Re: Debian GNU/Linux Supported Laptops?
On Tue, 28 Dec 1999, koyote wrote:
>> I am a reseller of COMPAQ, HP, IBM and Toshiba laptops, and would like to
>> know if their current products are compatible with Debian GNU/Linux ?
>>
>> I have not found any reference to this on their respective homepages, and
>> this question is important to potentially 450 units that 1 of my customers
>> would like to purchase.
My Thinkpad 600E works really well with Debian. Let me know if there's
anything in particular that causes you problems and I'll tell you how to
solve it.
I haven't got IRDA or USB working fully because of a lack of other hardware
to talk to. The kernel says it's working...
> IBM Thinkpads, from the ancient 486 to present, run Debian GNU/Linux quite
>qell with one exception in two parts:
>
> the mwavesoundcard/modem device doesn't work in linux. First part- the
>soundcard, can be worked-around by loading some files in a dos boot up and the
>using loadlin to boot linux.
> The SEcodn part is AFAIK, still unsolved, though there is still hope
>that IBM will come out and give us the info to build drivers for both devices.
Modern Thinkpads use a Crystal Semi sound chipset which uses the cs4232
driver or the SB driver. The only problem is that the cs4232 driver needs to
be reloaded on every resume, and the SB driver doesn't work with recording.
As for the modem. The WinModem in the 600 series takes 2 IRQs. The PC
architecture doesn't allow enough IRQs to get all the hardware to work at
once.
--
The ultimate result is that some innovations that would truly benefit
consumers never occur for the sole reason that they do not coincide with
Microsoft's self-interest.
-- Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, U.S. District Judge
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