Ubuntu-Certification

Feedback on the Dell Vostro 2420

Asked by ABW

It all works as long as I stick to factory installed 11.10 with proprietory drivers! Thing is Dell does not have ANY documentation on their websites for these "adjustments" nor does Ubuntu detail much except a bare minimum. Is there something I am missing or do I get the feeling both Ubuntu (Canonical) are hiding things from the public. I don't understand the relationship Dell and Canonical have. I dont understand the reason Dell would produce proprietory software when all that is needed is standard parts in their systems that work with every version of ubuntu??? Someone point me to a discussion on this secret relationship please.

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Launchpad Janitor (janitor) said : 		#1

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

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Jeff Lane  (bladernr) said : 		#2

There is no secret relationship. And the hardware that Dell puts into their systems is entirely up to Dell, we have no control, nor say, in that decision at all.

As for the 2420 specifically, it was certified in a particular state, the tweaked 11.10 image with some proprietary drivers. The system has been tested since then with stock Ubuntu, but failed certification. This can be for many reasons.

Our goal, when creating pre-install images is to get the hardware working in the pre-install image and then get the fixes from that image moved into stock Ubuntu within the next release or two.

Unfortunately, that does not always happen. For example, it is entirely possible that the 11.10 image was not finalized until well into the 12.04 cycle, meaning those fixes had no chance of making it into 12.04. The next be would have been 12.10. However, it's not guaranteed to make that cycle either due to time constraints as well as getting pushback from upstreams. The fixes from a pre-install image do not magically appear over-night into the next Ubuntu. They have to go through the same process that any addition or fix will go through for inclusion into the stock distribution.

It's because of these cases that we are very specific about the version that is certified, the actual hardware components tested as well as any notes that would make a difference when installing stock Ubuntu on a system.

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