I just installed Fedora Core 8 on my XPS M1710 over the weekend. Just about everything worked. The disk drive, CD/DVD player, USB Ports, ethernet card, bluetooth, wireless card - even the SD card reader.
The only driver I had to chase down was a special nVidia driver for Linux. The default video driver used by X Windows wouldn't use a dual-head display. Once the nVidia driver was in, it worked great!
So for Ubuntu - try an out-of-the-box installation and see how much of your system gets recognized.
My bet is that you'll have a functioning system in the first try.
Terry R is correct. I have installed Ubuntu Linux on different laptops and desktops without issue. It is a great distro for linux. Make sure you have a internet connection when you install and let it get the driver packages it needs by itself. You will be amazed at how simple it will be.
Just to be sure jamezr, when you say:
"Make sure you have a internet connection when you install and let it get the driver packages it needs by itself. "
Does that suppose that I have previously installed the driver for my wireless car
d (
a Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless-N)?
I don't know what chipset (Atheros, Intel, etc) the wireless card has, but chances are the chipset is supported by Ubuntu out of the box. So when you install your new operating system, both adapters (wired ethernet and wireless) will be found.
Often it's easiest to run a long network cable to your router/hub during the installation of Linux. You almost always can get DHCP setup & running with little effort. ....as we all know getting your wireless up and running can be a bit more challenging - setting your ESSID, wep-key, etc.
So here's my recommendation. ....plug your laptop into a wired network during installation. Once the system is installed, make sure you can get out to the internet over your wired lan segment.
Then run "yum -y update" and go out for beer. It will probably take a while for all of the latest updates, patches, etc to download.
Once your system is installed & patched - then try to configure your wireless segment.
Terry_R
19 Posts
0
February 19th, 2008 10:00
The only driver I had to chase down was a special nVidia driver for Linux. The default video driver used by X Windows wouldn't use a dual-head display. Once the nVidia driver was in, it worked great!
So for Ubuntu - try an out-of-the-box installation and see how much of your system gets recognized.
My bet is that you'll have a functioning system in the first try.
jamezr
34 Posts
0
February 19th, 2008 15:00
GreenPhysicist
3 Posts
0
February 19th, 2008 23:00
Just to be sure jamezr, when you say:
"Make sure you have a internet connection when you install and let it get the driver packages it needs by itself. "
Does that suppose that I have previously installed the driver for my wireless car d ( a Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless-N)?
Thank you
Terry_R
19 Posts
0
February 20th, 2008 11:00
Often it's easiest to run a long network cable to your router/hub during the installation of Linux. You almost always can get DHCP setup & running with little effort. ....as we all know getting your wireless up and running can be a bit more challenging - setting your ESSID, wep-key, etc.
So here's my recommendation. ....plug your laptop into a wired network during installation. Once the system is installed, make sure you can get out to the internet over your wired lan segment.
Then run "yum -y update" and go out for beer. It will probably take a while for all of the latest updates, patches, etc to download.
Once your system is installed & patched - then try to configure your wireless segment.
GreenPhysicist
3 Posts
0
February 20th, 2008 12:00
Thanks for your help; I appreciate it!