IBM Dropping Laptop Linux Support

Bjarne Bula writes "In a message to the linux-thinkpad mailing list, Keith Frechette, former (as of Monday, June 24th) lead developer of Linux support on ThinkPads, reported that IBM has decided to no longer fund that project." I've been using Linux on a ThinkPad for some time now. If it stops being compatible, my next laptop won't be a ThinkPad. Too bad, because the machines are solid. Update: In an interesting counter-point, Information Week tells us that IBM will be opening a manhattan based "Linux Center of Competence" to show off Linux. Go figure.

Comments

Interesting

[sheepab]

An older article here has the developers of their open source devision saying...

IBM Kernel Hackers:
All of the people in our group and most in the LTC have Thinkpads for their daily development and run Linux on them (I'm writing this on one as I sit in my apartment). There may not be as much corporate support there as you want, but there is plenty of grass-roots support. We had to learn all the quirks to get Linux installed and get all of the little things working (just like you). I've always wished that we shared more of this information, but there are usually people who are farther ahead than we are. I've uploaded the meager information that we put together during a meeting once. If you're curious, take a look: http://www.sr71.net/slashdot/thinkpad/linux-deskto p People don't buy many small computers just because they will run Linux (the geek population just isn't that large). People do, however, blow large chunks of cash on big machines just to run Linux. Mom-and-Pop can almost always undercut IBM on prices for small machines, and geeks are thrifty. You don't have to sell many million dollar machines to justify being involved in Linux development.

Why dont they just start working on Linux for Laptops?

Good Thing (tm)

[Anonymous Coward]

IBM also said it was going to include Generic Unix support rather than Linux only (scroll down). This means, they are embracing the entire spectrum of free Unix OS's instead of just Linux (Which IS A BONUS). They would be supporting OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Darwin, OpenCLT, WindRiver RT, OpenDOS, Linux (no distro specific). Frankly, it was weird seeing IBM saying they only support RedHat Linux (Linux is Linux whatever distro runs it, and at hardware level this shouldn't have mattered, AFAIK most IBM use was at hardware level). This IS A GOOD THING.

Re:Very stupid thinking...

[Olinator]

Blockpoth the quoster:

[...]he made the point that IBM sells a very small number of laptops with linux. I believe his statement was "the smaller companies can undercut on price and geeks are thrifty."

They sold one lousy thinkpad with linux, and you really had to be determined to find and order it through their webpages. Great selection. (Huge sample size, too: how many of that model sold with windows compared with their other 'dozepads? Funny, they don't say.)

I wonder how many other people (besides me) said "Gee, I really like this much lighter Txx model, and I can probably get it to work with linux... and since the damn linux preload is more expensive anyway, I might as well!"

Ole