On Sun, Jan 25, 2015 at 11:53:06PM -0500, Blaise Alleyne wrote:
Unfortunately, the model number isn't enough to go on by itself. While ThinkPads tend to be pretty good in general, it depends on some specific hardware inside it (and even the same model can come with slight variations).
Well all mine end in CTO, so you really don't know what is in them unless you were the one that ordered it. My guess is that CTO means 'Configure To Order' or something like that.
Does it have a standard Intel onboard graphics card, or does it have a Nvidia graphics? There are only proprietary Nvidia drivers available for GNU/Linux, whereas I think Intel graphics are usually good for free software drivers.
Yeah nvidia graphics can be a tad tricky to get working, although in the case of my W530, it works fine with the intel graphics if I am willing to ignore the nvidia even existing (I have managed to get optimus working though for the times I want 3D fast). The older ones that didn't use optimus ought to work with nvidiafb in general, but I suppose a few might need the proprietary nvidia drivers to work.
The other tricky this is wireless, and going with Intel isn't enough... I have Intel wireless adapters for my ThinkPad X60 and T61, both of which do *not* work with free software and require proprietary drivers in GNU/Linux. I thought I was okay because the wireless cards were "intel" when making the purchase, but I was wrong about the particular type of Intel wireless adapter.
No the intel wifi requires non-free firmware, but the drivers are fine. If you go back far enough to the old 2200, then it was a problem, but anything recent is fine.
(My workaround has been to buy a USB wireless adapter from ThinkPenguin for ~$25.)
In my (limited) experience, it's the graphics and wireless cards that you need to watch out for. Some may not work with free software drivers in GNU/Linux.
-- Len Sorensen