I know HP printers tend to be more linux friendly than others. In this light, I was wondering if certain motherboard brands tend to be more linux friendly than others.

Your thoughts?

For the past 2 - 3 years I've been using Biostar motherboards with AMD processors and haven't had any problems.

Just bought a Asus M4A78. No problems. The things with the motherboard that will give you trouble is the onboard network, wifi, graphics, sound card. That's what I think about when buying motherboards. ... and wait... did you just say that HP were Linux friendly? Guess you've had more luck than I have.

Yes, if you are still having trouble with your HP printer, then check out this link: http://hplipopensource.com/hplip-web/index.html

I've used various brands of boards with Linux, with both Intel and AMD processors. Never had Linux-specific trouble at all, but I'd like to express my opinion (shared by some at least, I guess): Avoid boards with SiS chipsets. Even respectable brands have trouble with Linux (see how painful it is to get video working with the Intel D201GLY motherboard). It was that painful for me to get video working on my laptop - and even so it's crippled (no 3D acceleration). And even under Windows their video chips have terrible performance.

Intel is excellent, they don't generally do heavy BIOS tweak, in fact they are quite conservative. Also Intel boards play it safe and use huge caps compared to other boards which use higher number of smaller caps. In general, they are not the fastest but when it comes to stability, they are top notch. ASUS and Gigabyte are another quality board manufacturers, MSI is good as well but I have had bad luck with all MSI boards sadly. On board graphics are headache except if they are nvidia so make sure to keep that in mind.

Just any motherboard brand will work in Linux. There are some components that motherboard manufactures includse on the main board that does not have good support in Linux. SIS chipsets are one because some of their models contains integrated graphics. Also Silicon Image, JMicron, and Marvell storage controllers are not matured enough yet. Marvell NIC is another component that is not mature enough to be used every day.

The motherboard brands that I have that works in Linux with out any problems are Abit and MSI. I tend to stay away from ASUS and DFI because they contain the the above components that are not yet reliable in Linux. Other brands include ECS and Gigabyte. Foxconn has some hidden hatred against Linux, so their motherboards depends on Windows to work which sadly has been documented.

Both nVidia and ATI integrated graphics works in Linux. nVidia has more support for their graphics, so their hardware works better in Linux compared to ATI. ATI graphics does provide an option to use proprietary modules (drivers) or open source modules (drivers).


It seems the problem is the user. You either buy low quality power supplies or a low quality motherboard models. Probably it is both.

Using more capacitors with lower microfarads compared to few capacitors with higher microfarads really is not any different in how well they operate. The real difference is ESR. Lower the ESR better the capacitor is for switch-mode applications. Usually low capacity capacitors have lower ESR than capacitors with high capacity. The ESR affects the ability to charge and discharge the energy in the capacitor.

Intel motherboards are mainly are reference designs. Sure they are OK, but they have limits when handling more powerful processors.

Intel server motherboards handle the most powerful of their own CPUs, there is absolutely no issue. With regards to capacitors, smaller ones are used by higher performance motherboards for speed and timing as well as overclocking abilities, bigger caps in Intel motherboards follow their reference design on which every other Intel compatible motherboard is based on, its meant for stability and Intel motherboards pop no surprises there, every enterprise level HP and other servers are made on Intel motherboards.

You need to go back to school and learn about electronics. Your thinking of larger and smaller capacitors relating to quality is not true.

HP uses ASUS and Foxconn for its motherboard providers.

And there are the little things...

Some motherboard firms make it easy to upgrade a BIOS without recourse to that Windows or floppy disk that one doesn't have. Gigabyte Q-Flash is an example.

Following the logic that God is with the large battalions, one would expect that certain firms would have both the more capacity and the will to maintain the support of their products better, longer.

As far as whether the board works with linux without issues (as opposed to manufacturing quality, which is a very different issue), think 'chipset' and not 'motherboard brand': if the chipset works well, it works well and it makes little difference who stuffs the chips into the board.

I don't think that's difficult as they have more-or-less dropped out of the market, these days, haven't they? Anyway, I haven't seen one for a few years. Otherwise, good advice, though, as SiS always used to be 'interesting' to get working.

Actually, it is, if you take into account the fact that some sizes of capacitors are available in different technologies from others, and the different technologies give the capacitors different characteristics. See http://www.analog-europe.com/211200401 for an article that doesn't over-simplify the issue out of existence, which some earlier articles in the series did (although, it only deals with the capacitors and their characteristics, which isn't the whole story, by any means).

On a related note, would the processor (AMD or Intel) matter? I would suspect that by now (the year 2009) both AMD and Intel processors, dual cores, or whatever they are called, can handle all types of OS. Is that correct?

Any processor can run any data. They are just garbage in and garbage out hardware. The software have to support the processor. If the operating system does not support symmetrical or multiple processors, only one processor will be used or in worst cases it will not work at all. Both AMD and Intel processors are based on the 80x86 machine architecture. Each model carries its own set of instructions and it includes instructions for older models. For example a program compiled for 80386 can run on any model that is equal to 80386 and above. If the program is compiled for an 80686, models before this processor can not run it. The 80x86 model scheme still holds true for today, but the name is advertised instead of the model. At this time there are many names for 80x86 processor such as Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, Athlon, Phenom, Core, i7, Itanium. In order to find out the machine model, you have to dig for the information. A Pentium Pro and up are 80686 although a Pentium 4 is a hidden 80786 which people still counts it as a 80686.


I was stating the same information if you did not catch it. Arup65 is relating quality as size. This is the same as judging the book by the cover. For capacitors, it is best to judge them by their specs. Judging based on size does not hold true because a 1000 microfarad capacitor can take on many different sizes. I am stating again that multiple capacitors works better than one capacitor in circuit for filtering. Multiple capacitors lower ESR. Also from the article using multiple capacitors helps lowering particular noise peak which I already know. The article does not tell is using multiple capacitors helps to have faster discharge and charge cycles which can help during idle and load peaks.

You need to learn English, where have I said its about quality, its design and you haven't the foggiest idea about it. Bigger caps allow more stability with slow timing, smaller caps allow quicker response and timing but sometimes can be troublesome when the caps age. Also smaller caps need to dissipate heat quickly. Its about design and priorities, Intel boards prefer stability over speed, ASUS prefers cutting edge with BIOS tuned for speed, not that it means they are unstable but then its a choice the manufacturer makes.

As for HP using Foxconn, Foxconn makes Intel's desktop boards, for all mission critical servers, suggest you find a way to get inside them and see what boards they are using, only Intel made in USA boards, nothing else. These boards are not available to general public, only big time OEM like HP and others.

http://www.intel.com/products/server...oard/index.htm

Take a look here, ASUS makes far fewer multi CPU boards, when you need boards supporting more than four CPUs, its Intel only. Learn before you open your trap.

You keep on stating the visual of size instead of the value of size. Capacitors state based on value of size. Capacitors have to be compared based on specs not on visual of size.

Multiple capacitors helps with lowering ESR or Equivalent Series Resistance. Lower ESR helps during filter the power or lowering ripple voltage. Multiple capacitors helps to dissipate heat over a larger area and to achieve a desire ESR.

None of server boards from Intel comes with more than two, so you are wrong that they come with four. You are also wrong if you want a server with four or more physical processors an AMD system will be a better choice.

ASUS counts for the builder selecting poor power supplies, so they count for the worst conditions. Intel is assuming the builder is selecting high quality power supplies. ASUS is not the only brand. Tyan also makes server motherboards. Tyan also counts for the worst of conditions.

ASUS may not have as many quantity of motherboards, but this does not mean that they do not have any contracts with companies. Quantity does not make a quality manufacture.

Intel is an only USA brand is completely bullshit these days. In order for Intel to compete at price, their motherboards have to be constructed in another country. They may then be brought into USA for quality assurance. Unfortunately all companies in the computer industry are out sourcing.