To install or not to install Gentoo on a laptop

tarpman · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 9:53 pm Post subject:

I have Gentoo on my laptop. Haven't had a single problem with it that I didn't have on any other machine. Haven't tried to get the webcam working yet, but everything else (3D, wireless, Firewire, sound, suspend-to-RAM, etc) works awesome.
_________________
Saving the world, one kilobyte at a time.

Clete2 · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:47 pm Post subject:

I am posting from Gentoo on my laptop right now. It's running great. It was actually easier for me to setup than my desktop was, but I think it was because I knew what I was doing this time (it's also 3 years later).

If you have a new laptop, you may run into some hard-to-locate or not in portage drivers (as I did...). I have an Intel wireless A/B/G/N card and the drivers are in portage, but are masked since they are testing the ebuild.
_________________
My Blog

bunder · Bodhisattva Joined: 10 Apr 2004 Posts: 5934

gentoo works great on my laptops...

_________________

Hypnos · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:41 am Post subject:

I've had the same Gentoo installation on this machine (Compaq Presario 2800T) since 2002.

Suspend-to-RAM doesn't work, but everything else does. Some funky drivers.
_________________
Personal overlay | Simple backup scheme

Ion Silverbolt · Apprentice Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 203

Running Gentoo on a Everex stepnote SA2050T. VERY linux unfriendly laptop. All live CD's lock up with it because of a couple of modules. The simple Gentoo install method made it possible for me to work around the problems and compile a custom kernel. It runs way better than the Windows MCE that was on it by default even after I optimized it. Gentoo flies on it. Everything works except suspend to ram and the memory card reader.

broken_chaos · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 4:22 am Post subject:

Running on a Dell M1210 here, and everything except suspend-to-disk (uswsusp, swsusp, suspend2 all tried and failed so far) works at least passably - even the built-in webcam. This includes: basic system, suspend-to-RAM, nVidia card, ipw3945 (wireless), bluetooth, SD card reader, multimedia keyboard buttons (needs a small kernel patch for some of them)...

Haven't tried dual monitors or TV-out, yet, but I don't expect there to be much trouble since the nvidia drivers work pretty well for both, reportedly and in my past experience...

desultory · Bodhisattva Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 9410

Merged the above seven posts, formerly topic "Gentoo linux on a laptop?".

mamac · l33t Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Posts: 890

Installed Gentoo a year ago on my professional laptop. I must use XP when I work for my company so installed Gentoo with dual boot and use it when I'm at home.

The laptop is a DELL Latitude D420 and all features works just fine. Go for Gentoo on your Laptop!
_________________
Powered by Gentoo Linux since 2003

g1ul10 · n00b Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 11

Across years, AFAICR I've installed gentoo on one Dell Inspiron and two ThinkPad (series X) at least. I used them continuously. Often I keep them on for days. I compile like a devil and I have never had any problem with the hard drives. In any case, I never saw a warning on a laptop manual saying "dont' compile too much or the machine will melt down" and you can bet on the fact that if it were an issue, the producer will put a warning on the manual, so as not to have to replace the part for free. Since you could in principle start compiling the day you buy the machine and never stop... you must have at least a warranty-period-worth of hours of compiling before the hard drive crashes. For a one year warranty, you have 8760 hours of (continuous) compiling, which allow for quite a few gentoo installations on any modern machine!

albright · Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:33 pm Post subject: