XPost: alt.os.linux.mint   
   From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Sun, 12/29/2024 5:28 PM, David wrote:   
      
   > I'm downloading PCLOS xfce right now. I'll use balenaEtcher to load the   
   > software onto a memory stick. How do I make it operate 'live' on my Dell   
   > laptop with the sound problem?   
      
   Doing this much, was the hard part.   
      
   Why wouldn't it work ?   
      
   *******   
      
   You need to know how to do popup boot or how to do boot selection.   
   It's not nearly as easy on a Dell.   
      
   My Dell is rather unique in the room, in that if you plug in two   
   USB boot sticks, there is no way to select one of two. To have   
   my Dell boot a USB stick, there can only be one USB stick plugged in.   
   All the other computers in the room, you just cursor down to the   
   USB stick you want, out of N sticks.   
      
   The Dell has a quirky BIOS, which means there are a number of tiny issues.   
      
   *******   
      
   This means that, plugging the stick into some other brand of computer,   
   the experience could be a lot more pleasant. I find I have to spend   
   a lot more time with Dell people, using my fevered imagination to   
   guess at what curve ball Dell has thrown this time. Like various   
   beverages, Dell is an acquired taste. Some people get used to the   
   Dell abuse (unnecessary edits to the BIOS that Dell has you make),   
   other just leave their Dell parked in the corner.   
      
   I took my Dell out of RAID Ready mode, because it was driving me nuts.   
   What i didn't think about though, is if the BIOS CMOS battery   
   dies on me, I have no records of what settings have to be put back :-)   
   If the CMOS battery is changed, I'm going to have to do part of whatever   
   I did, over again.   
      
   Bring back a symptoms description, if it doesn't work. some of the Dell   
   sound, is standard stuff, but they also have a tiny amplifier board   
   and a piezo in mine, and sound has only come out of that a couple times.   
      
   You can use the   
      
       inxi -F   
      
   command and get a dump of what hardware is in the box. That is   
   easier than some other ways of listing the hardware.   
      
   On some of my hardware here, the sound is put on the HDMI cable, and   
   since none of my display devices have speakers, I would never hear a sound   
   sent there by accident. You have to review the output selection,   
   to ensure a real speaker is going to get the sound. I have to change   
   something from "HDMI sound" to "Analog speaker sound". Even Windows   
   has a little dialog for changing stuff like that.   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)