Puppy 3.00 runs on the $0 Laptop

After being disappointed by Puppy 2.16 and Damn Small Linux 3.3's lack of ability to run on the $0 Laptop -- a Gateway Solo 1450 -- and then being able to run Zenwalk 4.6.1 but neither Vector 5.8 nor Slackware 12, I didn't hold out much hope that the new Puppy 3.00 -- said to be compatible with the current release of Slackware -- would run at all.

But I downloaded and burned a CD anyway.

Pleasant surprise.

It does run, with the usual excellent hardware detection of Puppy. It got Xorg right (that's what's screwing me up in Slackware and PC-BSD), detected the internal modem (and Ethernet, which I'm using right now). I'll have to try it tomorrow with the Airlink101 AWLL3028 USB wireless adapter.

It's nice to put in a CD, boot in a couple of minutes and have the Puppy environment I love right there for me. Abiword, Geany, Seamonkey, Pidgin, ROX-Filer, MtPaint. Every one works great and loads quickly.

Another plus: The "touchy" Alps touchpad on the Gateway works normally -- tapping on it doesn't mimic a left-click, so I'm not clicking links all over the place when I don't want to.

The only thing I need to work on: power management. Since Debian and Ubuntu do so well with this laptop -- allowing the noisy fan to turn off most of the time -- power management isbecoming a litmus test for Linux and BSD distros on this PC. PC-BSD 1.3 got this right, too, even if it could do no better than 640 x 480 on the display.

I'd even be willing to set up a cron job to manage the CPU heat.

Gotta close out this entry while the battery is holding out (forgot the AC brick).

Puppy -- you've made my day!