Installed Debian on a old IBM thinkpad 1171 but I have some problems [SOLVED]

[spajix]

I have a old IBM Thinkpad 1711
700mhz intel celeron
56mb ram
10gb hdd
It took me forever to get a distro to install on this box right
I tried lots most wouldn't boot
Or wouldn't install right
It's running the latest Debian testing
Stable wouldn't work
So I'm running the latest testing
And it took over 1 day and a half 2 days to install
I have windows maker as the gui
Working with gdm
I've been using Linux for a lil more then a year now mostly Debian based
I run DreamLinux on my main box before that Ubuntu

But anyways

1st
First of all the screen res is set to 800 * 600 but the screen is 1000 and some * 700 and some I think or something of that sort
So this 800 * 600 leaves a border of unused pixels around the picture
And leaves me with a very small work space
So how can I fix this?
By the way 800 * 600 is the highest res choice they give me

2nd
I have a Belkin wireless g usb network adapter
I use this
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=400236&highlight=rt73
howto to get it to work when whatever distro I'm on doesn't come with a driver
But when I run

Code:

sudo make

I get

Code:

make: *** /lib/modules/2.6.24-1-686/build: No such file or directory. Stop.
rt73.ko failed to build!
make: *** [module] Error 1

I don't know why
I did the build needed essential
So any help there?

3rd
and one more thing
I'm not a big Windows maker fan
But it's the only windows manger that would install that I tried
things like fluxbox and xfce which I wanted instade
said that they couldn't find them or that they didn't have the install program or something weird like that
And I would prefer xfce more then anyother windows manager (Since it can't run gnome at a good speed)

Thanks for any help ahead of time
I'll be checking that alot
So if you have any other questions to ask me to help you help me I'll try to answer them well and fast

[machiner]

56mb ram

Oof.  See here

Also:  But how much RAM and disk space are absolutely essential? From here

But how much RAM and disk space are absolutely essential?

These minimal requirements are sufficient for a system without X windows and only 1 or 2 users:
15 MBytes of disk space for the base system; this provides a minimally-functioning Unix system, but includes no application programs and no network support.
80 MBytes of disk space for a standard system running applications on the console (i.e., without an X11 interface).
120 MBytes of disk space for a standard system running applications with an X11 window system.
300 MBytes and more for all all the optional programs (You probably don't need all of these prorams.)

Debian Linux can be installed on systems with only 4 MBytes of RAM. The latest installation disks are especially organized to provide an easy installation path for machines with small memories. Some users report success at using Debian Linux to convert PC's having limited RAM (and disk space) into X terminals. An 80386-based system with only 4 MBytes of RAM and 40 MBytes disk space has been used to run Debian Linux in this way; i.e., both networking and basic X11 server functions operated satisfactorily. This mode of operation even works if 1 MByte of the RAM is used as a ramdisk when the machine is booted, implying that only 3 Mbytes of RAM is absolutely essential for using Debian Linux on a PC in order to use it as an X server. This mode of operation requires a swap partition; without it, the system won't even go into multi-user mode.

You really meant 256mb ram, right?

For your 1st issue - what monitor and video card are you using?
2nd issue - got your headers and shite installed?
Your 3rd issue leaves me saying - Huh?

[spajix]

I know it says I need 256mb ram
But I also know I'm running Debian with windows maker with only 56mb ram

1st
idk I don't think it has a video card or just an inter graded one
And idk it doesn't say anything about the screen so I guess it's made by IBM and thats all I know
But some distro that I tried
I think it was Feather used the hole screen and when it was booting it said it was setting it to 104x * 7xx

2nd
I guess it was the headers but I thought that first command took care of them
But yea I have the drivers installed
But I'm still having trouble getting them to work but I think I can get it if not I'll post those problems here

3rd
It's not installing stuff I tell it to because all the repos I have are the cd it's self and the security repos
Since I'm using the testing version
So what repos should I add that will give me all those packages that come with the stable release but still work with testing?

[machiner]

Ok well, at first glance, number 3 is fixed by deleting or commenting out ( # at the beginning of the line) the cd-rom entries.

You need to add to your repositories as you've got none, really.

Here's mine, I live in New England, USA:

machiner@lapbox{~}: cat /etc/apt/sources.list

deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ testing main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ testing main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ testing/updates main contrib
#opera
deb http://deb.opera.com/opera lenny non-free
#Opera Beta
#deb http://deb.opera.com/opera-beta/ lenny non-free
#marillat
deb http://www.debian-multimedia.org testing main
#modsecurity
deb http://etc.inittab.org/~agi/debian/libapache-mod-security2/etch ./
#kde4
#deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ experimental main

You can also run apt-spy to run through available mirrors in order to save the best ones to your sources.list file.  It can take a while and you have to chose geographic locations.

There are some other apt or related utilities to help you build a sources.list file.  You can always goto  Debian Worldwide Mirrors

Number 2 -- Ok.  Right on.

Number 1 - Show us some stuff.  Install lshw and then run it like this:

# lshw -c display

Paste your results here.  You could run lspci, too and post that if you wanted.

[useResa]

Hi Spajix ... glad to see you made it over 

@ machiner: Spajix was given a hint to look here in this thread. 
You can also see some suggestions given earlier (besides coming over here).

[spajix]

Thanks Machiner your source list has helped me fix mine
So that problem is fixed and I have xfce installed
And by the way I also have added another 128mb of ram so I now have 183mb or at least thats what my system information says even though it doesn't add up right

As for my screen res I have found some forum threads with people who had similar problems all the had to do was add the right res to the xorg config file but my file seemed to be set up differently maybe a newer version or something
And idea's how I could do that?
I'll check out that app you told me to try and get back to you on that

And my wifi is giving me lots of trouble and thats what I want working the most so I'll put some info on it on here soon

[spajix]

Okay heres my update to my WiFi problems
When I put it
ifconfig eth1 up
(It says wlan0 on the How To but my computers always call this device eth0 idk why but I do know that is the device)
I get
SIOCSIFFLAGS: No such file or directory
I have no idea what this means but I think it's a problem
And if I try to connect to a wireless network the adepter itself will not blink as it should
(I have to put in the name of the network as well it does not find it)
So please help

4th
I have another problem but this is just a lil one with xfce
Theres no stray on the panels which I really need
If I tray to add one it says
"There is already a system tray running on this screen"
Then I click "close" and I then get
"Could not open "systray" module"
But I do have an s tray working on Gnome
Any ideas?

And Thanks very much for all the help so far
I soon will have a very nice lil Lappy setup

[spajix]

Code:

Thinker:/home/justin# lshw
thinker                   
    description: Computer
    width: 32 bits
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       physical id: 0
     *-memory
          description: System memory
          physical id: 0
          size: 183MiB
     *-cpu
          product: Celeron (Coppermine)
          vendor: Intel Corp.
          physical id: 1
          bus info: cpu@0
          version: 6.8.6
          size: 100MHz
          width: 32 bits
          capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 mmx fxsr sse up
        *-cache:0
             description: L1 cache
             physical id: 0
             size: 32KiB
        *-cache:1
             description: L2 cache
             physical id: 1
             size: 128KiB
     *-pci
          description: Host bridge
          product: M1621
          vendor: ALi Corporation
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
          version: 01
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          configuration: driver=agpgart-ali module=ali_agp
        *-pci
             description: PCI bridge
             product: PCI to AGP Controller
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 1
             bus info: pci@0000:00:01.0
             version: 01
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pci bus_master
           *-display UNCLAIMED
                description: VGA compatible controller
                product: CyberBlade/i1
                vendor: Trident Microsystems
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
                version: 5d
                width: 32 bits
                clock: 66MHz
                capabilities: agp agp-1.0 pm bus_master cap_list
                configuration: latency=32
        *-multimedia
             description: Multimedia audio controller
             product: M5451 PCI AC-Link Controller Audio Device
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 6
             bus info: pci@0000:00:06.0
             version: 01
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ALI 5451 latency=32 maxlatency=24 mingnt=2 module=snd_ali5451
        *-isa
             description: ISA bridge
             product: M1533/M1535 PCI to ISA Bridge [Aladdin IV/V/V+]
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 7
             bus info: pci@0000:00:07.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: isa pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: latency=0
        *-network
             description: Ethernet interface
             product: 82557/8/9/0/1 Ethernet Pro 100
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: a
             bus info: pci@0000:00:0a.0
             logical name: eth0
             version: 08
             serial: 00:d0:59:58:15:dc
             size: 100MB/s
             capacity: 100MB/s
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
             configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=e100 driverversion=3.5.23-k4-NAPI duplex=full firmware=N/A ip=192.168.1.100 latency=32 link=yes maxlatency=56 mingnt=8 module=e100 multicast=yes port=MII speed=100MB/s
        *-ide
             description: IDE interface
             product: M5229 IDE
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 10
             bus info: pci@0000:00:10.0
             version: c3
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: ide pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ALI15x3_IDE latency=32 maxlatency=4 mingnt=2 module=alim15x3
           *-ide:0
                description: IDE Channel 0
                physical id: 0
                bus info: ide@0
                logical name: ide0
                clock: 33MHz
              *-disk
                   description: ATA Disk
                   product: IBM-DJSA-210
                   vendor: IBM
                   physical id: 0
                   bus info: ide@0.0
                   logical name: /dev/hda
                   version: JS2OAB7A
                   serial: 9ZY9ZY95455
                   size: 9590MiB (10GB)
                   capacity: 9590MiB (10GB)
                   capabilities: ata dma lba iordy smart security pm apm partitioned partitioned:dos
                   configuration: apm=off mode=udma2 signature=00094c2b smart=on
                 *-volume:0
                      description: EXT3 volume
                      vendor: Linux
                      physical id: 1
                      bus info: ide@0.0,1
                      logical name: /dev/hda1
                      logical name: /
                      logical name: /dev/.static/dev
                      version: 1.0
                      serial: 9a592fce-688d-4106-9788-9d35f7eb0c42
                      size: 9436MiB
                      capacity: 9436MiB
                      capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files recover ext3 ext2 initialized
                      configuration: created=2008-06-10 21:21:33 filesystem=ext3 modified=2008-06-14 14:13:52 mount.fstype=ext3 mount.options=rw,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered mounted=2008-06-14 14:13:52 state=mounted
                 *-volume:1
                      description: Extended partition
                      physical id: 2
                      bus info: ide@0.0,2
                      logical name: /dev/hda2
                      size: 149MiB
                      capacity: 149MiB
                      capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended
                    *-logicalvolume
                         description: Linux swap / Solaris partition
                         physical id: 5
                         logical name: /dev/hda5
                         capacity: 149MiB
                         capabilities: nofs
           *-ide:1
                description: IDE Channel 1
                physical id: 1
                bus info: ide@1
                logical name: ide1
                clock: 33MHz
              *-cdrom
                   description: IDE CD-ROM
                   product: CD-224E
                   physical id: 0
                   bus info: ide@1.0
                   logical name: /dev/hdc
                   version: 1.7A
                   capabilities: packet atapi cdrom removable nonmagnetic dma lba iordy audio
                   configuration: mode=udma2 status=open
        *-bridge
             description: Bridge
             product: M7101 Power Management Controller [PMU]
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 11
             bus info: pci@0000:00:11.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: bridge
             configuration: driver=ali1535_smbus latency=0 module=i2c_ali1535
        *-pcmcia
             description: CardBus bridge
             product: OZ6812 CardBus Controller
             vendor: O2 Micro, Inc.
             physical id: 13
             bus info: pci@0000:00:13.0
             version: 05
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pcmcia bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=yenta_cardbus latency=176 maxlatency=5 mingnt=128 module=yenta_socket
        *-usb
             description: USB Controller
             product: USB 1.1 Controller
             vendor: ALi Corporation
             physical id: 14
             bus info: pci@0000:00:14.0
             version: 03
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ohci_hcd latency=32 maxlatency=80 module=ohci_hcd
           *-usbhost
                product: OHCI Host Controller
                vendor: Linux 2.6.24-1-686 ohci_hcd
                physical id: 1
                bus info: usb@1
                logical name: usb1
                version: 2.06
                capabilities: usb-1.10
                configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=12.0MB/s

Code:

justin@Thinker:~$ lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: ALi Corporation M1621 (rev 01)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: ALi Corporation PCI to AGP Controller (rev 01)
00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: ALi Corporation M5451 PCI AC-Link Controller Audio Device (rev 01)
00:07.0 ISA bridge: ALi Corporation M1533/M1535 PCI to ISA Bridge [Aladdin IV/V/V+]
00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557/8/9/0/1 Ethernet Pro 100 (rev 08)
00:10.0 IDE interface: ALi Corporation M5229 IDE (rev c3)
00:11.0 Bridge: ALi Corporation M7101 Power Management Controller [PMU]
00:13.0 CardBus bridge: O2 Micro, Inc. OZ6812 CardBus Controller (rev 05)
00:14.0 USB Controller: ALi Corporation USB 1.1 Controller (rev 03)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: Trident Microsystems CyberBlade/i1 (rev 5d)

By the way I did not have my USB WiFi adepter pluged up when I ran these but I was hooked up to ethernet

[useResa]

As for my screen res I have found some forum threads with people who had similar problems all the had to do was add the right res to the xorg config file but my file seemed to be set up differently maybe a newer version or something
And idea's how I could do that?

Maybe it is good to first post the current content of your xorg.conf file.
You can "print" the content of your current file by opening a terminal and issue the following command

Code:

cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf

We will take it from there.

[spajix]

Code:

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#   sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc104"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "Configured Video Device"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Monitor "Configured Monitor"
EndSection

As you can see it doesn't have the screen res set in it. But all the info I can find on this says it would.
Sorry Resa I guess I probably should have thought of putting this on here on my own

[spajix]

I have gotten my WiFi working finaly
I just had to install the zd1211 firmware
But my only problem left is the screen is still not taking up the full moniter
So please still try to help me get it to work properly

[useResa]

But my only problem left is the screen is still not taking up the full moniter
So please still try to help me get it to work properly

It seems indeed that with the latest Xorg there have been some changes, which may result in you getting a different xorg.conf and a different result when using

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

There is a guide on the Debian forums on how you can alter your screen resolution with the new Xorg. You will find the instruction here.
Let us know if this helps you solve your issue or if you need additional support.

[machiner]

Your display is gonna suck anyway.

 

          *-display UNCLAIMED
                description: VGA compatible controller
                product: CyberBlade/i1
                vendor: Trident Microsystems
                physical id: 0
                bus info: pci@0000:01:00.0
                version: 5d
                width: 32 bits
                clock: 66MHz
                capabilities: agp agp-1.0 pm bus_master cap_list
                configuration: latency=32

Look here

[machiner]

http://linux.die.net/man/4/trident

[machiner]

How about just adding the following to your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file

Section "Device"
    Identifier    "Configured Video Device"
    Driver        "trident"
    BusID        "PCI:1:0:0"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
    Identifier    "Configured Monitor"
    Option        "DPMS"
  modify as necessary -->  HorizSync      30-71
  modify as necessary -->  VertRefresh    50-100
EndSection

Section "Screen"
    Identifier    "Default Screen"
    Monitor       "Configured Monitor"
    Device        "Configured Video Device"
    DefaultDepth    16
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth        16
        Modes        "1280x1024" "1024x768"
    EndSubSection
    SubSection "Display"
        Depth        24
        Modes        "1280x1024" "1024x768" 
    EndSubSection
EndSection