Laptops that Linux likes?

[Doug Sutherland]

 > I have a Linksys WPC11, and unfortunately the only drivers available
 > are binary-only, and they're compiled for 2.4.20 and 2.4.22.

Say what? Ya know, the kernel orinico drivers work with this card.
On slackware, using the generic kernel, this card just worked. I
am now running it on an LFS (linux from scratch) build, it works
fine. I built everything from source, and definitely the driver.
Finally, its also supported by linux-wlan drivers.

Assuming you have pcmcia-cs installed, try enabling the orinico
driver in ther kernel configuration. In the network devices section
select M (build as module) for these:

Hermes chipset 802.11b support (Orinico/Prism2/Symbol)
Hermes PCMCIA card support

With these compiled as modules, on boot, when PCMCIA starts, my
system loads these modules:

orinico_cs
orinoco
hermes

The WPC11 uses the hermes chipset, same as orinoco, works fine.

On earlier version kernels, when this driver was not yet there,
I used the linux-wlan driver with WPC11 ... no problems.

http://www.linux-wlan.com/linux-wlan/index.html#The%20linux-wlan%20Project

But now you can just use the kernel driver.

BTW I have installed linux on dozens of laptops, never had a problem
with linux on any of them. Linux works on pretty much all laptops
afaik. If in doubt google "linux on (insert your desired laptop)"
and you're bound to find someone's notes on how they installed linux.
The only problem I had to date was getting a DVD working on sony vaio.
They seem to be windows only drivers, not on that WinXP only.

   -- Doug