*BSD News Article 85435


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From: Wyatt@Dis.Org (Wyatt Earp)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Gonna buy a laptop, PCMCIA modems and questions
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 1996 08:07:15 GMT
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At 03:21 PM 12/20/96 -0500, you wrote:
>
>You should check out the FreeBSD PCMCIA page.  I can't
>remember the URL off-hand, but it is on my bookmarks
>page about 2/3ds of the way down - search for "PAO".
>
>  http://hea-www.harvard.edu/~oly/bookmarks.html

This page has lots of helpful info.  Thanks!

>There are plenty of PCMCIA modems that are known to
>work with FreeBSD.  Note that FreeBSD normally does not
>support PCMCIA *during* the install.  If you need to
>have PCMCIA support to install (i.e. over a PCMCIA
>ethernet card), you'll want a new install floppy from
>the PAO web page.

The unit I plan to buy has a built in cdrom, I plan to install from
that.  I never stopped to think if the cdrom was compatible, but it
will probably be ide or something compatible.... I hope!

>Linux has better support for laptops in some ways -
>for example, Red Hat Linux will install via a PCMCIA
>card without having to d/l a special floppy from
>elsewhere.  Also, some special devices, like Panasonic
>KXL-740 (?) are supported by Linux and not FreeBSD.
>I'm trying to add support for that particular device.

I must run BSD due to peer pressure... I have an Apex 28.8 mobile plus
PCMCIA modem I hope to use, it is not listed in the web page but the
Apex ethernet+modem card is so I can hope my apex will work.  I also
have a 14.4 motorola card that was not listed but I will try it too.

I do not yet have a pcmcia network card, so I will buy one on the list
when the need comes up.

>The ps/2 pointer on the Toshiba is not a problem, I
>think.  You'll want to d/l the PCMCIA package from the
>PAO web page and install it.  Then you follow the
>instructions to build a new "kernel".  This will give
>you the support for the ps/2 pointer.  Then you can
>try out X Window - you may have luck with "xf86config"
> - a program to configure X Windows for you.
>
>You definitely want to check out whether your laptop's
>video chipset is supported by X - see the XFree86
>project at
>
>  http://www.xfree86.org

I never thought of that, I need to check and see what chipset the
laptop is running.  All I know is it is a 600x800 dual-scan (way
cheaper but not as nice as Thin Film)

>Note that I was basically an idiot when I started running
>Linux on my laptop.  It isn't "easy", but if you persevere
>you should get everything working the way you want (FreeBSD
>is not much different in this regard).

Ya, I consider my self a bsd idiot, (sort of...) that is why I am
doing this. Pain and perseverance leads to non-idiocy

>
>--
>
>-Oly
>
>P.S.: There are many on-line copies of the config file for
>X as appropriate for various laptops.  If you have trouble
>getting X to run, that may be good to know.

Yes, they seem like a real time saver!  :)