[ILUG] Info on putting Linux on a Hewlett Packard XE3 laptop

[Oisin Kim]

Hi All,

I hope you can help me with this, has anyone tried to put Linux
(perferably Red Hat 7.3) on one of these laptops - a Hewlett Packard XE3
laptop, if not, would anyone know where I can see/get info on it, I have
tried googling with limited success, as you can see below.

I've been offered these at €1,149.00 (ex. VAT) which I think is a good
price. If anyone else is interested in these I might see if I can get
further discount by buying more than one!!!

The system specification is as follows;
Celeron 1.06GHz system, 128MB SDRAM, 14.1" TFT Screen, 10GB HDD, 1.44MB
FDD, 56K Modem, 10/100MB NIC, CDROM with onboard Sound, Win XP Home.

I  found this:  whist googling which is very very good, 
http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:3q5vzk8zyewC:www.math.u-bordeaux.fr
/~depouill/XE3/+linux++XE3+Depouilly&hl=en (google cache)

 but it mentions -

"Video card works with frame buffer only (it's expected to work with
XFree86-4.2.0"

It also mentions this:
"Xconfigurator 
        Card -> i810 
        Monitor -> Generic Laptop Display Panel 1024x768 
        Video Memory -> 8 mb 
        Video Modes -> 16 bits 1024x768 
    Accept to quit with error for probing 
Edit /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 and replace 
Driver "i810" 
with 
Driver "vesa" 

I also add vga=791 in /etc/lilo.conf "

 if anyone has any experience with this I'd appreciate it, will this
video card work?

Thanks for any help with this,

Oisin

Ps apologies for using windows/outlook to send this, work
commitments...when I get myself a nice new laptop I won’t need to use
this $%^& anymore!