Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Re: sympatico, embarassing need for help
Gordon Dey wrote:
I helped set up my father-in-law (70+) last fall. Here were my 5 steps
to a solution we _both_ can live with.
He wanted a 'staples' computer so he could return it if died when he
got home. He'd seen his friends fighting with their 'confuser', but he
wanted to surf a little, email a little, maybe write some stuff. Okay,
fine, got a vanilla HP something-or-other.
Step one: does it seem to work out of the box? Yes? Good. Insert
Debian netinst. Yes, use the whole disk, wipe out whatever was there.
"System rescue disk that came with it? No, we won't need that one, use
this one that I just made you." Never looked back. (Actually, never
needed it!)
Turns out there was a little flaky whereby HP won't continue booting
if ACPI is turned on :( Fixed with the right command line for grub.
Step two: buy $20 4-port DSL router-hub ("inexq") also while at
staples. They are that cheap with no wi-fi!
Step three: tell bell folks that he has a mac or something like that,
so he needs the Ethernet version of DSL modem (turns out to be a moot
point, I think, because the modem came with both. They don't have a
place on the form for anything but "windows" or "mac", so we're a
"mac" wherever that form goes to.) DSL-4-port-box programmed with bell
credentials, non-default password, non-default subnet, non-default
routing rules. Computer never knows bell credentials or bell servers.
I supply a short length of UTP Ethernet cable.
Pathetico will supply you with a wireless DSL modem/router if you ask
for one (I didn't even ask for one; they just called me up and asked me
if I wanted it). You need a Windows box to set it up, but once it's up
and running you can do everything with Linux via the web interface. It's
pretty cool actually: everything is in one unit that Pathetico will
support if you have problems with your connectivity.