Hi Janina, Is this the one with the Crusoe? If you get Caldera and don't like it. Just remember to save your /etc/X11/XF86Config file. That way, you'll have something to work with if you install another version of Linux. Someone else mentioned drivers. I would *hope* that IBM would release the source because if they didn't, no one would be able to upgrade their kernel. HTH. Bill in NJ.On Sun, 3 Sep 2000, Janina Sajka wrote: > I'm looking for a little advice from the sages on this list. I'm about to > buy a new portable computer. From the hardware side I've pretty settled on > getting yet another IBM Thinkpad. I've had good enough experience with > them for some years now to feel comfortable getting another Thinkpad. This > will be my third in a row. > > IBM has actively begun supporting linux in that they now offer one of > their leading Thinkpad models with Caldera OpenLinux eDesktop 2.4 > preinstalled. So, here's the dilemma--Shall I get the preinstalled linux > and then patch with Speakup and tweak for my needs? Or should I just get > the hardware I want and go with an install from scratch? I have no > experience with Caldera whatsoever. All my working experience on Linux has > been with RedHat (plus a few forays into Debian). My desktop system is > running RedHat, and I'm keeping that system for the foreseeable future. > > So, what would you do? And, how would you decide? > > On the plus side I see two advantages, primarily. First, I think I can > assume the unit will be functional out of the box. Or, is that > foolhardy? Is it likely to be functional in X, but have many console text > features missing? > > My second reason for going with the preinstalled system is that I want to > get vmware running for Windows access in a Linux console. I've never > succeeded at getting X working on my own--so have always fallen short of > this goal to date. I feel I'm ahead of the game if I get a working X > environment out of the box. Is this enough reason to go with the > preinstalled Caldera? > > I very much appreciate any wisdom you would share on this. Thanks in > advance to all of you. > > >