Experiences With a Dell Inspiron 4100

Checklist for Installing Linux

• Before installation, I generally copy /home, /etc and user-edited portions of /var to safety on the server machine. Later I copy non-surviving data back, and for restoring customizations I do ``diff -r -w /var/upgrade/etc /etc > /tmp/etc.diff'' (where the pre-upgrade copy is in /var/upgrade, a directory I created). Then changed files can be identified and re-hacked.
• It generally works out best to install Windows before Linux, because Windows rewrites the master boot record, and you will need to rewrite it using lilo in any case.
• Get the right size partitions in the right place. This should have happened during Windows installation. See the hibernation writeup. Here is my partition table.
• Boot SuSE 7.3 CD #1. Remember to set the disableapic boot parameter (or use the ``Safe Settings'' menu choice, but it will be slow). Go through the usual installation procedure. The only troublesome point was that SaX2 was not able to configure the X Window System (q.v. for how to set it up). Also decline the offer to set up some of the items listed below, which need special drivers.
• Configure the X Window System according to the separate writeup.
• If you were not able to get YaST2 to set up your sound (which I wasn't), finish the job.
• Obtain recent versions and install special packages:

  XFree86-4.2.0

  Just the server with driver modules, specifically the Radeon driver version that recognizes the Inspiron's chip, and the DRI support. Also patch the AGPGART module. (Writeup here.)

  i8kutils-1.8

  Sensor module for the CPU temperature and fan operation. (Writeup here.)

  wireless_tools.22

  A recent version is needed to load the parameters for the ORiNOCO (Dell TrueMobile 1150) wireless card. (Writeup here.)

  Cisco VPN5000 Client

  For UCLA Bruin Online wireless network. (Writeup here.)

  Modem

  No modem driver could be found. (Writeup here.)

  Touchpad

  In our model, configuration issues are offloaded to the (Windows) driver. (Writeup here.)

• Upon kernel rebuild, these modules need special treatment, usually recompilation:
  • i8k.o (CPU temperature sensor)
  • snd*.o (ALSA sound drivers)
  • vpnmod (Cisco VPN5000 client)
• Any other configuration we've missed.
• Set up device filesystem (devfs) last.