Linux for a laptop

[jaydee]

So I'm graduating from college soon and looking to get a laptop and put linux (and ONLY linux) on it. I use to run linux (dabbled in Red Hat and Mandrake) a long time ago, but college kind of forced me to go Microsoft for those years (and dual-boot is a PITA after a while).

Anyway, since I'm not very read on it at this point, I was wondering if there's anything I should know before buying the laptop. After reading the Linux sticky thread at the top here, I'll probably go with Ubuntu, or Fedora. I'm looking at the following laptops:

Toshiba Satellite A105-S4054

HP NC6220 w/
Pentium M 1.73 Ghz
Wireless 802.11b/g
Intel GMA 900

Any input? Specifically, any obvious hardware incompatibilities? Anything else I should know?


Thanks,
Jim

 

[doog519]

Jim
Most linux distros don't have as great of driver support for ATI video Cards.
Nvidia is by far the better chioce for Video.

I would go to Distro Watch and check that site out. Maybe even burn some live CD's to see how the distros matches up with your system.

Myself I mostly run Suse and I am pleased with that.
Just today I downloaded and installed their new release. 10.2 64 bit.
And I think this release is best yet. unlike 10.1 problems in the begining they really done their homework for the 10.2 release.
I installed Gnome and KDE desktops with no problems.

It installed and found all my drivers and installed them. I didn't really have to do much at all.

The 10.2 release really flies in the 64 bit version.

I also have Ubuntu installed and it is a nice distro. And I have yet to try Fedora

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

I 2nd getting a Nvidia based laptop, check out the ASUS series.

 

[silverpig]

An ati card will work in 3d without any problems, but it'll be slow. An nvidia card is definitely much better, but you seem to have one with intel gma 900 which will also work fine. I've seen screenshots of people running beryl on it, so you should be good to go

 

[phisrow]

Intel integrated graphics actually have excellent Linux support. They aren't particularly speedy silicon; but the drivers are fairly high quality, open source, and distributed by default with essentially all Linux distros. If you don't need heavy graphical punch, the GMAs are actually a good choice.

The wireless chip isn't explicitly listed; but if it is an Intel it should just work without much trouble. Broadcom is more of a hassle, and RAlink is essentially the easiest.

Other than that, you should be good to go.

 

[Robor]

Once you decide on a laptop give one of the various LiveCD's a try to see how well they're going to work with your hardware. I know for sure that Ubuntu has a LiveCD but I'm not sure about the other popular distros.

 

[drag]

Check out System76 or Rcubed.
http://system76.com/
http://www.shoprcubed.com/

And there are a couple other places.

That way you can get everything setup and supported out of the box by default.

Intel video hardware is better supported by Linux then hardware. On newer distros it has full support for 3d and 2d acceleration out of the box. There are ways to tweak it so that it's good for playing most games. (for instance CVS drivers with Intel_bach=1 set can get good performance). Also it has the nature of being better with heat, noise, and battery life.

For toshiba stuff they provide some resources for Linux users:
http://linux.toshiba-dme.co.jp/linux/
http://209.167.114.38/support//TECHSUPPORT/Tsbs/all/-TSB000818.htm

 

[kamper]

Op, that site doesn't tell you much about what wireless chips are used. That's the thing I'd be worrying about. And I'd be rejoicing that you don't have to deal with all that "Included Crapware"

 

[jaydee]

I saw some of those websites selling Linux laptops, but everything I saw was $700+. Just a much better deal buying slightly used here on the forums.

Went ahead and bought the Toshiba. Should be getting it later this week or next. Appearanty is has the Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG 802.11a/b/g per Toshiba's website (which you guys said Intel was ok). Thanks for all the info guys.

 

[Nothinman]

Appearanty is has the Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG 802.11a/b/g per Toshiba's website (which you guys said Intel was ok). Thanks for all the info guys.

Sadly the Intel 3945 crap requires a binary-only regulatory daemon. It should work fine, but you'll have to install some crappy non-free software.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Sadly the Intel 3945 crap requires a binary-only regulatory daemon. It should work fine, but you'll have to install some crappy non-free software.

A completely free driver exists, someone just has to get around to porting it to linux

 

[drag]

A few linux dev's solution is to have the 'regulatory' stuff built into the kernel. Then they can probably feel safe having a fully free and regulated hardware. I guess. Kinda interesting,
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.network/48344

Otherwise irregardless of the hardware or closed source or whatever it is still trivially easy to circumvent regulatory domains. Just lie to the computer about which country it is in...

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Sadly the Intel 3945 crap requires a binary-only regulatory daemon. It should work fine, but you'll have to install some crappy non-free software.

A completely free driver exists, someone just has to get around to porting it to linux

And what about firmware? It is trend (in windows) to load firmware during driver initialization. That way chip companies don't have to have onboard firmware chip, it can be in main system memory..

 

[Nothinman]

A completely free driver exists, someone just has to get around to porting it to linux

The driver is free, it's just the regulatory daemon that's non-free. OpenBSD reverse-engineered the protocol already so I'm surprised no one on the Linux side has yet.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

A completely free driver exists, someone just has to get around to porting it to linux

The driver is free, it's just the regulatory daemon that's non-free. OpenBSD reverse-engineered the protocol already so I'm surprised no one on the Linux side has yet.

Um, I was referring to the openbsd driver. 'Porting' may not have been the best word, but you get what I mean.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: postmortemIA

Originally posted by: kamper

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Sadly the Intel 3945 crap requires a binary-only regulatory daemon. It should work fine, but you'll have to install some crappy non-free software.

A completely free driver exists, someone just has to get around to porting it to linux

And what about firmware? It is trend (in windows) to load firmware during driver initialization. That way chip companies don't have to have onboard firmware chip, it can be in main system memory..

Yes, the firmware remains a problem because it can't legally be distributed with the operating system but at least it's a blob that's not running in kernel space. And the trend isn't in windows, it's in american wireless chips. It doesn't matter what operating system you use, you have to load the firmware onto the device after every boot. I don't get what you mean about it being 'in main system memory' though.

 

[postmortemIA]

I mean that there is no place to load firmware but in system memory. There's no memory on device to load firmware onto.

 

[Nothinman]

Um, I was referring to the openbsd driver. 'Porting' may not have been the best word, but you get what I mean.

I get that but the driver that Intel released is 100% under the GPL, the regulatory daemon just messes with files in /sys to do it's job so it's not like it would be a big deal replace th daemon if someone would just reverse engineer the protocol. It would have been nice of the OpenBSD guys would have released a doc on how the protocol works so other people could use it.

I mean that there is no place to load firmware but in system memory. There's no memory on device to load firmware onto.

No, most devices that get firmware uploaded get it put in the card's memory. Linux has an interface for uploading firmware to devices, it's how most of the current wireless cards work.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Um, I was referring to the openbsd driver. 'Porting' may not have been the best word, but you get what I mean.

I get that but the driver that Intel released is 100% under the GPL, the regulatory daemon just messes with files in /sys to do it's job so it's not like it would be a big deal replace th daemon if someone would just reverse engineer the protocol. It would have been nice of the OpenBSD guys would have released a doc on how the protocol works so other people could use it.

Why would anybody want to know how the protocol works? You only need it if you're going to use a daemon and obviously the openbsd driver doesn't. As per the story, I don't think he (Damien Bergamini) reverse engineered it any more than he had to to get the driver running in such a way that he could study the kernel->firmware interactions.

 

[Nothinman]

Why would anybody want to know how the protocol works? You only need it if you're going to use a daemon and obviously the openbsd driver doesn't.

Yes and replacing the daemon with a free version is the simplest solution, it'll get rid of the non-free requirements and will keep the driver in a state that Intel will maintain.

 

[thehstrybean]

I have used ubuntu for a while and I think the newest edition (edgy eft), is by far the best linux distro for a new person...ubuntuforums.com and ubuntuguide.com (or both or .org...can't really remember) provided excellent support...

 

[Kappo]

Actually, mine worked on a default ubuntu install, just need to make sure that you use nm-applet to manage the connections so it will connect

I have a D620 with the same wireless card.