Linux on Laptops


Hot | Pre-Installed | Models | XFree86 | Components | Articles | Volunteer Support | Files | Mailing List | Newsgroups | Magazines | General Laptop | General Linux | Comments | Disclaimers

Linux is a freely-distributable clone of the UNIX® operating system. It gives users and developers the freedom to use an open systems environment on common PC hardware. And for many, the hardware of choice provides the freedom of mobility to take their workstation with them wherever they may go. This is a collection of information and documentation of interest to those who now use or are considering using the Linux operating system on a notebook or laptop computer.

Location:This page is available exclusively on the World Wide Web at its original North American location, http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/, and at the following official mirrors.

 **NEW** Last Modified: 12 April 1999


Hot Topics

Linux Laptop HOWTO
This dosument will tell you (almost) everything you might want to know about running Linux on a laptop or notebook computer. Especially important is the section about how to choose a notebook to buy that will be compatible with the Linux operating system.

Windows Refund Center
You might be entitled to a refund for Microsoft Windows and any other related OEM software that may also be included on your notebook computer, if you have installed Linux on a machine which came preloaded with Microsoft Windows. This web site contains extensive information, including success stories, and advice. Fight back against the "Microsoft Tax!"

Toshiba Publicity Experiment
Some owners of Toshiba notebook computers have been discouraged by Toshiba's recent refusals to publish programming information about their proprietary, notebook hardware, such as their infrared controllers. This site proposes a way to get Toshiba's attention.


Linux Pre-Installed on Notebooks

Don't want to hassle with installing Linux yourself? Tired of paying the "Microsoft Tax" just to buy hardware? The following companies will sell notebooks and laptops with the Linux operating system pre-installed. Many offer additional commercial software, such as X servers, or suites of office utility programs designed to take advantage of Linux.


Running Linux on Specific Notebook Models

Several mini-HOWTO style documents describe setup and configuration of Linux on specific brands of notebooks. (Listed in alphabetic order by vendor name.) If you do not see a specific notebook brand or model listed here, it is because no one has taken the time to document the specifics of installing or running Linux for that machine. If you are looking for specific information about a laptop not listed here, you might want to try searching the Linux Laptop Volunteer Support Database for someone willing to answer your questions. I highly encourage anyone using Linux on some notebook not listed here to help by providing documentation! The best way to contribute is to publish your information on a web page and email the URL to kharker@cs.utexas.edu. Please do not send me just XF86Config files; I don't have a good way of handling them. Either put them on a web page and send me the URL, or contribute them to the archive project.


Notebooks and XFree86

This section contains information relevant to configuring the XFree86 X Window System server on notebook and laptop computer LCD displays.


Information on Specific Notebook Components

Information about system configuration, PCMCIA support, power management, sound, networking, parallel devices, and more.


Articles and Presentations

Articles, presentations, and talks specifically involving Linux running on laptop computer hardware.


The Linux Laptop Volunteer Support Database

The Linux Laptop Volunteer Support Database is an attempt to match those people who use the Linux operating system on notebook or laptop computers and who wish to give back to the Linux community and help other users with those people who have questions, problems, or concerns about getting Linux running on their mobile computers. The basic idea is that volunteers can leave their name, e-mail address, and the brand name and model of the laptop or notebook computer they are familiar with and willing to answer questions about, and those with problems or questions can look up others who are willing to help.

Those who already using Linux on their notebooks or laptops are highly encouraged to sign up - the value of this service to the Linux community grows with the number of volunteers and the variety of hardware represented.


Utilities, Patches, and Files

Miscellaneous Linux kernal patches, utilities, and files of specific interest to laptop and notebook computer users.


The linux-laptop Mailing List

There is now a linux-laptop mailing list available for subscription. It has relatively little traffic, but can be a useful place to discuss issues related to running linux on laptop computers. The list is maintained by a Majordomo process. To subscribe, send an electronic-mail message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu with:

subscribe linux-laptop firstname lastname emailaddress

in the message body (your subject line can be empty - it will be ignored anyway), where firstname and lastname are the first and last names you'd like other people on the list to see when you send mail to the list, and the emailaddress field is where you would like mail from the list to be sent. You will receive a welcoming message from the server with a little more information (that you should probably save for future reference.)

There is also a mailing list devoted to installing Linux on the Toshiba Portege series of notebooks.

There is now a new list about putting Debian Linux on notebook computers. Send email to debian-laptop-request@lists.debian.org with the subject "subscribe".


USENET Newsgroups

The USENET newsgroups can provide a source of information about aspects of running Linux on notebooks that haven't yet been documented. If you are unable to find the information you are looking for here or on any of the pages linked to from this site, a post to the USENET newsgroups may turn up an answer from someone that can help you.

Linux Newsgroups X Window System Newsgroups Hardware Newsgroups

Magazines and Newsletters

Magazines and newsletters about PC laptops in general, about mobile computing, about UNIX® in general, or about Linux.


General Laptop Information

These are sources of information of general use to laptop and notebook owners, regardless of the operating system used.


General Linux Information

More documentation about general Linux installation and configuration, as well as pointers to organizations and other sources of general Linux information.


Comments

Please send any comments, suggestions, or updates about the information presented here to me at kharker@cs.utexas.edu. If there's something laptop-related that you'd like to find, but can't - let me know about that, too, and I'll attempt to find the information. Comments about specific information resources pointed to by this site should go to the respective author(s) of the documents.


Disclaimers

For those concerned about such things, please note that there are a few disclaimers about this publication and its content.

The Linux Laptop Home Page is copyright © 1997 Kenneth E. Harker. Permission to make digital/hard copy of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage, the copyright notice and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of Kenneth E. Harker. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists requires prior specific permission and/or a fee.


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Kenneth E. Harker kharker@cs.utexas.edu

No Warranties: This information is provided "as is" without any warranty, condition, or representation of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, any warranty respecting non-infringement, and the implied warranties of conditions of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall Kenneth E. Harker, the University of Texas Department of the Computer Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, or any directors, trustees, or employees thereof be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential or other damages howsoever caused whether arising in contract, tort, or otherwise, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the information contained on this web site.