Computer build for linux compatibility

submitted by Shaylee from (self.Linux)

A lot of switch to linux people gloss over the fact a lot of hardware sucks ass with linux and can't be fixed due to proprietary driver issues. This makes people install and then everything sucks, me included. Just try using most low end nvidia cards and you'll quickly see the screen tearing makes the computer unusable since the proprietary drivers blow and so does the open source drivers. Only the most powerful cards are said to work, but in my experience nobody buys a 600 dollar card and uses linux so I find that misleading.

I am interested in an apu, possibly the a8-9600 or a ryzen 2200g. Anyone have experience with these on linux?

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[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

this is fakenews, people who never tried linux use this obvious lie

[–]wizzwizz4 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

It's not (entirely) an "obvious lie"; X is 90's era technology designed for a different purpose to the one it's used for, so there's tearing when not in (double-buffered) full-screen mode for programs using the standard APIs. However, it's far from "unusable"; all you get is a small, barely-noticeable tear across the screen when scrolling.

However, sudo apt install firmware-linux-nonfree fixes all of the other problems.

[–]JasonCarswell 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (28 children)

I've got an old box from about 2007. It was great then and was used to animate Zigby and other things at Digital Alchemy animation studio in Vancouver, BC, co-run by Rob Gandell and Chris Brown (common name).

I had nothing to do with that Zigby production and after they'd wrapped I arrived at my college friend's studio in early 2008 and left Vancouver late 2009, I think.

So I was going to install Linux Mint on that old box. It's on a thumb drive ready to go but I need to get the Plop Boot Manager to work from CD because that old box's bios won't boot from USB.

Because I don't know what I'm doing I lose patience and get frustrated, leave it for a while, then forget what I'd learned, before coming back to get frustrated again. One day I'll crack it. Or buy another box.

[–]Shaylee[S] 4 insightful - 2 fun4 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 2 fun -  (27 children)

HAH, plop, thankfully it's a lot easier to install now, even a noob can do it depending on the distro. Mint is still one of the top, basically win xp and a bit harder to do network sharing but lots of documents now. I expect 2020 linux will become popular.

[–]JasonCarswell 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Linux for President 2020 !

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (25 children)

I'm not sure if the DVDRom is working or not. Plus I don't have proper space and a monitor to view it all correctly. Frustrating. Biggly.

After I get Plop working, my next project will be to give up one of my current monitors to see and use it. That's not really the tricky part. Currently I have 2 boxes, 3 if I use that old one, with 6 monitors, using one mouse and one keyboard - via "Input Director". https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Input+Director

I'll want to control the 2 Win7 boxes and the old Linux Mint from one keyboard and mouse if I can. If it all goes well, I hope to convert all the boxes to Linux Mint.

[–]Shaylee[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Is the revive a novelty project? it's possible it was never compatible, it's actually the point of my post.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I won't know until I can get the disk working.

[–]Shaylee[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Good luck, you describe 10 year old hardware, i doubt they did anything for it in the meantime.

[–]Shaylee[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

I've tried to revive a lot and resell, power pcs ect, not worth it for many who can run a server on a pi device instead.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Good to know. Hadn't thought of going for Pi.

It's kind of a novelty project. Making use of old gear seems noble. And a waste.

At present I only have 7 wishes:

  1. build more FreeNAS systems for all my drives

  2. build a server for decentralizing stuff, maybe VPN, Fediverse, IPFS, Holochain, torrents, etc

  3. build a router with FreeNAS, likely for downloading too

  4. build some more Linux Mint boxes

  5. open a local animation studio

  6. develop and produce my projects

  7. do it all without any income

[–]Shaylee[S] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

You might be interested in a vps btw, they use highly effiecient servers and massive bandwidth compared to home servers. Easy to use also, since it's basically your home computer on network roids.

[–]Shaylee[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yep that's my feeling when I revive old stuff. Don't worry about it though, since the population is so high we throw out truckloads of shit everyday. There is things to worry about and things you have no control over, typically I have zero to worry about besides eating.

[–]wizzwizz4 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (17 children)

I'll want to control the 2 Win7 boxes and the old Linux Mint from one keyboard and mouse if I can.

Get a wireless keyboard with multiple output sources; that's probably the easiest way.

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (16 children)

I have a Logitech MX5500

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Logitech+MX5500

[–]wizzwizz4 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (15 children)

It's overkill, but you could program a Raspberry Pi to serve as a switchable proxy…

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (14 children)

LOL. I couldn't program it.

[–]wizzwizz4 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (13 children)

Neither could I, tbh. Give me two years and a research team and maybe. :-)

[–]JasonCarswell 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (12 children)

It can't be that hard. There's all sorts of ways to "give over controls" of your computer. I'm guessing there must be a Linux based version of something like TightVNC if I can't find a simpler app like Input Director over my LAN.

If you could modify existing open source apps to serve the masses crossing from WinXX to Linux Mint you might have a decent business if the donations rolled in.

[–]wizzwizz4 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (11 children)

I've actually got a friend who wants to do that.

It can't be that hard.

Oh no. Please, just stop now, or you'll end up mad like me. Go no further.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

The ryzen 2200g seems pretty sketchy still. I don't see any recent issues with a8-9600, but there were some on launch.