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Best Distro for Inspiron 1300

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SeasonalEclipse

Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Okay, Im looking for the best linux for my laptop. I want full out support for its devices so I wont have to mess with anything. iv tried Ubuntu and it wouldnt even boot up (black screen after clicking start/install) Kubuntu booted but froze up and wouldnt pick up my wireless network card. Freespire wont work either (same issue as ubunutu) but yeah.. Anyone use a inspiron 1300 with linux? and if so.. What distro? Im looking into Fedora right now.
 
Eh, I hate messing with all that terminal crap.. I dont even know how to open it up little lone use it.. I have to look off another screen to type in the message too.... I dont see why it has to be so complicated.. I mean.. DOS died out like.. 10 years ago. Why keep around all that text command stuff.. Its the 21st Century! I should be able to just click, install, and be happy! XD Yeah.
 
SeasonalEclipse said:
Okay, Im looking for the best linux for my laptop. I want full out support for its devices so I wont have to mess with anything. iv tried Ubuntu and it wouldnt even boot up (black screen after clicking start/install) Kubuntu booted but froze up and wouldnt pick up my wireless network card. Freespire wont work either (same issue as ubunutu) but yeah.. Anyone use a inspiron 1300 with linux? and if so.. What distro? Im looking into Fedora right now.

You might be asking too much.
Support for any one particular piece of hardware, let alone an entire machine with proprietary hardware in it, can't be guaranteed.
Wifi is an especially hit-or-miss area; many, many different cards and incomplete driver support.
Ubuntu has pretty good hardware detection/support from what I hear. I would recommend PCLinuxOS, if you can find a download site. Their servers just recently crashed and they're scrambling to find a substitute host. You might also want to try Kanotix, SuSe, Mepis, Mandriva or Frugalware.
 
Well, I am going to try installing Kubuntu since it seemed the best out of all the others iv tried today. Maybe once installed I cant ry that solution to the wireless thing via ethernet. It should work with my onboard LAN id hope. Might as well try the live disk and see if it works with my LAN before I do anything.
 
ARG! I am on the live Kubuntu cd now, Iv tried installing it 5 times anf it wont work correctly!! I get it up to where its copying files.. then at around 50% the cd rom stops and everything freezes, iv ran the CD check and the cd comes out with no errors.. what gives?
 
Woot! I got it to install!.. I dont have a real clue how.. but yeah! Im on it now and its on my hard drive!! Now I just have to do that trick to get wireless to work!
 
Uh.. How do I install stuff? XD I downloaded ndiswrapper and extracted it into my desktop.. but I have no clue of what to do from here.. Imma poke around though..
edit- Okay.. I got ndiswrapper installed I think from the packager thing.. but I have no clue how to access it now.. little lone use the driver I just downloaded.
Edit- Okay.. I found a bundle package thingy on the ubuntu site that took care of it! WOO WIRELESS!!
 
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