Couple of questions, R60

[GasPipe]

Hi! I just bought brand new shiny ThinkPad R60.

I thought that I will install Debian Linux, but if it doesn't work, how can I restore MBR? Can I just put my old WinXP CD in CD-ROM drive and fixmbr that way, or where I can access to Recovery Console?

Greetings from Finland!

[BillMorrow]

recovery console SHOULD be accessible, thus:
reboot, press blue "thinkvantage" button and you should wind up in the recovery partition and you can then select "restore to factory contents"..

[SeanM]

Build your recovery CDs from Thinkvantage -> Create recovery media before you do anything else.

[snessiram]

Like SeanM said: make some recovery cd's.
Bill's solution will only work if you keep the hidden partition (I deleted it in the past and the recovery cd's put it back). I never removed windows itselves but when I removed linux from dualboot (with grub bootloader) I believe I restored MBR as you explain (I did it using xp home cd).

Btw, when I installed debian some months ago (now ubuntu studio) it worked fine except for the wireless not working out of the box (intel pro wireless abg) and possibly SXGA+ not straight away either (but just editing xorg.conf helped if I recall right).

Good luck and have fun with your new machine!

[wanderlust]

I was just thinking about installing ubuntu studio on my duocore R60. I it a big hassle? I'm not in Europe with all my skilled friends, I 'm in asia with only the net to back me up.

Is there any advantage to installing ubuntu studio compared to installing ubiuntu and using studio to go?

If I want to make a dual boot system, should I install windows or ubuntu first?

Should I install on separate partitions, or one for the systems and one for storage?

Thnx!

[GasPipe]

Thank you all! I think I put Kubuntu in this.

But I still don't find where I can create recovery cd:s?

@wanderlust:

You should install Windows first, because if you install ubuntu first, windows installer will run GRUB (ubuntu's loader) down. And you won't be able to start ubuntu again. So install windows first, then ubuntu.

And I have always made two partitions for Linux. One for / (root) and one for /home. It's your call

EDIT: Stupid me, http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/01/1 ... covery-cd/

[ZaZ]

It's in the ThinkVantage folder.

[snessiram]

@wanderlust: it's not a hassle. On my system everything seemed to work out of the box including wireless, resolution, firewire, audio,... Sleep doesn't work yet (at least with shortcuts, haven't tried shutdown menu). When I push fn+f4 it goes to sleep but when I wake it up I get a black screen. Fn+f12 just locks the computer. But I just didn't have the time yet to look into these things.

Also notice it at least gives you read access to your windows (ntfs) partition out of the box. I haven't tried write access but I believe I read it works too.

As for the ubuntu+studio or ubuntu studio: I have no idea if one is better than the other. I think ubuntu studio has some less software from the basic install (example only OOo writer from the OOo suite, offcourse there's a hell lot more of multimedia software then in ubuntu). Also notice ubuntu studio doesn't have a live cd to install from, it's install only.

[GasPipe]

I have a new question:

Is it possible to set different functions for fingerprints than log in? I mean example, if I put my thumb on reader, it will open firefox or music player. Is that possible?

Oh yes, One more. System update says that there is newer BIOS and it want to update it. Is it safe to update BIOS from Windows?

Thanks!