Hi Chris,

I am not sure how familiar you are with i386 hardware and issues relating
to running X on laptops.  So if you know all of this already, sorry.

First of all, when running NetBSD on i386 hardware, X is basically
XFree86.  So you can find a lot of good information in the XFree86 FAQ:

  http://www.xfree86.org/FAQ/index.html

Second, one thing you need to watch for in laptops is the video set used.
Many newer laptops use the Neo-Magic set. AFAIK, currently, there is no
xfree86 server for the Neo-Magic video set.  You have to buy a commercial
X server.  You might want to sniff around Dell's homepage to find out what
video set the Latitude uses.

Third, you will need to probably need to be choosy about what types of
PCMCIA cards you can use.  For Ethernet, the 3Com Etherlinks seem to be
pretty standard.  You might want to ask on port-i386 for recommandation
for other working cards.

Finally, for those coming from the mac68k side, the install process on the
i386 side is rather different.  Personally, when installing NetBSd on my
P200, I found it the easiest to download all the i386 tarballs on to my
Centris 650 running NetBSD and then do the install via FTP over my local
network.

Good luck,

Mark

On Fri, 26 Jun 1998, Chris Jewell wrote:

>      I am going to be setting up my bosses laptop, a Dell Latitude, with
> NetBSD and I have a question.
> 
>     This laptop will reside in a docking station part time and part time
> it will be standing alone.  How will this effect the video since some
> times it will be on a 17" monitor and sometimes it will be on a 10"
> display?
> 
> -Chris Jewell
> 
> 
> "We now return our souls to the creator, 
>  As we stand on the edge of eternal darkness.
>  Let our chant fill the void,
>  In order that others may know.
>  In the land of the night, 
>  The ship of the sun is drawn by the grateful dead."
> 
>    --Egyptian Book of the Dead
> 
> 
> 


   Mark Andres               E-mail: mark@giganet.net
          Running NetBSD, 100% Microsoft Free!
   Me & NetBSD: http://www2.giganet.net/~mark/NetBSD/