[ltp] Best laptop for Linux

[Steven J. Owens]

On Tue, Jan 03, 2012 at 12:24:18AM +0200, Micha wrote:
>    I've got a w520 running under Debian unstable. Almost everything is
>    working great, what's not working will give you some hints as to what to
>    look at:

     I have a T520, the higher end model with the second-best CPU
(Intel Core i7-2720QM Processor (2.20GHz, 6MB L3)).  

     I'm currently running ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric.

     The reviews and advice from friends suggested that the i7-2820QM
wasn't really worth the extra $200.

     They also suggested that the i5 in mobile could be sluggish (and
that mobile vs. desktop performance can be very different, since the
whole naming scheme is now far more marketing than technical, so a
mobile i5 is not necessarily related to a desktop i5.).

>    2. The machine has an NVIDIA GPU in an optimus setup (with Intel inside
>    the core i7 running the graphics). I can't get X to boot off NVIDIA in
>    optimus or auto mode. It will run off the Intel though. If I switch in the
>    bios to discrete mode it runs of the NVIDIA. I use the laptop for GPU
>    computing (CUDA) and CUDA works fine even when running off the Intel and
>    allows me to debug, and I don't need the NVIDIA for graphics so it's great
>    for me, but a mess for most people. It does means that it has a much worse
>    battery life in Linux.

     The T520 has discrete mode, so I just use the onboard Intel
graphics.  I tried to install the nvidia drivers a couple times, but I
use this laptop for customer work, so I just didn't have time to play
with it endlessly.  I'd still like to get it all working, but for the
*most* part I haven't noticed the lack.  Then again, I don't do CUDA
programming, or even really play video games.

     One problem I *have* noticed is that sometimes when the screen
saver blanks, it won't come back.  I filed a bug about it:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xserver-xorg-video-intel/+bug/886887

     I've found a work-around, which is to close the lid and send the
machine into suspend-to-RAM mode, then resume, and immediately log in.
I've disabled screen blanking (well, I went into the screen saver
preferences and set it to "blank after... 580 minutes").

>    I also can't connect an external screen in Intel mode as it drives Linux
>    insane (it starts spewing a lot of junk to the console and everything
>    grinds to a halt). In NVIDIA mode it works fine as long as I don't hit
>    Fn-F7 and just use the NVIDIA control panel.

     I use mine with an external screen every day, using the VGA-out.
Haven't even tried the HDMI adaptor, as I understand that's a hairy
mess.

     Other problems... I haven't tried suspend-to-disk lately, but
when I first upgraded it didn't resume-from-disk properly.

     I hate hate hate the 16x9 screen ratio, but you just can't get a
full sized laptop screen anymore.  Otherwise the machine has held up
pretty well.  I'm about a year in by now.

-- 
Steven J. Owens
puff@darksleep.com / (412) 401-8060 cell 
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