Recently, my employer bought me a Lenovo T43 thinkpad. As soon as the product recovery CDS were burned I started putting fedora on it.
Later I had some problems on the windows install (I left it on as a dual boot machine) So I ended up calling tech support about it. (IBM's thinkvantage software installer updater was trippin and I didn't know why)
Once they had me straitened out on the windows side I mentioned that 95% of the time I just used Linux on their thinkpad `cause I have little use for Windows. (My job is in Linux support) The phone support person from Lenovo said they heard that a lot of their customers use Linux on their products and that I wasn't alone in that respect.
I never got much in the way of support on the phone for Linux. (Not that I tried) But I did find a lot of helpful information on various web pages people have set up. I think I've got everything working now. (Though its prolly illigal for us to watch our DVD's in totem on these things, eh?)
I think they make you burn the CDs because they get so out of date quickly. For example we recently bought several DELL Precision 380 workstations. Full support for these machines didn't come out for RHEL3 until update 5. So if you tried to install this machine with a RHEL WS3 update 4 CD it wouldn't work.
I'm finding no problems with my wireless macintosh G3 ibook running fedora core 4. (ppc version) But I understand it does suck when you have a piece of hardware that the installer and kudzu can't handle. Had that happen other times with certian desktop systems I've tried to put Red Hat on. And fedora didn't find the ibook's modem. But since I don't use the modem it wasn't a show stopper for me. Maybe by fedora 5 or 6 I'll be able to use the mac modem if I care to.
They already do that. Nobody here seems to understand they do do that kind of thing for systems preloaded with RHEL if you buy it that way.
Also, they even have a mailing list for the Precision line where you can get Red Hat Linux support. John Hull (A DELL employee) actually answers a lot of admin's questions when they run into problems. They have a whole staff that works on LInux issues and write whitepapers and stuff. Its a big company you know. #1 PC maker and all that in the world...
My guess is that that they don't support Linux on the Dimensions and consumer models you see in the paper ads and the TV commercials is becuse they figure ther's not much interest. I also know that many Distro's work fine with DELL Dimensions. You just might have to get an audio card... (`Till the onboad gets supported at some point. Might want to get a NVidia graphics card, etc...)
They even work to get their newest stuff into the kernel at kernel.org. And usually when a new DELL Precision model comes out they have this funky "DKMS" thingy (RPM) to keep your modules patched and compiled until the stuff makes into the "offical" kernel. I'd say they support Linux on systems where their customers are willing to pay a premium for it.
Oddly enough they also will put freeDOS on the systems. Go figure.
We have to use Oracle Calendar where I work. There is a Linux, Solaris, Mac and Windows version. I think there is a web app version they make availible to us although I never use it. I also think there is a palmOS sync and PocketPC Sync software availible.
It seems like a decent calender application. I almost always use the Linux version `cause thats the OS I mostly work with every day... (I think it uses Motif on Solaris / Linux)
Oracle was a little slow, I have to admit, to come up with a version that ran on 2.4 Red Hat kernels when Red Hat first made the switch but their Linux support seems better nowadays...
The author seemed to have troble finding pre loaded systems from DELL with Linux.
I just recently had to set up a huge new Linux lab at NCSU in North Carolina. (200+ computers) Dell offers Linux on their desktop systems. Just not on the Optiplex or the Dimension lines. You have to buy their Precision workstations. (RHEL also Works on the optiplex GX270 fine even though its "not supported";)
I think this makes sense since the Precision models are the only ones you can get Nvida graphics cards with right now. Dell has Linux support for Red Hat. I guess they need to do a better job on letting people know that on their web site though...
Since many here have mentioned that their school isn't going to do Linux, I thought I'd offer a bit of good news. I work at North Carolina State University in one of the largest computer labs on campus. (100 Leazar Hall) Our setup is based on Athena at MIT. (Kerberos, AFS, zephyrs) This lab is currently using SPARCstations running Solaris that are begining to show their age. Well, anyways...
We are replacing most of the 200 or so machines in this lab with Dell PCs beginning Monday and ending in August. And they will be running EOS Linux. First new realm client being added to the system in a long time. I think its great and long overdue.
So some schools do have a clue... Yeah, we have smaller labs running NT4 for some of the apps. But NT on our system is a support nightmare. (NT needs to be really screwed with on this Athena setup) So I'm happy the main Computer Science teaching lab isn't going to mess with Windows NT4. =)
I actually still use my Amiga quite a bit. But I prefer the shell. =) Still, its cool that they GPLed the code. Something like DOpus could make X far more useable for the would be linux crowd who want to try it out, but cant figure out stuff like ls, cd, rm, cp, more...;)
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Recently, my employer bought me a Lenovo T43 thinkpad. As soon as the
product recovery CDS were burned I started putting fedora on it.
Later I had some problems on the windows install (I left it on as a dual boot machine)
So I ended up calling tech support about it. (IBM's thinkvantage software installer
updater was trippin and I didn't know why)
Once they had me straitened out on the windows side I mentioned that 95% of the time I
just used Linux on their thinkpad `cause I have little use for Windows. (My job is in
Linux support) The phone support person from Lenovo said they heard that a lot of
their customers use Linux on their products and that I wasn't alone in that respect.
I never got much in the way of support on the phone for Linux. (Not that I tried) But I
did find a lot of helpful information on various web pages people have set up. I think
I've got everything working now. (Though its prolly illigal for us to watch our DVD's in
totem on these things, eh?)
I think they make you burn the CDs because they get so out of date quickly. For example we recently bought several DELL Precision 380 workstations. Full support for these machines didn't come out for RHEL3 until update 5. So if you tried to install this machine with a RHEL WS3 update 4 CD it wouldn't work.
I'm finding no problems with my wireless macintosh G3 ibook running fedora core 4. (ppc version) But I understand it does suck when you have a piece of hardware that the installer and kudzu can't handle. Had that happen other times with certian desktop systems I've tried to put Red Hat on. And fedora didn't find the ibook's modem. But since I don't use the modem it wasn't a show stopper for me. Maybe by fedora 5 or 6 I'll be able to use the mac modem if I care to.
They already do that. Nobody here seems to understand they do do that kind of thing for
systems preloaded with RHEL if you buy it that way.
Also, they even have a mailing list for the Precision line where you can get Red Hat Linux support. John Hull (A DELL employee) actually answers a lot of admin's questions when they run into problems. They have a whole staff that works on LInux issues and write whitepapers and stuff. Its a big company you know. #1 PC maker and all that in the world...
My guess is that that they don't support Linux on the Dimensions and consumer models you see in the paper ads and the TV commercials is becuse they figure ther's not much interest. I also know that many Distro's work fine with DELL Dimensions. You just might have to get an audio card...
(`Till the onboad gets supported at some point. Might want to get a NVidia graphics card, etc...)
They even work to get their newest stuff into the kernel at kernel.org. And usually when a new
DELL Precision model comes out they have this funky "DKMS" thingy (RPM) to keep your modules patched and compiled until the stuff makes into the "offical" kernel. I'd say they support Linux on systems where their customers are willing to pay a premium for it.
Oddly enough they also will put freeDOS on the systems. Go figure.
We have to use Oracle Calendar where I work. There is a Linux, Solaris, Mac and Windows version. I think there is a web app version they make availible to us although I never use it. I also think there is a palmOS sync and PocketPC Sync software availible.
It seems like a decent calender application. I almost always use the Linux version `cause thats the OS I mostly work with every day... (I think it uses Motif on Solaris / Linux)
Oracle was a little slow, I have to admit, to come up with a version that ran on 2.4 Red Hat kernels when Red Hat first made the switch but their Linux support seems better nowadays...
The author seemed to have troble finding pre loaded systems from DELL with Linux.
;)
I just recently had to set up a huge new Linux lab at NCSU in North Carolina. (200+ computers) Dell offers Linux on their desktop systems. Just not on the Optiplex or the Dimension lines. You have to buy their Precision workstations. (RHEL also Works on the optiplex GX270 fine even though its "not supported"
I think this makes sense since the Precision models are the only ones you can get Nvida graphics cards with right now. Dell has Linux support for Red Hat. I guess they need to do a better job on letting people know that on their web site though...
You're not bitter, are you Lou?
Then again I have no sense of smell...
I'm glad we're running Linux. NT is a support nightmare in our environment. Linux reinstalls are easy with kickstart. No nasty CD's to cart around.
P.S. For an undergrad that was a nice office for me to use for a year and a half. Huge compared to most. =)
Gary Gatling
Since many here have mentioned that their school isn't going to do Linux, I thought I'd offer a bit of good news. I work at North Carolina State University in one of the largest computer labs on campus. (100 Leazar Hall) Our setup is based on Athena at MIT. (Kerberos, AFS, zephyrs) This lab is currently using SPARCstations running Solaris that are begining to show their age. Well, anyways...
We are replacing most of the 200 or so machines in this lab with Dell PCs beginning Monday and ending in August. And they will be running EOS Linux. First new realm client being added to the system in a long time. I think its great and long overdue.
So some schools do have a clue... Yeah, we have smaller labs running NT4 for some of the apps. But NT on our system is a support nightmare. (NT needs to be really screwed with on this Athena setup) So I'm happy the main Computer Science teaching lab isn't going to mess with Windows NT4. =)
http://www.eos.ncsu.edu/labs/map/rooms/Proposed_l
I actually still use my Amiga quite a bit. ;)
But I prefer the shell. =)
Still, its cool that they GPLed the code.
Something like DOpus could make X far
more useable for the would be linux crowd who
want to try it out, but cant figure out stuff
like ls, cd, rm, cp, more...
Cheers