New Dell Inspiron 9400: From Vista to Fedora/Vista.

[Nat Gross]

On 5/7/07, Sam Varshavchik <mrsam at courier-mta.com> wrote:
> Nat Gross writes:
>
> > On 5/7/07, Sam Varshavchik <mrsam at courier-mta.com> wrote:
> >> Nat Gross writes:
> >>
> >> > I would like to have Fedora on it in a dual boot config.
> >> > If I have to, I'll reinstall Vista (and free Win software) from scratch.
> >>
> >> Are you really sure you can do that?
> >>
> >> The Vista CD you have included with your shiny machine is, most likely, a
> >> castrated "rescue CD" that merely copies over the original Vista install
> >> image off a hidden, extra partition.  I'd be surprised if it even gave you
> >> an option of choosing your partition layout.  More than likely it just wipes
> >> everything clean and sets up an entire disk-spanning partition, again.
> >>
> > This is a Vista DVD and it seems like the complete Vista is on it.
> >
> > Currently I am trying the rescuecd but, although it boots ok, it won't
> > startx, so I cant do gparted - yet.
> >
> > Make me wonder if Fedora might also have gui problems on this.
>
> More than likely.  I'll probably get tired of repeating this: but you just
> can't pull a random laptop off the shelf, and expect that video will work
> flawlessly, in Linux.  That's not the way it works.
>
> Now, if you have the basic model, with the Intel 950 video, you might
> actually have lucked out, and there's a good chance that you'll get
> accelerated 3D out of the box.  If, however, you "upgraded" to the ATI
> x1400 video option, well, you've upgraded yourself out of Linux video
> compatibility (although you should be able to get basic 2D video working).
>
> Note that the preceding paragraph was based solely on the information I
> could easily pull off Dell's web site, and www.mesa3d.org.

Uh oh. We (we? *I* ) have a problem. I have the ATI X1400.
I think I'll return the sucker. Hope they let me.
nat