Instalation of OpenSUSE Linux version 10.2 on a Toshiba Portégé M200
You will need, 13 SD cards or 1 SD card and a SD card drive connected to another computer, an Internet connection through your LAN (a USB modem plugged directly on the Portégé might not work), and something to write the IP address and path to the installation repository.
From an openSUSE installation repository (such as http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/10.2/repo/oss/) chose “/boot/i386/flopy/” and download each file from bootdisk1 to bootdisk13. (Actually I only needed the fist 12 disks).
You need to know the IP address and directory of an installation repository before installing. To obtain the IP address you may ping the server, in the command line. For instance, in windows:
"start -> run… -> Open: and on the Open combo box type cmd"
"c:\>ping download.opensuse.org"
Write down the IP address and the repository directory. You will need them later. Preferably have this information from two different mirrors, just in case one is down.
Either you have 13 SD cards or have an SD "drive" attached to other computer. I used an external USB multicard device connected to a desk top computer.
Before starting, read the instructions for installing directly from the Internet at www.opensuse.org.
1) Copy all the 13 files, bootdisk1 to bootdisk13, to the SD card.
2) Rename bootdisk1 $TOSFD00.vfd
3) Insert the SD card in your M200 and boot from the SD card. Switch ON the M200 while keeping the F2 key pressed, then with the keyboard arrows, choose the symbol with a floppy disk and an SD card and press return.
4) Shortly after, you will be prompted to insert disk 2. Remove the SD card from the M200 and insert it in your card reader in the other computer, delete the file $TOSFD00.vfd and change the name of file bootdisk2 to $TOSFD00.vfd. Make sure the changes are saved to the SD card before removing it, otherwise you will get a message saying that you inserted the wrong disk or the disk is corrupted and the installation is aborted.
5) When prompted, repeat step 4 for all the remaining disks.
6) After bootdisk12 your M200 will look for the installation files locally. After a while it will say, it can't find them and ask for directions. You have to choose the Internet installation, http or ftp depending of the mirror you chose to download the installation files, give it the IP address of the server and the repository directory that you noted before and follow the directions.
If you have 13 SD cards, you just have to copy bootdisk1 to SD card 1, bootdisk2 to SD card 2, and so on and rename the file in each SD card $TOSFD00.vfd. Then insert another SD card when prompted to insert another floppydisk.
(If someone cares to make 2.88MB bootdisks, instead of 1.44MB it would cut the labor to half).
After openSUSE is installed, if you selected Auto Login, you might get multiple virtual keyboards, a number that increases every time you boot the OS and you can't dismiss them. To correct this go to "Computer" -> "Administrator Settings", enter the root password and in "YaST Control Center" select "Security and Users", select the user which has auto login, press "Expert Options.." and uncheck "Auto Login". To remove the existing virtual keyboards you might have to uninstall "xvkbd", reboot and reinstall it again, you can do it in YaST Control Center as well.
To enable the pen functionality, go to "Hardware" in "YaST Control Center", select "Graphics Card and Monitor", select "Tablet", in Tablet tab check "Activate this Tablet" and select "WACOM", select "ISDV4 TABLET PC (SERIAL)". In "Port and Mode" select "ForceDevice >>> ISDV4" and "Primary Tablet Mode" "Absolute". In "Electronic Pens", "Tools", check "Add Pen" and "Add Eraser".
Before starting installation, I resized the windows partition to make room for Linux, but it is not necessary. I did it with Acronis Disk Director Suite, but the SUSE installer should be able to do it as well, or you may use Partition Magic or any partition tool of your choice.
ed03, updated 2007-03-03
http://poliscalor.com/Varios/SuseOnM200.htm
