OT: Dell to offer linux pre-installed on desktops

[James Knott]

Lennart Sorensen wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 29, 2007 at 02:19:30PM -0400, Alex Beamish wrote:
>   
>> it's certainly interesting to watch Dell twist and turn in the avalanche of
>> public opinion at IdeaStorm: preloading Linux (thus making sure that it
>> works) is clearly something that's in demand. Once Dell understands that
>> Linux will help them sell hardware (their mission, after all), they'll be
>> all over it.
>>
>> Or, you would think.
>>     
>
> Now is Dell going to avoid machines that require proprietary drivers?
> After all in the past they have claimed RedHat support for some of their
> machines but the raid card or other device would only work if you used a
> binary only driver that was only available for specific redhat kernels.
>
> Still amazing to see Dell go from pure Wintel, to their current state.
> They actually deal a bit with non intel, and they deal a bit with non
> windows, even if they try not to really do it very much or even want to
> admit it very clearly.
>
>   

>From http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS8436091466.html

'However, at his blog, Matt Domsch, Dell's Linux software architect, did
go into more detail on how Dell will be approaching the problem of Linux
device drivers. First, given a choice in the matter, Dell will support
free software drivers over proprietary drivers every time.

Domsch wrote, "For device types where a choice exists between a
component with a non-Free driver and one with Free driver availability,
in our Linux offering we'll opt to bundle the component with the Free
driver."'

When Dell tells manufacturers that open source drivers are given
preference, the manufacturers are more likely to listen.  If they don't
they will lose business to someone who will.

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