Operation and Maintenance

25-July-2004: Linux-Installations-Party in Freiburg: I'm on SuSE 9.1
People from http://www.mediensyndikat.de and http://www.freiburg.linux.de helped me to uprade to SuSE 9.1 . Upgrade worked, I know some more about Linux now, looking forward to work on Bluetooth, WLAN, and Suspend mode. The fonts issue (nasty without anti-aliasing) is solved.

16-May-2004: not yet on Suse 9.1
AVM released some info about SUSE 9.1 and BlueFritz here http://www.avm.de/de/News/artikel/capi4linux_treiber_kernel_26.html and here http://www.avm.de/de/News/artikel/suse_91_besonderheiten.html

16-Apr-2004: waiting for Suse 9.1
Fixing a small issue with mouse drivers: I need two, one for the built-in keystick and buttons, one for the optional USB-wheel-mouse. Did not go on with bluetooth, rather wait for Suse 9.1 with Kernel 2.6.

Installation

21-Mar-2004: Bluetooth step 1 of possibly many
Downloaded the rpm files for bluez-libs, bluez-pan, bluez-bluefw, bluez-sdp, bluez-utils, capi4linux, i4l-base, i4l-isdnlog after searching at rpmseek.com (caution: annoying activeX). Installed these rpms as described at http://portal.suse.de/sdb/de/2003/10/bluetooth_avm.html There's much more to do. Not today.

19-Mar-2004: Cleaning activities
I had planned to have one Windows drive C: and one (or more) Linux partitions. Howeever, after the installation, I had Windows drive C, in addition still drive D, and Linux located in the middle of the disc. To convert this challenge into an advantage, I decided to use the D drive for data in the future. Good opportunity to clean up the content of the old Windows C, move data things to D, check if everything still works in the Windows world.

18-Mar-2004: Installation from CD
Let's go: I prepared the crucial things in advance (Transmeta glibc ...). I know that bluetooth will not be staightforward, buit that the AP-X with USB connector will work. Thus: Connect the AVM AP-X using a USB cable, and my Logitech Mouseman Traveler to the other USB. Press the "on" button, press F12 to boot from CD, put in CD number 1. Linux boots from CD as described in the journal. Yes I want to install it. All setup is pretty muvch straightforward. The screen starts at 1024 * 768, later I set it to 1280 x 768. One can really enter exactly how many pixel it should have, cool. Linux proposed to shrink Windows to intall Linux. I had planned it differently, I had thought I could intstall it on the D; partition of Windows, but after playing around for half an hour with manual settings I gave up and accepted the proposal. So now I have 5 partitions. The mouse was recognized, but without the scrollwheel yet. The tracking point, audio, all fine. ISDN access point configuration was quite straightforward, had to enter data for my telephone area, the phone numbers of my provider, my account details. I went through the lists of programs to be installed and added some few things that I thought would make sense.
It took me about 2 hours. I could have been done in less time, but I watched the Marx brothers at TV in parallel, so I had no reason to speed up.
KDE looks good, the important producivity tools are here. Next thing is to load the patches: connect to the internet, fine. Load the latest patches using YOL: took another hour. Reported my success at LeoG.net. Enough for today.

Preparation

18-Mar-2004: Researching Fujitsu P-series, Transmeta Crusoe; bought SUSE 9.0 CD
Bought the EasyLinux.de starter kit 5, SUSE 9.0 SE at the bookshop in the train station for 12.80 Euro: 2 CDs and a 100-page journal. Not too advanced, fine.
Reply from AVM customer service: really fast, qualified, and sincere: Fritz!AP-X access point works when connecting AP and PC with a USB cable. Using CAPI4Linux driver, which is integrated in SUSE Linux 9.0 already. As for Bluettoth under Linux, AVM is open to the Linux community by providing information, but does not guarantee anything for customers (=me) nor do they provide service. More at this FAQ entry, at the AVM Linux portal and at www.holtmann.org.
SUSE and Transmeta: how to work around the i686 / i586 issue: use glibc 2.3.2.-87 i586 instead of glibc 2.3.2.-88 i686.
SUSE Linux on Fujitsu P2120 (mine is a 2110): Oleg Dulin's WIKI, a good how-to page with detailed instructions and links.

17-Mar-2004: Researching SUSE 9.0 and AVM BlueFritz! USB
Contacted AVM support: is BlueFritz! USB less supported for Linux than other AVM products? Googled bluefritz USB SUSE and found useful stuff: Chip about SUSE 9.0 mit AVM BlueFritz USB, Chip about Teledat C120X mit Bluetooth USB Adapter , linuxquestions.org about SUSE 9.0 pro and AVM BlueFritz installation , SUSE hardware database , Linux-club.de , Linux-club.de again , linuxdardware.de , SUSE about 8.2 and AVM and about bigfixes in Kernel 2.6.2 (February 2004) vs. 2.6.1., a number of them regarding bluetooth.
From a first glance: it looks possible; Kernel 2.6 is not yet really fine for me; I can get it later if I decide to; SUSE 9.0 with Kernel 2.4 should be good enough; to save time and be less frustrated, I should go for the Linux for dummies way, e.g. through the EasyLinux.de starter kit 5, SUSE 9.0 SE CD with extra explanations and Handbook etc.

16-Mar-2004: Basics and Constraints
I have a Fujitsu P2110 notebook with a 1280 x 768 wide screen, using a Transmeta Cruesoe processor. Fortunately the guys at LeoG.net are experienced and discussing Linux on that machine in quite some detail.
I also just upgraded my hard drive to a Hitachi 7k60 2.5" 60 MByte, using Acronis MigrateEasy 6.0, a great tool. It simply does what it is supposed to do. And it claims to work with Linux just as well. I have a 12 MByte partition D, which could be used for Linux.
I use Bluefritz AP-X and Bluefritz USB to connect to the internet through ISDN. Fortnately, AVM is supporting SUSE Linux, they say that support for their products is embedded in the Kernel. However, from the website Linux bei AVM it is not clear to me if this is also true for the bluetooth connection.
I think I will go for an installation from CD or DVD. SUSE since it's common here in Germany, and supported by what I guess is the most critical part, this unusual bluetooth-ISDN internet connection. Having said that about BlueFritz!, once it runs, it's just great.
I'd like to get Linux in English, though. Not sure if the CDs/DVDs one gets here for 10 Euro or so are german only.
It's CEBIT time. Should I wait for another version, or should I start with SUSE 9.0?

15-Mar-2004: Should I try?
Con: I don't have much time. In principle, XP is fine. I have software that runs only on Windows.
Pro: It's interesting. I should try. I have some experience, not too much. I have the hardware, and the software is free/cheap. If it does not work, all I lost is time. I'm already using software that is available for both platforms: OpenOffice.org, Arachnophilia, Mozilla
Con: I have somewhat special hardware. I don't like to play around too much. I can't/don't want to afford professional help.
Pro: The special hardware is quite well documented. There are others: user groups, forums. I have a network of friends and aquaintances. The is the "famous" Linux-community. And: if I can do it, others might be encouraged as well.
Pro: Others did it. Ton Zylstra even blogged it in Jetison. I'll do it.