History of Linux Distribution

Ø  Linux distribution will appear after the Linux kernel was first used by other individual other than original Linux programmers. Linux programmers are who were interested in developing the operation system that developing application programs, user interface or convenient package. 

Ø  Linux distribution is a family member of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Distribution is operating system including a large collection of the software application (such as word processor). 

Ø  Linux distribution have taken a widely variety of forms because most of the kernel and supporting packaged are free and open source (example, server, notebook and so on).

Ø  Commercially-backed distributions:

·         Fedora(red hat)

·         openSUSE (Novell), 

·         Ubuntu (Canonical Ltd)

·         Mandriva Linux (Mandriva)

Ø  Entirely community-driven distribution, such as Debian and Gentoo.

Ø  Early distribution include:

v  H J Lu's "Boot-root" a two disk pair with the kernel and the absolute minimal tools to get started

v  MCC Interim Linux, which was made available to the public for download on the FTP server of University of Manchester in February 1992.

v  TAMU, created by individuals at Texas A&M University about the same time

v  SLS (Softlanding Linux System)

v  Yggdrasil Linux/GNU/X, the first CD-ROM based Linux distribution.

v  The Linux Family tree(Redux) can be seen in; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nF-MXeiXzw

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Step One - Find supported models

The Linux doesn’t yet have all the hard ware will support of by the other (operating system). Until the support is fully there, it is the best interest to find out if the laptop we use want will work under Linux and what level it works.  We must find what level to support our laptop before we buy it, otherwise will maybe end up with a paperweight (read; windows machine) on our hand.

            The best way to search the Linux laptop page and see if the brand and model we want is listed is there.  Linux laptop page (LLP) is where users have posted their experiences with Linux on their own model laptops.

            Linux is the typically not fussy about hardware that indeed is the one of its most endearing advantages. That some hardware is still doesn’t work well with Linux, due primarily to a historical lack of the right drivers.

             

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Step Five - things to remember

ü  Laptop are highly specialised devices that containing non-generic hardware usually built onto motherboard. Example; Dell has a Neomagic video chipset, but it can be crashes the X windows system and requiring to reboot.

ü  We must see if our purpose laptop has good Linux support of the hardware in laptop prior to installation. If windows are installed, open Control Panel and find out what windows thinks the hardware is.

ü  Compiling a Linux Kernel isn’t for the faint hearted. Distribution may come with adequate support built in. we need to decide whether we want to trim it down a little.

ü  Make sure always update BIOS to the latest version.

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Conclusion

Ø  GNU/Linux has progressed to a point where installation on a laptop computer is now viable.

Ø  If we intend to purchase a laptop to install Linux on, is the best to check out a few different models for their varying degrees of Linux support.

Ø  Don’t give up when something doesn’t work in first time; we must always try and take note of the onboard hardware.

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Key Features to select the best laptop for distribution

1.      Operating System

Ø  First thing we must now which distribution of Linux we want to use (to buy it preinstalled or to install by you).

Ø  Choosing a distribution (distro)is something that will depend on interest, level of expertise and so forth. The best distros for laptops include Ubuntu, openSUSE, Linux Mint and Fedora but also smaller-footprint ones such as Puppy Linux and Damn Small Linux (DSL) for low-resources machines.

2.      Processor

Ø  Among the most commonly found CPUs today are the Intel Atom N450; the Intel T4300, Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5 and quad-core Core i7; and the AMD Athlon 64 Mobile and Turion 64 X2.

Ø  The more cores in our computer, more calculation it can handle at once. That can make for better response times when you’re running multiple applications. Dual core is good for most purpose today because, processor speeds, meanwhile typically range 1.8GHz to 3GHz or more.

3.      System Memory

Ø  RAM is particularly important if you plan to use memory-intensive apps like virtualization, photo editing or video editing, or if you plan to dual-boot.

Ø  64-bit Linux distro or dual boot it is good idea to go for 4GB of RAM for maximum flexibility. Other hand, 32-bit distros alone don’t typically need more the 3 GB.

4.      Graphics

Ø  Fully supported low-end video cards for Linux include the Intel GMA 4500MHD, 945GM, 950 GMA, and X3100 GMA as well as Nvidia's Quadro NVS 160M.

Ø  On the higher end targeting video editing and 3D games there's the Nvidia Quadro FX 880M, FX 2800M, NVS 3100M, GeForce 9300M GS and GeForce 9300M, as well as the Intel GMA X4500 HD, ATI FirePro M7740, ATI Radeon HD 3650 and ATI Mobility Radeon HD4650, to name a few. 

5. Other specification

Ø  Wireless

·         Linux distros is fully support many common Broadcom wireless chips. Meanwhile Atheros and Intel are the two wireless will chips brand best known for their Linux compatibility.

Ø  Sound

·         Most on-board sound cards should work just fine with Linux, enabling users to play MP3, WAV, and OGG files as well as ripping audio CDs and more.

Ø  Optical Disk

·         Linux does not support DVDs and other optical format, if we want to play Blu-ray movies, we need to get Blu-ray optical driver that can read and write DVDs.

Ø  Screen, Hard Drive, Battery , and Keyboards.

Considerations on these should be much the same as for non-Linux laptops:

Portable Koala The world's smallest dual-core Linux laptop, the Dell-based Koala E6220weighs 3 pounds and packs in a 12.5" HD LCD,EVDO, 256GB Solid State Drive, and 8GB RAM. Also check out the Raven X220 Tablet, with handwriting recognition.

Versatile Toucan For the power of a large system (Core i7, 8GB, 7200rpm drives) without sacrificing portability, the ThinkPad-based Toucan T520 and W520 Linux laptops are hard to beat.

Powerful Rhino Our Dell-based Rhino M4600 system is the fastest, highest resolution Linux laptop available. It pairs high performance 3-D with 1920x1080 Full-HD LCDs, and 16GB RAM. TheRhino M6600, with 32GB RAM, Quad-core CPU, dual 750GB drives, a 17.3" FHD LED screen, and nVidia 4000M (320 Cuda cores) is also available.

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Step Two - Choose your GNU/Linux Distribution

2011 Best Linux Distributions for Laptops

Listed below are the top seven Linux operating systems for 2012. 

Each program was ranked based on ease of installation, user friendliness, and availability of help/support

• Ubuntu -  http://www.ubuntu.com

·         Ubuntu introduced  in 2004, becoming one of the most popular Linux distributions for desktops. 

·         This program is easy to install and use. 

·         The ample support comes from both technical professionals as well and end users. 

• PCLinuxOS - http://www.pclinuxos.com/

·         PCLinuxOS  introduced in 2003. 

·         It provides fast boot times and desktop software that is current. 

• Gentoo - http://www.gentoo.org/

·         Gentoo  introduced in 2000.

·         This program was designed for power users. 

·         It has exceptional security and extensive customization. 

• Mandriva - http://www2.mandriva.com/en/

·         Mandriva  introduced in 1998.

·         Mandriva also utilizes a KDE desktop and has great support which makes it a good program for beginners.

• openSUSE - www.opensuse.org/

·         OpenSUSE  introduced  in 1996.

·         Providing both a GNOME and KDE desktop environment has made it a crowd pleaser. It also gets high marks for help/support. 

• Debian GNU/Linux - http://www.debian.org/

·         Debian GNU/Linux introduced  in 1993. 

·         This program includes more than 20,000 software packages and supports more processor architectures.

·         It is known for its stability and quality control. 

• FreeBSD - http://www.freebsd.org/

·         FreeBSD  introduced  in 1993. 

·         The program is known for being fast and stable, and there are more than 15,000 software applications available.

·         Installation of FreeBSD not only lacks a graphical installer, but also lacks the convenient features of hardware detection and system configuration. 

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Step Three - Installing your chosen distro

1. Get into the BIOS of your laptop and change the boot order.

2. Depending on distro, you may see a text based setup screen (e.g., Debian), or a full graphical display (e.g., Mandrake).

3. You may choose your keyboard, mouse and video card.

4.  The only tricky part of an installation you will have is partitioning the hard drive.

 

created by : KHAIRUNISA' AZTIKAH BINTI ISMAIL (4111024301)