[tlinux-users:08576] Re: Help Wanted-Installing Debian Etch on Toshiba Dynabook SS SX 490NK

On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:01:09 -0700 (PDT)
"Joel T." <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> System description:
> I bought a Toshiba Dynabook SS SX 490NK (equivalent to the Portege R300).
> It came preinstalled with a Japanese Windows XP. I do not use the Japanese Windows.
> 
> Problem:
> I want to install Debian Etch on the laptop and not sure what is the best way to go.
> It might be useful to install an English Windows XP version so as to run the special utilities to control laptop features such as ROM and HD password management, finger print detection, etc. This means setting a dual-boot system.

ROM?  Isn't that a BIOS access?  meaning it's OS-independent?  

Some Linux distributions have hard drive partition encryption; not all.  

There is, of course, nothing wrong with a dual-boot system.
> 
> Questions:
> 1. When installing Debian Etch can I have the same control on the laptop features as with the Windows XP? are there linux equivalents to the laptop's Windows utilities? or should I run them under a Windows emulator? or install Windows?.

Depends on which utilities.  uSoft tends to make cozy deals with the fingerprint detector hardware manufacturers so the specifics are bolted onto XP.  In the case of Linux, often the necessary specs are not available publicly.  So 1) somebody has to reverse engineer and 2) there's no $ above the table to pay for it.  So such 'goodies' tend to appear in Linux distributions later than in uSoft products.  Life in the open source world.  
> 
> 2. Is there any point in maintaining the recovery area on the HD or should I format the entire HD and allocate all the space to Debian?.
> 
> Any other comments/suggestions/tips  on installation/setup are welcome.

You have other options.  One is swapping hard drives entirely.  (I'm not familiar with your particular model so don't ask me where the screws are).   
	Another is to get a Linux that fits easily on a USB stick; Puppy is a good candidate there -- all new laptops will boot from the USB stick.  ... and leave your hard drive alone unless you deliberately mount it.  FreeBSD sees the USB stick as simply another hard drive ... and will install to it if you pick that drive as the installation target.   (I have a handfull of USB sticks, most with some version of Puppylinux on them)
	An even larger selection of Linux distributions (and a couple BSD distros too) will readily boot off the CD.  These also leave your hard drive alone unless you deliberately say otherwise.   
	All these options postpone your questions about dual boot, reclaiming the disk, and how much of it....

Myself?  I have XP installed on hard drives.  The drives sit in a drawer; the drives actually installed in my computers, including both Toshiba laptops is Linux.  Fedora on the newer and Puppy on the older for the most part.  

Help?

> 
> Thanks,
> Joel.
> 
> 
>        
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