[PLUG] Linux on HP Slimline s7700n; Fry's returns

Sean Whitney sean.whitney at gmail.com
Thu Apr 5 17:20:38 UTC 2007


Dunno about all your requirements, but I bought one of these several
months ago

http://www.linuxtechtoys.com/ltt/product_info.php/cPath/24_27/products_id/237

To use as a mythtv box and it's been great, replaced red hat with
debian, and it's very, very quiet and does 64bit.  There are processor
upgrades available, but as to dual core or VMX, idunno....  Did I
mention it's quite.....


Sean
> I've been looking for a year for a desktop machine that meets all my
> criteria: small and quiet; 64-bit; supports virualization; dual core.
> Looking a lot.  I haven't found any vendor, or retailer, that can tell
> me if their system supports Linux.  I can't find blogs or newsgroups
> where anybody discusses having tried running Linux on any of these
> systems.  I can't even find that information on motherboards I want to
> buy, from high-end retailers.  They don't actually stock any of this
> stuff, and so they don't know any more about it (Linux support, or
> even if the bios enables VMX) than I can get from the manu's website.
>
> So the only thing to do is research as best I can, then for the
> remaining systems try to find a retailer that will let me return it if
> it doesn't work.  At Fry's, BTW, you ask them if it runs Linux and
> they just tell you to bring it back if it doesn't.  Their return
> policy substitutes for sales people having a clue.
>
> If you know of a very small, quiet, 64-bit, dual-core system that
> works "almost 100 percent" with Linux and doesn't disable the VMX bit,
> please let me know where to order it and I will.
>
> (I think Dell's smallest "Optiplex 745" fills the bill, but it's $400
> more than the HP, so the HP was worth a try.)
>
> Oh, and to another reponse about HP using unsupported parts: I think
> that may apply less to their business-grade machines.  With those they
> seem aware that Linux support is a good thing.
>
> --Eric
>   




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