1. Introduction

In the previous article, we discussed the installation of two Linux distributions (Fedora Core and openSUSE) on a Pentium III based Linux laptop. This technology currently serves many working professionals well in their daily work. However, that article left open to question what you might expect if you tried this same exercise on a newer notebook. This article details our experiences installing the same Fedora Core set on a notebook with a much newer collection of Centrino Duo Mobile-based hardware components, an HP dv1000.

Initial speculation left us anticipating little success with many of the newer technologies that go into modern notebook PCs: various multi-card reader controllers, vendor-specific key features, and proprietary internal components. Fortunately, any solution based on Centrino Duo Mobile provides support for Linux by way of proprietary Intel drivers, which gives promise to the hope that a workable solution might be feasible.

A Techno-Political Discussion

Generally speaking, notebook components pose a constant roadblock to Linux development and deployment, and this goes double when tight-lipped vendors are reticent to divulge critical aspects of their proprietary hardware solutions to the Linux driver development community. Some vendors who apparently support Linux driver development for their specialized hardware often leave much to be desired when promise meets practice. For some time now, we've come away from the perhaps plaintive requests for more and better support with a lingering impression that "don't come crying to me" is all too likely to be heard whenever things go horribly awry. Fortunately, other vendors are fully supportive and attentive to the Linux community, and provide not just software support but also the willingness to communicate with both developers and end-users of their technologies.

There are many reasons why some vendors will pitch in and help with Linux support, while others balk, but that discussion goes well beyond the scope of this article. The real issue here is to differentiate between that which just works and that which does not. And what better way to challenge a good Linux distribution than by giving it a run on a fully-featured multimedia desktop replacement? Though we started this exercise with some trepidation, we also anticipated learning a few things along the way. And while our fears proved mostly unfounded, our educational expectations were absolutely fulfilled.

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