I got a good deal on a IBM ThinkPad T23 laptop at the MIT Fleamarket/Swapmeet/Hamfest, or so I thought.
My attempt to partiton the harddrive to allow dual-boot failed, so it is Linux only now. I thought a desktop-style distro like Ubuntu would do well on it now, but the "Warty" release that I picked up CDs for at LinuxWorld in Boston/February gave it serious overheating problems. Updating to 2.6.10 kernel / "Hoary Hedgehog" seems to have helped, although I've also put a laptop cooler under it pro-tempore.
Ubuntu is pretty cool aside from heating up the laptop - Default install includes Gaim, Firefox and Evolution (email), all seem quite good. I do now see why some people find paying for Mandrake a convenience, the Debian-style Firefox from Ubuntu comes without Java support.
I can't comment about ubuntu per se but having used both rpm based and deb/apt based distros (Red Hat and Debian) I can't square the idea of rpm being convenient. Even on my Red Hat training course it caused problems, deb/apt is a superior solution, it just works.
I'm told that Mandriva (aka Mandrake) is a good distribution, but then again I'm told that [k]ubuntu is also a good distribution, I've not really used either so I can't really comment. Both ubuntu and Knoppix live disks booted perfectly on my antique Dell Inspiron 3500 notebook.
Apparently HP are now distributing a range of their notebooks with FreeDOS on them: no Windows tax. You can then ask them and they will send you a ubuntu CD-ROM that will work perfectly, and support all the hardware on the machine perfectly. I've not been able to find anything about this on the hp.co.uk web site, and I'm told it's not available in the US, but I don't know where it is available yet.
At the end of the day it's my feeling that the best distro is the one you like the best - what ever that may be. However having used both rpm and deb, I'd have to say that deb is a superior system. I believe that debs can be used on non Debian based distros, and rpm can be used on non rpm distros.
Re:RPM Convenient?
n1vux on 2005-05-22T18:42:26
RPM is more convenient that tar.gz based source distros -- but even Gentoo now has "emerge" for easy-in.Re:RPM Convenient?
ajt on 2005-05-22T21:05:26
I've never used a tar.gz based distro, so I can't comment, but on my official Red Hat training course we hit "RPM Hell" where we couldn't install something because of a failed dependancy, and it was impssible to solve without being told which extra package to install first. That wouldn't happen with a deb/apt system.
I can see that rpm is better than what went before, and the typical monolithic solution on Windows systems.
Re:RPM Convenient?
n1vux on 2005-05-23T03:10:04
How did the RH course recommend solving the RPM Hell problem? Is there a master-list of dependancies?
I gather there's a port of "apt" to manage RPM's and their dependencies, as long as the repository has the dep's, which the major ones do now. Why would anyone not ?-)Re:RPM Convenient?
ajt on 2005-05-23T12:10:03
There is some online tool which they sell, but on the course the instructor knew what rpm to install first, so we did that, then the actual rpm we needed installed okay. Without the instructor telling us which rpm to use, we would have been googling for an answer...
There is an "apt" tool in Fedora Core, but not Red Hat Enterprise - though you could probably install the Fedora one.
it's not RPM v APT -- Re:RPM Convenient?
n1vux on 2005-05-22T18:58:06
Oh, I missed where my point was obscured?
My point wasn't comparing RPM vs apt/synaptic and the archives -- I do prefer apt, even commandline -- it was whether the initial install CD (and supported archives) include the useful but non-free add-ins like Java or not, that folks reasonably expect a broser to just come with, but have license issues. The FireFox Plug-In FAQ and the UbuntuGuide.com "Unofficial Add Ons" CD aren't necessary with a commercial non-free Linux; manual installs of Java RTE are required for free Linux. This *will* make a difference for adoption by "the public".Re:it's not RPM v APT -- Re:RPM Convenient?
ajt on 2005-05-22T21:01:07
I see what you mean. I always disable things like Flash and Java, as they only slow down browsing, and are mostly used by advertisers. I think of them as very low priorities, but I can see how others may not.
Flash Re:it's not RPM v APT -- Re:RPM Convenient?
n1vux on 2005-05-23T03:07:25
Indeed. on IE, I set these to be for trusted sites only. I've run across a few uses of Flash for technical exposition, and the NWS radar loops use Java for looping the frames. I hope Firefox will let me control several degrees of trust, haven't dug that far yet.Almost convenient install of the non-free extras
n1vux on 2005-05-23T21:25:29
The Ubuntu community have found a few ways to make the un-convenient installation of the non-free extras almost convenient, and the Forums have the links to solve other HW problems
- T23 screen resolution and 3d support.
- Ubuntu Backports and Extras repository: Ubuntu doesn't keep taking fixes (except egregious security fixes) after release, so you don't get upgrades to packages. To get the update releases
... e.g., Firefox 1.0.4 that has the security patches, and realplayer, you need to add apt sources for hoary-backports and hoary-extras via Backports.UbuntuForums.ORG and (but download from the mirrors). - Ubuntu Guide has a list of how to do manual installs of all the non-free (not-quite-libre-enough) extras, and a downloadable ISO you can install them from.
-sam
Re:T20 Desktop
n1vux on 2005-05-23T03:44:22
If 2.6.10 and Ubuntu didn't make APCI work decently, I'd certainly be switching back to old APM!
The T23 is fast enough that I probably can survive Gnome. I do wish the screen were larger, but hey.
Cheers,Re:T20 Desktop
samtregar on 2005-05-23T05:59:51
Can you suspend-to-disk with ACPI? I had both working but settled on APM for suspend...-sam
Re:T20 Desktop [Suspend to Disk]
n1vux on 2005-05-23T20:22:29
Latest notes I've seen is that ACPI suspend-to-ram works, but suspend-to-disk is supported only in bleeding edge patches, should be in next kernel.
APM has advantages in stability;-)
