I’ve held back for some time now on Haiku as I’ve been winding down my business and now am retired. I did have a post on my blog about the software being Alpha (which I didn’t realise before) and stopped using it altogether. Thing is, I like it.
Before I install the latest Alpha 3, I have some questions. First off I’m aiming for a minmalist system with no extra software except the basics (Entire OS, web browser and maybe email and one or two others) - the machine will be for travelling with. I hope it does wireless?
I assume I will have to wipe the disk that I have Alpha 2 on at present. Yes? Or will the A3 install overwrite all the old A2 stuff?
I see Python and Perl. Are they needed at all?
When I wipe programs (games etc), are there any that I should keep, otherwise they all go.
I know some programs are simply drop in the trash and they are gone, others may have an uninstall. Is there a list that tells me which is which, so I don't screw up anything?
One option you might find useful is to install Haiku on to a USB flash drive. When you want to run Haiku, plug it in and boot from it. The Haiku install image is pretty small already, less than 600 MB (smaller I think but I haven’t checked lately).
Haiku A3 comes with the webpositive browser and email.
You should be able to remove the games, python, and perl but there is nothing that says what is optional and what is needed by something else. Try it out and report back!
Hi Andrew, I’ll give that a try. Are there any special instructions or is everything on the ISO CD I’ve just burned?
Humph and I’d just ordered a new hard drive ultrabay for the IBM it’s going to go on.
Are there any problems reading and writing to a flash stick during operation once it’s up and running? Obviously Flash stick are a lot lighter than a hard drive. I have Kingston 2gbs that should handle it okay.
Hi deejam,
"It does, but it lacks support for WPA and WPA2 encryption (WEP do work)."
Not sure exactly what that means, I’d have to check what my wireless is and turn it on to test (I won’t use it at home I’m hard wired, it’s for when I’m out and about).
I’ll see how it goes with the flash stick trick too. My new hard drive caddy hasn’t arrived yet and I want to keep the A2 installation as a “just in case”.
WPA and WPA2 are the most common methods of securing wireless networks. WEP is an older, less secure, method. If you need to enter a password to be able to connect to a wireless network, it is secured with WPA/WPA2 or WEP.
Thanks. Looks like I’ll have to find the right WiFi areas
I’m installing on the flash stick as i type. Had to guess about the partitoning, so did both the bits in the dropdown and it seems to installing - about 1/3rd way thru now.
Update
Install just blew out. No idea. Have a command come up saying debug, but found nothing on what to do. Tried: y, yes, debug, it rejected them all. Help had no answers. Will forget flash stick and put it on hard drive.
[quote=TedH]I’m installing on the flash stick as i type. Had to guess about the partitoning, so did both the bits in the dropdown and it seems to installing - about 1/3rd way thru now.
Update
Install just blew out. No idea. Have a command come up saying debug, but found nothing on what to do. Tried: y, yes, debug, it rejected them all. Help had no answers. Will forget flash stick and put it on hard drive.[/quote]
Have you tried to create a bootable Haiku installation using the anyboot image?
Stopped at that page as soon as I saw the word Linux (won’t touch it with a 10 foot barge pole).
Tried to install on hard disk. Same problem.
Also that there are GMail problems and that’s done it for me.
Thanks for your time, I do realize this is in Alpha Stage, but I will leave Haiku until it is in full release (not Alpha or beta).
Pointers for development.
Think like this. Point, click, Install, if partition needed click here (automatic partitioning default with options), work or trash.
It’s not easy sometimes as programmers to think like someone who hasn’t got a clue (which is where Linux falls down, big time), but we have to do that and I usually take a bit of a break and come back to a projects development in that frame of mind - and you’ll be surprised at how many features you will find that do not fit into that mindset. Then a bigger break to get into coding thought to fix 'em
I really do like Haiku, but for my purposes it’s too buggy at this present time and I’m not an assembler programmer that could be of any help - unless you want me to be the mindless idiot who hasn’t got a clue to test things on
Please try the USB install process again and see if you can make it through. This might be an intermittant bug. You might also try changing some of the partition parameters.
Here is another way to install Haiku onto a USB drive. The problem with this method is the resulting partition is really small, something like 512MB. which doesn’t give you a lot of space for downloading cool apps and games
Think like this. Point, click, Install,This is good advice and we are working towards that. This being an Alpha release we are putting resources on very core features. So thanks for your patience.
Please try the USB install process again and see if you can make it through. This might be an intermittant bug. You might also try changing some of the partition parameters.
Here is another way to install Haiku onto a USB drive. The problem with this method is the resulting partition is really small, something like 512MB. which doesn’t give you a lot of space for downloading cool apps and games
Think like this. Point, click, Install,This is good advice and we are working towards that. This being an Alpha release we are putting resources on very core features. So thanks for your patience.
@AndrewZ: There are up-to-date and maintained instructions for Linux/Haiku/BeOS/OSX/Windows in the official guide since september 2009 why are you posting links to haikuware everywhere?
The instructions on haikuware are up to date and work fine. The only issue is final size of the partition. Does either Windows method allow for an arbitrary sized partition? That is not addressed on the guide.
Hi Andrew, I have the CD in and the flash stick.
Clicked Intall
Clicked Set up Partitions
I see the CD.
Underneath is a tree.
Top has /raw at end & no info
Bottom one has /0 at end and FAT32 File System no name 1.86gb
I assume the bottom one is the one to select
If I click Partiton the flyout says Be File System, that’s all
under is Delete, Mount (unmount) and Mount all
Now what?
Update - running commentary…
the raw one gives me a different flyout.
It says Intel extended partition, Be File System (others are greyed out)
I’ll click the Intel one instead of Be as I have and IBM T41 with an Intel processer
— That didn’t work so did the Be one … this failed previously.
Now I have something different than before a window with no name and blocksize on. Did it with default (2048).
Runnning not sure if it will work or not.
FAT32 File System no name 1.86gb
If this is close to the size of your flash drive AND your laptop doesn’t have a recovery partition on the hard drive of the same size then this is a good guess.
If it doesn’t work, try changing the blocksize to 1024.
If that doesn’t work, try the link Aldeck posted and report back.
BTW, you should have good results running Haiku on the T41. Thinkpads are generally VERY compatible with Haiku.
I also have an IBM T41. Everything works on it, ethernet, wireless, sound and even the volume buttons. So it will be worth while installing Haiku on it.
