Linux on Your Laptop

Posted by ttblogger on 01/20 at 09:50 AM Permalink
image

For many people, myself included, a notebook computer is an indispensable part of their professional and personal lives. The portability and flexibility of a good laptop makes work or play a lot easier and a lot more fun.

Maybe you’re a Linux user, or someone who wants to make the jump to Linux. But whenever you’re out, you see people working away on their Windows laptops or their MacBooks. And you might think to yourself “I wish I could take Linux mobile like that!”

Read Full Article Click Here
    Posted by Bob3  on  01/20  at  12:29 PM

  1. An excellent informative article on the Linux on the Laptop subject.
    I would like to recommend Freespire, an Ubuntu derivative, as being a very easily installed OS for laptops. It also has the LIVE feature, which is very important to test out prior to doing a full install.
    Remember that running an OS off the CD will usually be much much slower than after it’s installed.
    The Thinkpads are also my favorite for fast & easy installs, taking only around 15 minutes.
    http://www.freespire.org

    2. Posted by gr  on  01/20  at  12:39 PM

  2. Good article overall… I’ve many flavors of Linux on laptops… mostly in VMs.  I don’t remember the last time I used a modem so ... the whole modem this is pretty much a non-issue for most people.  Wireless or NIC drivers for some of the el-cheapo hardware thrown into laptops can be problematic ... this is where VMs can be helpful too… ?

    3. Posted by Coors  on  01/20  at  12:56 PM

  3. Thanks for a great bit of information.  I have adopted Linux and use in on two of my laptops...a Dell C600 512mb...P4 2 GHZ and it runs great using Kanotix..finds the wireless, audio, and video with dual boot XP. The other laptop is an OmniBook P2 366 MHz with 192mb and wireless running Sidux.  I am fairly new to Linux and have NO problems..viruses, spyware or BLUE SCREENS of DEATH.  The learning curve is always present, but well worth the extra effort and always rewarding. If questions or problems arise, the Linux Distro’s forums are of a great help.

    4. Posted by MtnTopRebel  on  01/20  at  01:45 PM

  4. I also am fed up with M$ and have been changing my computers both desktop and laptops to Linux.  My current choice is Ubuntu (Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu or even Edubuntu) I have Xubuntu running on an IBM 770e and have also run it on a IMB 660e. Xubuntu was chosen because it used less memory. For those two machines I used the alternatice install disk, I can get by with less available ram than with the live eval. versions.  I have run SUSE on the 660e, but after the back stabbing of NOVELL towards Linux I quit using SUSE.  I also have a Dell B130, with it I have M$ XPee installed, as I work on peoples computers and need windarz handy for work throughs, and an external laptop drive in a case from Geeks.com that I plug into the USB port and the BIOS is set to check the USB port 1st when booting, then CD/DVD and finally the internal hard drive.  I might add that to set the laptop up to see the external (Only) I had to remove the internal drive during the install process, otherwise Ubuntu wanted to dual boot the internal drive, I didn’t want that as Linux will boot if it is in the USB port.  The Ubuntu detected everything except the wireless in the laptop and works great.  I suppose I could work around and get it to go, but I bought several USB to wireless netgear units again from Geeks, and Ubuntu detects those automatically. 
    On the IBM TP 660e & 770e there are problems.  Linux detects the main componients easy enough, but parallel printer port, serial, game and sound don’t detect.  When running SUSE I did the work around on them and had them going. As I remember, these computers rely on M$ software to turn them on during power up otherwise the system doesn’t see them… IBM did have the info on work arounds for them.  and the Sound card reports is self as a different card than it is.  You had to set the address and interupt manually, and property tell linux what the card actually is… with that it worked fine.  As far as I’m concerned the Linux community has done a great job with driver detection.  Considering that many of the stuck up companys probably with M$ holding stock in their companies refused to release code information for their products, my hat is off to you Linux developers, and many thanks! When ever I come across a non co-operating company, I send them an email and tell them I consult on computers and product purchases and since they refuse to support Linux, I will boycott them and send my clients to companies that do support Linux.  Some of these companies can’t understand it until it cost them.

    5. Posted by Frank Weir  on  01/20  at  03:06 PM

  5. I just wanted to add that I am NOT a computer whiz but putting Ubuntu on a laptop is very doable for anyone. ALSO, I found that if you have a highly proprietary wireless card inside your lap that can not be seen by Ubuntu, you can purchase at GEEKS a PCMIA wireless card that will easily be seen by Ubuntu! I use the ASUS Wirelss LAN PC Card Model WL-107G and it works perfectly with Ubuntu. NO PROBLEM using the lap on the Web. I would like to add that I am using Ubuntu on an HP that my son used at college and completely failed with Windows. In fact, I could not load Windows back onto it even with a new hard drive installed! Ubuntu loaded like a charm and has given NEW LIFE to this FIVE year old lap orginally designed for Windows…

    6. Posted by WR  on  01/22  at  07:48 AM

  6. I hve been running Ubuntu on a Gateway Tablet, dualboot with WinXP. Everything is great until I download udates to ubuntu. Sometimes the updates to Ubuntu overwrites the MBR and I loose Windows XP on the Boot Up options menu. I have found a fix for this. Let the Tablet boot to Ubuntu then click on Applications/Accessories/Terminal. From there I have to manually instal the WIndows XP boot path into the menu.lst file. After this is done everything works fine. This is the only problem I have found using Ubuntu and Windows XP in a dual boot system on a Tablet PC. So if you plan on running a dual boot, be prepared. By the way I love Ubuntu and would run it exclusively except some websites still require IE for viewing and will not play with Firefox or any other open source Web browser.

    7. Posted by QuakeLover  on  02/13  at  01:26 PM

  7. Great tips, linux is such a great open source project and being a gamer its always nice to incorporate it into my machines.

    8. Posted by CentOS Linux Forums  on  02/17  at  06:05 PM

  8. i use it on mine and it works great

    9. Posted by edge  on  02/18  at  06:30 PM

  9. Many big laptop vendors release Linux Based note book like Asus, Nec and Acer

    10. Posted by Linux Göteborg  on  02/19  at  02:37 AM

  10. Learning Linux isn’t easy, but it’s getting easier all the time, and as more people make the switch to avoid being roped into Windows Vista, it can only get better. Our business switched to Ubuntu Linux on all workstations half a year ago, and we are very happy with it.

    11. Posted by eve isk  on  09/12  at  03:11 AM

  11. What a best way to describe your view. Thanks for sharing with us. Really like your informative article. Hopefully we will get more interesting topic from you in future.

    12. Posted by mini game  on  09/17  at  06:51 PM

  12. A few persons had the remark: the linux is to big! Not really true in my opinion. The linux fits nicely in the side your pc. It’s not heavy and the size is just good.

    13. Posted by geeKpc  on  09/27  at  09:27 PM

  13. Ubuntu is definitely a great OS. I enjoy using it very much. I havent been brave enough to totally wipe away Windows though. I always find myself needing to use it for some purpose or another. I just use a dual-boot system to get around that. But I recommend that anyone should leave Windows on for the moment. After a certain period of constant Linux usage youll have gotten used to it and can wipe Windows off your drive for good..

    14. Page 1 of 1 pages

Name:

Email:

Location:

URL:

Smileys

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

Submit the word you see below:


Next entry: Megapixels: Myth or Reality?

Previous entry: Hot Tech Toys - CES 2008

<< Back to main