What Linux Users Need To Know When Holiday Shopping For PC Hardware

[Gusar]

what is wrong with a completely free ecosystem?

Nothing, it's brilliant. Did I ever say anything to the contrary?

and why is such a thing 'a fairy tale' when even me

Where did I say a free ecosystem is a fairy tale? What is a fairy tale is your simplistic "consumers use binaries - zealots and devs use source code" view.

See, this is what you get when you take my metaphor, redefine it to mean something else, and then attack that. Classic straw-man.

it would seem that trolls exist too

Yep, they certainly do. You being the prime exhibit: We've got name-calling, straw-men, ignorance about how some tech works (nvidia and modesetting), it's all there.

[D0pamine]

Nothing, it's brilliant. Did I ever say anything to the contrary?

Where did I say a free ecosystem is a fairy tale? What is a fairy tale is your simplistic "consumers use binaries - zealots and devs use source code" view.

See, this is what you get when you take my metaphor, redefine it to mean something else, and then attack that. Classic straw-man.

Yep, they certainly do. You being the prime exhibit: We've got name-calling, straw-men, ignorance about how some tech works (nvidia and modesetting), it's all there.

stop talking shit on forums and get a job

fuck off dickhead

[AJSB]

Are GIGABYTE MB that bad as for LINUX goes ?!?

I need to make a new rig with a mini-ITX MB and i'm undecided between the ASUS P8-H61 I http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Int...vuE&templete=2 and the GIGABYTE GA-H61N-USB3 http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...id=3963&dl=#sp

I'm, especially concerned with ASUS as for Audio goes....is VIA *audio* well supported out of the box by the kernels ?!?

Any bad experiences with the GIGABYTE MB that i indicate ?!?

TIA,
AJSB

[moilami]

Yes indeed. Whilst Richard Stallman can be a bit radical (though his radical nature probably helps provide balance from the corporate radicals anyway) I quite agree with what he says in regard to schools and how Microsoft gets the software to them cheaply or even free and then breeds dependence. The whole idea of free software seems very compatible with education and learning, so it's a great shame more schools don't embrace it. Indeed, I've heard many cases where teachers do not know the existence of such things and instantly tell students that something "free" cannot be legal. Which is horrifying ignorance/lack of understanding IMO, although it's not entirely their individual fault.

I worked a month in Uni setting them a Sage server and educating teachers to use it.

I asked there why they don't use GNU/Linux desktop systems at all. They said they get everything from µ$ practically for free novadays. Students get everything for free too, except Office, of which they have to pay like 60€.

[moilami]

Are GIGABYTE MB that bad as for LINUX goes ?!?

I need to make a new rig with a mini-ITX MB and i'm undecided between the ASUS P8-H61 I http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Int...vuE&templete=2 and the GIGABYTE GA-H61N-USB3 http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...id=3963&dl=#sp

I'm, especially concerned with ASUS as for Audio goes....is VIA *audio* well supported out of the box by the kernels ?!?

Any bad experiences with the GIGABYTE MB that i indicate ?!?

TIA,
AJSB

I just recently bought Gigabyte mobo. To my knowledge everything works on it perfectly in 100% libre GNU/Linux system (haven't tested EFI boot).

If you are interested of the exact version of the mobo so you can check the chips on it, I can look for the box and link it here.

[GreatEmerald]

Yea, I never had any particular issues with Gigabyte motherboards (BIOS-based) in the past. But then if you do find an issue, they probably won't help.

[AJSB]

I just recently bought Gigabyte mobo. To my knowledge everything works on it perfectly in 100% libre GNU/Linux system (haven't tested EFI boot).

If you are interested of the exact version of the mobo so you can check the chips on it, I can look for the box and link it here.

Please do so.


TIA,
AJSB

[AJSB]

Yea, I never had any particular issues with Gigabyte motherboards (BIOS-based) in the past. But then if you do find an issue, they probably won't help.

Talking about that , i'm concerned with the EFI vs BIOS issue....seems that with the GIGABYTE i will need a GPT partition ....from the GIGABYTE MB manual:

--------------------------------------------
EFI CD/DVD Boot Option

Set this item to EFI if you want to install the operating system to a hard drive larger than 2.2 TB. Make
sure the operating system to be installed supports booting from a GPT partition, such as Windows 7 64-
bit and Windows Server 2003 64-bit. Auto lets the BIOS automatically configure this setting depending
on the hard drive you install. (Default: Auto)
--------------------------------------------

I found some info about how to do it in LINUX but it seems that i can install only 64bit OS....is that right ?

Also, i wonder what are the other options in that menu of BIOS setup....manual doesn't say what are they...any clue what they would be ?


Maybe there is a BIOS/whatever option besides EFI....i don't need +2.2TB HDD...

TIA,
AJSB

[moilami]

Please do so.


TIA,
AJSB

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/pro...px?pid=4195#ov

There it is.

The sounds did not work out of box on Debian Wheezy. The sounds however do work in Parabola GNU/Linux (Libre Archlinux) and Trisquel Toutatis (Libre Ubuntu 12.04).


Edit: And before anyone begins to smash that cheapo mobo I say it does have everything I need because I don't do over clocking, and saw no reason to pay premium of features and bling I don't need.

[GreatEmerald]

Maybe there is a BIOS/whatever option besides EFI....i don't need +2.2TB HDD...

It does say "Auto". I'm pretty sure that if it is selected, it runs EFI files, and if it is not selected, it runs legacy MBR.
That said, you probably want GPT to be enabled. See this for more information.