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Dell to choose Ubuntu

desktoplinux.com — Several sources within Dell have told DesktopLinux.com that Dell's desktop Linux pick is going to be Ubuntu, and that Ubuntu 7.04 will be available preinstalled on three Dell desktop and notebook lines by the end of May.

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  • jancewic, on 10/12/2007, -6/+48Sweet, this is good news if this happens.
    • GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -7/+48It would be extremely brave on Dells part in this age of patent pacts and litigation. Put simply if I was in Dell's position and wasn't an OSS fan I'd probably pick SLED for the support and yes for the indemnification. If Dell picks Ubuntu I predict we will see interesting times. Dell picking Ubuntu would be the absolute worse situation for the Redmond Imperium.
    • HerrEisenheim, on 10/12/2007, -70/+6How is this good news? Ubuntu is probably the worst choice. What is it that you people don't get about this?

      If Dell chooses Ubuntu, that means that they aren't going to support it. They are going to rely on community support. That means it's likely going to ship *broken*. What's the point? It's not going to be substantially cheaper. At best, you'll save $10 over the model that comes with Windows Vista pre-installed. Whoop-de-freakin' do! You are better off just getting the version with Windows Vista and loading Ubuntu /yourself/. You'll probably be able to do a better job installing it than Dell will anyway, and you make out with a Windows Vista license.

      Ubuntu fans are so pumped up trying to push the distro, but they never stop to think if they should. Ubuntu is a great distro, but it makes very little sense to have it pre-loaded on Dell PCs. You'd be better served by a RedHat/Novell alliance with Dell where they could work with the software people to make sure the software works with the hardware. Either of those companies could provide special versions of RedHat or SuSE for Dell boxes that work right out of the box, and that could be supported.

      If Dell ends up choosing Ubuntu, the whole thing was just a waste of effort.
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -2/+45HerrEisenHeim: You're completely off point. Ubuntu is backed by Canonical, which will most likely work with Dell to configure the installations and get the hardware working. Ubuntu is a great distro, and Dell will get the handholding they need to get it working on their machines-- BEFORE they are in the consumer's hands.
    • macarpen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+45@HerrEisenheim:
      Canonical provides commercial support for Ubuntu, this is something most people either don't know or chose to ignore.

      http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid
    • arbulus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11@HerrEisenheim
      It's a matter of usablity.
      I've never used Red Hat, but I've used Fedora, and I find it to be completely unusable. I know there are folk who can make it work well for them and their systems. I however cannot. And I figure that Red Hat can't be much different. They are much less straight forward and much more difficult to set up and configure. On the other hand, I have never had a problem using Ubuntu. It's easy to install, easy to configure, has fantastic support for peripherals, is fairly stable on most architectures, and there's a fantastic community out there that's able to help if you need it. Ubuntuforums.org, Linuxquestions.org, #ubuntu IRC, and on and on. I've never had a question that I couldn't find the answer to when dealing with Ubuntu.

      For this preinstallation, going with a distro that is out-of-the-box easy to use is the best idea, because it will be more friendly for the average user and potential new users. Support is second to usablity. But like I said, with the community that surrounds Ubuntu, there's no way anyone will be lacking for support. Ubuntu is probably the best idea for this situation.
    • NX910a, on 10/12/2007, -15/+3I would never use another Linux-based operating system besides Ubuntu.
    • jackcall, on 10/12/2007, -20/+3HerrEisenheim has a valid point though, why not shell out the extra $10 for a vista license? You can always just install ubuntu on your own, and a vista license is going to set you back more later on.

      What really matters is that Dell and the other large OEMs use standard linux compatible components.
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28jackcall, the point is that not everyone wants Vista. I personally do not run windows at all anymore, and Vista has serious performance, sercurity, usability, and personal rights issues. Check out badvista.fsf.org

      By purchasing computers without Windows, people can truly vote with their money, and stop paying Microsoft for software they do not want to use or financially support.
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10GMorgan, indemnification is a non-issue. The SCO vs. IBM case is winding down, and Microsoft is spreading unproven statements (FUD - fear, uncertainty, doubt) about IP and the Linux kernel. Novell doesn't even agree with Microsoft about this, and they're partners.

      I think Mr. Dell is intelligent enough to see through Microsoft's *****, and he is effectively calling Microsoft's bluff on this one. Dell is a major source of income for Microsoft, and you don't want your main supply of income to be pissed at you. Ubuntu is clearly a contender that can take on Windows, so Microsoft is no longer left with its previously unchallenged market control. (OS X doesn't count, it doesn't run on non-Apple hardware).
    • greatgospo, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2@arbulus

      If you can't get and of the modern Linux distros working well enough to use as a desktop you shouldn't be using Linux.

      The fundamental differences between most of the decent distros today are so small that anyone should be able to get just about anything working using resources like the ones you mention.
    • HerrEisenheim, on 10/12/2007, -13/+1Yes, I'm aware that Canonical provides support. That's fantastic. Too bad that doesn't really apply here.

      The support needs to be from Dell. The support needs to be in the way of making sure the hardware actually WORKS under Ubuntu. And not just half assed, properly. That's not always easy, especially in the notebook arena or with ATI video cards and drivers.

      Pre-loaded Ubuntu accomplishes nothing. It's a step backward for consumers. I think what some of you really want is the option to buy a notebook from Dell with NOTHING installed. Hey, that kind of makes sense! You can do that with some Dell models, and some HP models. You can just get them pre-loaded with FreeDOS. There you go. Now your money doesn't go to Microsoft. It's not like the finally product is really any cheaper to you.

      Pre-loading Ubuntu on Dell PCs is a flat out *stupid* idea. Ubuntu is one of those things you install yourself. If you want to make the argument that you should be able to buy a PC from Dell (or anyone really) without having to fork over that extra $10 for Windows, fine. I agree with that. Pre-installing Ubuntu is not the solution.

      How many people are really going to want to buy a notebook with Ubuntu pre-installed, and then have to either reinstall it or sit there and figure out what you need to do to get the drivers to work? Not many.

      The suggestion to Dell shouldn't have been, "We want Linux." It should have been, "We don't want Windows." You should just be able to choose, "No Operating System" as an option. The hardcore Ubuntu fans are all trying to get Dell onboard, but how many of those same fans are actually going o shell out for a Dell notebook with Ubuntu pre-installed? Dell isn't even particularly good at pre-installing Windows. If you can't even get the Ubuntu fans to shell out, then who the hell else is going to buy these things?

      I don't use Windows anymore either, but I'm sure as hell not going to order a PC from Dell with Ubuntu pre-installed.
    • generalloy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10HerrEisenheim:

      Obviously, Dell has said they would like to go with hardware supported under Linux with open source drivers-- *every single hardware issue* people have is with proprietary drivers. So, they'll go with them: hat means Intel graphics chip, Intel/Ralink wireless, etc, 3d out of the box. If they don't want Intel, Dell has the power to pressure the cheaper hardware companies, or hopefully nVidia, to open specs and help Nouveau. That means compiz or beryl OOB (again, the only issue with people who install Linux on their current machine is proprietary drivers from nVidia and ATI). I'm sure they'll have a customized version of Ubuntu, too.

      If you don't like it, you should have peace of mind that the hardware will work with whatever Linux you put on it. And, you get a free office suite and 20 000 free applications. Right there is the benefit of pre-installed Linux (plus, getting it to the "Grandmas" who are ignorant of viruses or spyware).

      If they sold machines without Linux, how exactly are we supposed to know that the hardware actually works with Linux?

      RE: support; I think Canonical and Dell are open to changing their support structure, or Dell wouldn't even be thinking of it.
    • Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15HerrEisenheim -

      You are absolutely wrong. The main point of having Ubuntu pre-installed is that you don't have to install it, and you don't have to fiddle with installing drivers - it's all preinstalled and just works. The second point is that you know that all the hardware is supported - Dell won't put an ATI video card or a Broadcom wireless device in a computer they sell with Ubuntu on it.

      This is great news, and it'll be even better news if Dell actually promotes these machines. HP and IBM each tried selling Linux pre-loaded for a couple months, but they didn't promote it at all and hid it in an inaccessible corner of their website so no-one would find it by mistake. Then, when a product they barely admitted to offering failed to sell they declared that there was no demand and stopped the experiment. I hope the same doesn't happen with Dell.
    • HerrEisenheim, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1"You are absolutely wrong. The main point of having Ubuntu pre-installed is that you don't have to install it, and you don't have to fiddle with installing drivers - it's all preinstalled and just works. The second point is that you know that all the hardware is supported - Dell won't put an ATI video card or a Broadcom wireless device in a computer they sell with Ubuntu on it."

      1. What makes you think that it will, "just work?"
      2. Are you still going to want Dell's Ubuntu install once it becomes commercialized and Dell starts pre-loaded Linux bloatware onto it? Sure, that doesn't really exists yet, but the day Dell starts shipping it pre-loaded it starts. You're going to get messed up with all sorts of GPL arguments.

      Whenever I order something from Dell or HP, and I don't send them my own image to install ahead of time, I just end up formatting it and using my own install.

      I get the feeling that a lot of people want to push this, not for themselves, but for other people. Like, if people have the choice to use Ubuntu because it's pre-installed they'll choose it. Sorry, but that's not the way it is. Linux doesn't work like that. Not yet.
    • greatgospo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1@Chandon

      "The main point of having Ubuntu pre-installed is that you don't have to install it, and you don't have to fiddle with installing drivers - - it's all preinstalled and just works."

      I thought this was what made Ubuntu so great? It's *so* much easier to install than other distros and *all* the drivers are included in the base install. Isn't that's why *everyone* chooses it. ;-)

      *IF* this happens it certainly will be interesting to watch from the sidelines -- which is where I'll be since Linux seems to run fine on my current laptop....


    • Offalycool, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0I like this Idea, but I can see it having undesired effects on open source software. I know most everybody installs the media codex on Ubuntu in order to play DVD’s and Mp3’s, but this practice is not technically legal, and this is only the start. Drivers and fundamental systems will split Ubuntu away from its open source. If Dell adopt Ubuntu it will have to be altered at a philosophical level, one of the best open source products out there will become fanatically tied to corporate money and contract. Dell may become the Microsoft of the next generation.
    • schroeder, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@HerrEisenheim
      "1. What makes you think that it will, "just work?""

      Are you an idiot or just a troll? Dell is not going to sell a computer that doesn't work. They will have all the hardware working or they won't sell it. Plain and simple. And if Dell does decide to add bloatware, you know right off the bat that reinstalling Ubuntu WILL work with your hardware. I personally have been waiting years for a company to make a pre-installed linux box so I know it would work. With the release of Fiesty I can finally use linux on my laptop. If not for that I would 100% buy a Dell with Ubuntu installed, event though I hate Dells, just because I know all the hardware would work. These machines aren't meant to replace Windows for everyone, just the people who want linux and don't want to mess around getting things working. The added bonus here is that if more people start buying these machines and using linux hardware companies will be pressured to open drivers or else lose the emerging market ( if all goes well ;) ). At any rate I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and call you a troll.
    • Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3schroeder -

      There are other companies who already sell Linux laptops. http://System76.com is what comes immediately to mind.
    • brokencrystal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@offalycool

      "I like this Idea, but I can see it having undesired effects on open source software. I know most everybody installs the media codex on Ubuntu in order to play DVD’s and Mp3’s, but this practice is not technically legal, and this is only the start."

      They will probably use LinDVD as Linspire does. This is legal.


      "Drivers and fundamental systems will split Ubuntu away from its open source. If Dell adopt Ubuntu it will have to be altered at a philosophical level, one of the best open source products out there will become fanatically tied to corporate money and contract. Dell may become the Microsoft of the next generation."

      Dell is a hardware company, not a software company. Driver support is a good thing. I would rather have a proprietary driver, than no driver at all. In other words, I would rather have a PC that works, rather than a broken PC. I hate ATI's drivers for Linux because they do not support composite or AIGLX, but Dell will probably use an NVIDIA or Intel chipset in these systems. If ATI wants to sell their chipset, they will be forced to make better drivers. If not, they loose a huge amount of (Dell's) customers. This will only improve drivers, and my Linux experience...

      I am all for this move!
    • tuxeh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0As I haven't been using Linux much at all could someone answer this. Does Linux automatically register new hardware and install the appropriate drivers? I mean, most users are bound to change some pieces of hardware every once in a while, wont that cause huge trouble for the teenage gamer or the random old person (They are still persons!).
    • EndersGame, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0HerrEisenheim, you are wrong. This is good for Linux, its the first time Linux can tap into a market it was never able to tap into before, and it happens to be a very large market: the people that don't know how to install Linux.

      Lots of Linux users already preach Linux, I personally don't because I know lots of my friends would have problems getting everything to work and hate it immediately, hell thats why I don't use it myself. But once something like this is available, I WILL preach Linux just like all my Mac using friends preach Mac and get a couple people here and there to switch. And just like I have gotten ALL my friends to switch to Firefox. This may not seem like an amazing feat to most of you because most of you are nerds. I am somewhat of a nerd but all my friends were the high school athletes and cheerleaders and hellbent partiers...you know...quite often the dumber people. And most of them are glad they switched, some of them don't care, but the ones that did like it are telling their friends about Firefox. Anyways you get the ***** picture by now, and its a vicious cycle from there on out. The more people that are interested in Linux, the more support it gets and more user friendly it becomes.
    • arbulus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"If you can't get and of the modern Linux distros working well enough to use as a desktop you shouldn't be using Linux. "
      @greatgospo

      That's not a fair assessment. What if I said that I had a difficult time installing and using Gentoo? Would you find that odd? No, you wouldn't, because different distros have different levels of skill needed to use them. A person who has been using Linux for 2 weeks probably would not be able to install Gentoo. However a more seasoned and experienced user would have a better grasp of it. Now I'm not saying that no one can use Red Hat or Fedora. I'm just saying that for my purposes and for my setting, I couldn't, and I'm not a n00b at all. I in no way believe that Red Had or Fedora are beginner distros, and that was the point I was trying to make. A pre-installation of Linux might help more people make the switch from other platforms, but if you're giving them a distro that is not geared toward ease of use and beginner-friendliness, then it's going to hurt the entry level.
  • jasnmb, on 10/12/2007, -3/+36I wonder how much cheaper the systems will be with Ubuntu instead of Windows. I'd love to get a budget laptop with Ubuntu pre-installed.
    • pak314, on 10/12/2007, -1/+44My guess is it will not be any cheaper since these companies get money by installing crapware on the Windows systems. Most Linux users will not tolerate such software nor does such stuff exist for Linux.

    • GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5CLR has some options for this. Don't underestimate it. Dell can make money through Fluendo, Crossover, Cedega and a few other proprietary apps. They could install Wine and certify some Win32 packages against it.

      Linux users wouldn't give a crap what Dell put on there. I would wipe the HDD in any case.

      Actually I'd be interested to see if there would be any momentum to improve Wine in order that Dell can sell the Windows crapware. Wouldn't that be an interesting scenario.
    • Atomic1fire, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4Atleast dellbuntu means that there will be linux supported crapware
      and thats a start to Linux supported anything
    • Ashex, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@pak,

      I wouldn't say completely. Google pays to have their toolbar installed, so I can see it coming with firefox+google toolbar installed, possibly along with google earth and other various applications that we would actually use.
  • mazza558, on 10/12/2007, -5/+21It's not confirmed in any way. Speculation, folks!

  • sydseale, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7I hope they don't just offer linux on their lowest-cost PCs. If it isn't available across the entire line, the message Joe consumer gets is "Linux is for poor people...if I spend a little more I can get the nicer, sound, graphics, etc...and the nicer OS: *Windows*."

    I hate to be cynical, but that's what I expect...the cheaper hardware isn't bleeding edge, so Dell can throw Ubuntu on these things without even dedicating an employee to thinking about device drivers (and think of how useful Dell could be if they were pressuring companies to help get linux running on their latest and greatest hardware...)
    • lengau, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18I think it would be REALLY cool if they had Ubuntu+(Compiz|Beryl) on their high-end machines.
    • omarciddo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14Ubuntu now comes with Compiz already, and Beryl is in the repositories, so that's already a reality.
    • rainwater, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3They can't use the entire product line because they have to certify that the hardware will work in Linux. Certainly, they aren't going to certify their entire selection immediately.
    • GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Compiz and Beryl would run on practically all their hardware in any case.
    • Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They're already offering Linux (RHEL) on their highest end workstations, and it sounds like the laptop that they're planning on offering is mid-range rather than ultra-cheap. I don't think that this will really be a problem.
    • lengau, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@omarciddo - I meant enabled by default. I just tried a Feisty LiveCD the other day, and I got Compiz working on it without any tricks (3 clicks, I think). I love the Intel graphics drivers.
  • Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20If true, I'm buying.
    • coredump0x01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I agree. If they do this, Then my next laptop is definitely going to be a Dell. It's never been an issue for desktops since I usually just put them together, but it always concerned me when buying laptops that I might indirectly be supporting Microsoft. Perhaps this can help quell my concerns.
    • brokencrystal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"How is this good news?"

      Let me tell you how...

      The hardware will be supported out of the box!
      Vendors will make Linux drivers!
      Companies like Adobe will have more reason to port their applications to Linux via Mono or Wine. They will have a broader market.
      I don't have to pay software companies for software I do not run, just to purchase the hardware to run it.
      The Linux DVD software will now be Legal as Dell will not break the law, which means USERS will not have to break the law either! I suppose they will use LinDVD or something similar.

      I own a Dell Inspiron 1501 and a Dell Inspiron E1505 and neither work with Ubuntu out of the box. I have to configure almost everything. ATI's drivers suck as they do not support AIGLX. I would love to have my hardware ALL supported by Linux out of the box. This could now happen.
  • Kenzan, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11This is kick-ass news!
    The Micro$oft strangle hold may have some hope of weakening just yet. :)

  • IHaveIssues, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4On a different note, thanks for the new reference site, didn't know about DesktopLinux.com.
  • dave932932, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/biographies/en/msd_computers?c=us&l=en&s=corp

    Michael Dell uses Ubuntu. I'm sure that's a big reason this is happening.
    • GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Don't think so. I think they got a lot of traffic for their research which shouted Ubuntu at them.
  • threemagic, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5Ubuntu makes no sense. If the comparable Windows model is less (because of ad revenue and crap ware) then why not buy the Windows one and install Ubuntu on your own? At least with SLED they'd have Novell to support the OS...

    I must be missing something and I'm sure you will enlighten me.
    • estvir, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Ubuntu is the 'in' distro.
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Ubuntu is currently the most popular distro, requires basically no terminal use, and is commerically backed by Canonical. http://www.ubuntu.com/support/paid
    • tonyr1988, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6A big thing that you're forgetting is hardware support. It's much easier to see a Dell Linux system and immediately know that the hardware will work, as opposed to looking up every component of a Windows one and checking beforehand. This problem is magnified on laptops.

      I'm sure some people will still wipe the HDD and install the Linux distro of their choice, but it's comforting to know that support exists for the hardware.
    • Smeed, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Plus then youve got your own legit windows key to use with no hassle should you ever need it in the future.
    • JeffD, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Nobody has heard of SLED.
    • threemagic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4SLED = SuSE's desktop and yes.. yes they have
  • Zap2, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2YES SIR!!!


    This would be a great move...if major PC makers can't get behind one or two Linux distros then MS is going to be screwed!
  • sardiax, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2so Dell = David?
  • djphatjive, on 10/12/2007, -8/+1With a $199 dollar installation Fee!
  • h0dg3s, on 10/12/2007, -9/+4Why is this still being debated? Dell is already selling desktops with Red Hat Linux and HAS been for MONTHS.
    "Buy a Precision 390n with Red Hat® Linux® Now!"
    http://www.dell.com/content/topics/reftopic.aspx/pub/products/precn_kat?c=us&cs=RC956884&l=en&s=slg&~section=390

    Buried as inaccurate.
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Those are workstations, not for small business use or consumer use. This is different because it is in the consumer/small business market, on normal hardware. Also, Ubuntu is free, whereas Red Hat is not (which also means Ubuntu has better community support).
    • h0dg3s, on 10/12/2007, -8/+3What are you talking about? The hardware is "normal hardware". Do you even know what a computer is?
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6h0dg3s, workstations use different configurations such as multiple processors, rendering hardware such as the nVidia Quadro cards, ECC ram, etc. They are not like regular desktop or notebook computers.
    • sabrebutt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4This is news because it's going to be released for consumer PCs. Not state and local governments, like the link you just posted
    • Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Those are no more "Desktops" than the Dell PowerEdge servers with Linux are.
  • ryanknapper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Every tech website in tubespace has been discussing Dell using Ubuntu. Until Dell actually does it they're all rumours, all old and all interesting discussion fodder but not news.
  • JamesBrown, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Interesting, but I hope Dell gets some more drivers ported over or something. As it is Ubuntu doesn't work very well on my rather new Dell notebook. Particularly video and wireless.

    Of course I realize that this isn't Dell's problem. In my system the wireless card is Intel and the video is ATI. But perhaps Dell can persuade their vendors to provide better Linux support.
  • motang, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Well if this is true, then that is huge push for Linux in general (won't matter what distro it is).
  • benutne, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I think this could be a bad move. Not Ubuntu of course, but the 7.04 distro. There have been several confirmed reports of instability when not running in recovery mode. Granted, this could just be a driver issue, but I'm not sure 7.04 is ready for primetime. On the other hand, maybe Dell can bring in some extra money to the table and make sure their hardware works flawlessly with 7.04.
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Those problems have only been with specific hardware (such as the JMicron IDE Controller). Dell's hardware is not affected by this, and you can expect any hardware which Dell has designed will have drivers (or will have drivers written) by the time these desktops are released.
    • benutne, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Yeah, don't get me wrong, I'm excited. This is a big push for OSS. I've just been disappointed with Ubuntu's stability this release. My laptop, which ran 6.10 great, locks up far too frequently to be even remotely useful, even during boot. But like maccam94 said, Dell can afford to make sure their hardware is supported.
    • generalloy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I'd rather they wait for 7.10 Gutsty Gibbon. 7.04 Feisty Fawn is nice, but still...
  • sigmaman2, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2I don't think this is the good move that so many people say it is. I LOVE Ubuntu, but not everybody does. SUSE or Fedora users will still have to reformat and re-install. If they can certify that all the included hardware is Linux-friendly, from top to bottom, with no hiccups, that would be better news. Then they could just sell the bare system and let the end user install whatever they wish.
    • Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2If people want to reinstall, that's not hard. Installing the OS beforehand is a huge advantage for those people who don't want to deal with re-installing an OS.
    • h0dg3s, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"If people want to reinstall, that's not hard. Installing the OS beforehand is a huge advantage for those people who don't want to deal with re-installing an OS."
      Or those who are too dumb to install it.
  • veersite, on 10/12/2007, -11/+1"In Soviet Russia, Ubuntu Linux chooses YOU!!!!!!!!"
    • 350Zed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14In 2007 that joke is old.
    • GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14I for one welcome our Dell/Ubuntu overlords.
    • Smeed, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2But will Linux blend?
    • Atomic1fire, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4So do we call it Dellbuntu
      or Ubuntell
    • ElectricKetchup, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5@SMeeD:
      It's as easy as "aptitude install blender"
  • secretivecoward, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3I would have gone with CentOS 5.0
    • Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Great, and I would have gone with OpenBSD running in a VM on top of Plan 9 from Bell Labs. Luckily, Dell looks like they're choosing a popular OS with both community and commercial support instead of listening to us.
  • whitetrash, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4In other news no one is surprised.

    I think it's a smart move, Ubuntu is quickly becoming the most popular and, consequently, most supported distro out there. Even if those wanting to use other distro's need to format, it's still lowering the initial cost of the laptop.

    Good all around move. I just hope they are installing it on systems that can run barrellXGL.
  • NikoK, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3M$ is going down at last!!
  • DarkDragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Wait, what?

    " It appears that Dell will only be offering Ubuntu on one of the two systems in this family."

    "Unlike the other systems, we were unable to narrow down which is the most likely to be sold with Ubuntu."

    I want the Linux option for everything =P
  • Smeed, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Sometimes I wonder if its not Linux that digg users like, but its the thought of bringing down "an evil corporation" that drives them to support decisions like this.
  • patrick24601, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Talk about a company that will be going back to XP in a heartbeat.

  • demonstro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Gnome or KDE?
    • Durrok, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Default is Gnome so I would imagine Gnome.
    • DarkDragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Not to start a war here, but i hope there is an option to have U/Ku/Xu -buntu's so i can have my Xfce... =]
    • omarciddo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop
    • Chandon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I have a great idea: Buy the Dell with Ubuntu on it and then do "apt-get install kubuntu-desktop xubuntu-desktop" Then you have all of them.
  • 2shae, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What a shocker!!
  • atomicscissors, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I just burned a LiveDisk of Ubuntu last night and tried it out. I love it and was thinking about setting up my computer to dual boot it and XP, but I just might buy myself a Dell now!
  • lemur, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It would be cool if they called it Dubuntu.
    • LabThug, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Oh god no, we finally got rid of that "Dude you're getting a .." schmuk. If he comes back to promote this, Linux is truly doomed!
  • digitallysick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2finally a reason to get a dell, they will have trouble filling it with crap software now right?
  • xkidace, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6preinstalled?

    what fun is that...?
  • jayman187um, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2 Hell Yes.....

    @xkidace--

    ....good point indeed
  • Cojawfee, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2They might be in hot water when some moron sees that it's $150 dollars cheaper to go with "Ubuntu" and gets pisssed off when he or she can't install anything.
  • curunculus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6If Dell does Ubuntu (which they should) chairs will fly in Redmond.

    Ubuntu + Dell is perfect for PC illiterate family members.
    • Smeed, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4PC illiterate families have bonzi buddy to help them. Where will they be without bonzi buddy for linux?
  • AngrySquirrel, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1Bla bla bla, you all "digging" linux don't quite get it, do you?

    Linux on a technical level is superior to Windows, and in fact superior to Mac since the Mac OS is a tainted variance of BSD. The truth is BSD is superior to all versions of Linux. But the ultimate OS is the one that allows users to do what they want, and in a fashion and at a price that they find affordable.

    Everyone bitches about spending $250 with MS for an OS. Oh, geeeee, to have to fork out $200 to $250 every five to seven years, wow! How much is gas, cigarettes, and beer these days? A lot of users have been using XP since it first came out, and it will be about seven years old for many before they opt to upgrade ... just like me. Maybe next year they will opt for Vista, maybe the year after that, who knows. Mac users brag about their OS being cheaper, but everything else is more expensive, a lot more expensive. So they enjoy no savings. Oh, and Mac just like Linux users, get far FAR fewer choices for hardware and software (more software for Linux) then Windows users.

    Linux users brag about the lack of viruses, better security, and so on. Oh but let us not forget how easy it is to wipe out the installation with some simple command line calls. How many Linux newbies have done that? It is actually very easy in about 99% of the cases to repair a Windows installation, even if they have to have a local shop do it for them for a fee! The fact is, Windows works for most users, and for business, it is the only solution that is even remotely cost effective.

    I have Linux on two VMware installations. I have used Linux since Mandrake 7.0 was released. I have used Ubuntu, Mandrake, Fedora, and a handful of others. They are NOT user friendly, they are not compatible with very much hardware, and they are very cumbersome to get used to once one starts getting into permissions and the actual file structure. They are the ubiquitous, ominous platforms to most users. Is everyone supposed to think like a Linux geek? Please!

    You all ever stop to think how much Windows is used in the corporate world? Can you even remotely imagine the cost of transitioning into a new OS, one that so very few are trained on? So what then, train everyone on Linux? Which version... LOL, and then who will pay for that.

    I know this is about Dell and Ubuntu Linux, but the truth is that Linux is going to remain right where it is today. This article and the news from Dell serves to simply raise the voices of the highly vocal tiny minority of computer enthusiasts that champion Linux. *Nix is a popular OS for web servers. *nix makes a great OS for security devices, routers, firewalls, and so on. *nix is the best platform for VoIP (ala Asterisk), and *nix is a great option for a very cheap file server that is highly reliable.

    But for the masses, to make it work, it would have to become bloated, and more and more developers would have to port their software over, that would be what, free????

    That is the other big gripe I have with Linux. All you Linux lovers want everything for free. Will you burn down some Starbucks and overturn cars in the streets when Linux starts to cost you money?
    • maccam94, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Linux itself will never cost money, thanks to the GPL (General Public License).

      Are you saying that people won't need to be retrained for Vista?

      Are you saying that every company is going to fork over the big bucks to replace all of their hardware with Vista capable hardware when there's a cheap, stable, secure alternative?

      When was the last time you tried Ubuntu? 5.10? In the last year Ubuntu has gone leaps and bounds in terms of usability.

      Danger of the command line? BS. In Ubuntu most users will not need to touch the command line, ESPECIALLY if Dell preinstalls it.

      Linux supports more hardware than Windows. Although it may not have support for the latest stuff, it supports well over a dozen processor architectures, as well as most of the hardware from the last decade. The only reason the latest hardware doesn't have any/good drivers is because the vendor has not supplied them and the community has yet to reverse engineer them (/well).

      Linux is suitable for most tasks on the personal computer. It truly is "Grandma ready" (not including installation). My 85 year old grandfather, who has never touched a computer before, is able to use Ubuntu for his needs.

      As for your final point, no not all software will always be free, but most likely in the end the only non-free software will be media works of art and their related parts (games, music and movie codecs, etc).
    • Smeed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I didnt know telepathy worked for computers. How your grandfather uses ubuntu without touching the computer is groundbreaking.

      Im going to have to agree with your other points though. Anything that does use the command line has an idiot proof "copy and paste this into command line" guide. You can take Ubuntu and install it into a computer thats a couple years old and 99% of the time it will be ready to go right after install. Ubuntu=easy stuff.
    • DarkDragon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"But the ultimate OS is the one that allows users to do what they want, and in a fashion and at a price that they find affordable."

      I Believe that is the definition of 'Linux'

      "Oh, and Mac just like Linux users, get far FAR fewer choices for hardware and software (more software for Linux) then Windows users."

      As more users continue to switch to Linux, more companies will support it.

      "Oh but let us not forget how easy it is to wipe out the installation with some simple command line calls"

      ' deltree /y c:*.* ' (it deletes the backslash =[)
      =P

      "It is actually very easy in about 99% of the cases to repair a Windows installation, even if they have to have a local shop do it for them for a fee!"

      And an Ubuntu user can pop in a CD and repair the OS, and if it was properly configured (as it should have been from the easy to install CD) he wont even lose data.

      "Windows works for most users, and for business, it is the only solution that is even remotely cost effective."

      Linux is very easy to adopt, because in the latest Ubuntu releases, the UI is very windows-like and easy to pick up.

      "I have Linux on two VMware installations. I have used Linux since Mandrake 7.0 was released. I have used Ubuntu, Mandrake, Fedora, and a handful of others. They are NOT user friendly,"

      Obviously you haven't picked up a new Ubuntu release...

      "Is everyone supposed to think like a Linux geek? Please! "

      Linux works just like Windows for most basic usages like Web Browsing and Email, but since every one is trained on Windows, please, go find that lady at the front desk, or equivalent example and ask her what services are being managed by svchost or hell, what is a kernel and what does it do? Before you retort, 'well Windows users don't need to know that' neither do Ubuntu users.

      "You all ever stop to think how much Windows is used in the corporate world? Can you even remotely imagine the cost of transitioning into a new OS, one that so very few are trained on?"

      See above...

      "That is the other big gripe I have with Linux. All you Linux lovers want everything for free. Will you burn down some Starbucks and overturn cars in the streets when Linux starts to cost you money?"

      Free exists in two fashions... Free as in Beer, which everyone seems to think Linux is all about (and yes, to a degree they are right, it is nice). But more importantly Free as in speech, which represents the Open Source nature, which allows them to change the source should they need it. They can learn and grow from it should they choose.

      Linux is about choice, not corruption.


    • jshabad00, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Linux cannot be considered "grandma ready" until you can blindly run an update without breaking x.
    • generalloy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Linux cannot be considered "grandma ready" until you can blindly run an update without breaking x"

      That's only true for proprietary drivers. Hopefully, Dell will not use proprietary drivers. Even now, try out an Intel or a supported (read: old) ATI card and you'll be very happy with X.

      otherwise, support Nouveau and r300 by sending them dumps of your cards with their tools (for download).
  • ChrisRo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Considering Ubuntu is considered one of the most "user-friendly" Linux distros, this isn't really surprising news...if it's true.
  • scot524, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It's all speculation at this point, but if Dell goes with Ubuntu I am going to buy one. On the other hand, I hope it goes well. If they sell a ton of these and things go poorly it might very well be the last chance for a meaningful number of desktop Linux installations.

    I have ten PCs here at the house running Linux and the Feisty upgrade either failed on reboot or my broke my wireless. I have been using Ubuntu since early 2005 and all the issues were easy to fix for an experienced user. Can you imagine if a few hundred thousand "newbies" experienced these problems? Balmer and the Geek Squad would laugh all the way to the bank.
    • weebit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2
      "Can you imagine if a few hundred thousand "newbies" experienced these problems? Balmer and the Geek Squad would laugh all the way to the bank."

      Yes I imagine this will separate the wanna be geeks, from the pros. I can hear the phone calls now...


      Geek squad: "What desktop OS version are you using?

      Caller: "I am using Ubuntu"

      Geek squad: "Sorry we don't have anyone here with enough Ubuntu experience."

      "click"
    • generalloy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"I have ten PCs here at the house running Linux and the Feisty upgrade either failed on reboot or my broke my wireless."

      The wireless likely wasn't broken, it's due to NetworkManager being default in Feisty. However, though NM makes it easier for most wireless cards, unfortunately the free Ralink drivers don't work with it yet so you have to do it the old way. With supported hardware from Dell, this sort of thing shouldn't happen. You can also see the HCL if you google 'networkmanager hardware'.

      Tips for upgrade: always use upgrade-manager-- NOT dist-upgrade, don't use Automatix, don't add third-party repos that install loads of stuff (dangerous in any case, since they can put anything on your machine then)
  • loconet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Good stuff.

    It is time the general public sees an alternative. And I personally think Ubuntu is the right choice. I've used many Linux distros over the years as well as BSDs and other UNIXi's (sunos/solaris/aix/hp,etc) and I am very pleased with what they've done to Ubuntu, specifically the ease of use and overall stability of the system. Just the other day I had to replace my motherboard and cpu. My main Ubuntu partition booted without a problem while windows bitched about the upgrade. Linux on the desktop is here to stay. it may not be ready for the masses but it is definitely ready to be a very viable option.
  • weebit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1*Weebit does the happy dance*
  • weebit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ya know if this is true Dell will be swamped the first 4-6 months with orders to try that new OS out. Many are ready for a change, but just needed that little nudge in the right direction. I can see Ubuntu out selling Windows in a few years. It's a awesome OS.
  • mrsteveman1, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1Ubuntu is not ready to be preloaded on machines, regardless of how smartly you pick hardware components. To some degree it's about being a finished, vertically integrated product (which I'll get to later), but it's also about basic system management. Before I go on I should state that there is nothing fundamentally better about Suse, if Ubuntu had system management like Suse it would easily become my preference.

    Specifically, the Yast system; Ubuntu doesn't even come close to having this sort of integration and management. Yast itself is now GPL and can use apt/deb packages, so it could be used as-is, but if not Ubuntu needs to write one and fast, because its a serious problem with the system.

    If Ubuntu is to be preloaded on OEM machines where there is no premium on space, then it makes sense to preload Gnome as well as KDE and present the user with an option on first boot, and perhaps later on as well if they want to switch. Suse has an option like this in its installation disks, but it's only possible because they use multiple CDs or one large DVD. Obviously the real problem is the 2 polar opposite desktop environments but in the short term offering both is the solution.

    There is also a serious problem with using Gnome on an OEM machine and presenting it as the default interface. For the most part Gnome is simply a window manager with some tools available, it's the "system as a collection of tools" mentality. KDE on the other hand is much more complete for desktop use and has lots of vertical integration (I don't mean konqueror, which sucks). Disagree if you want, I don't have space to give references here, but KDE does a lot more than Gnome in managing the system overall, and in most cases it's required functionality for a finished OEM Desktop machine.

    It pisses me off that i should have to state any sort of disclaimer, but I use Gnome and KDE both, as well as Ubuntu, Suse and RHEL.
    • generalloy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ubuntu (because it's Debian) has debconf for system-wide configuration, so I don't think it's a dire need. Especially for a consumer distro-- I could not figure out anything to do in YaST I couldn't do elsewhere, it's a pretty confusing program. I agree there's a space for a YaST-like program in the future though, I think there was a Debian porting effort a while back.

      But for now, debconf and webmin do all right IMO.
  • BLACKEAGLE, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1one more thing i would never ever want
  • ramiro1975, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0way to go ubuntu!
  • Ekuliak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0After summer, I will most likely be in the market for a laptop. I'm seriously considering a dell one now.
  • uzusan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1What i want to know is will this be available to US dell customers only? (I live in the UK and would love to buy a dell laptop with ubuntu installed).
  • uazzhole, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1When you get your new Dell with Ubuntu dont forget this.........
    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 Linux HD-DVD Code
  • tahjah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0He lists Ubuntu: Big deal. Notice that VMWare is also in the list? So he runs it in VMWare, or it is the host OS and he doesn't want to mention which OS runs in VMWare cause if Windows was mentioned on the same machine, it wouldn't have the same buzz factor. His other two "Also at Home" machines are XPS systems running Vista, the same for his two work machines.

    Ubuntu is listed first and only generate buzz to get you to buy and recommend Dell. Dell already sells RedHat Linux on the390n workstations but Ubuntu is the current "in" distro they're trying to capitalize on.

    So they'll generate more sales, and have Canonical foot the bill for [paid] support. More people talking about Dell will boost sales of Windows-loaded machines to offset the Ubuntu sales, so this will do nothing other than boost Dell's and MS's sales.

    As others have said, if there is a savings by choosing Linux (there usually isn't because of MS marketing kick-back etc), you're better off just getting a Windows license so you at least can run Windows in VMWare for when you need Windows-only functionality, and install Linux yourself or for others. Or buy an extra mouse and sell it with the OEM license on eBay to recover some of the costs of the machine.

    Ubuntu is point-click install anyhow, and I'm sure Dell will load crapware on the consumer systems just like they do on Windows.

    But choice is a good thing so kudos to Dell for stepping ahead again.

    Dude, you're getting a GNU/Dell!
  • hwn67, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0The good news continues! Dell is expanding its linux offerings in the next couple of months:
    http://kevin.vanzonneveld.net/techblog/article/dell_expands_linux_offerings/
  • kevmaster, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0http://digg.com/linux_unix/Dell_expands_linux_offerings
  •  

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