community.linuxmint.com

easy install.

Newest laptop:
Intel Core2Duo Merom T7600 2.33
Video 15.4" 1920x1200 WUXGA
Dell Bluetooth 360
Wired
Wireless Intel 4965AGN


1st laptop:
Intel Core2Duo Merom T5600 1.83
Video 15.4" 1680x1050 WSXGA+
Dell Bluetooth 360
Wired
Wireless Dell DW1490: triggered proprietary driver install...easy click install from wired connection.

Suspend on 64bit version.

Helena 32bit/64bit: I seem to remember the x86 version not waking from suspend correctly or dependably, the 64bit version works great.


Helena/LMDE:Using the docking station is my only area where I need to make adjustments.

Helena/LMDE: Sound output: Mint/PulseAudio does not automatically switch from internal analog stereo, to digital stereo(dock) sound from cold boot, or hot dock.

Helene/LMDE: Video output: automatic from cold boot, when hot docking, Mint sets up external monitor as side-by-side dual display (with the external on the right...the menu on the laptop screen on the left)

Helena: Power/battery: ONLY when docked, removing external power triggers an immediate POWERDOWN NOW,running off the battery only long enough to shutdown. If I remove the charging cord directly from the laptop when not docked it stays on using the battery.

Helena: Dell wireless DW1490 install driver by following prompts from a box that pops up shortly after install to download via wired connection.

Have yet to address docking station inconveniences.

Install NVidia proprietary drivers, when using the docking station with a monitor that does not support the resolution of the laptop, set to highest resolution supported by both and save to X configuation file, then switch up when needed.

Helena: First installed x86 version, then later installed x86-64bit. Seems to work better on 64bit. Installing Adobe Flash for the 64bit version required some assistance from Uncle Google.

ALL: Even with 64bit OS, I still only see 3.2Gb of the 4Gb of ram due to limitation of the North bridge chip.

I changed over to a 1st generation SSD drive when I installed the 64bit version and LOVE the speed. Continue to use it with LMDE. On Helena I made many adjustments to optimize usage of the extra ram and minimize writes to both the OS and Firefox. I have not made optimization with LMDE (current cold boot time shown via dmesg: 21.25.. seconds, including connecting to my hidden SSID wireless network and in IRQ workaround for the Intel Wireless card.