[gentoo-user] old lappy fix

[gentoo-user] old lappy fix

[James]

hello,

Over the years lots of folks have wondered about how to fix and old laptop
to work with gentoo again, cost effectively. There seems to be (2) problems
in the majority.


1. Which environment to set up for minimal old hardware:: That discussion
can continue, but I like lxqt or lxde. Others should chime in, as I hope to
create a howto or wiki page after some input.


2. The other (most common) issue that I think I have solved, is how to
replace those old dead ide hard drives:: SYBA SD-CF-IDE-DI IDE to Compact
Flash Adapter ( Direct Insertion Mode )  can be had for less that $5 USD.
Combined with a 16Gb Compact flash card less that $20 usd and it should just
slide right into the  old 2.5" ide HD container slot and plug right in.  You
can up-size if you need to, but prices for the CF go crazy after 16Gb. There
are many form factors for the syba card, so make sure you try
the Direct connect one in this  pic:: [1]. EXT2 w2orks best as a file system.


Comments and physical verification are most welcome, as it fits snugly
in (2) old lappies I have tested so far. I intend to also insert tiny pieces
of bubble wrap for circuit boards, just to wedge it tightly in place.
Very little heat generated with this solution. You can prolly get it down
to a 4Gb card, if you are going 'thin client' with the restored lappy.


I'm looking for all complimentary info to add to a howto or a wiki page
on resurrecting old laptops (hardware and software) centric to gentoo, links
are welcome too.


James


http://www.sybausa.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_147_150&product_id=612

[gentoo-user] Re: old lappy fix

[Hans]

On 04/11/15 06:17, James wrote:
> hello,
>
> Over the years lots of folks have wondered about how to fix and old laptop
> to work with gentoo again, cost effectively. There seems to be (2) problems
> in the majority.
>
>
> 1. Which environment to set up for minimal old hardware:: That discussion
> can continue, but I like lxqt or lxde. Others should chime in, as I hope to
> create a howto or wiki page after some input.
>
>
> 2. The other (most common) issue that I think I have solved, is how to
> replace those old dead ide hard drives:: SYBA SD-CF-IDE-DI IDE to Compact
> Flash Adapter ( Direct Insertion Mode )  can be had for less that $5 USD.
> Combined with a 16Gb Compact flash card less that $20 usd and it should just
> slide right into the  old 2.5" ide HD container slot and plug right in.  You
> can up-size if you need to, but prices for the CF go crazy after 16Gb. There
> are many form factors for the syba card, so make sure you try
> the Direct connect one in this  pic:: [1]. EXT2 w2orks best as a file system.
>
>
> Comments and physical verification are most welcome, as it fits snugly
> in (2) old lappies I have tested so far. I intend to also insert tiny pieces
> of bubble wrap for circuit boards, just to wedge it tightly in place.
> Very little heat generated with this solution. You can prolly get it down
> to a 4Gb card, if you are going 'thin client' with the restored lappy.
>
>
> I'm looking for all complimentary info to add to a howto or a wiki page
> on resurrecting old laptops (hardware and software) centric to gentoo, links
> are welcome too.
>
>
> James
>
>
> http://www.sybausa.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=64_147_150&product_id=612
>
>
>

I resurrected a 12 year old Toshiba laptop with 2GB RAM. Replaced the 
flaky 40GB IDE drive after replacing the connector, with a 500GB SATA 
drive salvaged from a broken Dell laptop. Then installed Gentoo, XFCE, 
Libre Office, Firefox, Thunderbird and VLC.  Everything works, except 
for the dead battery.

If the laptop can boot from a USB port, use a external USB drive or USB 
stick.