Fedora Core 6 KDE 3.5 Laptop Issues

[Wise, Jeremey]

First post to this forum. I hope one of many


Hardware: IBM T41 Laptop 1GB RAM 
Software: Fedora Core 6 fully updated via YUM
Desktop: KDE

The conversion from windows back to Linux was as painful as I remember.
Most of the pain surrounds locating the appropriate codecs to make
multimedia not suck on Linux, Wireless, 3D Graphics (a complete failure
on this POS video card from ATI), and running those few Windows Apps
which can not translate over to Linux (thank God for VMWare).

I have a few outstanding issues which I have need of assistance on to
make my transition from the dark-side back to the light workable. Any
guidance would be a great help. My goal with this thread is to open the
conversation and as I / others find resolution to update this thread.

1) Wireless. You  can go into the interface for KDE Control Center.
Setup wireless profiles (one for home, work, hotel "open", etc...) but
they NEVER seem to activate. I then tried basic use of
"system-configure-network" and setting the SSID / key in that
interface... still not working. I loaded wifi-radar which is a nice
interface but again ... I can add profiles but non seem to "activate"
but when I reboot into windows all my wireless works fine. I know that
wireless works because if the wireless access point is wide open I can
connect and get an IP and everything is fine.



2) It has been happening more often now and is becoming an issue where I
attach to a Wired LAN and for some reason I get the IP address, DNS,
from the DHCP server (yes they are Windows DHCP servers) but it never
builds a default route. I have VMWare installed so I shut that off in
lue of some of the virtual LANs I have created being the cause but no
change. I reboot in Windows (or use Windows bridged in a VM) and it
works fine. I can manually add the route IF I happen to be able to
discover the default gateway. Nothing shows in /var/log/messages


3) Auto Login does not work. I am lazy. I like to have it automatically
login for me. The KDE Control Center is broken and so is the "help"
button which it notes that one "must read".

4) Within KDE control panel their are "default applications" which you
can set. Firefox for browser, Evolution for mail. BUT you can not change
the default chat to GAIM which.

5) I use two monitors at the office. I span desktops and this works fine
for 90% of the time BUT if I suspend my laptop to go home I have to
close all my applications to get them to move 'off' my non-existent
second monitor, and then logout of the session to get them to stop
spanning. I hope their is a quick way to fix this to simply (like
windows) attach or detach a monitor.

6) Of all the multimedia programs and extensions / types out their I can
get all of them to work. My issue is with Flash / SWF based files. I
added a firefox extension (mplayer will not play them)and they work, but
they are DOG slow.

7) I have had people give me some old PCMCI Memory cards which I was
hoping to use for playing with. For some reason Fedora Core can not see
these cards and mount them. /var/log/messages says 
pccard: PCMCIA card inserted into slot 0
pcmcia: registering new device pcmcia0.0
but their is not any device noted to which it attached so I can mount
it. I think this is an RTFM issue as to the new way devices are "made on
the fly", but I need said Manual.

8) VOIP. I use VIOP at my work to attach to my Avaya phone system. I
tried for about a week to get egika to work and have debugged it to be
something where our server will not accept my password. The egika user
list is rather non-responsive so I am looking for another app or someone
who has cracked this nut. My IT staff here don't have any vested
interest in helping me... so they don't.



Again, thanks for all the help and I will modify this thread as I
acquire answers and solutions to my issues.

~penguinpages~

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