Linux on an Sony VAIO CR

Hi all
I just want that gorgeous computer, a sony vaio CR, but im interested in running linux (mandriva 2007) there. How is it going? Does anyone knows if it works? any experiences?

How about other distributions of linux?

 

I don't use CR, but I use FZ and Arch Linux has been running fine for about a month. Mandriva 2007 is undoubtedly too old to use on CR without some tweakings, but I think new Mandriva 2008 would work fine. Sorry that I cannot help more.

 

I have a different distribution of Linux, Ubuntu, installed on my FZ. I occasionally boot into it, but just to fool around. Of course it runs great but I dont have too much of an incentive to use it over Vista.

 

ok. It´s good to hear this, i´ll try ubuntu distribution.

Thanks vaio2k7

 

No problem...actually if you havent already installed Ubuntu, go for the newest release...Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy....its supposed to have a eye-candy UI

 

Haven't ever tried Ubuntu as a distro so far, but I hreard it is good.

Here is what I treied and what I am using on my laptop:

I have a Vaio FE-21M and getting all his components to run was a real pain. tried everything from Gentoo to Mandrivia. In every distro so far there were two problems that were unsolvable: camera and power saving. I tried all kind of guides on the net, but nothing worked or the results were faaar away from anything usable.
I recently remember about SuSe and what great hardware support they had back when I bought my first boxed edition (which btw is worth every peny...the manuals are so damned good!). I downloaded openSuSE 10.3 DVD version and gave it a try.
Here is how it went:

Mouse and mousepad were recognised right from the begining, INCLUDING the hot spot zone on the mousepad for scroling vertically and horizontally and the special button in the corner O_O the thing that the driver does under windows. Then off to keyboard...nothing special here. All buttons work except the FN+F1-12 , but those can be keymaped after install.
After you are done with the kyboard and mouse, it sets up the internet connection so it can get latest updates from the net and additional software. Both the wireless and wired cards were recongnised and configured real fast to DHCP mode (I am using a wireless router at home). So wireless worked out of the box Next the soft winmodem was detected, but never configured it since I am not yet using it. Not sure if it will work, but it was correctly detected.
Now we also have internet and the following step was to select the packages I wanted. I installed KDE at first (but am since then moved to GNOME). The coolest thing was, that I could right from the start download the NVidia driver and get right away with 3D accel. As a sidenote here, NVidia has made some sort of control panel like the one in windows, only difference is, here it has only OpenGL settings.
I also got wine latest build and configured it, since I am still playing the ocasioal game. The rest are standart linux packages.
Following is the partioning and then the install. After that you make final settings and you are done. During the final settings all the card readers, DVD-RW and other such things were detected and configured np, including the video camera. I tested it and it works great.

So I would suggest you try openSuSe, since the great hardware support. It is not as fast as other distros, but has always been the best from point of view of drivers and hardware. If you try it, drop a comment how it went.

 

i thought opensuse was supposed to be pretty fast?

 

Well it is fast, but takes a bit longer to boot then let's say puppy linux or similar products. Unless you mind 20 seconds boot times, it is great because of the hardware support. programs and packages are the same as in any distro, so I never compared those, except what comes direct on the dvd. During install suse can get almoust everything from the web, so what is on the DVD is really unimportant.

It's stable, run without problem....only FN keys and brightness adjustment turned out to be a pain, but solved after a sleepless night.

 

i hv just purchased a sony vaio cr36 laptop running Vista and has a recovery partition too......... vaio cr36 has 200 GB hard disk and 2 GB ram and 2.1 ghz penryn processor with 1200X800 resolution........

i m trying to install Linux on my laptop but its not working........... if anyone dual booted any linux with Vista pls lemme know its urgent..........

 

It's best if you started your own thread on this Ronan, that way we can help you out easier.

 

I got a SONY VGN-CR13 last year, and download a ubuntu 7.04, but can not install, and then try ubuntu 7.10, still can not install, so the problem is the video card ati x2300. and I turn to openSuSE 10.3, hey man, openSuSE is so nice and easy to use, with the zypp and ymp, you can install online, and with YaST, you can manager the system very easy. better that ubuntu.I think.
and last week, I got openSuSE 11.0 a brand new openSuSE Linux. Nice.