On Fri, 05 Jan 2007 23:49:48 -0500, »Q« <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
qfpvajdy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I'm interessted to buy a laptop on which I would like to install
Gentoo GNU/Linux by using 100% all hardware functions of the laptop
for which I have bought.
I've just installed Gentoo on a Sony VAIO VGN-FS740, and I recommend
against it. Almost everything in it is well-supported, but one of the
most important things is a PiTA. Sony uses some unusual system to
handle power management, and there are things the drivers available
with the kernel will not handle. Most notably, I could not get control
of LCD brightness without installing a driver which is (a) not in
portage and (b) AFAICT not in most distros' repositories. If someone
hadn't published a portage overlay for it, I would still be struggling
with it. From what I've read (which was a lot more than I wanted to,
this is the situation with most (all?) of Sony's FS models.
Think that this is exactly right.
However, I wouldn't limit my laptop selection to one that is 100%
Gentooable.
e.g. I went with Sony (their smallest) and would do so again, because
small size, light weight, and high-quality display (necessary on a tiny
box) were so important. As you indicated, it was a PITA; Lot of stuff
still doesn't work :-( , but it's light enough (2.7 lbs) and small enought
that I stick it in the backpack and don't resent it.
--
[email protected] mailing list
