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Vic
10-02-2009, 09:58 AM
One of the biggest headaches when it comes to building Linux systems is buykng boxed kit - although the supported chipsets are well known, you often can't find out which chipsets are used in a particular item until you get it home and try it.

Buying hardware from somewhere like Novatech puts that problem into context - many of the kit descriptions will not tell you what's used, expecially if it's an own-brand item.

So what would be really useful is if we could find out. That's not exactly as onerous as it sounds - I'm quite sure the various LUGs could be talked into helping catalogue the internals of various components and advising on the ease with which they can be used on Linux.

This would require Novatech to provide access to these components, of course - so there is some cost, albeit fairly small compared to the potential market you could open up.

Any interest, guys?

Vic.

candtalan
11-02-2009, 09:44 AM
Great idea. This forum would be one possible repository of information, it does not necessarily need to have Novatech seal of official approval, although it would be useful eventually.
It could be mobilised by a smallish group of people either volunteers known to Novatech and or Novatech employees doing simple test and noting to record the information.

With a reasonable certainty of information re chips etc in kit or functionality of units, Novatech is likely to see a marked lift in some product lines.

I was asked recently by two different people to recommend new laptops for them. If I had known if or how well Ubuntu ran on the Novatech items I would have pushed towards Novatech. One ended up buying from dell the other is still looking in currys digital.

Bracken
30-03-2009, 07:13 PM
Like a proper interop test?

I'd recommend you test on 4 different OSs, installed with a disk image before each test.
- 2.4 kernel, i386, no *-dev packages installed.
- 2.6 kernel, i386, no *-dev packages installed.
- 2.4 kernel, amd64, no *-dev packages installed.
- 2.6 kernel, amd64, no *-dev packages installed.

Details on how to compile from source with a list of required headers could be provided. Could also test a few packages from repos of major distros.