[AT] Linux powered old tractors (Off topic)

[Stephen Offiler]

Thanks for the inputs Spencer!

SO


On Mon, Feb 17, 2020 at 1:30 PM Spencer Yost <spencer at rdfarms.com> wrote:

> It’s been so long since my machines have had a CD-RW drive I forget the
> folks still have them :-) Since you have a CD-RW you can burn a bootable
> CD also.   For you that might even be better than messing with a stick that
> may or may not work.
>
>
> Another note.   At first you’ll just want to burn a “live” CD (the OS runs
> off the CD) rather than an installation disk(will try to install rather
> than run).  Linux is generally MUCH faster than windows but you may notice
> some performance concerns since you will be running off a CD.  After you
> play around and are comfortable you can then create an installation CD and
> try your hand at a dual boot machine(if you have enough disc space).
>
>
> Spencer
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Feb 17, 2020, at 10:03 AM, Stephen Offiler <soffiler at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 
> OK, I've got the laptop on my desk now.  I had the model wrong.  Actually
> a Dell Precision M4400.  Vintage 2009 unchanged ;-)
>
> F12 Boot options:
>
> CD/DVD/CD-RW Drive
> Internal HDD (IRRT)
> Cardbus NIC
> Onboard NIC
>
> But it appears that maybe it will boot from USB.  Not sure on that, but
> here's an observation:  when a thumb drive (non-bootable) is plugged in
> prior to power-up, this prevents booting from the internal hard drive.  It
> just sits there, locked, with some ROM info on screen.
>
> Now that I'm this far, I should probably download a Linux flavor onto USB
> and see what happens next.
>
> SO
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 17, 2020 at 9:22 AM Indiana Robinson <robinson46176 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> "I've got a Dell from about 2009 or so, perhaps a 3000-series (?),
>> running XP.  At the time it was a workstation-class laptop, capable of
>> running 3D CAD software.  I don't use it much anymore, but it definitely
>> comes in handy sometimes.  Nothing important is stored on it.  Hard drive
>> has given me a few scares over the last several years, but it comes back
>> every time (on it's own; I have not done anything heroic).  This bootable
>> thumb drive thing is intriguing because you don't need any hard drive at
>> all with it.   In your scenario, with the hidden partition, you still need
>> a functional hard drive.  Plus, there's been enough discussion of Linux
>> here on ATIS (and elsewhere) that I'm curious.
>> SO"
>>
>>
>>
>> One of the advantages of Linux is that you don't have to put a half
>> zillion hours on your old hard drive cranking and chomping seemingly
>> forever doing defrags on it. The Linux file system makes it generally
>> unnecessary. Only geeks and crazy people ever defrag a Linux hard drive.
>> :-)  Now if you dual boot with Windows you probably need to defrag the
>> Windows partition with Windows but it's been a very long time since I ran a
>> dual boot setup and I have forgotten.
>> Since it is a Dell it might have a USB boot option in the BIOS at that
>> vintage but you will need to check.
>> I guess you could do the same thing with a good sized SD card... I've
>> never tried that. I keep a good sized micro SD card in our phones for
>> storage.
>> ****
>> Old tractor reference:
>> I am currently testing and installing Linux in several "OLD" boxes
>> (picked up at yard sales or freebies) trying to pick one to install in a
>> heated/cooled cabinet in the farm shop so I have a bigger screen available
>> to look up tractor details instead of chasing glasses to read my phone.  :-)
>>
>> .
>>
>>
>> --
>> --
>>
>> Francis Robinson
>> aka "farmer"
>> Central Indiana USA
>> robinson46176 at gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
>> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> AT at lists.antique-tractor.com
> http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.antique-tractor.com/pipermail/at-antique-tractor.com/attachments/20200217/4695f452/attachment.htm>