Latest Linux Mobile Guide Released

The latest version of the Linux Mobile Guide — formerly the Linux Laptop HOWTO — has just been released over at TuxMobil. It’s written in HTML, and all 181 files can be downloaded in .tgz format for your desktop, .ipk for your mobile device, or simply viewed on the web.

Now at version 3.15, author Werner Heuser, says it contains the following changes (quoted from the revision history): “the installation section has got new chapters about installation from an USB device, installation via VNC and installation via network interface, bibliography section updated, new chapter about in-built readers for SD/MMC cards and memory sticks, a link to laptop-mode was made, linked to the Gnome Palm Environment - GPE and to PocketWorkStation Linux distribution for PDAs, new chapter about how to use an universal USB port replicator, added section “Common Problems During Installation” (display problems, missing lines), document source bumped to DocBook XML V4.2, revision history converted to TLDP standards (partly), some XSL stylesheet changes, minor changes.”

The guide is very thorough, covering everything from installation and hardware support to on-the-road tips such as getting/finding Internet access and connecting to remote servers. This is a very good starting point for anyone wanting to take Linux away from home for any length of time.

Incidentally, I checked the “Connection to Cellular Phone” section to see if there have been any new developments, but so far it only lists infrared for certain models. If anyone knows of a way to connect a Nextel phone (specifically the i90c, but I’d be willing to upgrade) to a Linux laptop for use as a modem, I’d greatly appreciate a link. The software and associated USB connection cable worked fine under Windows, but of course Nextel and Motorola don’t yet support Linux connections.