Which Linux distro for a 600X?

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Edward Mendelson · #1 Post by **Edward Mendelson** » Mon Dec 13, 2004 11:52 am

I want to install Linux on a 600X and would be grateful for any recommendations for a distribution that matches these requirements:

(1) RPM-based, because it's easiest to set up DOSEMU on an RPM-based system

(2) working video drivers for the 600X hardware

(3) working drivers for the Lucent Orinoco 802.11b card (and capable of handling 802.11g cards if I go that route)

(4) working drivers for 3Com ethernet cards (preferably for the xjack models)

Many thanks for any help with this....

MsGeek-CatseyeLabs · #2 Post by **MsGeek-CatseyeLabs** » Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:46 pm

Edward Mendelson wrote:I want to install Linux on a 600X and would be grateful for any recommendations for a distribution that matches these requirements:

(1) RPM-based, because it's easiest to set up DOSEMU on an RPM-based system

(2) working video drivers for the 600X hardware

(3) working drivers for the Lucent Orinoco 802.11b card (and capable of handling 802.11g cards if I go that route)

(4) working drivers for 3Com ethernet cards (preferably for the xjack models)

Many thanks for any help with this....

OK, most of these requirements can be met with any Linux distro you want. However, if you must go the RPM route, then SuSE is probably the best bet. If you would be willing to give a Debian-derivative a try, there are some great options in that direction. Mepis, Ubuntu, a Knoppix hard drive install, Xandros...they're all good. Heck, even straight Debian is easier than ever to deal with installing thanks to the new "Sarge" installer. Once you have a Debian derivative on, updating and installing new software is a snap with Synaptic, Aptitude, or even apt-get from the console.

The only bump in the road with the 600 series, or for the 570 for that matter, is audio. A friend of mine wrote me a script which I run after su-ing to root from a console which kicks it on. I'll post it soon.

The 600 series is great with Linux. You'll love it.

Edward Mendelson · #3 Post by **Edward Mendelson** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 9:57 am

Many thanks for that. DOSEMU is an essential part of the operation for me, and it's distributed in an RPM. I've never tried to install an RPM in a non-RPM-based distribution, and if you can give me a pointer to easy instructions, I'll be very grateful. For many reasons, I'd rather use Xandros or something similar, but the ability to install RPMs quickly (without spending an hour figuring out what I did wrong on the command line) is really crucial here.

About that audio script: YES, please do post it. A lot of people will be glad to have it.

And thanks again for your advice.

MsGeek-CatseyeLabs · #4 Post by **MsGeek-CatseyeLabs** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 11:48 am

Edward Mendelson wrote:Many thanks for that. DOSEMU is an essential part of the operation for me, and it's distributed in an RPM. I've never tried to install an RPM in a non-RPM-based distribution, and if you can give me a pointer to easy instructions, I'll be very grateful. For many reasons, I'd rather use Xandros or something similar, but the ability to install RPMs quickly (without spending an hour figuring out what I did wrong on the command line) is really crucial here.

OK, first, here's Alien, which will take an RPM and turn it into a DEB package:

http://packages.debian.org/testing/admin/alien

And I think there already is a DOSEMU DEB package...oh look, here's the whole shebang packaged as DEBs, including Freedos!

http://packages.debian.org/cgi-bin/sear ... elease=all

See, ask and you shall receive. Have fun with DOSEMU!

Michelle

Edward Mendelson · #5 Post by **Edward Mendelson** » Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:20 pm

"Ask and you shall receive"? In this case, it's even better - I didn't have to ask! Many thanks for that. I think Xandros may be the way to go, but if anyone has any idea for anything even easier to set up on a 600X, I'll be grateful...

MsGeek-CatseyeLabs · #6 Post by **MsGeek-CatseyeLabs** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 1:50 pm

Edward Mendelson wrote:"Ask and you shall receive"? In this case, it's even better - I didn't have to ask! Many thanks for that. I think Xandros may be the way to go, but if anyone has any idea for anything even easier to set up on a 600X, I'll be grateful...

You can get an Ubuntu Linux disk set for free: they are actually pressed, not burnt. Note to those running Really Old ThinkPads: (the 365XD comes to mind for this quirk) some really old CD-ROM drives will not read or boot from CD-R (burnt) disks. http://www.ubuntulinux.org/ is not responding well today, unfortunately, or I'd give you a direct link to their "request a CD" page. Mepis is downloadable, as is the Debian Sarge installer, although Debian Sarge is not at the ease-of-install point that Ubuntu and Mepis are at. You might need a little help when installing from the Sarge installer, but that's what Linux User Groups are for.

There is also a Xandros download but it's more than a little bit limited over Debian Sarge, Ubuntu and Mepis. It also costs you money to download the .ISO file...bleah! If that's community minded, I'm freakin' Karl Marx.

Good luck!

#7 Post by **carbon_unit** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 2:33 pm

MsGeek-CatseyeLabs wrote: There is also a Xandros download but it's more than a little bit limited over Debian Sarge, Ubuntu and Mepis. It also costs you money to download the .ISO file...bleah! If that's community minded, I'm freakin' Karl Marx.

Good luck!

Jeez! Settle down.
Here is a free one: http://www.xandros.com/about/bittorrent.html

qubix · #8 Post by **qubix** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 2:57 pm

My 600x has been passed to my GF, and she is happy to dual-boot w2k and fedora core 3. No problems on FC3 with the hardware out-of-the-box. Audio works also. I haven't even tried to fidget with suspend-to-ram or suspend-to-disk, as my GF does not use that.

I had gentoo before on that machine, and as you know there is no single thing in linux that you CAN'T do with gentoo

amhar · #9 Post by **amhar** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:17 am

i downloaded the xandros os http://www.xandros.com/about/bittorrent.html
burnt a slow copy image 4x to disk, changed the BIOS to boot from cd, (latest version BIOS installed) turned of quick boot. The error code L80 comes up on restart.
Thinkpad 600x, latest BIOS, 20 gb hdd, 521 ram. Dvd rom.
Any ideas, or anyone managed to load a linux os to hdd that runs? have tried, linspire 5.0, knoppix, suse ver 9.1, (which runs fine in set up then wont reload from hdd.)

jthomas_null · #10 Post by **jthomas_null** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 3:09 pm

I just got a 600X and I've had problems with both FC4 (no sound) and Ubuntu (hangs on the splash screen after login). The Ubuntu problem is logged as a bug and people speculate that it's due to sound, but who knows if there's a fix in the works.

So two of the current contenders seem to be out. I'm still deciding between reverting to FC3, trying Ubutuntu 5.10, or looking at something else. I'd try Slackware but apt-get has spoiled me beyond belief.

Zak · #11 Post by **Zak** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:58 am

jthomas_null wrote:I just got a 600X and I've had problems with both FC4 (no sound) and Ubuntu (hangs on the splash screen after login).

I experienced the same problem when I upgraded my grandmother's 600X from 4.10 to 5.04. I worked around it by using the kernel from 4.10. I agree with the speculation about sound; it was repeatedly trying to play a sound when it hung, but was stuck in a loop, playing only the first fraction of a second.

Website · #12 Post by **tfflivemb2** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 7:37 pm

I actually had great sucess with installing Red Hat 9.0 on several 600Es.

The only problem that I had was configuring the audio, but after I searched and found the way to fix it, I was almost able to do it blindfolded.

Now at this point, I would have to double check my notes to remember how to do it, because I haven't had to use RH (or any verison of Linux) for quite sometime.

PM me if you need the "fix"...unless I get enough energy to go downstairs and look through my notes...in which case I would post it.

Note: I forgot to add that RH 9.0 automatically recognized my 3Com xjack 10/100 PCMCIA card. I wasn't using wireless at the time, so I don't know about the wireless possibilities.

jthomas_null · #13 Post by **jthomas_null** » Wed Oct 05, 2005 9:08 pm

I figured out the problem with Ubutntu and the 600X -- it's apparently an IRQ problem, and adding 'acpi=off' in grub.conf fixed it; just as well -- I'm better off with apm anyway.

BigCatAndy · #14 Post by **BigCatAndy** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 3:14 pm

Hello.

I bought IBM TP 600x via eBay in October 2004. That time I installed SuSE 9.1 Pro - without any problems.

In 1 year - October 2005 - I encountered problems with On-line updates and decided to install SuSe 10.0 OSS. I had a lot of problems with sound - quite obviously, ACPI was guilty. After a couple of weeks I went to SuSE 9.3 Pro. That was not successfull too, and I switched from "SuSE"s to Debian. At the present I run Debian Sarge. I'm quite satisfied, although I miss Yast - there is nothing equal to Yast in Debian.

I hope, my feedback was helpfull for you and for other users/visitors.

Regards,
Andrey

inkpad · #15 Post by **inkpad** » Mon May 22, 2006 8:29 am

Try Slax
http://slax.linux-live.org/
As a distro this is the one. It can be run from disc or installed. I run a Thinkpad 600 with due partion winXP and Slax with minimal memory.
It looks great and is easy to navigate. The Support is good and it has all the apps you will ever need. Ubunto is a nice distro but a bit slow compared to slax. Suse, don't bother, its rubbish on screen config and really slow, Good system but not sooted for Thinkpad. The only issue (with most Linux distros) is the sound card settings, any suggestions?

alfio · #16 Post by **alfio** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:55 pm

BigCatAndy wrote:That was not successfull too, and I switched from "SuSE"s to Debian. At the present I run Debian Sarge.

hi

how did you get debian to install? i'm trying etch on my 600X via netinstall but it won't work with my ethernet (cardbus) card or my wifi (cardbus) cards

alfio

alfio · #17 Post by **alfio** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:12 am

i will answer this myself: the trick was to add the line "install acpi=off" at the boot prompt to initiate the install. acpi was messing with the PCMCIA lan card and thus making a netinstall impossible

alfio

Charles Good · #18 Post by **Charles Good** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:28 pm

I have two 600x machines. One is a 5EU with 320 meg of ram and a Pentium III 500Mhz processor. The other a 3EU with 586 meg of ram and a Penitum III 600Mhz speed step processor. Freespire 2.0 (a free version of Linspire and an enhanced version of Ubuntu 7.04) will run directly from its CD and install properly on a hard drive of my 5EU machine but will do neither on my 3EU machine.

I took the install hard drive from my 5EU and put it in my 3EU and it wouldn't boot, hanging up on the first screen.

Obviously the difference is not the amount of ram. Either there is something about the speed step processor or some difference between 3EU and 5EU that accounts for this difference.

Charles Good

whizkid · #19 Post by **whizkid** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:17 am

alfio wrote:i will answer this myself: the trick was to add the line "install acpi=off" at the boot prompt to initiate the install. acpi was messing with the PCMCIA lan card and thus making a netinstall impossible

Alternatively, use acpi=noirq and that should allow ACPI to work, but without using an IRQ. This was needed with some older kernels with Fedora, but not on the newest ones.

Davemci · #20 Post by **Davemci** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 9:32 pm

inkpad wrote: The only issue (with most Linux distros) is the sound card settings, any suggestions?

Is Slax a different name for slackware or a different distro all together?

I sold my 600x but I think I just ran "alsaconfig" to get the sound working. I use slackware also.

I sold my 600x to a friend, some time ago, but just snagged another one and I'll be installing Slackware.

#21 Post by **carbon_unit** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 5:42 am

Slax is the mini live cd version of Slackware.

Which Linux distro for a 600X?

Which Linux distro for a 600X?

Re: Which Linux distro for a 600X?

DOSEMU on Debian: Yes!

Error L80

Linux for 600x

Slax

Re: Linux for 600x

Freespire 2.0 (Ubuntu 7.04) is different on different 600x's

Re: Slax

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