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> Gentoo was circa 2005 and Ubuntu was circa 2012. I spent months trying to make it work, but it was too much. Software ran slower, installing package updates w

> Gentoo was circa 2005 and Ubuntu was circa 2012. I spent months trying to make it work, but it was too much. Software ran slower, installing package updates was like playing Minesweeper and worst of all, I had to use Wine. A friend of mine tried it as recently as 2014, then gave up as expected. Ah cool! The reason I asked is that a lot has changed in the last four years or so. Dell's Sputnik (http://www.dell.com/developers http://www.dell.com/developers) program is the one that specifically comes to my mind. But it is possible to buy a variety of Dell workstation models with Linux pre-installed with support. And according to the recent new product blog (https://bartongeorge.io/2017/01/09/welcome-the-new-ubuntu-based-precision-line-up-mobile-workstations-plus-a-new-all-in-one/ https://bartongeorge.io/2017/01/09/welcome-the-new-ubuntu-ba...) the Sputnik project only released the first 13" DE a little less than 4 years ago. So I was asking since I thought it might be neat to know about some of the changes in the landscape (provided you haven't attempted in a while :) ...) Edit: Forgot to mention, that Dell's efforts generally improve the Linux driver ecosystem as well since they upstream their drivers to the kernel: > as many drivers developed for the laptop are "upstreamed" to the Linux kernel [1] [1] http://www.infoworld.com/article/3046115/linux/love-linux-dude-youre-getting-a-dell.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/3046115/linux/love-linux-du...

jameslk 10y ago
You're right, I haven't tried it recently since it became the norm for OEMs to release computers pre-loaded with Linux. Once bitten, twice shy as they say. Installing Linux distros were only half the battle for me however. Maybe that's changed too or maybe it was because I was always trying to force everything to run on top of KDE. I'll definitely keep an eye on this development, but my expectations are that it won't change the landscape much. Who knows.
- gshulegaard 10y ago
  Totally fair, I myself only recently gave Linux on the laptop a try again (last 2 years or so). For a long time I had limited Linux to desktop use, but was pleasantly surprised by System76 and Dell so I feel compelled to spread the word. At any rate, as I say in another comment, there are definitely many other things that might dissuade you from going the Linux route (gaming being my personal challenge). I was just trying to comment on the massive improvement in the driver space in recent years.

jameslk 10y ago

You're right, I haven't tried it recently since it became the norm for OEMs to release computers pre-loaded with Linux. Once bitten, twice shy as they say. Installing Linux distros were only half the battle for me however. Maybe that's changed too or maybe it was because I was always trying to force everything to run on top of KDE. I'll definitely keep an eye on this development, but my expectations are that it won't change the landscape much. Who knows.

gshulegaard 10y ago
Totally fair, I myself only recently gave Linux on the laptop a try again (last 2 years or so). For a long time I had limited Linux to desktop use, but was pleasantly surprised by System76 and Dell so I feel compelled to spread the word. At any rate, as I say in another comment, there are definitely many other things that might dissuade you from going the Linux route (gaming being my personal challenge). I was just trying to comment on the massive improvement in the driver space in recent years.