Very Computer

I'm in the market for a Linux laptop. (It has to run Linux because I
want to use SBCL on it...)

Required:
1) Working, non-quirky hibernate.
2) Working wireless.
3) No other hardware gotchas.

Highly desired:
* 17-inch screen

Any recommendations as to hardware and distributions? Or even Linux
laptop vendors?

thanks in advance.
--
adamnospamaustin.rr.com
s/nospam/c\./

New sonoma's can present problems with current distributions (they're
not new enough).  The Dell D600 is a winner.  Everything works,
including suspend to disk inside of Linux.

What works:
Modem (but only 14.4K unless you pay)
Wireless Dell 1350 using ndiswrapper (works very well)
Radeon video with 3D enabled (works well, though a bit slow)
Sound, ethernet, DVD/CDRW, everything else just works!

The Dell D600 has astronical battery life too.  I bought a
Dell refurb D600 for my wife.  The unit had a bad USB and
sound board, Dell replaced the motherboard in one day.  Have
not had a problem since.

Quote:

> Highly desired:
> * 17-inch screen

Sigh... really?  I can't wait for people to start buying
lapstop with 24" screens... it will come with wheels and a
string so you can pull it around with you.  To answer the
question, the D600 does NOT have a 17" screen.  Most cases,
backpacks won't handle a 17" screen... just fyi.

Quote:

> Any recommendations as to hardware and distributions? Or even Linux
> laptop vendors?

SUSE 9.2
You can try Emperor Linux, but I've talked with them and though
they "claim" they support certain models of laptops, it became
quite apparent that they hadn't even tried to do the install
yet (general lack of knowledge).

If you like a more difficult install, the newer sonoma based Dells
will work fairly well with SUSE 9.2 and the latest kernel from
SUSE (2.6.11.4).  But software suspend doesn't work... presumably
because of the Nvidia vid controller.... but I won't swear to that.
I have a Precision M70 running SUSE 9.2 with the later kernel... works
great.  You can install 9.2 without the new kernel, but the CD/DVD
will be only accessible via PIO, no DMA until you get the later
kernel.

Uh-huh. I plan to use it in my living room, for the most part. It's
nice that it's portable, but I don't expect to carry it around on a
daily basis.

Thanks for the other comments.
--
adamnospamaustin.rr.com
s/nospam/c\./

Might a laptop with a smaller screen, and an external larger LCD, be
an option?

--
M?ns Rullg?rd

Let me add that the same Dport replicator from Dell works with
the D600 as well as the M70, so I an my wife can use the big
screen and nice mouse/keyboard whenever we want.  Port replicators
are useful.

Yes, I could do that. I favor a 17-inch laptop because I can shut it
up and protect the screen, which is useful when you have a 5-year-old
and 5 cats.

Sounds like newer laptops are problematic, which makes me think I
should either wait or buy a Mac (kind of pricey, though). Or maybe go
with a mini-itx wireless solution.
--
adamnospamaustin.rr.com
s/nospam/c\./

What do people see as the issue here?  I have a 3yr old Sony with a 16"
Screen, and as long as I could go for a slightly lighter model I'd still
go for a large screen next time.  I travel about once every 3 weeks,
sometimes for up to 1 month at a time.  I find it great to have my full
workstation with me wherever I am.

The Larger External LCD only works if you buy the same quality or better
than your laptop and you are fixed in one location.  I move between
Ireland, Spain and the UK.  I'd need to buy an LCD at each location.
They'd also have to be higher end models to be as good as my laptop.
Due to other circumstances I've just spent EUR200+ for a 17" which only
gives me 1200x1024 - my 3yr old laptop gives me 1600x1200.

--
Richard Corden

...

Quote:

> What do people see as the issue here?  I have a 3yr old Sony with a 16"
> Screen, and as long as I could go for a slightly lighter model I'd still
> go for a large screen next time.  I travel about once every 3 weeks,
> sometimes for up to 1 month at a time.  I find it great to have my full
> workstation with me wherever I am.

But the larger screen means more weight.
Also, you have limited choices for bags/backpacks with the larger
screens.

I find it great to have a full workstation where I go as well, but
I like the smaller form factor, less to lug around.

Quote:

> The Larger External LCD only works if you buy the same quality or better
> than your laptop and you are fixed in one location.  I move between
> Ireland, Spain and the UK.  I'd need to buy an LCD at each location.
> They'd also have to be higher end models to be as good as my laptop. Due
> to other circumstances I've just spent EUR200+ for a 17" which only
> gives me 1200x1024 - my 3yr old laptop gives me 1600x1200.

Mine (Dell M70) gives me 1920x1200 :)
But it's a small 15" widescreen form factor so it still fits in
my Rakgear backpack.... whereas the 17" models won't.  The Dell
2405FPW external monitor is 1920x1200 native and it's a very
nice and large monitor (for those who want a big desktop
monitor).

If you can live with the 17" screen, by all means get it.... I'm
just pointing out some of the difficulties with a laptop that
is that large (it's pretty big... let's just say that many models
include a FULL numeric keypad on the keyboard... now that's
getting out there!).

Beware of HP NX5000 w/SuSE 9.1 Linux...
NO support!
Wireless NOT working!
LinDVD can NOT play encoded DVDs!

Quote:>Beware of HP NX5000 w/SuSE 9.1 Linux...
>NO support!

and this surprises you?  Why did you buy it if 1) there's no support from HP
and 2) it uses hardware that hasn't been reverse engineered yet?

Quote:>Wireless NOT working!

and who was the idiot who bought the laptop without first checking what wireless
chip it uses and if there's linux support?  If you don't like it, take it up
with the laptop maker and quit whining about it.

Why don't you just get a supported pcmcia or usb wireless interface?  

Quote:>LinDVD can NOT play encoded DVDs!

That's only because you're too stupid to be able to RTFM.  You need libdvdcss
to read encoded DVDs and it has nothing to do with your hardware.  As far
as your hardware is concerned, the DVD player simply sees a file system on the
disk that it can't understand.

A tall order.  Do you have a reliable way to order such a thing?  What
exactly do you ask for?  If you ask by model number, you are as likely
as not to get a card that was once a Prism2, and is now Broadcom.

You make it sound like wireless support is some simple matter of
checking a hardware compatability list and then going to the store, but
it's not that simple.  

Quote:>>LinDVD can NOT play encoded DVDs!
>That's only because you're too stupid to be able to RTFM.  

That's uncalled for.  Setting up linux to play video media can be quite
difficult, no matter how many manuals you've read.

Quote:>I'm in the market for a Linux laptop. (It has to run Linux because I
>want to use SBCL on it...)

>Required:
>1) Working, non-quirky hibernate.
>2) Working wireless.
>3) No other hardware gotchas.

It's a moving target, because as soon as you find a laptop that works,
it's discontinued.  I've had great luck with my Toshiba A25/S207.  The
only thing that doesn't work on it is the SD card reader, which I'm
still hoping might be supported before I have to retire theis laptop.
Wireless is a Prism2.  ACPI works.  It was fairly easy to do a dual-boot
using the recovery disc that was included, although I cannot remember
how I did it.

I had to wipe and repartition the drive, then start the system restore,
then interrupt it at some point, type some undocumented command, and let
it finish.  I wish I'd kept notes, because I don't know how to do it
again.

...snipity-do-da...

Quote:

> Sounds like newer laptops are problematic, which makes me think I
> should either wait or buy a Mac (kind of pricey, though). Or maybe go
> with a mini-itx wireless solution.

It's actually getting quite good.  A lot of progress in a very short
period of time.  I think there may be more issues with mini-itx :)

The problem maybe applications that depend on Windows e.g. USB. scanner
etc...

In a PC, you may install a card doing the job.
But on a notebook you have to write a software driver.

Salutations