Groups | Search | Server Info | Login | Register

Groups > comp.os.linux.hardware > #3762

Re: Subnotebook?

Show all headers | View raw

On 10/02/2025 10:59, Nuno Silva wrote:
> On 2025-02-10, David Brown wrote:
> 
>> On 07/02/2025 20:43, Carl Fink wrote:
>>> Anyone have a recommendation for a Linux-installed, or second-best
>>> Linux-compatible subnotebook? I'm defining a subnote as having a 10" or
>>> smaller screen, and I'm looking to buy new, not refurb or used.
> [...]
>> Generally, most hardware works out of the box with a fairly modern
>> distro (vastly more than with Windows), but there are some things to
>> watch out for if you get a very new design.  The most common issue, I
>> think, is new laptops or notebooks with Wifi chips that are not
>> supported by the kernel versions that come as standard with a
>> mainstream distro like Mint or Ubuntu.  That means upgrading the
>> kernel, which can be a pain without a working network - and these
>> machines often don't have Ethernet.  So make sure you have a USB C
>> docking station or Ethernet adaptor handy for putting it all together.
> 
> IMHO wifi chips are one of the major things to check out when comparing
> or buying, because at least some brands or models of NICs will mean
> networking performance will always be bad.

Yes - although I don't know specifics about the brands.

A challenge is that often notebook and laptop suppliers are vague on the 
type of Wifi hardware they have - they tell you a bit about the 
capabilities, but not the chipsets, because they might change these 
depending on what they can get from their own suppliers.  For bigger 
laptops, the Wifi module will often be in a short M2 slot and can 
actually be replaced, but that won't be so likely on a notebook.

> 
> In my experience, this means avoiding anything that has a Broadcom WLAN
> NIC. I've had enough fighting with drivers and firmware that it's not
> worth a try to me anymore. (See also [1]. I think someone else reported
> somewhere that Broadcom told them they had a defective card when faced
> with this or a similar issue, but I was able to test two different NICs
> with the same outcomes, which makes it more likely that Broadcom is to
> blame here...)
> 
> Personally, I'd go with something that includes Atheros or can be easily
> upgraded to have Atheros (no list of allowed internal expansion cards,
> PCMCIA, fast USB?). No idea how out-of-the-box Atheros will work with
> recent kernels and NICs, though.
> 
> 
> (Do take note, though, that part of what I'm saying here is that it's
> not just having full kernel support, as it's possible performance is
> just... [censored] even despite the kernel having everything in place.)
> 
> [1] https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=541080
> 

Back to comp.os.linux.hardware | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar

Thread

Subnotebook? Carl Fink <carlf@panix.com> - 2025-02-07 19:43 +0000
  Re: Subnotebook? candycanearter07 <candycanearter07@candycanearter07.nomail.afraid> - 2025-02-07 20:00 +0000
  Re: Subnotebook? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-02-10 08:35 +0100
    Re: Subnotebook? R Daneel Olivaw <Danny@hyperspace.vogon.gov> - 2025-02-10 09:54 +0100
      Re: Subnotebook? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-02-10 10:40 +0100
      Re: Subnotebook? scott@alfter.diespammersdie.us (Scott Alfter) - 2025-02-10 23:13 +0000
    Re: Subnotebook? Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2025-02-10 09:59 +0000
      Re: Subnotebook? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-02-10 12:24 +0100
      Re: Subnotebook? Bud Frede <frede@mouse-potato.com> - 2025-03-25 09:17 -0400
    Re: Subnotebook? Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2025-02-11 13:53 +0000
      Re: Subnotebook? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-02-11 17:49 +0100
      Re: Subnotebook? Carl Fink <carlf@panix.com> - 2025-02-12 13:29 +0000
    Re: Subnotebook? "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-02-11 15:20 +0100
      Re: Subnotebook? David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2025-02-11 17:51 +0100
      Re: Subnotebook? Harold Stevens <wookie@aspen.localdomain> - 2025-02-11 16:47 -0600
  Re: Subnotebook? Popping Mad <rainbow@colition.gov> - 2025-03-24 22:16 -0400

csiph-web