Hello THURSTON.

17 Sep 04 22:30, you wrote to MAURICE KINAL:

 MK>> Sep 16 09:32 04, Jasen Betts wrote to Maurice Kinal:

 MK> JB>> I guess it could be the age of this hardware...

 MK>> Maybe.  Is your graphics card VESA2.0 compatible?  Then again it
 MK>> could be 2. kernel.  At the moment I am having some troubles
 MK>> compiling certain apps due kv2.6, such as the mga_vid module from
 MK>> mplayer.  Works great with later 2.4 kernels.

 TA> I hope there may be a simple answer to the simpleton question;
 TA> is the difference between the linux 2.4 kernals and 2.6 kernals
 TA> as great as the differences between Win9X and W2k/XPs ?

No. that difference is closer to the difference between minix 1.x and linux 1.x

 TA> My question is prompted by the problems my SuSE 9.0 installation
 TA> is having not being able to handle a new USB feed Lexmark x73
 TA> 3in1 copy/printer(rather than the earlier parrall feed Lexmark 3200
 TA> printer 8-( and/or the new Thompson multimedia optical mouse (rather
 TA> than the earlier Micro PD1001 trackball 8-( (That both my W98se and
 TA> XP-home OSs resideing in the same Systemax Tiger 2.8 gHz P4 platform
 TA> accommodated with relative ease 8-((

USB support seems to be pretty good,  getting drivers for some hardware
brands is tricky.

2.6 has improved support for USB input devices (keyboards, mice)

I don't think lexmark is interested in providing printer drivers fopr linux.

 TA> I sense that if I upgrade to SuSE 9.2 with the 2.6 kernal, I may be
 TA> able to finally use my Lexmark X-73 and/or Thompson optical mouse;
 TA> but I may then probably have new problems with also existing older
 TA> Netgear R416 router, and/or Cable modem, and/or memory card reader,
 TA> etc.,etc.. that presently perform nicely with the SuSE 9.0 with its
 TA> 2.4 kernal.......

can you just update the kernel and see if it helps befpre going the whole hog?

typically printer drivers are handled by gs, (which again can be upgraded
separately) and scanners are by sane - dunno how a 3-in-1 device is
handled.

Jasen

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