Comments on: Resurecting Compaq Presario 1240 with Damn Small Linux http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/ Utterly random, incoherent and disjointed rants and ramblings... Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:20:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Toby Newman http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8956 Sun, 04 May 2008 10:57:30 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8956 Just noticed that your message board is modifying the modprobe string. Here it is in code brackets: <code>sudo modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=0 mpu_io=0x330</code> Just noticed that your message board is modifying the modprobe string. Here it is in code brackets:
sudo modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=0 mpu_io=0x330

]]> by: Toby Newman http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8955 Sun, 04 May 2008 10:25:29 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8955 When I got my Presario 1240 it had a BIOS password from the previous user which stopped me booting an O/S, let alone getting into the BIOS! I dismantled it and removed the battery for 25 minutes and the password is now cleared but, whenever I reboot it, the clock returns to 00:00 in 1988. Bizarrely, other BIOS settings stick fine, so it's not a flat battery. Anyway, as a result, whenever I boot, the machine spews an error (invalid clock or something) and gives me two options: F1 to continue booting, or F10 to enter BIOS. So, for me, F10 opens the BIOS. For you? I don't know. :) When I got my Presario 1240 it had a BIOS password from the previous user which stopped me booting an O/S, let alone getting into the BIOS! I dismantled it and removed the battery for 25 minutes and the password is now cleared but, whenever I reboot it, the clock returns to 00:00 in 1988. Bizarrely, other BIOS settings stick fine, so it’s not a flat battery.
Anyway, as a result, whenever I boot, the machine spews an error (invalid clock or something) and gives me two options: F1 to continue booting, or F10 to enter BIOS.
So, for me, F10 opens the BIOS. For you? I don’t know. )

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8954 Sun, 04 May 2008 01:00:21 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8954 Thanks Toby! I actually moved on and installed several other systems on this machine after that. I briefly had it running Slax, then Fluxbuntu and now it is running Ubuntu Lite. I'm planning to mess around with it some more and install something more hard core - perhaps Crux or Gentoo at some point and see if I can get better performance. :) Btw, how did you get into BIOS on that Compaq machine? I tried pressing just about everything on the keyboard during the bootup sequence and I couldn't get in. Thanks Toby! I actually moved on and installed several other systems on this machine after that. I briefly had it running Slax, then Fluxbuntu and now it is running Ubuntu Lite. I’m planning to mess around with it some more and install something more hard core - perhaps Crux or Gentoo at some point and see if I can get better performance. )

Btw, how did you get into BIOS on that Compaq machine? I tried pressing just about everything on the keyboard during the bootup sequence and I couldn’t get in.

]]> by: Toby Newman http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8952 Sat, 03 May 2008 22:59:48 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-8952 Thank you for the xvesa tips which helped me get up and running. To enable sound in Damn Small Linux (DSL) on a Compaq Presario 1240 you will need to use the command: sudo modprobe sb io=0x220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=0 mpu_io=0x330 ...where the values after sb correspond with the values you see in your bios. I now have mine installed to the HD, customised, on my LAN, and streaming web radio through the in-built JBL speakers. :) Thank you for the xvesa tips which helped me get up and running.

To enable sound in Damn Small Linux (DSL) on a Compaq Presario 1240 you will need to use the command:

sudo modprobe sb io=0×220 irq=5 dma=1 dma16=0 mpu_io=0×330

…where the values after sb correspond with the values you see in your bios.
I now have mine installed to the HD, customised, on my LAN, and streaming web radio through the in-built JBL speakers. )

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-7692 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 04:08:17 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-7692 I ended up running Fluxbuntu and Ubuntu Lite on it in the end. They were the ones that performed the best. :) I ended up running Fluxbuntu and Ubuntu Lite on it in the end. They were the ones that performed the best. )

]]> by: simonc50 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-7690 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 03:48:14 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-7690 Hey great thread ..i got one of these lappys too but only 64mb ram.. I tried dsl with fb800x600 and xfbdev ok but its maxed out in the ram crashes when i go to xterm.. i found an old ubuntu 5.10 live cd ..hey presto it worked after about 15mins..amazing!..i have a stick of ram on the way ..so things are looking up. Its nice too get old harware going!..Thanks for the thread.! Hey great thread ..i got one of these lappys too but only 64mb ram..
I tried dsl with fb800×600 and xfbdev ok but its maxed out in the ram crashes when i go to xterm..
i found an old ubuntu 5.10 live cd ..hey presto it worked after about 15mins..amazing!..i have a stick of ram on the way ..so things are looking up.
Its nice too get old harware going!..Thanks for the thread.!

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6542 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:57:25 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6542 <strong>@Devin</strong> - I didn't try LowArch. Btw, other distros I tried were Slax (<a href="http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/08/installing-slax-popcorn-on-compaq-presario-1240/" rel="nofollow">read how it worked on the presario here</a>) Fluxbuntu (<a href="http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/10/installing-fluxbuntu-on-compaq-presario-1240/" rel="nofollow">it actually worked quite well</a>) Ubuntu Lite (<a href="http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/20/ubuntulite-problems-running-feisty-on-old-hardware/" rel="nofollow">very good despite some funky Feisty related issues</a>) :) @Devin - I didn’t try LowArch.

Btw, other distros I tried were

Slax (read how it worked on the presario here)

Fluxbuntu (it actually worked quite well)

Ubuntu Lite (very good despite some funky Feisty related issues)

:)

]]> by: Devin LaSalle http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6541 Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:29:25 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6541 I have an Compaq 1240 also and I am wondering if a Linux distribution might run it better than Windows ME. I am curious, did you try to install the regular archlinux or did you try to install <a href="http://www.lowarch.org/" rel="nofollow">lowarch</a>? If you are able to get lowarch running on the machine I would certainly be interested in hearing about that! I have an Compaq 1240 also and I am wondering if a Linux distribution might run it better than Windows ME.

I am curious, did you try to install the regular archlinux or did you try to install lowarch? If you are able to get lowarch running on the machine I would certainly be interested in hearing about that!

]]> by: Luke Maciak http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6219 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:10:33 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6219 I will have to try that one along with Vector. Right now I'm using Fluxbuntu which is not quite as polished as I would like it to be. :) I will have to try that one along with Vector. Right now I’m using Fluxbuntu which is not quite as polished as I would like it to be. )

]]> by: griff5w http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6218 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 13:49:07 +0000 http://www.terminally-incoherent.com/blog/2007/09/06/resurecting-compaq-presario-1240-with-damn-small-linux/#comment-6218 I have a similarly old dell machine. Like you, I needed something that would run on older hardware and what I ended up using was Zenwalk. It is amazing how much faster the machine loads than Fedora or Suse on my 2.8 GHz dual-core system with 4GB Ram. Go figure. So try out Zenwalk. I have a similarly old dell machine. Like you, I needed something that would run on older hardware and what I ended up using was Zenwalk. It is amazing how much faster the machine loads than Fedora or Suse on my 2.8 GHz dual-core system with 4GB Ram. Go figure. So try out Zenwalk.

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