Re: Getting started, were to begin?

Shawn

From: Bryan-TheBS-Smith <b.j.smith@...>

>shawnusa@... wrote:
>> And lastly, EMC users, what PC hardware would you recommend.
>> Anything to stay away from, or a must have?
>
>Most of the Linux and NT (an successor) incompatibilities are
>limited to end-user hardware like scanners, printers, multi-function
>equipment, etc...

Bryan is about right here but I'd like to add that Linux hardware
detection and compatablility lags a bit behind some other OS's. I have a
feeling that it's related to market and company size. I've found that if
you buy the bargan boards from a cut rate outfit you will almost always
find them supported by recent Linux releases. And in add-on hardware in
tasks where Linux is king, like networking, serving, and serious IO,
companies are including linux sections on their driver disks even though
they don't say much about it in the literature.

Each Linux distributor maintains some kind of hardware compatability
listing, but I'm always mistified by chipset info and the names of
motherboards and such. I just wish that they'd put this stuff in bold
letters on the screenprint and keep a version around for more than 20
weeks. Some shops like computergeeks will list that the board or device
was tested with Linux.

Often linux installs will have problems with on-board nic and sometimes
video. I did one install here with one of those everything motherboards
and the BDI didn't like the video. I went to a nearby isp and service
shop and they laid out a pile of "take-offs" and said if my choice didn't
work they'd swap.

HTH

Ray