WindowsXP on HP dv2716ca

XP can be installed and run on "Vista only" HP machines - at least on the dv2716ca - I have done so.

I don't like Vista. I gave it a fair chance, it was so bad - that I moved away from Microsoft completely, to Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a dream compared to Vista. I like XP - but lets face it, it's dying (or being killed). The future is Linux, Tiger and Vista. I'm not going to hold onto XP, the reality is, that if Microsoft doesn't move forward, and doesn't kill XP - they will lose to Mac and GNU.

I can spew lots of negative things about Microsoft and HP at this point, for colliding to killing XP by deliberately hiding their XP drivers, but whatever. I wanted XP on my laptop, because neither Vista, nor Ubuntu is any good for the collection of computer games I have amassed over the years. I like computer games, that's why I like XP. Maybe one day Wine will be good enough - but I don't think so.

What follows, is a brief description of what is needed to get an HP Pavilion dv2716ca to boot Vista, XP and Ubuntu. The same should go for most dv2700.

I should put in here - HP does NOT recommend you do this. You probably will lose all support, and for all I know your warranty to. For that matter - don't hold me responsible if your computer is completely useless after doing all of this. Put on you adventure hat!

Install Ubuntu.

1. Resize your Vista partition. I booted into knoppix and used gparted. Sizes are up to you. Make a NTFS partition for your XP install, and leave the rest of the space unallocated, for your Ubuntu install. I created a 5 gig XP partition, it's enough for XP and nothing else, because I'll be installing my software on my Vista drive, and on a removable hard drive.
   
2. Install Ubuntu.

Create a slipstreamed XP install CD.

Your old XP code won't work, because it doesn't have the right drivers. If you slipstream it on Vista, your CD key might stop working. So you need to slipstream a XP install CD on an XP machine.

I don't have another XP machine, so I installed VirtualBox OSE on Ubuntu, and installed a copy of XP there.

You can do it manually, or the easy way, use nLite

I found my SATA drivers on the HP site, but they are on the Intel site also. (Intel Matrix Storage Manager - sp38088.exe)

Install XP and get back Ubuntu and Vista
XP will now work, but Vista and Ubuntu have disappeared.
There are a few million different ways to do this. Ubuntu is easy, but you need to fix Vista first, that's just how it goes. There are lots of places on the net that say how - I'm not going to repeat - Google it!
Getting Ubuntu back is easy also, I'm not going to pretend I know what bootloader you are using - so you have to figure that out. I used grub. Basically boot up Ubuntu with your live cd and Google it.

Install drivers
This the tricky bit. I spent a few hours using lspci on linux to identify drivers, and try them on XP. ALL the drivers are there. Mostly on the Intel site, and on the HP site. The only trick was the card reader - that took lots of searching.
The only thing I haven't been able to get to work thus far - is the sound. Well - it works, but plugging in the headphones doesn't mute the built in speakers.

Sony Walkman (NWZ-B105F) on Ubuntu

Every now and then Ubuntu isn't quite as user friendly as I'd like it to be - and I have to learn something new about linux.
This time, my dandy new Sony Walkman (NWZ-B105F) doesn't get auto-deteced when I plug it in. (It's being discontinued, so it's going for cheap at the sony store in Calgary)

Thanks to http://ubuntu-virginia.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=866297 - it's not a problem - just use pmount to mount a device accessible by any user.

where is my walkman?
sudo fdisk -l
mount it!
pmount /dev/sdb1 /media/Walkman

Done! Ubuntu pops up with a link on my desktop to unmount it - but it doesn't work - so I have to do:
sudo umount /media/Walkman

ALTERNATIVELY!!!
Go to the Sony site, and download the new firmware. Then it just works. :)

What have I been up to?? Nothing much... Last thing of note was going to Saskatchamawoozle.

Open Office - Outline Numbering (Springtime in Canada!)

I've been a MS Word user for way too long. So much so, that I struggle to use Open Office some days.
So. Lesson for today - when you want to have outline headings (e.g. something that looks like:)
1 Heading 1
1.1 Heading 2
1.1.1 Heading 3
1.2 Heading 2
1.2.1 Heading 3
You have to go Tools -> Outline Numbering -> then modify every damn heading to show the appropriate amount of sub levels etc.

It's springtime in Canada!!!! (Translated for people from real countries: This means, it snows less, and when it does snow, it gets mushy real fast)

Spring in Alberta(Calgary): "Fear not! That snow will be gone in a few days!"













Spring in Ontario(Toronto): "Fear no longer homeless bum! No longer need you hide in the caverns the welfare state has provided for your life of drug abuse and mental instability! The streets belong to you now!"













Spring in Quebec(Gatineau): "Flower while you still can buddy! The camera don't show it, but I'm standing in snow!"