Hello all!
I need a new OS and heard about Suse for the longest time and wanted to give it a go. It’s gonna be hard to let go of Win 2k, but with support degrading I need a OS that’s rock stable like 2k. My main concern is application compatibility so I can run my current windows app in Suse. Ultimately I would want a multiboot so I don’t lose windows 2k.
I’m using a IBM Thinkpad T61 with these configurations:
T9300(2.5GHz), 4GB RAM, Cricual SSD 120GB, 14.1in 1440x900 LCD, 128MB nVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M, CDRW/DVDRW, Intel 802.11abgn, Modem, 1Gb Ether, UltraNav, Sec Chip, FPR, Camera, Windows 2000 SP4
Thanks all for your help 
Welcome Springdale. You should be fine with that hardware. I’ve got a ThinkPad Z60m running openSUSE 11.4 with no problems. The Intel wifi should be supported out of the box too. Try with a LiveCD first, just to get a feel for it. I dual boot (it came with Windows XP), but rarely require Windows. I have a similar setup on my HP work laptop. I configure/support carrier class digital microwave equipment, and some equipment uses Windows software, however I can run most in wine, and one java app (with exe launcher) also works ok in Linux. You may find your Windows needs dwindle rapidly with use of openSUSE.
I’ll try the LiveCD and take OpenSuse for a test drive. If I do decide to deploy Suse would it come with a boot manager so I can use Windows 2k and Suse? Does Suse also support hot swappable devices on Thinkpads? Thanks
I’ll try the LiveCD and take OpenSuse for a test drive. If I do decide to deploy Suse would it come with a boot manager so I can use Windows 2k and Suse?
Yep, grub handles that. Configured at install time.
4. Installation - Howto Install openSUSE on Your Computer
Read Section 4.1.4
Does Suse also support hot swappable devices on Thinkpads? Thanks
What type of devices? Are they USB? SATA?
On Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:36:02 +0530, Springdale
<Springdale@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> My main concern is
> application compatibility so I can run my current windows app in Suse.
as deano ferrari wrote, openSUSE should run fine on your machine; but
“running your current windows app in Suse,” that’s rather doubtful i’m
afraid.
some windows applications run under wine, a windows compatibility layer,
but not all, and often they don’t run very efficiently. you’ll find
opensource alternatives for most windows app.s, but they are not exactly
the same. to actually run windows applications, the best OS is windows, of
course.
dual booting shouldn’t be a problem; you’ll find a lot of information
about this on these forums. once you have both OS’ running, you can try
out different opensource alternatives to the windows app.s you’re using,
and with a little learning & getting used to, you should be able to switch
most if not all your needs from M$ to opensource. good luck, and don’t
hesitate to ask if you get stuck.
–
phani.
Another option is to run Windows in a VM like VirtualBox.
When I swap out the dvd/cdrw with the thinkpad hard drive bay caddy. I also have a 1tb usb western digital 2.0 drive im assuming wold work.
Many thanks for that guide as it answered most of my win app compatibility. Totally forgot about crossover, that app will make the move to SuSe flawless. Get to have my cake and eat it too! 
At this point I gotta figure out a way to resize the partition win2k is on, does the os provide that when I run setup?
Heading home with my 8gb flash drive to load the setup on, hopefully everything will fall in place. Think im gonna like it here…
If you’re experienced, you could use the LiveCD to do this with the Linux fidsk utility. However, I think you may be better off using gparted:
GParted – Download
There are numerous online resources showing how to make room for Linux, so make sure you read up on this step first. Good preparation is the key. Backup any valuable data first.
How to Dual Boot Linux and Windows 7 - Shrink a Linux Partition to Install Windows 7
Ignore the references to Windows 7, just read the repartitioning steps and general process…