[Freegis-list] hardware requirements for linux-based GIS

[Daniel Morissette]

Tim Greenhow wrote:
> I am very interested in exploring open-source GIS on Linux, but I am 
> truly a newbie when it comes to Linux. In my search for a new laptop 
> computer I find some salesmen blithely tell me that "sure, this machine 
> can run Linux, though we don't normally sell it with that OS installed." 
> But one, trying to sell me a particularly expensive machine, tells me 
> that of all the copumters he has on stock, this is the only one that has 
> been tested and certified suitable for Linux. Others will have problems 
> with certain Linux commands and functions, he tells me. He assures me 
> that he is not referring to CPU speed, harddisk or RAM size.
> My question therefore is simply:: what are the basic hardware 
> requirements needed for running Linux? What am I supposed to check for, 
> and how different are the requirements of different Linux versions? Note 
> that I would like to try a variety of GIS programs, among them GRASS.

I can't speak for the GRASS requirements specifically (I think it should 
run on any decent machine but I may be wrong), but with respect to 
running Linux on various laptop models, you'll find tons of useful 
information at:

http://www.linux-laptop.net/

Most of the times the problems you'll encounter with Linux on laptops is 
lack of support for power management (hibernation won't work) and 
possible lack of good drivers for the laptop's builtin modem (WinModem, 
bad bad), sound card (sometimes), wireless adapter (often), and 
sometimes lack of an optimized X11 driver for the display.

In the worst case scenarios, all of the above will be hard to find or 
unavailable, but with more recent Linux distributions, and more recent 
laptops that seems to be standardizing to well-known hardware, you may 
be able to just load the install CD's, click-click-click and almost 
everything will be magically be detected and run properly.

The best is to look for the model/brand that you plan to purchase on 
linux-laptop.net before you buy.

Daniel
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  Daniel Morissette               dmorissette at dmsolutions.ca
  DM Solutions Group              http://www.dmsolutions.ca/
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