Puppy on an old laptop

Problems and successes with specific brands/models of computer video hardware
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pcalvert
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat 02 Mar 2013, 00:57

Puppy on an old laptop

#1 Post by pcalvert »

Hi,

For the last couple of days I've been testing out Puppy on an old laptop.

Specs
======
300 MHz Pentium II
256 MB RAM
Video: Chips and Technologies HiQVideo 69000
Monitor: NEC MultiSync FE770 (external monitor)


Lucid Puppy (version 5.2.8) works. The automatic X11 configuration doesn't work perfectly, but it at least picks a usable resolution and the VESA driver. Running xorgwizard from the console picks the correct driver and offers the desired resolution.

Precise Puppy (version 5.4.3) is unable to configure X11. The automatic X11 configuration fails and I am prompted to run xorgwizard. Unfortunately, the xorgwizard also fails. Even selecting the VESA driver does not work. I even tried using the xorg.conf file from Lucid Puppy (since it worked), but got a black screen upon running xwin.

Slacko Puppy (version 5.4) is a little better than Precise Puppy. Shortly after Slacko started booting up the monitor responded with an out-of-range error message. I turned the monitor off and waited until all access to the CD-ROM had ceased. I then turned the monitor back on and saw the usual initial boot desktop. However, the automatic X11 configuration had selected a rather low resolution (640x480). It did get the driver right, though. Reconfiguration using xorgwizard was not possible since the monitor went black when X11 was terminated.

I just noticed that there is a Retro-Precise Puppy version available. I will try that next and report back with my results.

UPDATE: Retro-Precise Puppy failed in exactly the same way as the regular Precise Puppy. That's what I was expecting would happen, but I figured it was worth a try.

Phil
Last edited by pcalvert on Sun 03 Mar 2013, 03:05, edited 1 time in total.

starhawk
Posts: 4906
Joined: Mon 22 Nov 2010, 06:04
Location: Everybody knows this is nowhere...

#2 Post by starhawk »

One of the wonderful things about Puppy is that you're not limited to Wary/Precise/Slacko/Lucid/etc. -- there are many "unofficial" builds that are (for the most part) supported almost exactly as well as the mainline ones. For instance...

I have a Dell Latitude CPi D300XT with similar specs (yours has twice the RAM and a different video card). I call that laptop of mine The Infernal Dell because it's slow, cantankerous, and persnickety. Think "rented mule" and multiply the troubles by at least two ;)

To be more specific... 300MHz Pentium II, 128MB EDO RAM, very strange NeoMagic graphics card (does NOT play well with VESA!! requires Xorg), and a CompactFlash card in an adapter (as hard drive).

Look at this thread --> pUPnGO 2012 Plus Extras

Specifically, the second link in the second post -- pUPnGO 2012 with TextMaker 2012. You will need to register TextMaker with SoftMaker, the, er, manufacturer of that software -- but it doesn't cost money. If you don't like that idea (I don't blame you) then try the third link -- pUPnGO 2012 with TextMaker 2002. You will need a VESA compatible card and screen with that, but for you that's apparently not a problem.

I can't vouch for the TextMaker 2002 version -- but the TextMaker2012 version works really well on the CPi, even with those limited specs. I think you'll be remarkably surprised at how fast it is.

For what it's worth -- The Infernal Dell did not want to play nice with pUPnGO 2012's savefile generator. (I suspect it had something to do with the CompactFlash card, but I don't actually know for sure.) I actually did my first manual frugal install to get it on there... but it worked :D Just copy the four main files (vmlinuz, initrd.gz, and the two *.sfs files) then boot another version of Puppy (I used an old-ish one called Puplite 5.0) and plunk down grub4DOS.

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