From: General Schvantzkoph on
On Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:25:14 +0000, Andrew Gideon wrote:

> On Mon, 24 May 2010 20:55:15 +0000, General Schvantzkoph wrote:
>
>> One more thing, put Fedora 12 or 13 on a USB key and try the laptop in
>> a store, if Fedora autoconfigures the WiFi you will know that the
>> chipset is supported in the kernel.
>
> I've been thinking about doing this, though I'm leaning towards a
> Thinkpad T510. Do stores permit this sort of thing? I'd think they'd
> be fearful of potential customers booting random media.
>
> Is this an install image or live image you're using?
>
> - Andrew

I've done this on numerous occasions. Sometimes I ask permission and
sometimes I just do it and ask forgiveness. My experience is that a store
with a semi-knowledgeable staff will allow you to do it if you ask
politely and explain exactly what you are going to do. My experience in
Best Buy and Stables has been pretty good, sometimes the clerks are Linux
users themselves and are happy to discuss the relative merits of
different distros. In a store like Costco it's best to just walk up to a
machine, plug in the FLASH key and reboot it. By the time a clerk notices
what you've done the system is already up and running and you'll have the
information you need. If a clerk does notice they are likely to freak
because they don't know what an operating system is. However the secret
to handling the situation is to be very polite, explain exactly what you
are doing and why, and also show them some of the neat things about
Linux. I will open up NetworkManager and show them how it automatically
configured the networking components. If the WiFI shows up in the
NetworkManager you know that it's a supported chip, you can then tell the
clerk how Linux was able to recognize and configure the WiFI without
having to plug in a driver CD. If the WiFI doesn't show up you can tell
them that this is why you need to check it yourself, you needed to know
if Linux could handle this laptop or not. You can then reboot the system
back into Windows. When they see that everything is OK you can then ask
them if you can try another system.


From: B Sellers on
On 06/14/2010 06:35 PM, General Schvantzkoph wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:25:14 +0000, Andrew Gideon wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 24 May 2010 20:55:15 +0000, General Schvantzkoph wrote:
>>
>>> One more thing, put Fedora 12 or 13 on a USB key and try the laptop in
>>> a store, if Fedora autoconfigures the WiFi you will know that the
>>> chipset is supported in the kernel.
>>
>> I've been thinking about doing this, though I'm leaning towards a
>> Thinkpad T510. Do stores permit this sort of thing? I'd think they'd
>> be fearful of potential customers booting random media.
>>
>> Is this an install image or live image you're using?
>>
>> - Andrew
>
> I've done this on numerous occasions. Sometimes I ask permission and
> sometimes I just do it and ask forgiveness. My experience is that a store
> with a semi-knowledgeable staff will allow you to do it if you ask
> politely and explain exactly what you are going to do. My experience in
> Best Buy and Stables has been pretty good, sometimes the clerks are Linux
> users themselves and are happy to discuss the relative merits of
> different distros. In a store like Costco it's best to just walk up to a
> machine, plug in the FLASH key and reboot it. By the time a clerk notices
> what you've done the system is already up and running and you'll have the
> information you need. If a clerk does notice they are likely to freak
> because they don't know what an operating system is. However the secret
> to handling the situation is to be very polite, explain exactly what you
> are doing and why, and also show them some of the neat things about
> Linux. I will open up NetworkManager and show them how it automatically
> configured the networking components. If the WiFI shows up in the
> NetworkManager you know that it's a supported chip, you can then tell the
> clerk how Linux was able to recognize and configure the WiFI without
> having to plug in a driver CD. If the WiFI doesn't show up you can tell
> them that this is why you need to check it yourself, you needed to know
> if Linux could handle this laptop or not. You can then reboot the system
> back into Windows. When they see that everything is OK you can then ask
> them if you can try another system.
>
>

Feel like I gotta toss in my nickel's worth.

First there are several shops that sell laptops with Linux already
installed and configured. Even though these are usually Ubunto around
here and they cost a bit more if I was able to work for a living I
would spend the cash.
Zareason is one shop in the San Francisco Bay Area but I keep
running into them as I surf around. So you might want to try that.

Second get a copy of Knoppix 6.3 from Linux Pro magazine
of a few months back as it carries an option to install a booting
copy of the iso to a 4 GB flash disk. Knoppix is really good at
finding hardware for you. It boots really fast and also quickly
copies to another flash disk or to a DVD+/-R and installs
easily.

I am usually very broke but started to save $ for a laptop
last year and the Economic Stimulus gave me enough to get
a low end Compaq/HP Presario and while I wasn't clever enough
to install my Mandriva 2008.1 Powerpack I managed thru
trial and error to get 2009.1 Free installed in a dual boot.

later
bliss