What Linux distro on laptop?

[khold]

Hello,

I am a Slackware Linux user and I don't have any experience installing Linux on a laptop at all so I would like to know what would be the best distro to install onto an IBM Thinkpad? I would guess Red Hat but I really don't know what happens when you try to install Linux on a laptop and have driver problems. Does Red Hat have drivers for most Laptops, or how would I go about trying to get everything set up?

Thanks

 

[topaz22]

Whats wrong with slackware on the laptop ?

I know that redhat and mandrake work on thinkpads that i've seen.

 

[khold]

I don't have the laptop yet so I can't test stuff out and I want to get it right the first time. I suppose nothing is wrong with Slackware, its just that Slack doesn't have built in drivers for anything (except the kernel of course), and I want minimum headaches getting Linux to work on the laptop.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: khold
its just that Slack doesn't have built in drivers for anything (except the kernel of course)

Um... same with RedHat. Drivers are just kernel modules, so any distro with that kernel version is equivalent in that respect. Now, Slackware isn't as glitzy and auto-configuring as RH if that's what you mean. But, given that laptops often have some issues to work around, I'd much rather do that on Slackware, which doesn't get in your way, than on RedHat which does things it's way and freaks out if you don't agree.

 

[Nothinman]

Um... same with RedHat. Drivers are just kernel modules, so any distro with that kernel version is equivalent in that respect.

Not really, RH has a lot of unnofficial patches they include in their kernels. They've been shipping the O(1) scheduler for a while, they had patches to use the original VM with fixes after the AA VM was put in 2.4, they shipped with large file support before it was official, etc.

I would personally use Debian as long as the laptop has all easily supported hardware. The idea of running a distro like Slackware or Gentoo that has virtually no package management seems like a huge waste of time when ones like Debian (and even RedHat, apt4rpm and up2date aren't _that_ bad) exist. I have better things to do that compile software for 15hrs on the first install then later wonder what I broke when I unemerge something.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Not really, RH has a lot of unnofficial patches they include in their kernels. They've been shipping the O(1) scheduler for a while, they had patches to use the original VM with fixes after the AA VM was put in 2.4, they shipped with large file support before it was official, etc.

OK, perhaps I should have specified "device drivers". Yes, Slackware is the only distro left to ship a vanilla kernel, but in the context of getting a laptop to work, the kernel is not going to be the issue.

 

[Nothinman]

OK, perhaps I should have specified "device drivers". Yes, Slackware is the only distro left to ship a vanilla kernel, but in the context of getting a laptop to work, the kernel is not going to be the issue.

I'm sure they have driver patches too, I just don't know any off hand. I also doubt it'll be an issue here, but it's definately something to consider.

 

[oniq]

Personally I use Gentoo with my laptop, the learning curve may be a little higher than most distros, but emerging programs is soo easy and soo worth the effort of setting it up.

 

[Buddha Bart]

This will probably be of more help to you than any of us:
http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/ibm.html

I recently installed on my T23. I read up on what "issues" redhat 7.2 and 7.3 people ran into and was all ready for them. I installed 8 and ran into nothing. It was wonderful. So as I always like to say in these threads:
If your time has no value, and you enjoy reinventing the wheel, feel free to be "hardcore" and use a distro like slackware. Otherwise, Redhat Debian Suse.

bart

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Buddha Bart
This will probably be of more help to you than any of us:
http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/ibm.html

I recently installed on my T23. I read up on what "issues" redhat 7.2 and 7.3 people ran into and was all ready for them. I installed 8 and ran into nothing. It was wonderful. So as I always like to say in these threads:
If your time has no value, and you enjoy reinventing the wheel, feel free to be "hardcore" and use a distro like slackware. Otherwise, Redhat Debian Suse.

bart

Yes, Slackware has no redeeming qualities other than the fact it makes you think you are 31337

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Yes, Slackware has no redeeming qualities other than the fact it makes you think you are 31337

Whatever, dude. There are more 1337 choices out there than Slackware if that's what you care about. I just honestly find it easier to do things in Slackware than in RedHat, in the context of getting one machine to work. Managing 100 machines, or even 10 machines, would be a different story - RedHat and friends would be a better choice then.

If "reinventing the wheel" consists of having to use "adduser" instead of a GUI tool, or writing a 3 line shell script to bring up/down a network interface, then I guess I'm a caveman.

Ooga, ooga...

 

[ultimatebob]

Yeah, Red Hat would probably be the best bet. Besides, if you do run into any driver problems, you should be able to download the drivers for your Thinkpad. IBM released drivers for all of the oddball components in their laptops (like the mwave sound card line, or their Winmodems), so you should be OK.

 

[Bremen]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Yes, Slackware has no redeeming qualities other than the fact it makes you think you are 31337

But n0c, you are 133t ;0)

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: cleverhandle

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Yes, Slackware has no redeeming qualities other than the fact it makes you think you are 31337

Whatever, dude. There are more 1337 choices out there than Slackware if that's what you care about. I just honestly find it easier to do things in Slackware than in RedHat, in the context of getting one machine to work. Managing 100 machines, or even 10 machines, would be a different story - RedHat and friends would be a better choice then.

If "reinventing the wheel" consists of having to use "adduser" instead of a GUI tool, or writing a 3 line shell script to bring up/down a network interface, then I guess I'm a caveman.

Ooga, ooga...

You did not pay enough attention to the

at the end of my post.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: Bremen

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Yes, Slackware has no redeeming qualities other than the fact it makes you think you are 31337

But n0c, you are 133t ;0)

I know.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
You did not pay enough attention to the

at the end of my post.

Saw the

, but misinterpreted. Apologies...

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: cleverhandle

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
You did not pay enough attention to the

at the end of my post.

Saw the

, but misinterpreted. Apologies...

No problem

 

[N11]

The rule I use when determining which OS to put on which piece of equipment is that it must be usable in the long run and not be more trouble than it is worth.

Someone mentioned reinventing the wheel with a certain distro -- most people do not have the time or desire for this. The reality of the situation is two fold -- if you are installing linux on your laptop just to tool around and learn a few things then pick something that isn't going to hold your hand the entire way and not show you what is going on. If you are installing linux to actually use it on a daily basis, where stability and productivity are important (and troubleshooting and fixing things in sequential order is not something you have time for) go with what is proven and reliable right now, go with red hat.

Debian might also be a good choice many people here could argue, however, with it also comes a learning curve. The arguments I've heard about red hat being too easy of a distribution to learn and grow from are in my view unfounded -- Red Hat has developed tools and methods to complete tasks to simplify processes that as far as I'm concerned deserve to be simplified.

I look at redhat these days as the distro for the experienced developer or admin who doesn't have time to be fixing and unwinding things that shouldn't have been broken to begin with, that wants it good to go right out of the box.

 

[drag]

I struggle with my pos laptop from time to time.....
For shiz and giggles I even installed gentoo on it.... but of course with only a 200MMX it wasn't a fun thing it took 2 3 days from only the stage 1 package (next time i will use all of em up the stage 3 to save time)..... +plus i have no cdrom for it so it was a nice challenge. It worked up to the point were I tried to install X on it and I ran out of harddrive space... All those X patches just took up to much space to download and compile and install simitaniously.

But I liked gentoo so much i decided to install it on my desktop in place of my slackware. IMO most distros just pile on to much crap. If I am going to spend my limited funds on a computer's parts I don't wnat to have to buy a extra 256 megs of ram just to run my OS at a reasonable speed.... (thats what I hate most about using XP)

I would go with the slackware install on the laptop. The only thing you have to worry about is the pcmcia package. I would compile a new kernel making sure to disable any pcmcia support into it and then just install the latest pcmcia package. I have found that i had to use" ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.15 up" and "route add default gw 192.168.1.254" commands to get it up and running a couple times before I get everything straightened out. I have found the cardmgr stuff is very good at detecting the correct card... hehe of course there are easier ways.. That is probably the most generic way to do it and it will work with any distro.... I am sure redhat or mandrake or whatever have a better/easier way to do it, but thats only if you got 2-3 gigs of diskspace to burn


What I am realy curious about is Freebsd or Netbsd laptop capabilities....

 

[civad]

Both RH and Mandrake have "Hardware Compatinility Databases". (So do many other distros...)
I would go and see if the hardware on the Thinkpad is supported or not. Also, look into the How-To's
Else use Google (of course!) to see is someone else did that or not.

//point of deviation
I had a Sony Vaio (PCG F630?? -->forgot the model) that gave me a hard time. No sound with RH/ no ethernet card detected @ Mandrake. So I finally decided to write a How-To but somebody else wrote it before me, and mind you ,i t was much better than what I had in mind...

//end point of deviation

That reminds me....I once saw "Linux-ready laptops" for sale on ebay...