[Novalug] EeMachine mini tower EL1200-05w anyone ever put linux on one?

Jay Hart jhart@kevla.org
Sun Jul 29 15:04:28 EDT 2012


Bonnie,

Wow, I'm very surprised that no one suggested to you to determine if an
updated version of the BIOS exists for this machine, and if it does I'd update
that first, and see if it fixes any of your problems.

You could also put in a new BIOS battery at the same time.

Jay

> On Sun, 29 Jul 2012, Greg Faust wrote:
>
> thanks for the suggestions
>
>> before you try a new hard drive, boot your favorite linux livecd/liveusb (i
>> use ubuntu desktop) and run:
>
> the main purpose of the different harddrive is to install a linux without
> risking damaging the current win xp install as an experiment.
>
> when i started this process i booted the eMachine from an ubuntu live dvd
> and encountered the strage graphics response while running from the
> dvd.
>
> i do have dos spinrite which will check harddrives in a non-destructive
> way. i can plug the existing harddrive into my main computer and boot
> from freedos and run spinrite
>
> i have freedos installed as one of the boot options
>
> here is a page about spinrite
>
> http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm
>
>>
>> to identify which device is the hard drive
>> sudo fdisk -l
>>
>> to scan the entire disk for errors, where <x> is the device (WARNING: this
>> is a destructive process for your data)
>> badblocks -wsb 4096 -t random /dev/sd<x>
>>
>> You also want to make sure that the heat sink on the CPU is dust free.
>>
>
> will double check that
>
>> -Greg F-
>>
>> On Sun, Jul 29, 2012 at 11:09 AM, Bonnie Dalzell <bdalzell@qis.net> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, 29 Jul 2012, Clif Flynt wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>  You might be able to down-grade the graphics to a VESA driver,
>>>> instead of the presumed-buggy nvidia driver.
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Also, while the open source nvidia drivers have various issues, you
>>>> can also download a driver from nvidia.  I've sometimes had to
>>>> back-track a few drivers to find one that will work with particularly
>>>> flaky hardware.
>>>>
>>>>  If you have a spare drive, I'd install a potential Linux on
>>>> that and then tweak the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file (possibly stealing
>>>> one from another machine), or install the non-OSS nvidia drivers.
>>>>
>>> a suggestion worth trying. thanks
>>>
>>> right now i do not have a spare SATA drive. I want one for purposes of
>>> experimentation. found one for $29 at Nexttag -an 80 GB one at. Hmm looks
>>> like a drive for a laptop. I guess i need to check the ancient spare
>>> laptop i have to see if the connectors on its drive match the sata
>>> connectors in the eMachine.
>>>
>>>>  Once you're sure things work, you can re-do the installation on
>>>> the real disk.
>>>>
>>>>  (Or just give in and declare the old windows system toast, and start
>>>> installing over it, or try partition magic, or other variants.)
>>>>
>>>
>>> i have thought of that option - but I was afraid if it failed - it would
>>> make the computer have no value as a trade in. at least now it presents
>>> itself as having a windows install even though it does not boot cause
>>> of the hal.dll problem.
>>>
>>>
>>>>  Clif
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>>                         Bonnie Dalzell, MA
>>> mail:PO box 9767 Baldwin, MD, USA 21013  |  EMAIL:bdalzell@qis.net
>>> shipping address:5100 Hydes Rd 21082 (Hydes Post Office closed Jan 2012)
>>> Freelance anatomist, vertebrate paleontologist, writer, illustrator, dog
>>> breeder, computer nerd & iconoclast... Borzoi info at www.borzois.com.
>>> HOME www.batw.net    ART bdalzellart.batw.net  BUSINESS
>>> www.boardingatwedge.com
>>>
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>>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>                         Bonnie Dalzell, MA
> mail:PO box 9767 Baldwin, MD, USA 21013  |  EMAIL:bdalzell@qis.net
> shipping address:5100 Hydes Rd 21082 (Hydes Post Office closed Jan 2012)
> Freelance anatomist, vertebrate paleontologist, writer, illustrator, dog
> breeder, computer nerd & iconoclast... Borzoi info at www.borzois.com.
> HOME www.batw.net    ART bdalzellart.batw.net  BUSINESS
> www.boardingatwedge.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> Novalug mailing list
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