Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Ubuntu 7.04 on Dell Latitude D620

I got that urge again of installing linux on my laptop. I've been using Fedora in the past but after the latest crash (that needed to get a new hard disk but I had to admit that I don't know if Fedora crash the disk or the disk crash Fedora) and as I normally install Debian on the servers (and due all the people I know and magazines and post I have read about Ubuntu) I decided to install Ubuntu on my laptop.

I went to the Ubuntu site and downloaded the image for the CD, run it on my laptop and first I was surprised about the installation process. Normally I install windows, leave enough space for Linux and then install Linux on the free space.

Ubuntu is different from the start. The cd is a LiveCD, once it is loaded on the desktop there is a shortcut to install Ubuntu. You click on it and you go on with the wizard. The only part that you have to keep an eye is on the disk partitioning. The automatic wizard resize existing file disk option didn't work (some kind of error) a friend at the office mentioned that he had the same problem and selected the option to do it manually. I choose it and altered my windows partition and it did an automatic resize of it (don't know if it worked as I haven't use my windows partition yet), once you have enough space you create you swap and you other mounting points. As this is my first attempt I created only "swap" and "/".

Next the installation is quite simple, once finished I run this two install packages:

# sudo apt-get install 915resolution (reboot)

On which you need to edit the /etc/default/915resolution file.
MODE=Auto
XRESO=1440
YRESO=900
BIT=

And...
# sudo apt-get install network-manager-pptp


I am still playing with this last one.

I will add more notes later as soon as I get my feet wet on Ubuntu (first thing I noticed is that I have to sudo everything.. I miss root)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I would truely like to thank you both, I finally resolved my problem and now have my wireless card working on my D620. I went back as you suggested Dawid and just reinstalled and rebooted. But only after rebuilding the linux install and starting fresh and as Mike suggested installing the Kernel-Devel for my kernel as well that solved everything. Thanks again for all your feedback and this blog. Now on to the next issue to solve, getting my wireless to work at the office with their WPA setup. LOL.