| Previous | Table of Contents | Next |
The guidelines so far in this chapter pertain to components. However, the Linux community has found that some specific PC configurations have posed some challenges.
NOTE: David Ludwig (davidl@hal-pc.org) has been compiling a list of user experiences with specific hardware configurations at http://www.hal-pc.org/~davidl/linux/desktop.config.html. This list is quite long and getting longer, so if you’re curious about someone else’s experiences with your computer, you may want to check out this database. Be warned, however, that many of the respondents to the survey just list generic information, not the names of specific models.
If you’re into PC hardware at all—and you probably are, if you’ve gotten this far—you’ll recognize how odd the configuration for the Compaq Deskpro XL series is: a PCI/EISA bus system with an onboard AMD SCSI/ethernetchip (AMD79C974), a Microsoft Sound System-compatible audio system built around an AD1847, and a QVision 2000 graphics card with a Matrox Atlas chip and a Cirrus Logic PX2085 Ramdac.
Unfortunately, the Deskpro XL series was pretty popular. Be warned that you may need to jump through some hoops to get Linux up and running; those who have done it say that you can pretty much forget about any sound support, and you may run into additional problems during installation.
Because these details can be rather technical, we’re not going to describe them here, but we are including the appropriate HOWTO on the CD-ROM. You can check for an updated HOWTO at http://www-c724.uibk.ac.at/XL/.
Generally speaking, Linux should run fine on most laptops with enough horsepower—that is, the newer breed of 486- and Pentium-based laptops on the market, decked out with at least 8MB of RAM. However, you may not be able to get the full functionality of the laptop when running Linux; for example, most laptops feature proprietary power-management and graphics capabilities that Linux simply can’t use. In these cases, you’ll lose the advanced power management, and you’ll need to run Linux and XFree86 in a lower graphics mode (VGA or SuperVGA).
If you’ve spent any time at all in the laptop world, however, you know that each laptop model tends to be a little different when it comes to hardware and assorted gewgaws. The Linux world has found that some laptop models present challenges when it comes to installation and configuration. In this section, we’ll run down some of the more popular laptop models and the challenges faced when using Linux on them. Also, Table 1.5 lists (in abbreviated form) the results of the Linux Laptop Survey, where users from around the world reported on laptops that successfully ran Linux.
NOTE: The Linux Laptop Home Page (http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/) contains additional information on laptops and Linux, including many additional sites that contain information about specific laptop models beyond what is covered here. Some of the information here is gleaned from that Web site, courtesy of Kenneth E. Harker (kharker@cs.utexas.edu), and some is from our personal experiences. If you own a laptop and want to know more about using Linux on it, the Linux Laptop Home Page is really the place to start.An alternative source of information is the Linux on Portables Web site, found at http://queequeg.ifa.hawaii.edu/linux/portables.html.
WARNING: Many laptop users are using parallel-port SCSI adapters. However, most of these adapters are not yet supported by Linux. (Only the parallel-SCSI adapter for the Iomega ZIP drive is supported.)
NOTE: In Table 1.5, we list whether the laptop has power conservation that works with Linux. This isn’t necessarily APM; it could be proprietary hardware routines written into the laptop’s BIOS.
| Previous | Table of Contents | Next |