On 8/30/05, <b class="gmail_sendername">Tim Bray</b> <<a href="mailto:tim@kooky.org">tim@kooky.org</a>> wrote:<div><span class="gmail_quote"></span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
MICHAEL WEAVER wrote:<br>> If I choose a make of laptop for running Linux, do I need to check to<br>> see if the distro I choose will run or if a laptop runs Linux, should it<br>> run many distros?<br><br>The main areas where compatibility can be a problem are:
<br><br>1) The kernel - all of the hardware in your laptop must be supported by<br>the kernel<br><br>2) The graphics card of the laptop needs to be supported by XFree86 or<br><a href="http://X.org">X.org</a>. Also, in this instance some cards will only be support in 2D
<br>mode, and some will be supported for OpenGL 3D type graphics.</blockquote><div><br>
I am not sure that I agree that checking the kernel is the most important<br>
thing, and would even assert that it is beyond most people.<br>
<br>
I would suggest that you check these points:<br>
<br>
ACPI/APM<br>
sleep/suspend/hibernate<br>
backlight<br>
CPU scaling<br>
Touchpad<br>
USB<br>
PCMCIA/Bluetooth<br>
Sound<br>
Modem<br>
Ports: Monitor/keyboard/Printer/PDA/S-Video<br>
<br>
Not all may apply to you, and there may be one or two (even more<br>
exotic) others that do.<br>
<br>
See <a href="http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/components.html">http://www.linux-on-laptops.com/components.html</a> <br>
<a href="http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8462">http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8462</a> and perhaps <br>
<a href="http://linuxgazette.net/issue61/ward.html">http://linuxgazette.net/issue61/ward.html</a><br>
<br>
Ben<br>
</div><br></div><br>