Compal JFL92 Linux compatibility..

Hi,

Is the Compal JFL92 fully linux compatible?
I'm thinking of buying this (a PowerPro P 11:15 which is based on JFL92) to run OpenSuse 10.3-64 / 11.0-64 for grad school.

Is anyone running Linux on JFL92? Or at least, can someone who owns one try out a livecd (maybe the opensuse one at http://software.opensuse.org/ ) and let me know if JFL92 is linux compatible..

And if possible, please point me to references (if any) for running linux on JFL92.

Thanks in Advance.
/varghese

 

Yes, I'm running Scientific Linux 5.1 (dual boot with Vista). It works OK -- the wireless card takes some effort to get to work properly, but that might not be the case with a newer version of Linux.

 

Yes, it should, Ubuntu is based on Linux and works very well on it.

 

Oh cool. Thanks Althernai, that makes me feel a lot better.
Could you also tell me if the built-in webcam works fine under linux.

 

Thanks Wirelessman. If Ubuntu also works, I won't have worry at all..

 

I just stuck a different hard drive in my FL92 and I'm installing Ubuntu 8.04 Beta. So far LAN and wireless work and nvidia driver is downloading. I'll post more later.

 

Please do keep us informed. You might want to take a look at my page on the IFL90 if you run into any issue since the JFL92 and the IFL90 share a good deal of the same hardware. (It is worth also looking at the comments too because some of the issues depend on whether you are running 32bits or 64bits.) Here's the page:

http://lddubeau.com/avaktavyam/linux-on-a-compal-ifl90/

(If I'm repeating myself somehow, please bare with me... I just don't remember what I told whom. )

 

Christ almighty, it takes 2 1/2 hours to download 537 updates for Ubuntu and thats not all of them. This is like the old days of dial up.

 

Why are you installing the 8.04 beta? The official 8.04 is available now.

 

Because I had the beta on a disk already and it was close at hand.

 

I see. Well enjoy it.

 

I will enjoy it.

 

Sorry, where is SD?

 

South of ND.

 

I guess I should have asked, what does SD stand for?

 

All the updates will be installed anyway ^^ so after that it won't be beta anymore. That's what I love about linux: no reboot after most updates and ability to seamlessly go from alpha to a final version

 

Most likely, South Dakota. It's one of the states of the USA.

 

Of course I know it, I'm in Maryland myself.

 

I have been working with Ubuntu from the disk and it's extremely slow.

 

Slow? What exactly is slow about it? it feel sluggish? You connection is slow? Please develop your point.

 

To boot ubuntu is slow.

 

Thanks everyone for the many replies..

One specific q too.. Will the builtin webcam work under linux ?
Anyone tried skype or ekiga or something with the webcam?

/varghese

 

Are you using an amd platform on your old laptop?

 

The webcam works fine with Cheese. It's a photobooth-like program, pretty neat look for it on synaptics.

 

"Out of the Box" everything works with Ubuntu except the web cam, fingerprint, TV, and Robson memory. Boots real fast, probably doesn't need the Robson. Ayle's suggested Cheese program should work with the web cam and I think Lemur's website had something about the fingerprint.

 

Ekiga works with the web cam on the IFL90.

As for the fingerprint scanner, I have noted some sources of information about support in Linux but I found nothing which clearly demonstrates that the fingerprint scanner on the IFL90 is supported by any tool anywhere. It has been a while since I checked so the situation certainly may have changed since I last checked. If you find something, let us know.

 

Well it apparead as "Biometric device" followed by manufacturer and model when I look in my hardware infos...

 

Which command or tool shows you that information?

 

It appeared when I installed mandriva powerpack 2008 but it doesn't seem to show up in Hardy =/ In ubuntu I use the gnome-device-manager. Look for it in the repos.

 

AMD Athlon (tm) 64 FX-60 Dual.

 

Ok, do you get a black screen or do you see the ubuntu loading screen when it starts?

 

I get Ubuntu titel and the bar with the orange boxes moving left to right, very much like the loading process bar in Windows.

 

And how long does it take to boot? It shouldn't take more than 20 seconds

 

It takes about 4 minutes.

 

Ok cool, the webcam works !! Then OpenSUSE 11.0 on JFL92 it shall be
Thanks Ayle for confirming that..

Lemur, your site is an excellent source of info.. That one I hit when I searched for linux on the Sager NP 2090.. But was worried if there's some change which can give me trouble with the JFL92.. Now feeling good

Planning to go for the powernotebooks.com offering PowerPro P 11:15 rebranding of the JFL92..

Thanks people

/varghese

 

Quite understandable. As I said before, the only way to know for sure that Linux will run smoothly on any given machine is to actually have the machine and install Linux on it. Otherwise, that's just guessing. It can be a "good" guess or an "informed" guess but a guess is a just a guess.

If I had decided to buy an JFL92 two weeks ago when I first learned about it, I would have done that with PowerNotebooks' return policy as an escape route. That is, I would have installed everything on it right away, tested everything and returned it if I had found any major and unsolvable problem.

 

More exactly it takes about a minute to get the Ubuntu title and the loading bar, but it takes another 3 minutes to get to the desktop.

 

Try booting in recovery mode and see where exactly the loading hangs because your boot time is not normal

 

Sorry to bump a fairly old thread but I figured it would be better than creating my own. Was the general consensus that the JFL92 will run Linux? Because I'd like to buy the Sager NP2092 and I'm just double checking that I understood this all correctly. Additionally JFL92 = NP2092 Correct?

Thanks

 

It does run Linux. See:

http://lddubeau.com/avaktavyam/linux-on-a-compal-ifl90/

I created that page for the IFL90 but I later updated it for the JFL92 so now it covers both the IFL90 and the JFL92. For the purpose of running Linux, the JFL92 is pretty much the same as the IFL90.

And yes JFL92 = Sager NP2092.