Opposable Thumbs

Even though this article describes installing linux on a Compaq laptop, it looks like there's some good info in there for general purpose installs. For one, it describes (near the bottom) installing all of the necessary software (and the appropriate configuration mods for good hardware support) to enable DVD playback. Which is great because I just moved my DVD player into my linux box. But there's also a bit in there about setting up and configuring ACPI for power management (instead of using the outdated APM). As it turns out, I've recently upgrade my main system (well, I bought it whole hog from my friend Jeff, but it was an effective upgrade for me) and I had previously experimented with setting up APM on it. Why? Because the system uses an Athlon 1.33 chip which runs really hot if it's on for a long time. Which means that this thing has a big ass, loud fan on it. So when I'm away from the computer, I'd just as well that it goes to sleep. Maybe ACPI will be the solution I've been looking for.