I had to boot it on the VGA video safe mode ), wired network connected straight away.

First I switched it on then pressed F2 to get in to Bios set up screen then changed the CD/DVD Rom to boot 1st, then HDD 2nd. also set up the Time and date while I was in there.
Saved setting and exited Bios, Live CD ran ok, booted with the 'Check media' first ok, then video safe mode because the normal live cd mode wanted me to install first.

I will test Wifi network tonight and the rest of the laptop.

Edit ... kernel added

[roseway]

That's quite encouraging. I've had a little play with PCLinuxOS 2009.2 myself recently, and I've been quite impressed with its hardware detection success. The only caveat for a new install (particularly a Christmas present ) is that it still has KDE 3.5, and discussions on the PCLOS forum suggest that this is likely to break at some nearish point in the future, as a result of upgrading other libraries on which it depends. You can upgrade to KDE 4.3 of course (I've done it successfully on my test machine) but this is a slightly uncertain process. It might be better to wait for the next PCLOS release, although the timescale for this is undecided.

[tickmike]

Hi Eric.

Yes HWD is very good, video and network cards are the main problem,  KDE 4, I'm going to waite on that but like you will try on a test machine.
While I was getting my lunch ready I put in Pclinux LXDE CD (a lightweight version )and that booted ok.
I've got to find a good hidng place now ready for santa  .

[roseway]

Lucky daughter

[tickmike]

Update.

Just installed PCLinuxOs 2009.2 to the hard drive as a Dual-boot  .

Procedure.
Back up you Windows First.
Booted up with live CD in 'Video safe mode-vesa'
Logged on to Root .
Click 'Install to hard drive'
I like to use custom set up, expert mode.
Click on windows partition and re-size.
Click on new space.
I like to use 'Reiser file system'
Then follow the tutorial on the top of this page to finish the set up.

Once it's installed and you re-boot, I had to boot into video safe mode and you end up with a $:/ , Then I used 'XFdrake' to set up the video driver to 'vesa' rebooted and the jobs a good one 

Then re-booted to test windows and that was ok. 






 

[roseway]

Nice one

[tickmike]

I did not think it would be plane sailing 

The Ethernet card works ok but not the wifi.

AR928Xwireless network adapter(PCI Express) Atheros Communications Inc. is used on this laptop and using PCC >network & internet > configure networks.
I tried using the installed 'NDISwrapper' , but none of the pre-installed ones work.

If I could extract the wifi driver from Vista could I use it with Ndiswrapper ?. but how ?.

[roseway]

I don't know if it helps, but there's a long thread on the subject on the PCLinuxOS forum here and it's marked SOLVED.

[tickmike]

Thanks Eric, I did see that the other nigh, but there was so much I did not read it all but I did tonight and found this link 
 http://drivers.softpedia.com/progDownload/Atheros-AR5xxx-AR9xxx-Series-Wireless-Network-Diver-761244-Download-77297.html

I downloaded the driver zip file and opened it with 'ark' and extracted  'ndis5x' folder then go to PCC >network & internet > configure networks > install new driver, so I pointed it to the ndis5x folder and it installed the driver .

Then by magic up came my wifi access point, logged on and connected ok    and I'm using to send this 

[roseway]

Excellent

[tickmike]

The Chicony CNF7017 webcam has been a problem but if you use 'wxcam' from 'synaptic' it now works  

Also got KDE4 working   ok  I used 'task-kde4-extra' in synaptic 

[roseway]

This is all good stuff. I see from the PCLOS forum that they've now built my favourite note-taking program, Basket Note Pads, for KDE4, so I think I'll be installing it on my laptop shortly.

[tickmike]

Yesterday the wallpaper was changed on my daughters settings and now she cannot get a desktop just mouse pointer and a gray screen.
I can log on to my settings ok and root, not yet tried safe boot.

If I go to >PCC>system>user accounts then delete my daughters settings and the remake it, Do you think that will do the trick ?.

[roseway]

Yes, you could do that, or less radically, just create a new user.

[tickmike]

Yes, you could do that, or less radically, just create a new user.

What about all her user settings ?, If I just do that and copy her home folder over we will get the same problem ?.

Update.
Tried this both did not work  .
 Get "Call to lnusertemp failed" when tried to log on.