[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: Device busy?

[kbrannen@gte.net]

Dennis Daupert wrote:
>>>and wvdial told me:
>>>--> Cannot open /dev/ttyS1: Device or resource busy
...

Have you tried using "lsof" on /dev/ttyS1?  Maybe it could tell you.  The man 
page says it works on char special files too.

> 
> Thanks for the reply. If ok with you, I'd like to hang onto your email
> address and
> ask you maybe next week about your experience installing SuSE on the
> latitude. I tried installing 8.1, ran into a video problem which looked
> like it
> was trying to fry my screen, tried a buncha different config settings, but
> no
> soap, so I backed out and went mandrake.

In some ways, laptops are easier (fewer options), and in other ways harder 
(because of lack of drivers), or so it seems to me.  The most common problem 
I've seen is having the distro install too many RPMs, so that you end up with 
a mixed v3.x and v4.x files for XFree86 (so try to avoid that. :-)  Also, be 
sure to check out the Linux Laptop page.  It is extremely valuable for finding 
the right setting and knowing what software will and will not work 
(http://www.linux-laptop.net/).  So do a little research first to find out if 
you need v3.x or v4.x, then install only the RPMs for that version and you 
should have very few hassles.

I had an Inspiron 7500 at a previous job with the Mobile Rage II chip that 
looked very nice at 1280x1024 on the 15" screen; that was on Suse 7.3.

HTH,
Kevin