Newbie questions (a few topics) for HP Omnibook 6100

From: FlyByKnight (FlyByKnight_at_usenetserver.com)
Date: 08/28/03

  • Next message: Dances With Crows: "Re: Newbie questions (a few topics) for HP Omnibook 6100" 
    Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 17:41:56 GMT

    I've set up RH 9 on my HP Omnibook 6100 (in a dual-boot with WinXP). I want
    to get as much "up and running" on linux as possible so that I can run it at
    work. Optimally, I'd like to avoid rebooting into Windows at all, but I
    think there are some times when it will be unavoidable.

    There are several areas that I need to get working. I've put them all in
    this post. Please feel free to reply to a single topic (I don't expect any
    *one person* to give me all my answers :-))

    All help is "much appreciated"!

    1) Basic question - what is ext3? When I installed linux, I used Partition
    Magic to pre-format the partitions with ext2 for /. I chose ext2 because I
    had used it on a previous linux install. Is ext3 suitable for boot and or /
    partitions? Is ext3 kind of like NTFS "V2" (i.e. supports more in the way of
    file permissions, security, maybe even file and folder encryption?) Not
    knowing the difference, I chose to take the safe route. If indeed they are
    "compatible", is there any way to "convert" an ext2 partition to ext3? My
    current config is 2 primary partitions, an extended partition with two
    logical drives. / is on the first logical drive in the extended partition
    and swap is the other. I'm booting with grub in the MBR (in case it
    matters).

    2) Configure X for docked and undocked "profiles" - The OB has a 1400x1050
    TFT display. My "work" monitor is a Dell with 1600x1200. I've got two
    XF86Config files set up: XF86Config.home (undocked) and XF86Config.work
    (docked). Both work fine for their respective profiles (although not as well
    as WinXP - I'd like to get 32bit color working in both profiles, but I'll
    live with 24bit).

    When booting at work in the docking station, I run: cp
    /etc/X11/XF86Config.work /etc/X11/XF86Config
    At home, I cp the home conf file.

    Then I start X.

    Since I now have X pretty well configured, I'd like to boot into the GUI. Is
    there a way of detecting whether I am docked and configuring my config file
    automatically at boot? What about "undocking"? Even if I don't boot into the
    GUI, can I auto-config XF86Config for either docked or undocked?

    3) Wireless - The OB 6100 has an Actiontec Prism wireless 802.11b built-in.
    I have wireless APs at home AND at work (each using different WEP keys).
    When docked at work, I leave the wireless "off" (there's a cool button on
    the side with a blue light when it's enabled) until I need it - using the
    LAN connection (eth0). Currently, If I need my computer in a meeting (away
    from my desk) I undock, push the button to enable wireless, and I'm all set!

    Same goes for at home. Sometimes I'll be sitting in my La-Z-Boy watching TV
    and working and I'll leave wireless off to conserve battery. If I need to go
    to the Internet for something, I push the button and off I go.

    I don't have wireless configured for linux at all. For this I need a nice
    tutorial (thank you!). Will linux support on-again, off-again wireless (on
    demand)? How do I set this up? Will the button work, or will I have to start
    it "manually"?

    4) TCP/IP - Our work network uses TCP/IP, but we also use NBT for internal
    names. I can't access NetBIOS names with linux. Is there a workaround? This
    kind-of goes hand-in-hand with my next question...

    5) SAMBA - I've actually successfully browsed my NT server by using
    smbclient. Oddly enough, I was able to connect by NetBIOS name. How do I get
    SAMBA to work in the GUI? Is it possible to "mount" a SAMBA path, similar to
    mapping a network drive in XP? I'd like to browse network shares from a file
    manager.

    6) Exchange Email - This is probably the most important step to getting me
    on linux "full time". I know that there is Ximian Connector, but it's for
    Exchange 2000 with WebDAV only. We are running Exchange 5.5 SP3 on our email
    server. Is there any way to connect to that from linux without requiring
    modifications to the server?

    7) Last, and probably least... Firewire and video - My 1394 cardbus firewire
    card fails during boot. I haven't really done any troubleshooting on it
    because I don't intend to capture video under linux. To my knowledge there
    are no "professional" video editing apps (compare to Premiere) for linux.
    But I would like to get it working just so I don't always see that big, red
    FAILED flag during boot. Also, I *do* wish to watch video (avi, mpg, mov,
    etc) under linux. My RH distro didn't come with any video players. Any free,
    "opensource" video players out there similar to WMP or QT?

    Thanks in advance for any/all help.

    FBK

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