freebsd on netbook

[Anh Ky Huynh]

On Thu, 20 May 2010 02:56:54 -0300
Gonzalo Nemmi <gnemmi at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, May 20, 2010 at 1:16 AM, Warren Block <wblock at wonkity.com>
> wrote:
> > On Thu, 20 May 2010, Anh Ky Huynh wrote:
> >
> >> I intend to buy a netbook for convenience (for many remote jobs,
> >> a netbook seems to be enough) whose cost is around $400. I'd
> >> like have freebsd on that netbook (oh, no linux, no windows,
> >> please :-) but it's hard to choose a right one that works fine
> >> (even with Ubuntu. See
> >> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Netbooks.)
> >
> > http://laptop.bsdgroup.de/freebsd/index.html has a lot of
> > user-supplied information.
> >
> > I've used FreeBSD on Acer Aspire One models AOA150 and D250.
> >  Most of the basic hardware is the same on all brands: Atom
> > processor, Intel chipset. Potential problem areas are card
> > readers, wireless, and even wired Ethernet.
> >
> > Watch out for the Poulsbo/GMA500 video in newer netbooks.  Sounds
> > like xorg is questionable on them so far.
> 
> Keep an eye on the ethernet and wireless cards too. Be sure _not_ to
> buy anything that comes with Broadcom chipsets (be it ethernet or
> wireless) specially if you are buying from Dell.
> 
> Best advice I could give you is:
> 
> - Set a top price: How much will you spent on it.
> 
> - Based on that number, look for the netbook you like the most
> (given that they all pack almost the same hardware ... looks and
> probably keyboard are what make the difference... at least until
> AMD/ATI netbooks start to show up)
> 
> - Once you have a candidate, use google to try and get the output of
> "lspci -vv" (that's 2 v, and not  1 w) from somebody running linux
> on the netbook you have chosen. ( the output of "pciconf -lbcv" will
> probably be harder to get .. )
> 
> - Make sure all the hardware ( or at least the parts you care
> about ) are fully supported under FreeBSD. Specially:
> suspend/resume as we are talking on a netbook in here and hence ..
> full suspend/resume support is vital.
> 
> - With all that info in your hands, come back, post it to the list
> and ask if somebody owns the netbook you'd like to buy .. what
> problems they've run into (if any) and how was their experience
> running FreeBSD under that particular netboook.
> 
> - Having done that, and knowing in advanced what you are about to
> get into ... just decide whether to spend your hard earned money on
> it or not =)
> 
> My take?
> I decided to wait (for the last 4 months with the money on my
> wallet) until Dell released the new version of the Dell Latitude
> 2100 .. and then the Latitude 2110 showed up a week or so ago ..
> After seeing they went with the lackluster Atom N470 and it's
> crappy video chipset instead of going with the new AMD/ATI combo,
> that they only offer "Dell Wireless cards" (which AFAIK are all
> based on Broadcom chips) with no option to pick an intel 5100, and
> knowing they use soldered Broadcom ethernet chips, I decided not to
> spend my money on it and spend it in something that works for me,
> instead of spending it on something that only works for them =)

I have Compaq Pressario with a Broadcom chips here. You know, I always get troubles with my wireless connection :)

> 
> Tips:
> - Do not buy anything with Broadcom Corporation NetLink BCM5906M
> ethernet cards.
> - Do not buy anything with Broadcom Corporation chips
> - Do not buy anything with Broadcom Corporation components
> - Do not buy anything that has the word Broadcom written on it or in
> its packaging, manuals or documentation.
> - Always look for harware from manufacturers that make their
> chipsets documentation available to the public, or at least, to the
> devels of different Open Source (specially BSD) projects.
> - Even if it's not my cup of tea and I am in no way recommending you
> to even consider them, _do_ take a look in here as it has a lot of
> information: http://wiki.freebsd.org/AsusEee
> 
> Hope that helped =)
> Best luck on your buy

Thank you so much, Gonzalo. You provide very very useful tips when buying computer to use with FreeBSD :)

-- 
Anh Ky Huynh