On 27 May, 01:47, techni...@speedpost.net wrote:
> I have tried many different live CDs for my laptop, but nearly all of
> them produce a blank screen just as it switches to the desktop. One
> day, as I was trying a live CD, I had the laptop plugged into my TV
> via the monitor out plug and low and behold the TV was displaying the
> desktop! (That was Knoppix)

I've found several laptops that winid up with the X output on the
external video port, or can successfully switch the X to the external
monitor port and more successfully detect and configure the monitor.
Laptops are awful about using the "chipset of the day" for their
graphics, and it's tough for a LiveCD to stay up to date with them
all.

> I have tried to use the Fn key to switch where the display is being
> directed (LCD or monitor out), but this doesn't work.
>
> I have tried to deactivate the external monitor via the bios, but this
> doesn't seem to be an option.
>
> Simply MEPIS is the only live CD that I have gotten to work with my
> laptop. This has been a good live CD, but I would like to try some
> others as well!

Which other ones have you tried? And were the uhe CD's up to date, and
were the laptops common models or weird
Taiwan bottom-of-the-barrel ones using chipsets with the
manufacturer's numbers filed off? (I've actually seen this!)

On May 27, 6:55 pm, Nico wrote:
> On 27 May, 01:47, techni...@speedpost.net wrote:
>
> > I have tried many different live CDs for my laptop, but nearly all of
> > them produce a blank screen just as it switches to the desktop. One
> > day, as I was trying a live CD, I had the laptop plugged into my TV
> > via the monitor out plug and low and behold the TV was displaying the
> > desktop! (That was Knoppix)
>
> I've found several laptops that winid up with the X output on the
> external video port, or can successfully switch the X to the external
> monitor port and more successfully detect and configure the monitor.
> Laptops are awful about using the "chipset of the day" for their
> graphics, and it's tough for a LiveCD to stay up to date with them
> all.
>
> > I have tried to use the Fn key to switch where the display is being
> > directed (LCD or monitor out), but this doesn't work.
>
> > I have tried to deactivate the external monitor via the bios, but this
> > doesn't seem to be an option.
>
> > Simply MEPIS is the only live CD that I have gotten to work with my
> > laptop. This has been a good live CD, but I would like to try some
> > others as well!
>
> Which other ones have you tried? And were the the CD's up to date, and
> were the laptops common models or weird
> Taiwan bottom-of-the-barrel ones using chipsets with the
> manufacturer's numbers filed off? (I've actually seen this!)

The following Live CD/DVDs have not worked with my laptop. This is a
recent Sharp laptop purchased about two years ago.

Knoppix,
Suse 10
Ubuntu 6.10
SLAX ( a recent version)

If there are suggestions for other Live CD/DVDs I would love to try
them! I am really thinking that my laptop is the problem,
unfortunately.

On 30 May 2007 05:10:30 -0700,technical@speedpost.net, wrote

> On May 27, 6:55 pm, Nico wrote:
> > On 27 May, 01:47, techni...@speedpost.net wrote:
> >
> > > I have tried many different live CDs for my laptop, but nearly all of
> > > them produce a blank screen just as it switches to the desktop. One
> > > day, as I was trying a live CD, I had the laptop plugged into my TV
> > > via the monitor out plug and low and behold the TV was displaying the
> > > desktop! (That was Knoppix)
> >
> > I've found several laptops that winid up with the X output on the
> > external video port, or can successfully switch the X to the external
> > monitor port and more successfully detect and configure the monitor.
> > Laptops are awful about using the "chipset of the day" for their
> > graphics, and it's tough for a LiveCD to stay up to date with them
> > all.
> >
> > > I have tried to use the Fn key to switch where the display is being
> > > directed (LCD or monitor out), but this doesn't work.
> >
> > > I have tried to deactivate the external monitor via the bios, but this
> > > doesn't seem to be an option.
> >
> > > Simply MEPIS is the only live CD that I have gotten to work with my
> > > laptop. This has been a good live CD, but I would like to try some
> > > others as well!
> >
> > Which other ones have you tried? And were the the CD's up to date, and
> > were the laptops common models or weird
> > Taiwan bottom-of-the-barrel ones using chipsets with the
> > manufacturer's numbers filed off? (I've actually seen this!)
>
> The following Live CD/DVDs have not worked with my laptop. This is a
> recent Sharp laptop purchased about two years ago.
>
> Knoppix,
> Suse 10
> Ubuntu 6.10
> SLAX ( a recent version)
>
> If there are suggestions for other Live CD/DVDs I would love to try
> them! I am really thinking that my laptop is the problem,
> unfortunately.
>
Actually I have the opportunity to try several live distributions
in the last few months and Mandriva 2006 thru 2007 Spring works a treat
but so does DSL current,
Puppy 2.0.3cc,
Ubunto 7.04,
Fedora Core 5,

Mandriva 2007 Spring updated my previous 2007 without any hitches
last weekend. It is running on a cheap desktop replacement (heavy
laptop) with Celeron 1.8, 512 MB of DRAM and doing dual boot on a
111 GB hard drive. SiS chipset all around. I had to add a
refurbished 3COM PCMCIA modem to get it online.

You guys who offer advice here are great to spend so much time
with ignorant newbies and help Linux spread. I have been reading
for just over a year and am still using my Amiga for posting and
e-mail after an exhaustion fueled mistake crashed my initial address
and newsgroup listings on the "compromise" as I call my other computer.
Thanks again for all the hints and help you meant for others
but which I also profitted by.

later
bliss -- C O C O A Powered... (at california dot com)

--
bobbie sellers - (Back to Angband) Team *AMIGA SF-LUG*
bliss at california dot com

Cocoa refers not to a computer but the food.