AlexBell

Thanks, Clutch I'm way over the 30 free support period, and the Xandros support staff have not responded after a message three days ago. Yes, I used some of the suggestions you offered to get Xandros reinstalled. I don't see any error messages - so far as I can tell Xandros simply does not see the modem; as mentioned there is no entry for it in the /etc/devices/devices.inf file. When I go through the Xandros First Run procedures Xandros insists that there is no port for the modem.

I have a Thinkpad A21e which has a winmodem which does not have a Linux driver. I bought an external serial modem known to work with Linux, and have it working under Windows 2000 - but only after I disabled the winmodem through Windows. Windows says the external serial modem is on com1, IRQ 04, and port 0x038. But Xandros does not recognise the modem. There is no entry for it in /etc/devices/devices.inf, though there is for the winmodem. The First Run program does not find the modem, and insists there is no port for a modem. I was able to establish internet connection using a borrowed PCMCIA modem card. Because the port replicator I use does not have a PCMCIA slot I would very much prefer to use the Dynalink external serial modem. Can anyone help?

Suppose I try to use a different boot loader when I reinstall Xandros this weekend. Should I install the other boot loader first, before Xandros? How would having the other boot loader change the installation of Xandros?

Where would you put installation questions? I think this needs an area in its own right - perhaps I'm biased since I still have not been able to install properly on my Thinkpad+Port Replicator

These are thefirst of a series of questions I will be asking as I prepare to try again to install Xandros on my A21e after having had a severe crash which required me to have the hard drive cleaned up. I now have Windows 2000 on its own partition, and another partition which had held Xandros. There is a thread in the Xandros forums which says that the Xandros boot manager is fragile, especially if new hardware is added. Though I am sure that I made mistakes of my own I think that my problems were worsened after I tried to install the external modem. I use the Thinkpad at night in a port replicator to which is attached an external monitor, as well as keyboard and mouse, and standing alone most days. So it is important that the configuration allow for this - though I set the external monitor at 800*600, the same as the Thinkpad. I need to leave Windows 2000 on the computer, and be able to double boot. The A21e has a winmodem which is not supported by Linux. The port replicator does not have a PCMCIA slot, so I want to attach a serial external modem to the port replicator and use it for both Windows and Linux. I also expect to add a USB external CD-Rom writer to the port replicator in a few days so as to be able to back up (at least) my data before I re-install Linux. So my questions are: - Should I add the external modem and CD-Rom writer and get them running under Windows before I re-install Linux? - Should I install Linux on the Thinkpad standing alone before trying to get the external monitor, modem, and CD-Rom writer working under Linux? Or should I try to install with the Thinkpad in the port replicator? - Is there any way to have Xandros install its LILO somewhere else than the MBR of the Windows partition? - Is there any way of saving the MBR to diskette and re-installing it if I have another crash? - Can anyone comment please on the Acronis software, which has its own 'boot manager' as well as partitioning software? Or is there any other way of double booting rather than using the Xandros LILO? Incidentally, should I be asking each question in separate posts rather than all at once?

Thanks for your response. I've ordered a Dynalink serial external modem from the EverythingLinux site in Sydney, and am hoping for the best

I'm looking for an external serial modem to use with my Thinkpad A21e. Any recommendations?

Oh well, I guess I'd better start over. Thanks for the response

The subject says it all. Can anyone recommend a USB external modem which will work with linux?

I'm replying to my own post here because I have been told that virtually all mini-pci modems on laptops are winmodems.

I just found out this afternoon that the 3Com Mini PCI modem on my Thinkpad A21e can be replaced. I would certainly like to replace this winmodem with a real modem that works with Xandros Linux Can anyone recommend a Mini PCI modem which will work with linux? Or are they all winmodems?