Linux friendly notebooks

joboy · 10-17-2012, 01:44 AM

Hi there,

I am running Ubuntu on Lenovo notebook and so far so good, but I have some problem with other made, HP is one of them. HP 'over use' the hard disk partitions, prevented me to install multi boot. And I learn that, due to BIOS change (microsoft), non ms windows OS is not possible to install on some new PC, but it is hard for me to check before purchase a new notebook, any idea about that ? how about Fujitse, it is Linux friendly ? what is the use of Fujitse's SSD ? some Lenovo has SSD for quick boot to Linux, and that does not affect mutli boot.

Thanks for you response !

cascade9 · 10-17-2012, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joboy

I am running Ubuntu on Lenovo notebook and so far so good, but I have some problem with other made, HP is one of them. HP 'over use' the hard disk partitions, prevented me to install multi boot.

Thats because the windwos recovery partition is at the end of the drive. Due to the way that HDD partitioning works, that makes it difficult/impossible to install linux without some stuffing around.

I'd just copy the recovery partition somehwere else if I had any intention of resinstalling windows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by joboy

And I learn that, due to BIOS change (microsoft), non ms windows OS is not possible to install on some new PC, but it is hard for me to check before purchase a new notebook, any idea about that ?

That would be the BIOS to UEFI change. While I'm not 100% happy about it, to say that it will be impossible to install 'non windows OSes' isnt true.

business_kid · 10-17-2012, 03:40 AM

HP is actually OK. Look at my disk

Quote:

bash-4.2$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xc2eb98e0

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 73400984 36700461 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 292941824 309317631 8187904 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3 309325824 312578047 1626112 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda4 73400985 292929209 109764112+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 73401048 73577699 88326 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 113916978 154079414 20081218+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 154079478 202290479 24105501 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 202290543 292929209 45319333+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda9 73577763 81931499 4176868+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/sda10 81931563 113916914 15992676 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

HP gave me sda1-3, and sda1 extended up to sda2. I simply shrank sda1, and put in sda4, an extended partition. Everything else is in that. I had to resize swap which messed up the partition table, but otherwise it's ok.

joboy · 10-24-2012, 12:14 AM

I tried to install Ubuntu alongside Win7 on my HP tablet (sold, forgot model) but unsuccessful due to no spare partition to use, I have to remove a partition used by HP to do it, and Win7 still boot but with error message, I forgot what exactly I've done, it was a year ago and I traded the HP for the Thinkpad. I know I could do it but not as straight forward as with the Thinkpad, with the Thinkpad everytime I try a new distribution I only have to remove all *nix partition to make room, then I will be able to install dualboot without problem, so I decided to stick with Lenovo for now. I am not sure about the design on new models and the BIOS restriction, I am also interested in Fujitse Lifebook, but never have one before. Most important is, I want to be able to restore the notebook to it's original state any time with the build in recovery function when I needed to, so everything must be intact and at the right place after the dualboot installation, except the partitions are shrinked.