Ubuntu

Plug & Play, special drivers availability on Ubuntu

Asked by Jesper Thomsen

Hi everybody.
Linux becoming Ubuntu!
This sounds more and more interresting.
I had Linux (I thing it was Redhat) installed on a computer a couple of years ago. Unfortuneately I had to get rid of it and install windows. The reason being that simple issues like installing/recognizing a pendrive (Sandisk), a Bluetooth USB stick was extremely complicated and I neve made it work.
Nowadays I have an HP laptop Pavilion dv1000 with a special partition with the whole windows installation ready for reinstall. This is of course very practical. But once I tried to install XP Pofessional (instead of the Home edition on the laptop) and I got really screwed. There was no way I could access the installation partition to retrieve the drivers for monitos, modem and - especially - network card. So I found myself completely isolated. No way to download anything as I had no access to the internet.
I wonder if that kind of issues are still existing in this new Ubuntu platform or if there is some kind of Plug & Play funcions for automatic recognition of the necessary drivers.

Hope for some positive indications as I'm a bit fed up with the XP and no way, I'm going for Vista.

Best regards to all
Jesper

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Gaurish Sharma
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Best Gaurish Sharma (gslive) said : 		#1

Hi there,
Check hardware support here --> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LaptopTestingTeam/HPDV1000
System Requirements for running Ubuntu --> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/SystemRequirements

also Linux is improving fast, now it can automatically mount Pen drivers and also Bluetooth USB(if supported) works out of the Box.

just Try ubuntu - You will feel lot of improvements

Consider Linux as a Kid who is learning fast :p

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Jesper Thomsen (jesper-k-thomsen) said : 		#2

Hi Gaurish
Thanks a bunch for the info!
I had some quick glances on TV a couple of days ago of the Ununtu system (in another context) and I admit that I was quite astonished of the little I saw
.
It was even claimed that Linux/Ubuntu does not have any issues or problems with virus. Don't know if that was just salesman talk as the main issue was freeware against payware.
.
On the testing site everything looks more or less compatible with my laptop. My worst worry is if Ubunto automatically recognizes the built in modem (HD Soft Data Fax CXT Modem) and the network (ethernet) card (Intel/R Pro 100 VE) to reach internet via a router and shared Windows connections, because without it I'd be sooo out of here - mostly because I don't see so many Linux compatible drivers on the HP site.
Also LAN capabilities together with Windows is a serious issue as my laptop works A LOT and always together with XP installations - mostly for file sharing on Office 2003 formats.

The software side doesnt really worry. I've used Thunderbird for testing a substitute for Outlook, Open Office is getting better (but not quicker!) and browsers are alle over the place.

I'm upgrading RAM from 504MB to 2 GB in a couple of days and wanto to see how that influences the Windows and Office installations before deciding wether or not to do the jump.

Because I do hope that all you guys out there actually DO realize the amount of work involved in a change. Changing from one office version to another is a bitch, from one Windows version to another is a nightmare (no way to get alle your configurations with you) and changing from Windows to anything else on a No Game & No BS computer used for working with MS formatted documents in an almost clean MS environment must be a real nervebreaker.

Take my situation. I'm curious - simply because I never seem to have the necessary hardware for the appropriate programs under Windows. Ever since 95, I've suffered from sloooow processing on the computer(s).

I work at home using a shared internet connection using the LAN all over the neighborhood to one provider who distributes the internet via pseudo IP adresses. This works very well with windows. But how would Ubuntu react to such an environment?
I live and work in Brazil and use - mainly - Skype to reach families in my home country. Anybody have experiences with that program?
I work as captain on board a supply vessel off the brazilian coast with a shared internet connection mounted on a "Master" computer running Windows XP Pro and sharing the connection with the other computers on the network (about 10). Would Ubuntu be albe to swallow such a setup?

Well - Lots of word and lots of doubts.
I suppose if a bank can use Linuz, I should be able to do so as well. Problem is I don't have a SysOp to do the hard work. I'm the SysOp and I find myself spending more and more time fixing computer problems and less and less time doing actual work. And this is where my greatest worry and curiosity comes in. Will Ubuntu spare me of - at least some - of all the problems that constantly emerges with Windows...

Thanks for reading and hope for some comments.

Best Regards to All.
Jesper