Re: [Hampshire] Linux laptop

[Ben Parsonage via Hampshire]

It will probably work fine but given the limited information it is very 
difficult to say. 

It will probably have Intel graphics (a good thing for battery life), and makes 
the graphics more likely to just work, but don't let this put you off nvidia 
and and GPUs with a bit of effort they can be really good. If your not gaming 
Intel is better. 

WiFi and Bluetooth are a common problem, although 802.11a/b/g/n all tend work 
now. AC can be hit and miss and I have had problem with BT on Linux (especially 
on combined cards). 

Keyboard hotkeys and trackpad often need a bit of setup. They tend to just work 
but maybe not as you expect. 

UEFI can cause issues but secure boot is easily switched off. 

I imagine that you won't have any issues but there is always a risk. If you 
want a better guarantee of Linux compatibility then you could go for a Linux 
vendor. 

Dell Linux support
http://m.dell.com/mt/www.dell.com/uk/p/inspiron-15-3552-laptop-ubuntu/pd?oc=cn55231_id=inspiron-15-3552-laptop-ubuntu

Entroware
https://www.entroware.com/store/laptops/triton

System 76 may be worth a look but they tend to be expensive. 

You may pay a premium for Linux laptops but this is what is meant by voting 
with your wallet. 

On 2 May 2017 12:33:14 BST, Peter Alefounder via Hampshire 
 wrote:
>If I were to get one of these:
>
>https://www.tesco.com/direct/acer-156-es15-intel-celeron-4gb-ram-1tb-hdd-dvdrw-red-laptop/392-0906.prd?skuId=392-0906=sku_cmp=ppc*PX+-+DNF+Electrical*PX+-+Shopping+GSC+-+Argos+-+Technology+-+Electricals*PRODUCT+GROUP392-0906*=COLH6NjdlNMCFdUV0wodWCkLEA=aw.ds
>
>would any problems be expected with installing Linux on it? I
>sent an enquiry to Acer, but have no reply.
>
>Acer produce various laptop computers with Linux installed, but
>they are only available in India as far as I can tell.
>
>Peter Alefounder.
>
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>Please post to: Hampshire@mailman.lug.org.uk
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Re: [Hampshire] Linux laptop

[Thomas Kluyver via Hampshire]

On Tue, May 2, 2017, at 12:33 PM, Peter Alefounder via Hampshire wrote:
> If I were to get one of these:
> 
> https://www.tesco.com/direct/acer-156-es15-intel-celeron-4gb-ram-1tb-hdd-dvdrw-red-laptop/392-0906.prd?skuId=392-0906=sku_cmp=ppc*PX+-+DNF+Electrical*PX+-+Shopping+GSC+-+Argos+-+Technology+-+Electricals*PRODUCT+GROUP392-0906*=COLH6NjdlNMCFdUV0wodWCkLEA=aw.ds
> 
> would any problems be expected with installing Linux on it?

There isn't much detail there on what parts it uses, but the most likely
problems in my experience are:

1. Graphics cards: If you're not interested in gaming, stick to Intel
integrated graphics. Nvidia and AMD cards are more powerful, but the
proprietary drivers introduce extra complications, and the open source
ones may not be as robustly tested. Intel graphics play nicely with
Linux.
2. Wifi - I'm less sure what to look for, but I think Intel chipsets are
a good bet again. Again, the vast majority of chips will work, but some
of them are more hassle than others.

Any new laptop probably has UEFI secure boot - mainstream distros like
Ubuntu/Fedora should be OK with that, but if you want something more
niche, you may need to turn it off in the BIOS.

A search with the model number turned up one issue reported with the
touchpad:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1593943

And a few threads about issues with the E15, but hopefully that's not
the same as ES15.

> I sent an enquiry to Acer, but have no reply.

I wouldn't expect them to offer any useful info. Consumer support will
usually just tell you that Linux is not supported, and possibly warn you
about voiding the warranty.

Thomas

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[Hampshire] Linux laptop

[Peter Alefounder via Hampshire]

If I were to get one of these:

https://www.tesco.com/direct/acer-156-es15-intel-celeron-4gb-ram-1tb-hdd-dvdrw-red-laptop/392-0906.prd?skuId=392-0906=sku_cmp=ppc*PX+-+DNF+Electrical*PX+-+Shopping+GSC+-+Argos+-+Technology+-+Electricals*PRODUCT+GROUP392-0906*=COLH6NjdlNMCFdUV0wodWCkLEA=aw.ds

would any problems be expected with installing Linux on it? I
sent an enquiry to Acer, but have no reply.

Acer produce various laptop computers with Linux installed, but
they are only available in India as far as I can tell.

Peter Alefounder.

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