Do I need to use framebuffer on Compaq Presario 1242?

Booting, installing, newbie
Post Reply
Message
Author
Maver

Do I need to use framebuffer on Compaq Presario 1242?

#1 Post by Maver »

i was trying to run from cd for a while, i finaly went and selected option 2 to set the home file in a partition. I've been trying to run linux on this 366mhz with 32mb of ram (i can't figure out waht the ram speed of the compaq persario 1242 so i can't find the right ram to buy). THe big problem, is that the other distros like DSL and feather (which uses way to much ram to be usable on this laptop) but these distros allow to chose between a newer faster desktop, and a old framebuffer run desktop which works great, the newer one on this screen, makes the screen mostly green and distoreted and usable. I can see windows but I can't read anything. Is there a cheat code that i can use with option 3 that will force framebuffer 800x600 perferably?

User avatar
danleff
Posts: 294
Joined: Sun 08 May 2005, 13:11
Location: Albany, NY
Contact:

#2 Post by danleff »

You will need more memory, since the video also borrows some memory from the base ram onboard the system, which seems what you have. It looks like PC-100 CL=2 144 pin sodimm?

Do you have the users manual?

I looked around, and depending on the system...

I found this link that will give you an idea. However, I do not endorse this specific ram, just use it as a guide.

I would suspect the performance with what you have now in terms of ram, would be less than adequate, since Puppy likes 64 mb of ram. Some have gotten along with less, but with a swap partition.

What size hard drive is in the system?

...and yes, you will need a framebuffer version of Puppy, given the vintage of this laptop.
I love it when a plan comes together

--Hannibal Smith

Maver

#3 Post by Maver »

wow sry my mistake it's a 1245 system and when i researched it said the max ram was 190. but what i'm concered with is getting frame buffer to work, scece console works fine of course, is there a way i can install before it boots to gui? (i'm guessing the install is a command line interface and non gui). but yeah figuring out framebuffer would be nice. if it installed i figure that i could boot up with anthor linux like DSL and then mount it as read/write and then go into the xserver config file and somehow make it boot famebuffer if that was possible without installing extra drivers or somthin.

Maver

#4 Post by Maver »

btw how good is your sound support, DSL couldn't load up sound, and vector linux, i wasn't too sure but i think it scaned all the IRQ and came up with possible cominations and then it worked, well kinda, cds we're working fine, i went to play internet radio, and it kept saying problem with sound device, went to output changed it to OSS or somthing like that then cd and mp3 streaming worked so. but yeah i think puppy uses fbvesa and i need it to use fbdev

also if yours didn't have advance sound support do you think their could be a way that to barrow a config file from vector, (if it uses the same sound driver) so i could make it work?

also this problem may not happen in puppy but in vector, it is set so it's 800x600 res which is the monitor resolution, yet when i run it, all the text was blocky and i'm teahknig why should be 1:1 ratio for pixels on the monitor, then i find when i move my mouse to the edges it shows the rest of the screen, for some reson it's making 800x600 bigger then the screen, i check the xserver config file but i couldn't find any lines or values that would let me change it to fbdev or anything else. so thats kinda a pain to use that scence i can't get it sized righ.

So what do you guys think?

User avatar
danleff
Posts: 294
Joined: Sun 08 May 2005, 13:11
Location: Albany, NY
Contact:

#5 Post by danleff »

i went to play internet radio, and it kept saying problem with sound device, went to output changed it to OSS or somthing like that then cd and mp3 streaming worked so.
So the OSS driver worked, not alsa. Puppy uses the OSS drivers, so adding alsa, if it did not work in Vector, is not the solution. I bet they are depreciated in alsa, given the vintage of the laptop.

Most likely you can find the driver in Puppy, or add it. Do you have any idea what the sound driver was in Vector, or the sound card that is in the system?

Also, you are going to need more ram or make some swap space for Puppy, if it will work fine with this much ram. This is why I asked how large the hard drive was. You need room for the Pup001 file and some swap space to fill in for the lack of memory.

...and what partition(s) are currently on the hard drive? fat32 or fat16?


I will try to find the link for the fb version of Puppy, which is built in.


You may want to try Bladhunter's version based on version 1.0.3 located here.

Pick puppy-1.0.3-athros-fb.iso
I love it when a plan comes together

--Hannibal Smith

Maver

#6 Post by Maver »

well thats the thing, not only do i need the right sound driver for:
ES1869 Control Interface (WDM)
ES1869 Plug an dPlay AudioDrive
at least thats what the compaq restore cd loads up sound as and it works. my graphics i have also found out isNeoMagic MagicGraph128XD

reson why i'm using windows right now because i have found just about no support pretty much anywhere for usb wireless cards which is the olnly thing i have.

i'm donwloading the cd now and will give resualts when i've tried it.

Guest

#7 Post by Guest »

Framebuffer is way too slow on the older laptops....

Wonder over to announcements and have a look at my latest release announcements....I wont give the download link here as there is some stuff you need to know......Plus they are based on 1.0.4

User avatar
danleff
Posts: 294
Joined: Sun 08 May 2005, 13:11
Location: Albany, NY
Contact:

#8 Post by danleff »

Yep, I have the same NeoMagic chip in my old CTX. Try the framebuffer version.

I just got a Linksys USB wireless for my itx box. No luck with Puppy yet. Have not tried Bladehunter's refined version yet. maybe this week.
I love it when a plan comes together

--Hannibal Smith

Guest

#9 Post by Guest »

Run any one of the XFree versions...you'll like it :)

User avatar
BlackAdder
Posts: 385
Joined: Sun 22 May 2005, 23:29

#10 Post by BlackAdder »

maver, could you let us know the vendor and product id of your USB wireless adapter.
You can usually find it by plugging in the adapter and running dmesg in a terminal window. The last line or two gives a hint.
Alternatively, the make, model and version is often on the device somwehere.

Maver

#11 Post by Maver »

sorry I was out of town, I know the wireless is a linksys instant wireless v. 2.6, but recently i have also gotten a netgear wireless b, i'm gona look up the specs now, but the netgear is pcmia and seems to load up fine in DSL though i'm not clear on how to setup the connection with the router so i can't say the card work even though it did let me configure the card now. (but i know the card works fine in 98se with proper drivers). I believe it's a prism 2 chipset. the prims2 setup didn't work in DSL but in 98se the control panel has a new icon label prism2.

btw the link you gave me needs a log in.

User avatar
peppyy
Posts: 443
Joined: Mon 27 Jun 2005, 23:49
Location: VT USA
Contact:

#12 Post by peppyy »

I am working on a toshiba tecra 8000 and it will boot ok from the 1.0.3anthros cd but once it is installed on the hard drive it stops at starting x. I keep getting closer though. I can't mount any drives with that cd though so I think there may be a problem with the file system so I am going to format again and give it another try.

The other thing I cant get to work on that release is the network detection. We will see if I have any luck after the retry.
Puppy Linux...
It just works!

Post Reply