PC Linux OS 2007 - the best of the lot

I recently installed PC Linux OS 2007 test3 on my Acer Ferrari 4005. Other than the usual X config issue, the installation went pretty smooth. PCLOS is of course 32-bit but works well on the AMD64 based laptop. Much better than Windows XP sp2 on the same laptop. The distro is very responsive and I am very pleased with it so far.

Great job, PC LOS team !!

xorg.conf that works: (this is more recent than my previous sample. use this instead).

---

# File generated by XFdrake (rev 57713)

# **********************************************************************
# Refer to the xorg.conf man page for details about the format of
# this file.
# **********************************************************************

Section "Files"
# font server independent of the X server to render fonts.
FontPath "unix/:-1"

# minimal fonts to allow X to run without xfs
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/misc:unscaled"
EndSection

Section "Extensions"
Option "Composite"
EndSection

Section "ServerFlags"
#DontZap # disable (server abort)
#DontZoom # disable / (resolution switching)
AllowMouseOpenFail # allows the server to start up even if the mouse does not work
EndSection

Section "Module"
Load "dbe" # Double-Buffering Extension
Load "v4l" # Video for Linux
Load "extmod"
Load "type1"
Load "freetype"
Load "glx" # 3D layer
Load "dri" # direct rendering
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Keyboard1"
Driver "kbd"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
Option "XkbOptions" "compose:rwin"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Mouse1"
Driver "mouse"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "Device" "/dev/mouse"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "SynapticsMouse1"
Driver "synaptics"
Option "SHMConfig" "on"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "monitor1"
HorizSync 58-67
VertRefresh 46-64

# Monitor preferred modeline (60.6 Hz vsync, 64.5 kHz hsync, ratio 16/10)
# ModeLine "1680x1050" 121 1680 1704 1792 1876 1050 1051 1054 1065 -hsync -vsync
ModeLine "1680x1050" 121 1680 1704 1792 1876 1050 1051 1054 1065 -hsync +vsync


# TV fullscreen mode or DVD fullscreen output.
# 768x576 @ 79 Hz, 50 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 50.00 768 832 846 1000 576 590 595 630

# 768x576 @ 100 Hz, 61.6 kHz hsync
ModeLine "768x576" 63.07 768 800 960 1024 576 578 590 616

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1680x1050_120" 313.20 1680 1816 2000 2320 1050 1051 1054 1125 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1680x1050_100" 256.20 1680 1808 1992 2304 1050 1051 1054 1112 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1680x1050_85" 214.51 1680 1800 1984 2288 1050 1051 1054 1103 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1680x1050_75" 188.07 1680 1800 1984 2288 1050 1051 1054 1096 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1680x1050_60" 147.14 1680 1784 1968 2256 1050 1051 1054 1087 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1680x1050_50" 120.21 1680 1776 1952 2224 1050 1051 1054 1081 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1600x1000_120" 284.04 1600 1728 1904 2208 1000 1001 1004 1072 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1600x1000_100" 232.13 1600 1720 1896 2192 1000 1001 1004 1059 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1600x1000_85" 194.21 1600 1712 1888 2176 1000 1001 1004 1050 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1600x1000_75" 169.13 1600 1704 1880 2160 1000 1001 1004 1044 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1600x1000_60" 133.14 1600 1704 1872 2144 1000 1001 1004 1035 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1600x1000_50" 108.66 1600 1688 1856 2112 1000 1001 1004 1029 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1440x900_120" 229.75 1440 1552 1712 1984 900 901 904 965 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1440x900_100" 187.55 1440 1544 1704 1968 900 901 904 953 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1440x900_85" 156.79 1440 1536 1696 1952 900 901 904 945 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1440x900_75" 136.49 1440 1536 1688 1936 900 901 904 940 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1440x900_60" 106.47 1440 1520 1672 1904 900 901 904 932 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1440x900_50" 87.41 1440 1512 1664 1888 900 901 904 926 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1280x800_120" 181.21 1280 1376 1520 1760 800 801 804 858 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1280x800_100" 147.89 1280 1376 1512 1744 800 801 804 848 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1280x800_85" 123.38 1280 1368 1504 1728 800 801 804 840 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1280x800_75" 107.21 1280 1360 1496 1712 800 801 804 835 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1280x800_60" 83.46 1280 1344 1480 1680 800 801 804 828 -HSync +Vsync

# modeline generated by gtf(1) [handled by XFdrake]
ModeLine "1280x800_50" 68.56 1280 1336 1472 1664 800 801 804 824 -HSync +Vsync
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "device1"
VendorName "ATI Technologies Inc."
BoardName "ATI Radeon"
Driver "ati"
Option "DPMS"
Option "XaaNoOffscreenPixmaps" "1"
Option "MergedFB" "true"
Option "CRT2HSync" "30-100"
Option "CRT2VRefresh" "40-75"
Option "CRT2Position" "Clone"
Option "MonitorLayout" "LVDS,CRT"
Option "MetaModes" "1680x1050-1280x1024 1400x1050-1280x1024 1280x1024-1024x768 1024x768-1024x768"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "screen1"
Device "device1"
Monitor "monitor1"
DefaultColorDepth 24
DefaultDepth 24

Subsection "Display"
Depth 8
Modes "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800"
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 15
Modes "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800"
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 16
Modes "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800"
EndSubsection

Subsection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1680x1050" "1600x1000" "1440x900" "1280x800"
EndSubsection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "layout1"
InputDevice "Keyboard1" "CoreKeyboard"
InputDevice "Mouse1" "CorePointer"
InputDevice "SynapticsMouse1" "AlwaysCore"
Screen "screen1"
EndSection
---


Bluetooth Mouse configuration

• Installed bluez-pin and bluez-utils packages using synaptic
• Installed kdebluetooth package
• Simply turned on the blue button and ran the following as root:
• 
  
  hidd --search
  
• Bluetooth mouse started working immediately.

Broadcom Wireless configuration

• Downloaded 32-bit windows driver from:

ftp://ftp.support.acer-euro.com/notebook/ferrari_4000/driver/80211.zip

• Run 'ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf'
• Run 'modprobe -v ndiswrapper'
• Add 'ndiswrapper' to /etc/modprobe.preload for automatic load upon boot.
• It works immediately :)
  

Other software of interest

Installed the following stack I needed using synaptic:

• RealPlayer
• cvs
• subversion

Really a great distro...