Panasonic Toughbook R1

I struggled for months attempting to figure out how to get my favorite distro, Slackware onto this laptop, and I have finally SUCEEDED!

I carefully documented the harrowing experience here.

I have personally installed the following distros (the *'s are my completely subjective ratings of which distro I like most):

SUSE 8.2 ( ***)
Mandrake 9 (*)
Slackware 10.0 (*****)
Debian Woody/Sarge (Couldn't get X to work) (**)

Here is a large text file with a bunch of random info on the hardware in the R1 (as identified by the YAST "hardware" module).

Working:

• sound
• lan
• external monitor (this works with APM, but not APCI)
• apm
• acpi
• modem (I think)
• external USB FDD boot
• SuSE 8.2 works with default settings
• monitor dimming with Fn keys
  (UPDATE! Check out this important link! **acpi and fn keys** http://www.da-cha.org/letsnote/ )

If Installing from USB FDD (Important)
Something to watch for--is the fact that you need boot floppies that recognize that you are using a USB FDD. I found them for Debian (I put them on my website, download the zip file here).

The SuSE disks have built in support for USB FDD; however, you have to click "install" NOT "manual install"--I don't know why, but manual install doesn't support the USB FDD (strange?).

Feel free to contact me: l i s t at notthemessiah.net