(Unofficial, Unauthorized, and Unaffiliated)
VARIOUS MANDRAKE COMMENTS
By Shel Daltrey
linux @ fastbk.com
rev. 10/06/02
|
I am
using Mandrake 8.2 Linux on my HP N5290 laptop. I like Icepack a lot and
their support has been outstanding. However, the Mandrake installation tools
seem more robust to me and the package seems
to me to have more software I need.
There are some things that do not work on my laptop. There are HP "diagnostics" that can load from the boot menu. However, they don't work with the Mandrake LILO boot loader. I'm not sure why this is. They are "still there," since when I removed Linux, they returned to functionality. The HP diagnostics also worked when I used the Icepack LILO boot loader. I can't figure out the difference between the two LILO setups. However, I have never actually had to use the HP diagnostics so I haven't given it much more thought. The internal modem is a "winmodem" with proprietary drivers and as far as I know, the linux modem team has not been able to make it work. That's too bad, because in Windows, the modem is a full service data/fax/voice modem. I have a couple of other modems. One PCMCIA modem I have works for dial-out and internet, but not faxing. I don't actually know if I have the parallel and serial ports working. I access my printer via a USB port emulator. I don't have a working scanner. The scanner I use in windows (and printer) is a brother MFC9600 six-in-one laser printer/scanner/copier/fax. |