Laptop Linux

[Tyler1989]

Is linux at a point where it is wise to install it on a laptop?


wireless connectitivity, power management, etc.

 

[horndude]

http://www.tuxmobil.org

 

[macdude425]

In general, they've gotten it to where it works pretty well, but checking your hardware on Tuxmobil as horndude has suggested is always a good idea just to make sure everything will work to its fullest extent.

 

[jakec]

Hey Tyler,

you might wanna check out this Link

http://www.tldp.org/LDP/Mobile-Guide/html/mobile-guide-p1c2s2-recommendation.html

Also Mandriva, SUSE, Lindspire and Xrandros came up most frequently as suggestions:

Mandriva

http://frontal2.mandriva.com/en/downloads/mirrors

SUSE:

http://www.opensuse.org/Download

Lindspire: (woudn't reccomend this 1)

http://www.linspire.com/

Xrandros:

http://www.xandros.com/about/downloads.html

Debian would be your best bet for a laptop,

Jake

 

[macdude425]

Debian has worked quite well with everything I've thrown at it (three laptops and counting), so I too recommend it.

But still, check Tuxmobil to make sure your hardware isn't really screwed up and doesn't like Debian or something, because there are a few.

 

[zmatt]

the newest version of ubuntu is very good with laptops, it includes wifi support and tis the first distro i have used that puts my unit to sleep when i close it soo i wuold recomend it.

 

[horndude]

wont matter which distro you pick, the kernel decides what hardware works and what doesnt, PERIOD

the rest is window dressing, its package management and what other software comes with the OS as far as user programs, all of which can be run on ANY distro whether it comes with it by default or not

 

[macdude425]

Not necessarily; I can use the same kernel in Debian Sarge and Etch and video in Sarge will work but not in Etch because of X.

So it also depends on X, too, to a certain extent (probably a couple other things I forgot, too).

 

[horndude]

other hacked or alpha or beta kernel modules can be added as well sometimes to get something to work, but for the most part, its the kernel, thats its job, make the hardware work

the switch from xf86 to x.org some distros made was supposed to be a seamless switch, it hasnt been, there are still some problems, x.org dropped some of the older video card support for example.........sometimes you have to go back and recompile X to get things to work, especially in some of the distros which patch the heck out of some things, there's alot of dirty hacks in parts of linux

 

[Tyler1989]

everything seems to check out but the wireless card which will require manual configuration.