The main purpose of this post is to help out folks who have a Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo Si 1848 and want to install Linux but are having problems with the screen resolution.
Another purpose of this post is to give Linux newbies a shot in the arm. If I can install Linux (with help from the hub) anyone can. You can do it.:-)
Yet another purpose of this post is to serve as a reminder for me of what I did just in case I have to reinstall Linux again.
Background
A few months ago I bought a Fujitsu-Siemens Amilo 1848 because I needed something portable and fast. The iBook just wasn’t doing it anymore and I’d read too many horror stories about the MacBooks to chance spending my dough on one.
The Amilo worked fine until a few weeks ago when I noticed that it was becoming more and more difficult to load web pages. No matter which browser I tried, or how many times I reconnected or switched the modem off then back on, the pages slowed down. Since I didn’t have the patience to figure out if I had a virus or not (which I probably did) I decided to reinstall Windows from scratch. This would mean that I would have to totally scrap the out-the-box set-up, but that was okay for me.
I also thought that since I was reinstalling Windows, why not partition my hard drive and install Linux too?
Which Linux?
About two years ago I installed Red Hat Linux on my Windows desktop but wasn’t impressed. I can’t remember why I wasn’t impressed, I just wasn’t. Since I was now on the hunt for another Linux distribution, the hub recommended SuSE Linux 10.2. I installed it, but couldn’t get it to run - at all. The sucker wouldn’t boot from the CD so I trashed that option.
The hub then hipped me to Ubuntu. I downloaded it and burned it to a CD using Infra Recorder, which is a painfully easy program to use. I highly recommend it.
But back to Ubuntu. I’m still fiddling around with it and downloading packages such as Bluefish and Inkscape. I’m probably going to install Scribus tonight also.
Broken resolution(s):-)
I had no problems installing Ubuntu and getting it up and running. The problems came with trying to get the resolution properly set. None of the default screen resolutions (the ones the system chose itself) would take. I installed Kbuntu thinking that an easier interface would help me figure everything out. It didn’t, but it’s a cool GUI anyway.
The hub found a site that had the solution to the resolution problem. The instructions are for an older verion of Ubuntu (I think) but they’re still applicable. Apparently the ATI Radeon X1300 and Ubuntu have a funky relationship and I had to install a new graphics card driver.
As of right now, everything is going smoothly. I’m still getting to know Kubuntu/Ubuntu but I think I’m going to like it. If you have any suggestions for programs and what not, let me know.
Comment (1)
HI.
I want to buy the same type of the computer. do you think is it a good laptop and also good for gaming and using it lots of tmes doing work on it.
thnaks