White Paper
June 1999
[
0206-0799-A
]
Prepared by Portables Software
Marketing
Compaq Computer Corporation
Contents
What is Linux? ..............................................3
Key Features..................................................3
Linux Advantages/Disadvantages................4
Linux Availability .........................................5
Compaq’s Linux Strategy for
Commercial Portables...................................5
Services Support............................................6
Linux on Armada 7400 & 7800 ...................6
Hard Disk Support ........................................6
What To Expect...........................................10
Installing RedHat 5.2: .................................11
Installing with SuSE 6.0 .............................15
Installing Linux with Windows NT4 .........21
Questions and Answers...............................22
List of Tables
TABLE 1 – SUMMARY OF LINUX
DRIVERS ......................................................6
Installation of Linux on Compaq
Armada 7400 and 7800 Portables
Abstract:
According to a recent press article, “Linux runs faster, makes
better use of pre-emptive multitasking and uses only a fraction of the memory
required by a Windows or Mac OS. Notebook batteries last much longer on a
Linux system, partly because it knows how to put the processor to sleep when
idle. It is more stable, crashes far less often and is easier to fix then
Windows.”
1
The Linux operating system was originally developed on desktop Intel
Architecture systems. As such, Linux was developed without portable
features. Recently, Linux added support for features that portable users
expect such as Advanced Power Management (APM), PCMCIA cards, and X
windows video drivers for LCD panels. Many other features of portables are
so implementation dependent and have no analogy in the desktop world that
the Linux developers have not considered adding these features. For
example, each portable manufacturer has their own implementation of device
swapping and docking stations.
This paper provides a summary of the Linux operating system, its history and
features. Also covered are pointers on installation, methods to enable APM,
PCMCIA, Internal modem, Compaq Netflex, and X Windows on the LCD
panel and use on Armada 7400 and 7800 notebooks as well as Compaq’s
Commercial Portables position and strategy on the Linux open source
operating system.
Compaq recommends upgrading to the latest system BIOS available at
www.compaq.com
.
Linux specific information related to features and Year 2000 compliance has
been obtained from the official Linux web site
http://www.Linux.org
1
(David Bragi, Portable Computing, March 1999)
