What brand of PC is best for linux?

[kn2user]

I am wondering what brand of PC have people found to be the best for linux? I have compaq and I am finding some problems with linux on this brand.

What brand works the best with linux?

[firebyrd10]

It not the brand that changes thing but rather the make/model of the hardware. Most of the time when you buy, say a mobo from an online store to build a PC with, its more compatable then one that you get when you buy a PC (more or less). Of course PCs from vendors work.

What seems to be our problem?

[shah]

Bring along your knoppix cd to any pc store and use it to test all the hardware.

:D

[jjmac]

The above post seems like a fairly straight foreward
solution :)

But ... kn2user, what kind of problems ?, hw
recognition, i suppose ?

jm

[kn2user]

My problem is that Knoppix 3.6 can detect my modem but I can not use it.
Here is the thread where I talk about the problem: http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15360&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

The other problem is Linux seems not to be able to find my parrallel port so I can not get my printer to work. People on the forum have suggest using http://localhost:631, which did not find my parrallel port. I tried kaddprinterwizard, which had the same problem.

Another problem that my current pc has is that I can not use the 2.6 kernal because the pc does not shut down correctly and when I open some program they crash for no reason that I can see. I have been using kernal 2.4 that does not have these problems.


So I decided to ask what brand or maybe I should have said what brand of pc has the best hardware to get linux to run the best. May be in the near future when I either win the lottery or get some cash saved up I might buy a new pc. I want get some info so that I would know at what brand of pc I should be looking at.

[jjmac]

Hi kn2user,

I just had a look at the link you posted to your
other thread on your modem problem. There is a fair
bit there to look over, but, for what it's worth,
i'll have a study on that and get back to you in
a day or so.


Something i notice, you certainly have a lot of
facilities being enabled at boot. Do you really
need all that stuff enabled. Such as ACPI, USB,
and what's maestro ?

I'd turn most of it off, at least for the time
being. Especially the ACPI, as that can be a problematic
facility. You mention that the box dosen't power off
correctly. That sounds like it ma be a ACPI quirk
to me.

Put "acpi=off" in your boot loader config somewhere
appropriate, or apply it on the command line
when you boot.

The ___brand___ of PC isn't really the issue though.
It just seems your configuration need a lot of
soughting out.

So, to start with, try and simplify it down as much
as possible. Which means turning all those
__extra__ facilities off. That helps to remove
the maze, so that the modem problem can be fixed
first. Then you could turn things back on, one
at a time. You may then find a culpret, or
then again not.

As i mentioned i will get back after i've studied
your post a bit better ...

But, have a good read over those other posts,
and the documentation on the link to

"modem chipset compatabilities",

as mentioned on that page.

http://www.devidal.tv/~chris/winmodems/
winmodem.html#intro

Quote:__________________________________

Introduction

So-called Winmodems, host-based, HCF-, HSP-, HSF-,
controllerless, host-controlled, and soft modems
require vendor-supplied software to do the work
of proper hardware modems.

Looks like, at first glance, you have a "winmodem".

Not Good ... !

Windows scams with manufactures in order to effect
unfair control over the market by taking the
smarts out of some modems, and then using Windows
___specific___ software drivers to run the modem.

Then they hide behind the concept of Intellectual
Property, to prevent other people having access to
those drivers. Effectively, through the hardware, to
tie the customer to their company/supplier.

It would seem you have one of those.

If you can't find a Linux driver for the chipset
used in the modem you will have to get a __real__ modem.

One that plugs in from outside the box and will
work with anything, and likely give you no problems
at all.

Thiis is very typical of pre-fab boxes. And quite
dishonest on the part of vendors in my opinion.

So, read over that stuff.

The HCF designation for your modem is saying that
it dosen't have a controller !

It wants software installed, to control it.
And that will be Windows specific. most likely.

You could be licky though, i hope so :).

Linux is detecting it, but can't do anything with
it because it hasn't got any built in controller.

The kernel thing, i'll have to read it over more.
But i do knoppix 3.3, copied directly to disk,
and run the 2.6.9 kernel with out any problems.

Will get back :)


jm

[kn2user]

What other extra stuff should I turn off?

Maestro is my sound card, I think but I am not sure 100%.

I am new to linux so I just let the Knoppix 3.6 load what it wanted. I did not think that it would load things that could have causes the problem.

I tried the website but I am not sure how to find my modem there. I will look it over again.

[rrfish72]

kn2user, why not try 3.7 or kanotix? Kanotix is better suited for a hd install and for me it detected a few things better when configuring. I had some problems with 3.6 as well which made me move to a different version and/or distro.

[kn2user]

rrfish72, I want to find what the problem is and try to solve it because if I move to another distro I might have the same problem. I finally got linux to detect and to set up my printer, thanks to jjmac for the suggestion about turning off acpi. Also I can now use kernal 2.6 without problems so far. Now the ony thing that so far that I can not get to work is the modem. If I am not able to get it to work than I will try kantoix.

[jjmac]

kn2user, Howdy :)

Glad to hear you got some things working. It seems
acpi often gives problems if all of the required
support isn't available. You certainly do
have a lot of facilities being enabled at boot.
I'd turn all that stuff off it it isn't been use
myself.

Thats a commen technique too, when problems arise.
That is, turning every thing off, then turning
things back on again, one at a time untill the culpret
reveals itself.

As for your "modem" problem ....

It would seem that part of your query, has already
been answered m8 :), if you were to actually look
over the previous posts. :)

It is not the PC brand ...
It is not the distro ...

It's the modem it self, ie; it isn't a real modem ...

It's a winmodem, and there not suppose to work, strange as that may seem ...

Read on :) ...


>>
0000:00:04.0 Serial controller:
Rockwell
International HCF 56k Data/Fax Modem
(rev 01) (prog-if 00 [8250])
Subsystem:
Compaq Computer Corporation 229-DF Zephyr
Flags: bus master, medium devsel, latency 64, IRQ 3
Memory at 41100000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable)
[size=64K]
Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 1
>>


Specifically the post given by "rustry".

>>>>
----------
rustry:
----------

You might wan't to see if your modem is known
to work under linux, check here:
http://www.devidal.tv/~chris/winmodems/
pci_list.html

In general pci modems are a pain, and I seem to
remember that the HCF modems are especially so
>>>>

Thats tour problem, "HCF" ...

"Host Controlled"


Essentially, you have a winmodem, one, that by
design, has been manufacture in such a way as
to only work within Windows. All of the operational
code that would normally be expected, to
be found as firmware on a hw devices green
board, has been remove. Rendering it little more than a dumb mechanism.

The "HCF" part of its description above confirms
this. And it basically stands for a modem that is
controlled by the host. Meaning a windows host.

You should have been provided with a cdrom when
you got your box, containing the windows specific
driver software for the device. If not, you are
entitled to that software from the vendor.

Winmodems are an extensive discussion in
themselves, but you should find a number of
informative links on the topic, if you do a google
at http://www.google.com/linux

Have a look at the lists on the page found via
the already provided link in that post from
"rusty". You will need the model number of your
modem. That should be with the documentation
that came with your box, or, it can be found on
the card itself.

If it's not listed as having drivers available,
which it probably won't due to proprietary
restrictions, you will have to go and get a
"real" modem. They aren't that expensive really,
and the reliability and openness of externals make
them well worth it.

You will also have the benefit of being able to
unplugged it, which only the Windows spy-ware,
you probably also got pre-installed with your box,
will complain about :).

Oh yes, all the messages the system was coming up
with, were the result of the system sending a message
to the port, as something was detected there,
but getting no reply. So it assumed it must be
busy or locked etc. The reason that no reply came,
of course, was because there was no firmware in
the device to effect a reply :)

What did the 2.6 kernel problem turn out to
be ?, Just out of interest ?.

Good Luck ...


jm

[jjmac]

Howdy again ...

>>
What other extra stuff should I turn off?
>>

Everything, then just turn things back on, one at
a time, to see what happens. What problems may crop
up, if any. It's just a technique to isolating
things down.


>>
Maestro is my sound card, I think but I am not
sure 100%.

>>>>
0000:00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller:
ESS Technology ES1968 Maestro 2
Subsystem:
Compaq Computer Corporation: Unknown device
b0b8 Flags: bus master, medium devsel,
latency 64, IRQ 5 I/O ports at 2000 [size=256]
Capabilities: [c0] Power Management version 1
>>>>

It looks like an audio controller.



>>
I am new to linux so I just let the Knoppix 3.6 load
what it wanted. I did not think that it would
load things that could have causes the problem.
>>


Makes sense, aside from being a usable distro on
a cd, Knoppix also demos a lot of the available
software for Linux. So it makes sense, from that
point of view to turn every thing on.

Be advised though, the more stuff you have turned
on, like all the "raid" stuff etc, that you have,
going by your dump, if your not using it, or
the required support dosen't exist on your system,
it can cause conflicts. Mainly with when it comes
to resource allocation. So it's good policy,
that, if you arn't using it, then don't try to
enable it. It can also open up security concerns
as well.



>>
I tried the website but I am not sure how to
find my modem there. I will look it over again.
>>


The listings will be based on the chipset used in
the model. So you will need that information.

If it's not on any documentation that came with
your box, then you will need to take the cover
off. And look at the card itself, with a torch
and a magnifying glass most likely :).

But i really do think that your modem is a
winmodem, and so will need to be replaced with
a real one.

Jumping distros, or getting a new brand of PC,
won't fix it.

Besides, the modem will be the cheaper option,
i think :)


jm

[kn2user]

>>What did the 2.6 kernel problem turn out to
>>be ?,

I do not know. I just turn off acpi and it found my parrallel port and I can use the 2.6 kernel without problems. Not sure what the problem could be.

Thanks for the help jjmac.