[Ham-Linux] Dell Linux Laptop & Servers

Thu Apr 20 12:14:46 EDT 2006

Leo,

I have used RH/Fedora linux on several Dell laptops (C-800, D-600, 
Inspiron) with mixed results. The older Inspiron I gave up on after 
days of kernel builds, patches, hacks, etc.

The C-800 accepted RH9 with a simple video hack (I think I had to 
tell X to use the display as super-VGA) and I used an external 
cisco wireless card with no issues. These are commonly available 
(accessories, too) on e-Bay for great prices.

A couple of years ago I got one of the newer D-600 models with the 
built-in Broadcom wireless card. I installed the Fedora core and it 
puked on the wireless card. I ended up having to install ndis to 
emulate windows, to use a windows XP wireless driver. Every time I 
did a yum update where there was a kernel change, I had to go back 
and reinstall the ndis shim. What a pain.

I finally installed Win XP and VMware to run linux with no problems 
(yet)! The next rebuild cycle, I will place FC-5 on the box and use 
the cisco wireless card. Then use Windows XP under linux-VMware.

A good way to buy Dell laptops WITHOUT an OS is to go to the 
www.dellauctions.com site and bid on their refurbished units. I 
have picked up a couple of GS-260's and laptops for my kids and 
they come without an OS or any software. Plus they are well priced.

All the servers I use for security services here at UofK come from 
Dell without operating systems and we promptly install the latest 
Fedora package.

73 bill n4alg

At 11:57 PM 4/19/2006, you wrote:
> > On Tue, 2006-04-18 at 21:12 -0700, Leo B. Whiteway wrote:
> > > This message has had no response and I wonder if we will have 
> to look
> > > for a different supplier.
> > > Posting this to these groups may not be polite but I am 
> getting angry
> > > with the lack of response from Dell.
>
>It's not only Dell - email response from major retailers just plain
>sucks.
>
>
> > > I want to buy notebook/laptop computer/s and I want to know 
> if you will
> > > sell any without any operating system as we do not allow any 
> computers
> > > in our place of business with any Microsoft software installed.
>
>Dell will actually put linux on some of their servers, but I don't
>believe it's offered to the public - only their corporate customers.
>The website should tell you.
>
>Your best bet for any answer at all would be to call them.  While I
>can't state you'll get anybody with a clue, it's probably better than
>you will get via email.
>
>Not that I don't sympathize, but will your business be negatively
>impacted by a laptop with Windows sitting in the building?
>
>
>
>I am a corporate Dell customer.  When they got into the printer 
>business
>(by which I mean they slapped a DELL emblem on a Lexmark), I had to
>rattle a lot of chains to get a linux driver.  The Somebody that
>eventually called me apologized for the delay and emailed me the 
>driver.
>I suggested that perhaps they consider actually putting the driver on
>the website, allowing them to avoid calls like mine.
>
>If you go to the site, pick a day when you won't be in a hurry.  Even
>their customer site crawls sometimes.
>
>
> > > Do you sell computers without Microsoft or do you only force 
> buyers to
> > > pay the Microsoft penalty and thus have us clear the drive 
> and reinstall
> > > proper software?
>
>You might be able to get a server with no OS.
>
>Generally the larger companies won't sell computers w/o Winblows.
>There's some sort of legal hitch, but I'm not 100% sure what it is.
>
>
> > HP (but probably not Compaq) is pushing Linux, might even ship with
> > Linux if you ask.
>
>I'm pretty sure that Dell only uses Red Hat for linux servers.
>
>
>
>Overall, I'm pretty happy with Dell.
>This does not mean there haven't been a lot of frustrating 
>episodes, but
>they're pretty good.  Right off the bat, their warranty will have 
>either
>a new part shipped to you overnight or a part and a tech to 
>install it.
>Their phone lines are 24x7x365.
>
>Of course you still have to call their support lines first, which is
>another story entirely......
>
>
>I'll close with fair warning on a related topic:
>AVOID CHEYENNE/ARCSERVE/BRIGHTSTOR backup products.  If they are your
>only choice, use Windows Backup or command line copy commands.
>
>I spent forty-two days with the dedicated, polite,
>somewhat-knowledgeable folks who provide tech support for their
>products.  I went from the bottom to the top techies and after 42 
>days,
>NOTHING GOT FIXED.  They finally recommended not using their OWN agent
>for backup.
>
>The only person I talked to from my country was the operator who 
>routed
>my calls to India.  There is NO support in the US, including the 
>VPs.  I
>got so frustrated with the lack of a fix that my only 
>entertainment was
>trying to figure out how to make them laugh.  Rest assured that Bob,
>Maria, and Frank were NOT their real names (well-spoken though they
>were).
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Ham-Linux mailing list
>Ham-Linux at mailman.qth.net
>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ham-linux

----------------------------------------------------------
Bill Cotter, N4ALG             E-mail: n4alg at qx.net
173 Carolyn Lane               Home: (859) 887-5563
Nicholasville, KY 40356-9340   Work: (859) 323-6474

ARRL   ARCI #9878   QRPl #1646   QCWA #29393   FISTS #4535
---------------------------------------------------------- 