Micro ATX and Linux?

Chasuk asks: "I work at a large computer retailer in a college town, and I've finally convinced the powers-that-be to sell PCs with Linux pre-installed. The catch is, it will only be installed on Micro ATX machines, which require half-height everything, and we can't find a source of half-height Linux compatible PCI modems. Even those universal, generic half-height replacement hangers/brackets would be acceptable, but I can't find those, either. Can anyone on Slashdot help? "

Comments

Maybe you should rethink it then.

[FesterDaFelcher]

Why does it have to be installed on Micro ATX? I personally dont see you selling a lot of these, since (even if you dont want to hear this) the average Joe User is not going to be very receptive to a machine with Linux pre-installed. Make a cheap EXPANDABLE machine with Linux pre-installed, and you are going to appeal to a much larger base of users.

Re:External modems, why modems?

[Bastian]

College town, not college campus. Not everyone in a college town is a student, and not all students live on campus.

Re:Good luck finding cheap internal modems

[Mr. Piddle]

You get what you pay for...

Very true. After getting burned a couple of times, especially by that Rockwell nonsense, I have absolutely no qualms about spending $80 on a new modem.

I now have a gorgeous external Hayes modem, and it works everywhere (UNIX, Linux, Windows) and is very nicely programmable with good documentation and has an internal CPU. No winmodem bullshit, all I need is a serial port.

Re:Good luck finding cheap internal modems

[Chasuk]

I'm not lookling for a modem which is "cheap," necessarily. But it does need to be internal, and it needs to work in Linux, and it needs to be low profile.

I can't find a controller based PCI HALF-HEIGHT modem, which is what I was hoping Slashdot would be able to help me find.

A Linmodem would be acceptable, but only if it is also half-height with an inexpensive/free driver.