Hardware Question 3-Parter

[red-e-made]

Hey all. I'm about to buy a new laptop and have been very impressed with what I've read about LinuxMint 3.0. What I want to know is: does the laptop I plan on purchasing meet the system requirements for LinuxMint 3.0?

Here are the stats:

ACER TM2483 WXMi
Processor: Celeron M430 1.73GHz
RAM: DDR 2 512 MB
80GB HDD
Intel 940GML video card

It uses Wireless LAN and has a DVD Super Multi. Will this machine meet the system requirements for LinuxMint 3.0?

If not, what are the basic system requirements I need to look for in a laptop in order to use LinuxMint 3.0?

Lastly, being a first-time Linux user, would I be completely baffled by XFCE Community Edition BETA 003, or should I just stick with 3.0?

Thanks very much in advance.

[poision]

Hi the specs which you ve given is entrylevel laptop.Its ll run linuxmint but i m not sure for your video card for beryl.Just refer some threads related to beryl you ll get answer for beryl support for your card.Other main prob in linux is wireless network adapter specially bcm43xx which need some tweaking but it ll work.your laptop ll have intel wireless so its not a big prob.I ve compaq v3000z amd turion x2 laptop running good after lit tweaking of wifi card.Other is linux mint xfce edition is community edition which is replacing gnome with xfce.It require less hardware compare to gnome edition also known as lightweight edition.

[scorp123]

It uses Wireless LAN

Some WLAN chips can create a lot of trouble, e.g. because the manufacturer doesn't want to release the hardware specs so that the kernel people (Linus Torvalds & his buddies of kernel hackers) could write proper drivers for those devices. I have read postings from other people that suggest that Acer TravelMate laptops use an unsupported (in Linux) WLAN chipset. It may depend on the model. I suggest you really really find out what WLAN chipset is in that laptop or you may get stuck with non-working WLAN.

Also: Sound is an issue on some laptops. If the sound chip is too new (no support yet in Linux) or if the specs are (still) unknown it could happen that sound doesn't properly work. I had that problem with my HP Pavilion dv2108EA laptop (solved now as newer Linux distros fully support the sound chip in that laptop).

It's hard to give any recommendations. From experience I know that the business models of most HP Laptops will work tip top with Linux (HP NC* and NX* series); most HP home models probably too (e.g. Pavilion dv2000, dv4000, dv6000 and dv9000 series).

Your best bet would be to make sure you have "Linux-friendly" hardware in your laptop as far as this is possible:

Laptop: Don't go for the brand-newest model; chances are it has hardware that isn't fully supported yet (your mileage may vary). Some brands are better in this regard than others.

Graphics: Go for Intel or NVidia, avoid ATI! (ATI's support for Linux sucks!)

WLAN: Go for Intel (e.g. Intel 3945abg) or Atheros (not too new though), avoid Broadcom BCM42xx chipsets (they can be made to work but it's a rather frustrating chore).

Ethernet: Some "Gigabit Ethernet" brands can make trouble; but usually standard Ethernet should work without bigger troubles.

DVD-Writers: LightScribe doesn't work as of now as it is a closed-source technology. Don't waste your money on "LightScribe" drives as you most likely won't be able to use that technology with Linux. Other than that DVD- and CD-writing should work as expected.

Also check this page: http://www.linux-laptop.net/

It has a nice database of laptops brands & models that are known to work with Linux.

[scorp123]

i m not sure for your video card for beryl..

Should work perfectly. I have a very similar card in my dv2108.

[poision]

Hi scorp thanks for info.I ve compaq v3000z with same line of dv2000z in hp home series.Well scorp you have same laptop are you able to use headphone jack.Its not working for me in mint.Any suggestion for that.Thanks in advance

[red-e-made]

Also check this page: http://www.linux-laptop.net/

It has a nice database of laptops brands & models that are known to work with Linux.

Excellent advice all around, thanks. I'll be sure to carefully shop and scope before buying anything.

My only other question was, as a brand-new Linux user, will I be lost using Cassandra XFCE Community Edition BETA 003, or should I just stick to 3.0?

[scorp123]

are you able to use headphone jack.

Yes, it apparently uses its own soundcard or something like that. Pretty weird. It did not work under OpenSUSE 10.2 but it works on newer Debian-based distros.

[red-e-made]

Also, please pardon my ignorance here, but on visiting this Linux on Laptops page (very comprehensive, btw), am I to assume that a model of laptop that has worked with one distro (e.g., Ubuntu 5.04 on an Acer Aspire 1524WLMi), should work with any other Linux distro?

Sorry if that seems like an obvious question. Still learning here.

[poision]

Hi if you are talking about ubuntu or mint.Then newer versions will work definately but not sure about other disto.Cos mint and ubuntu are debian based distro n other like fedora open suse mandriva are rpm based distro.

[scorp123]

am I to assume that a model of laptop that has worked with one distro (e.g., Ubuntu 5.04 on an Acer Aspire 1524WLMi), should work with any other Linux distro?

Usually yes. Especially if it is a newer version of the same distro or "related" one. So if e.g. one laptop works with Ubuntu 5.04 than it should also work with later versions 6.06, 6.10 and 7.04; it should therefore also work with e.g. Linux Mint 3.0 (which is based on Ubuntu 7.04) and Debian 4.0 (on which Ubuntu is based).

There are some very rare occasions where this isn't true, but that usually has to be some really exotic piece of hardware (like my Sony VAIO C1vfk sub-notebook which is a real b***ch when it comes to Linux ...)

Unless you have one of those exotic laptops (e.g. like mine with its non-standard resolution of 1024 x 480 and other proprietary extras) your assumption should be right.

[scorp123]

other like fedora open suse mandriva are rpm based distro.

The package format has nothing to do with this ... It's rather a question of which kernel version is shipped with the distro, which kind of WLAN driver, which version of it, which type of sound driver, how the kernel is configured per default, and and and.

The package format is the smallest of all problems.

BTW; please try and use some correct spelling and grammar. Your messages are really hard to read.

[poision]

Hi scorp i just tried with ipod earphones its working but main speakers not disconnecting when i plugged in earphones.Means i m getting sound from main laptop speakers as well as from earplug.Thats strange.One more thing i installed bcm43xx with ndswrapper but in command prompt still it gives me message bcm43xx not found.So can you tell me how to check weather wifi card is properly installed or not?

[red-e-made]

Usually yes. Especially if it is a newer version of the same distro or "related" one. So if e.g. one laptop works with Ubuntu 5.04 than it should also work with later versions 6.06, 6.10 and 7.04; it should therefore also work with e.g. Linux Mint 3.0 (which is based on Ubuntu 7.04) and Debian 4.0 (on which Ubuntu is based).

I figured as much. But you can never be too careful, so I had to ask.

There are some very rare occasions where this isn't true, but that usually has to be some really exotic piece of hardware (like my Sony VAIO C1vfk sub-notebook which is a real b***ch when it comes to Linux ...)

Unless you have one of those exotic laptops (e.g. like mine with its non-standard resolution of 1024 x 480 and other proprietary extras) your assumption should be right.

Strangely, I've been using a Clevo since 2003 and just discovered that Linux runs swimmingly on it! Too bad the Clevo I bought was already on its last legs at the time, and has already more or less died.

Again, thanks very much. I have this thread bookmarked.

[poision]

Hi scorp i ll improve my writing skills.Please do not mind.

[scorp123]

but main speakers not disconnecting when i plugged in earphones.Means i m getting sound from main laptop speakers as well as from earplug.

Exactly. Pretty weird.

It's as if they are on two separate sound chips.

i installed bcm43xx with ndswrapper

Sorry, I have no experience with that.