what can i do with damn small?

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: what can i do with damn small?
started by: dibblethewrecker

Posted by dibblethewrecker on Dec. 10 2003,22:39

REALLY excited about DS but i have some questions before i send my 56k off on a marathon!

i want to use...

mplayer
gaim
firebird
thunderbird
xmms (know it's in there)

know i need a hd install - can i use all these apps?

also, have seen amazing stuff on fluxbox, is it possible to do all this with DS?

can i compile source?

will DS like my hardware? I have a dell laptop with a neomagic card (which I gather is something of a "bad thing"), a netgear wifi and a xircom hardware modem/NIC

i'm a beginner looking for a home

love the idea of a little distro that's all mine
love the idea of a little but expanding community that i can be part of

and

most of all

i dig the multicoloured post icons!

Posted by Crotalus on Dec. 11 2003,03:11

I believe all you need to get is an internet connection, 56k will work, on your laptop and use apt-get to install any apps that you like. Fluxbox is very good and yes you most likely will be able to configure a desktop like you've seen. Now about the neomagic card, I myself have run into problems with the neomagic, specifically the NM2090 or MagicGraph 128V on my little compaq BUT I have solved this problem and have written a post on it, several people have successfully fixed a number or old/wierd video cards with it, Link: < http://damnsmalllinux.org/cgi-bin....3;t=393 >

About the other hardware, it mostly depends on how propritary it is... My presario's sound is STILL not working and I'm banging my head agianst the wall trying to get it to work! But, of course my laptop is from 1997-1998 so go figure, anyway I've found DSL to be a very nice linux distro, preferably with an internet connection.

To compile source you will need to install gcc/make because they were omitted to save space, the original goal was to make a business card sized CD with linux on it and that goal sticks today. Although if you have internet then you can install it via apt-get and THEN you can compile.

You might want to check the debian hardware compatiblty charts to make sure about your other hardware, and also, If you can you might want to copy down you entire 'Deivce Manager' page in windows because it will be VERY helpful with configuring devices in DSL.

G/L