installing fedora 8 in compaq presario v3425au

[Adalbert Prokop]

rimzy schrieb am Montag, 31. März 2008:

Hello rimzy!

> Will fedora 8 install all the drivers for all the devices in my laptop
> ? if not please tell me what all drivers / plugins should i download
> extra ? I am asking you in advance so that i want to make sure that i
> can install fedora without any problem

That's difficult to say. If you insist on "without *any* problem" then for 
sure no. :) If you can accept some problems you probably be happy with 
Fedora.

I don't know if you alredy have experience with Linux. If not - do 
yourself a favour and read what Linux really is. I found a nice page here
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm .

There are drivers for many different hardware pieces for Linux. But not 
for all of them. Hardware manufacturers usually do not expressly support 
Linux - it's a matter of money and time, because developing drivers costs 
time and therefore money. Most people run Windows, not Linux, and they 
are the primary customers. Besides, there is no place for closed source 
drivers in the Linux kernel and almost all hardware makers do not like 
the idea of publishing their drivers' source code.

That's the theory of Linux drivers. :) So the difference for you would be

Windows: you visit your hardware maker's homepage, download the driver and 
install it.

Linux: drivers are part of the kernel. Either within the kernel or a 
loadable module. Some can be installed from third party packages (e.g. 
Livna). If a driver you need is not part of the kernel or provided as a 
package you simply won't be able to use this particular hardware.

This is of course an oversimplification. Some drivers are available as 
source code and must be compiled first. But that's a non-trivial business 
and nothing for the unexperienced beginner.

> Graphics NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150

There are NVIDIA packages in rpm.livna.org or freshrpms.net. I've seen 
them working on a GeForce Go 7600.

> Networking/Wireless High speed 56K modem, Integrated 10/100 LAN,
> broadcom WLAN with Bluetooth option

LAN most probably will work, there are good chances WLAN will also do 
(with 3rd party packages, which Broadcom chipset is it exactly?), modem 
most probably won't work (see http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/).

> Media Card Integrated 5-in-1 digital memory reader slot (xD, SD, MMC,
> Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO)

Depends on the chipset. I've installed F8 on a HP Pavilion DV9000 where 
it "just worked" and on a Acer TM 8000 where a the card reader failed.

-- 
bye,
Adalbert

QOTD: "What do you mean, you had the dog fixed? Just what made you think 
he was broken!"