Linux

[G8_Summit]

OK, I've got this old laptop (a Dell Latitude C810) and I want to install a Linux distribution on it.
I've tried Ubuntu, Mandrake and another one (sounds like a Italian dessert), but the installs all just freeze.

Any idea what I can use ??

I just want a simple laptop that can be used to surf the internet and run openoffice.

[TheRefactornator]

you could give knoppix a go - it's one of the easier ones cos it runs from a bootable cd

[Moscow Mule]

http://www.google.com/search?client=...UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

First hit:

http://aronius.com/openbsd/index.php?id=c810-Linux

Looks hard.

[SueEllen]

Ubuntu should work. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=491301

So should Fedora : http://www.spinics.net/linux/fedora/...msg284790.html

I would try a live CD first and see if you have any problems then if you don't try an installation from that.

[Sir_Edward_Matheson]

Go for Ubuntu. I no longer run Windows at home and have found it to be very reliable. Any problems with the install, just post them up here and I will see if I can help.

I find that Fedora/CentOS usually have something missing that a home user could do with.

[VectraMan]

Any problems with the install, just post them up here and I will see if I can help.

He did.

I think it's a C810 I've got sat around, so I might try the same thing. Is it easy enough to get it to dual boot? I'd rather keep the XP install in case.

[Ardesco]

Debian!

It's what Ubuntu is based upon, only it is more stable. Won't have all the absolute latest software that is available (hence the extra stability) but does the job and usually flies through the install without any problems.

If you are still getting stuck can you tell us where in the installation it freezes?

[SueEllen]

He did.

I think it's a C810 I've got sat around, so I might try the same thing. Is it easy enough to get it to dual boot? I'd rather keep the XP install in case.

Should be. It varies on the linux distribution.

Just don't use old versions of partition magic.

[G8_Summit]

I don't really get as far as an install.
I downloaded the .iso and burnt to a DVD.
Booted from the DVD and it appears to be loading into the Mandriva desktop. This takes ages, and eventually it seems to have the desktop loaded, but then just freezes.
Interestingly, different things happen each time I do this, but the end result is always a frozen system.

Thinking I need to boot into DOS first and format the hard drive first to maybe clear out any crud thqt could be causing probs.

[Addanc]

Try openSUSE, it has very good hardware detection.