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If you're fine with limited hardware just use hardware that is supported by Linux. Every Thinkpad I've used so far worked perfectly out of the box. If you're no

by gst 14y ago

If you're fine with limited hardware just use hardware that is supported by Linux. Every Thinkpad I've used so far worked perfectly out of the box. If you're not sure what to buy just look at the list of Ubuntu certified hardware: http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/ http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/

mbell 14y ago
I'd rather spend time building. The value prop of doing the research isn't worth it when I can just buy a Macbook Air and not even have to think about it.
- jlgreco 14y ago
  Frankly I have never done any research at all when buying laptops intending to use Linux on them. Maybe I've just gotten lucky, but I really don't think so. The last computer I purchased I purchased at a bar on my phone while rather intoxicated. The only thing I did was sort newegg's laptop selection by "cheapest first" and bought the cheapest. I don't think I missed out on any "building" time... If what everyone says about Linux hardware support was true, there is no way in hell that should have turned out fine.
  - tsahyt 14y ago
    Oh, statistically speaking I reckon this could work out just fine. However, Linux hardware support is a lot better than some claim here. The average desktop with it's x86 architecture, usually on-board sound and some mediocre GeForce is supported just fine. Seriously, that's what most people use. Concerning the video cards I think people miss out on the proprietary drivers from Nvidia here which have always worked brilliantly for me since mid 2007 or something. Yes, they are proprietary but so what? As far as I know ATI cards work pretty well too. Linux sound support works fine as well, it's still mostly ALSA underneath calling the shots which works like a charm. PulseAudio, I admit, usually doesn't. You always have the option to remove it from your system though - or even better: Don't install it in the first place. The actual drivers are in ALSA though, so nothing to complain here either. CPU and RAM support is a no-brainer with linux. Never had any issues. I actually had a ton more issues with it under Win7. Recently plugged some 32gig additional memory into a workstation (64GB now) and Win7 only accepts 48 of it. Booting into Linux everything works and I've got the full memory capacity at my fingertips. So I wonder, what is this all about? I've been using Linux on quite a few pieces of hardware and never ran into any serious issues. Yes, I had to screw with the X config a few times but that doesn't file as "not supported", just as "stupid defaults".
- vacri 14y ago
  We come from different socio-economic groups. I simply can't fathom the idea of making a $1k purchase so casually that I couldn't even be bothered to do a bit of cursory research. Even 10-20 minutes of light googling is too much for you? How much can you actually build in that time?
- gst 14y ago
  Me too. I typically always buy Thinkpad X-Series laptops. They always worked fine with Linux and I didn't really have to do much (if any) research. So you buy Macbooks because they run OS X and I buy Thinkpads because they run Linux. Where's the difference? (Except that I would also be able to run Linux on other types of laptops if I wanted to).
  - DeepDuh 14y ago
    Not the one you're responding to, but: I guess the difference is the preferred pointer device plus the screen quality. I have to tell you though, I've seen quite a few posts of people switching from thinkpads to macbooks and not one of them was looking back to the thinkpad's pointer nipple, at least not if they have been using a macbook after a while. All other differences of those two products are basically a matter of taste IMO.
    - ebiester 14y ago
      Here's a datapoint: After buying a 13 inch Macbook pro (and having had it stolen), I went back to the T420. I miss two finger scrolling at times, but I love having page up and down. I love using the pointer the pointer and scroll bar without having to leave the home keys. When I was on a recliner or laying on a couch, using the trackpad was often annoying and uncomfortable. Option-up/down doesn't replace an actual Page Down Key.
      - DeepDuh 14y ago
        It's certainly interesting that it's more comfortable for you to use Page Down instead of two finger kinetic scrolling. I only find myself using the Page Down keys on Desktops instead of the mouse wheel. Well as I said, it's basically a matter of taste. Btw. how are the screens these days? I've read that the resolution is quite low, but do they at least have good contrast / color spectrum / brightness / viewing angle? I'm asking because my father wants to buy one again (low res is actually a plus there).
        14y ago
- asdfaoeu 14y ago
  Maybe you're happy with that but there are others who want a decent package manager and don't want deal with the differences in OSX vs Linux.
ciupicri 14y ago
Speaking of Thinkpad, there's also http://www.thinkwiki.org http://www.thinkwiki.org
- jlgreco 14y ago
  Thinkwiki is absolutely fantastic. I think that may just be the thing I miss most about not using a Thinkpad anymore.
pfedor 14y ago
Honest question: isn't hardware supported by Linux strictly a superset of OSX? I.e., is there any Apple computer you cannot install Linux on? I've been running Ubuntu on a mac mini and I know others who do the same. Is there a problem installing Ubuntu on a macbook or an imac? If not, then this whole subthread is moot, no?
- esolyt 14y ago
  Usually, yes. For instance Ubuntu runs perfect on the latest Macbook Air.
- fpgeek 14y ago
  IIRC, there are issues with the latest Retina MacBook Pro.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- m3koval 14y ago
  It works, but not as well as in OS X. At least as of ~6 months ago, the Linux drivers for the MBP/MBA multitouch trackpads were unpleasant to use. Everything nominally worked, but the user experience was terrible: e.g. the palm detection was worthless, so the cursor would jump around the screen as you typed. There are also a plethora of smaller problems: it's not possible to switch between integrated and discrete GPUs, power management is abysmal, Thunderbolt support is non-existent, etc. If you include the new rMBP, the problems are even more severe (i.e. you have to jump through a ridiculous number of hoops to get wifi and graphics drivers installed). To be fair, some of this is Apple's fault. However, that doesn't matter to the person trying to run Linux on their laptop. [Edit] To be clear, all of my development is on Linux. I prefer Linux to OS X for many reasons, but drivers is definitely not on that list.

by gst 14y ago

mbell 14y ago

I'd rather spend time building. The value prop of doing the research isn't worth it when I can just buy a Macbook Air and not even have to think about it.

jlgreco 14y ago
Frankly I have never done any research at all when buying laptops intending to use Linux on them. Maybe I've just gotten lucky, but I really don't think so. The last computer I purchased I purchased at a bar on my phone while rather intoxicated. The only thing I did was sort newegg's laptop selection by "cheapest first" and bought the cheapest. I don't think I missed out on any "building" time... If what everyone says about Linux hardware support was true, there is no way in hell that should have turned out fine.
- tsahyt 14y ago
  Oh, statistically speaking I reckon this could work out just fine. However, Linux hardware support is a lot better than some claim here. The average desktop with it's x86 architecture, usually on-board sound and some mediocre GeForce is supported just fine. Seriously, that's what most people use. Concerning the video cards I think people miss out on the proprietary drivers from Nvidia here which have always worked brilliantly for me since mid 2007 or something. Yes, they are proprietary but so what? As far as I know ATI cards work pretty well too. Linux sound support works fine as well, it's still mostly ALSA underneath calling the shots which works like a charm. PulseAudio, I admit, usually doesn't. You always have the option to remove it from your system though - or even better: Don't install it in the first place. The actual drivers are in ALSA though, so nothing to complain here either. CPU and RAM support is a no-brainer with linux. Never had any issues. I actually had a ton more issues with it under Win7. Recently plugged some 32gig additional memory into a workstation (64GB now) and Win7 only accepts 48 of it. Booting into Linux everything works and I've got the full memory capacity at my fingertips. So I wonder, what is this all about? I've been using Linux on quite a few pieces of hardware and never ran into any serious issues. Yes, I had to screw with the X config a few times but that doesn't file as "not supported", just as "stupid defaults".
vacri 14y ago
We come from different socio-economic groups. I simply can't fathom the idea of making a $1k purchase so casually that I couldn't even be bothered to do a bit of cursory research. Even 10-20 minutes of light googling is too much for you? How much can you actually build in that time?
gst 14y ago
Me too. I typically always buy Thinkpad X-Series laptops. They always worked fine with Linux and I didn't really have to do much (if any) research. So you buy Macbooks because they run OS X and I buy Thinkpads because they run Linux. Where's the difference? (Except that I would also be able to run Linux on other types of laptops if I wanted to).
- DeepDuh 14y ago
  Not the one you're responding to, but: I guess the difference is the preferred pointer device plus the screen quality. I have to tell you though, I've seen quite a few posts of people switching from thinkpads to macbooks and not one of them was looking back to the thinkpad's pointer nipple, at least not if they have been using a macbook after a while. All other differences of those two products are basically a matter of taste IMO.
  - ebiester 14y ago
    Here's a datapoint: After buying a 13 inch Macbook pro (and having had it stolen), I went back to the T420. I miss two finger scrolling at times, but I love having page up and down. I love using the pointer the pointer and scroll bar without having to leave the home keys. When I was on a recliner or laying on a couch, using the trackpad was often annoying and uncomfortable. Option-up/down doesn't replace an actual Page Down Key.
    - DeepDuh 14y ago
      It's certainly interesting that it's more comfortable for you to use Page Down instead of two finger kinetic scrolling. I only find myself using the Page Down keys on Desktops instead of the mouse wheel. Well as I said, it's basically a matter of taste. Btw. how are the screens these days? I've read that the resolution is quite low, but do they at least have good contrast / color spectrum / brightness / viewing angle? I'm asking because my father wants to buy one again (low res is actually a plus there).
      - 14y ago
asdfaoeu 14y ago
Maybe you're happy with that but there are others who want a decent package manager and don't want deal with the differences in OSX vs Linux.

ciupicri 14y ago

Speaking of Thinkpad, there's also http://www.thinkwiki.org http://www.thinkwiki.org

jlgreco 14y ago
Thinkwiki is absolutely fantastic. I think that may just be the thing I miss most about not using a Thinkpad anymore.

pfedor 14y ago

Honest question: isn't hardware supported by Linux strictly a superset of OSX? I.e., is there any Apple computer you cannot install Linux on? I've been running Ubuntu on a mac mini and I know others who do the same. Is there a problem installing Ubuntu on a macbook or an imac? If not, then this whole subthread is moot, no?

esolyt 14y ago
Usually, yes. For instance Ubuntu runs perfect on the latest Macbook Air.
fpgeek 14y ago
IIRC, there are issues with the latest Retina MacBook Pro.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
m3koval 14y ago
It works, but not as well as in OS X. At least as of ~6 months ago, the Linux drivers for the MBP/MBA multitouch trackpads were unpleasant to use. Everything nominally worked, but the user experience was terrible: e.g. the palm detection was worthless, so the cursor would jump around the screen as you typed. There are also a plethora of smaller problems: it's not possible to switch between integrated and discrete GPUs, power management is abysmal, Thunderbolt support is non-existent, etc. If you include the new rMBP, the problems are even more severe (i.e. you have to jump through a ridiculous number of hoops to get wifi and graphics drivers installed). To be fair, some of this is Apple's fault. However, that doesn't matter to the person trying to run Linux on their laptop. [Edit] To be clear, all of my development is on Linux. I prefer Linux to OS X for many reasons, but drivers is definitely not on that list.