Way more noob

D

do50

Big Geek
The old computer that was Mom in law’s finally lost its operating system (Win 98). Since we had a copy of “the complete Linux operating system 6.0” - published by Macmillan in 1999 - sitting around unused (purchased in a fit of optimism), we gave it a try.

The only snag during installation was not knowing anything about the video card in her IBM think pad 1400. (Anybody happen to know? It’s not in the manual.) We just chose the wimpiest choices and carried on. So we finished the installation, but can’t figure out how to open KDE.

The box says we have KDE and GNOME interfaces. The book shows KDE. The book shows GNOME. The book even explains desktops and scroll bars... it just doesn’t tell me how to open KDE or GNOME. I tried the Xman pages... but what I saw was code. So please share the basic step(s) or command(s) we’re missing. startx doesn’t work.

It's so nice knowing where to get answers!
 
To me it sounds like it's not initializing the GUI interface at logon?
Although i'm no Linux Expert but i do know that laptops do like to use Framebuffer Mode!
I'll try to find some commands for you!
And sorry, i could'nt find the video card name!
 
A Linux distro from 1999? You'd be better off getting a more recent distro (free download or buy a Linux Format magazine which will come a distro on the cover DVD) as Linux has advanced a lot since then. If startx doesn't work then the installation is probably broken but you could try either "gdm", "kdm", "xdm" or "init 4" to see if you get any joy there.

Edit: Whoops, that last command should be "init 5" unless you're using Slackware which implements things a bit differently!
 
Linux is an excellent operating system, and can certainly be made to run on older hardware, so it's probably ideal for you. But Good Lord, that's an old distro! Please, please don't use a distro that ancient. :x: If you post the specs of that PC, I'll recommend a distro suitable for what you've got.

All the best,
-AT
 
Hahaha, nice one ThePenguinCometh, you beat me by a few seconds! Pretty similar reply though. :P
 
Many thanks to you all!

You're right, that version IS ancient (oh, but in mint condition!!)
.... it was late on a Sunday afternoon, and the computer was telling us "no operating system" .....and the software box was just sitting there in the bookshelf... so....

Thanks for your offer AT! I'll try to track down the specs. The manual didn't have much hard information, but there may be other papers in the box.

You guys are great!
 
Well, general specs are OK, e.g. "P3 ~500MHz, 128mb RAM, 4GB HDD". We just need a ballpark figure on what you have to work with.
 
At last! (we move very slowly around here)
It's a pendtium II 366 Mhz, 6.1 Gig Hard drive, VGA Bios version V01.10.000,
System bios V3.0 R01-A0f , 32 or 64 Mb Ram - we're not sure which.

It's possible that there is a hardware problem given that it ate its Windows 98 operating system, and didn't produce anything like the KDE version I'm used to (2.1.2) when we installed the 1999 software.

Tracked down Linux Magazine (no disc comes with it) but haven't yet found Linux Format Magazine. Can I order a disc online? (Downloading takes forever at 56K.)

On a slightly different topic but on the same out of date theme... could you please direct me to idiot proof instructions for updating Konqueror 2.1.1? It's on an even older computer running Debian 2.2-3. I don't know UNIX or Linux - a friend installed it all for me. I used it for browsing and email until Yahoo changed its format - making all the mail buttons stack on top of each other.
 
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