[GRLUG] multiple things

[Ron Lauzon]

eah wrote:
> The intent here is to have the GRlug provide GR some Linux-based advice on 
> hardware. To take the lazy route - why not just compile a list of said 
> resources as recommended by our LUG?
>   

That would be nice, but there are some issues with doing that:
1. By the time anyone else looks at the list, most of the hardware won't 
be made anymore.  Try going to linuxprinting.org (which lists how 
compatible printers are with Linux).  For the most part, by the time the 
printer ends up in the "Perfectly" column, it isn't sold anymore.
2. I recently purchased a Lenovo 3000 N100.  I loaded Mandriva 2007 on 
it.  It ran almost perfectly (I had to patch a video BIOS bug).  Now, if 
you purchased the same laptop tomorrow, my experience with Mandriva 
won't help you get Ubuntu, for example, running on it.
3. Just because firmware rev 3 works with Linux doesn't mean firmware 
rev 4 will work.  This is a problem I had with wireless cards a while 
ago.  I'd see from a Linux site that Card XXX rev. A worked fine with 
Linux.  So I'd go to the store and buy one.  Note that they don't put 
the "rev. A" on the box, so there's no way to know what rev it is until 
you get it home - and it's almost never "rev. A" (most likely "rev. D" - 
which is not compatible).

So we can make a list.  We can keep it up to date.

What we can't do is make it any more useful than going to Google and 
doing a search for "Hardware +Linux".

-- 
Ron Lauzon - rlauzon at acm dot org
   Homepage: http://7lauzon.home.comcast.net/
   Weblog: http://ronsapartment.blogspot.com/

   DNRC: Lord of All Things That Are Fattening

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Microsoft Free since July 06, 2001
Running Mandriva Linux 2007