[SLL] Distro for Wireless Laptop?

[Rob Blomquist]

I have an older laptop a Dell Inspiron laptop with a 250MHz processor, and 144 
Mb of RAM. It has a 'hot swappable' CD-ROM/floppy port, and 2 PCMCIA ports.

Due to the CD-ROM not being detected on the computer, I have only done Network 
installs on this computer through my 100Mbs wired LAN. The best one so far 
has been Mandrake 9.2, but I have had problems with battery monitoring and 
with the soundcard. The computer tends to detect the battery as used up with 
about 95% of the charge remaining. The only way to use it is to be plugged 
in. It seems to have an archaic soundcard. Something about it causes it to 
lockup the system is sound is used while X is running. At the command line, 
mpg123 plays sound files without a hitch.

Under Mandrake 10.1 the system still has these problems but has a lower 
quality video output (grainier). I have messed around with X settings, but 
can't get anywhere.

Part of the problem, I am sure, is that the Mandrake network install procedure 
does not specifically address a laptop install, so I am taking a shot in the 
dark trying to configure the installation by hand.

I am wondering if there is a distro that can help me with a good laptop 
install, work well with the 250MHz processor, and deal with some form of 
network install? Currently I have no wireless connection to this machine, but 
I do have a 802.11g network as part of the access in the house.

Ultimately, I would like to have this laptop functional as a workstation with 
LAN/Wireless communications and full battery use. The soundcard problem and 
the CD-ROM problem are optional.

-- 
Linux User #183693
http://counter.li.org/