Linux works on the Optiplex boxen we have at work. I can't speak for any models of Optiplex we do not have though, but we have never ordered a Dell that wouldn't support it. We have ordered computers that had hardware that was too new without compiling our own kernels before. I just read today that the new Red Hat is supposed to support the latest Intel Hardware / CPUs. Ubuntu works withe the Core i7 and Xeon equivalent, but not, um what are they called? The i9 I think? They don't work yet. You are probably not going to want to order something that new anyway. I would say that almost all of your Dell boxen should be just fine under Linux as we have not had problems with the current offerings and have ordered 3 or so of them in the last year that I have put Linux on for work. On Thu, 11 Feb 2010, Trevor Astrope wrote: > Hi Butch, > > Check out the Dell Optiplex line. I'm not sure if all Optiplex models have a > serial port, but there are some that do. It should be fine for XP, but Dell > said linux is not supported on the Optiplex line. This doesn't mean that > Linux won't install or work on these machines, but ymmv. John likely has more > experience with linux on these machines and might be able to provide more > info... > > On Thu, 11 Feb 2010, Butch Bussen wrote: > >> A bit off topic, but can you tell me which Dell business machine has a >> serial port? model? I need a better machine for xp, but I need at least >> one and preferably two serial ports. >> Thanks. >> 73 >> Butch Bussen >> wa0vjr >> open Node 3148 >> Las Vegas >> >> >> On Thu, 11 Feb 2010, Trevor Astrope wrote: >> >>> John, what I said is there is no advantage to having speakup in the kernel >>> if it cannot support serial synths on modern computers and I stand by my >>> statement that most modern computers do not come with serial ports. I know >>> there is a Dell business machine that does, but these are the exception, >>> not the rule and are also much more expensive. >>> >>> Basically, my point is speakup needs to support external serial ports >>> and/or usb serial ports going forward or it loses any advantage it has of >>> being in the kernel. If software speech is the only option for the >>> majority of computers, than there is really no point of speakup being in >>> the kernel. >>> >>> Feel free to disagree, but I think my statements are accurate and you will >>> find that over time you will find fewer and fewer machines with built-in >>> serial ports, as usb was intended to replace rs232 serial ports and this >>> is happening today, although I do agree it isn't totally complete. >>> >>> On Thu, 11 Feb 2010, John G. Heim wrote: >>> >>>> I just think you are over stating your case. I'm sure the speakup >>>> developers would love to support USB. But your original comment was >>>> that speakup doesn't support modern motherboards -- which is just >>>> totally >>>> untrue. You also said that having speakup in the kernel has "no >>>> advantage". Also untrue. I don't have a problem with your offereing the >>>> suggestion that speakup be modified to support USB hardware synths. I >>>> just >>>> think you shouldn't exaggerate the problems. After all, look at the >>>> subject line of this thread, "Main advantages of SBL over Speakup." If >>>> we're going to compare sbl and speakup, lets be fair about it. >>>> >>>> You made it sound like speakup is already obsolete. And that's just not >>>> true. Really, it seems to me to be a fairly small niche you are in. We >>>> both agree that most servers have serial ports, right? So your problem >>>> is >>>> that you have a desktop with no serial port but you have to have speech >>>> right away during boot? Why can't you just use software speech on your >>>> desktop? In fact, I'm unclear as to why it is so important to you that >>>> the >>>> workstations you support have hardware synth speech. As I said, all of >>>> the >>>> PCs in my department have serial ports (literally 100s of machines) but >>>> when I have to do support, I just use software speech. I'm not going to >>>> drag my hardware speech synth around with me unless I have to. Its so >>>> much >>>> easier just to grap a USB headset and fire up software speech. >>>> >>>> Actually, some years ago, I posted a message to this list about how you >>>> could modify your udev rules to recognize when your USB headset is >>>> plugged >>>> into a machine and have it start software speech. Each USB device has a >>>> unique serial number and you can write a udev rule to run a script to >>>> start speech when a device with a specific serial number is plugged in. >>>> So >>>> its possible to sit down at a PC at the login prompt, plug in your USB >>>> headset, and login with speech. >>>> >>>> ---- Original Message ----- From: "Trevor Astrope" <astrope at tabbweb.com> >>>> To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." >>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:09 PM >>>> Subject: Re: Main advantages of SBL over Speakup >>>> >>>> >>>> John, yes I do manage servers and I do agree that having speakup in the >>>> kernel is immensely important if you have a serial port and synth. >>>> >>>> Perhaps it is different where you are, but where I live, desktops with >>>> serial ports are extremely rare. The only ones I managed to find were >>>> some >>>> low end Acers. I also found some business machines with serial ports, >>>> but >>>> they are twice the cost for about half the performance as a consumer >>>> desktop machine and we don't buy them where I work. >>>> >>>> Like Kelly mentioned earlier today, I also do not install speakup in the >>>> kernels of the servers I manage, but in the machine I use to manage the >>>> servers. >>>> >>>> So, I respectfully disagree with you about the availability of serial >>>> ports in modern desktop machines and I stand by my statement that >>>> speakup >>>> as a kernel-level speech system will become less relevant over time >>>> unless >>>> it can support external serial ports and usb serial ports. In my >>>> opinion, >>>> this is where speakup development should be focused, as more and more >>>> people will face this issue as they upgrade their machines. But I am not >>>> a >>>> speakup developer, so I have no influence on the direction it takes. I >>>> can >>>> only offer my opinion, which I have stated several times on this list >>>> and >>>> I can only hope that speakup developers agree with it and take up the >>>> challenge. >>>> >>>> In the meantime, I do have a job to do and I will need to decide whether >>>> I >>>> continue using speakup with software synth, which will make my job more >>>> difficult or use something else like orca or a mac, which still won't >>>> solve the problem of having access to early kernel messages, but may >>>> give >>>> me more flexability going forward. >>>> >>>> On Wed, 10 Feb 2010, John G. Heim wrote: >>>> >>>> > Well, perhaps its a minor point but plenty of modern computers have > >>>> serial >>>> > ports. I've never seen a server that didn't have a serial port. In >>>> fact, >>>> > except for laptops, I have yet to see a computer that doesn't have a > >>>> serial >>>> > port. That includes the 200 or so desktop units we have where I work. >>>> > Even >>>> > the machine I built myself has a serial port. >>>> > > It certainly is a huge over statement to say that having speakup in >>>> the >>>> > kernel has no advantage. If you manage servers like I do, having > >>>> speakup in >>>> > the kernel is just about the most important thing there is for a >>>> screen >>>> > reader. I don't really care that much about what happens after the > >>>> machine is >>>> > booted. About the only time I need a run time screen reader is if > >>>> something >>>> > is wrong with networking. But mostly, I can admin these machines > >>>> remotely >>>> > after they boot. >>>> > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Trevor Astrope" > >>>> <astrope at tabbweb.com> >>>> > To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." > >>>> <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> >>>> > Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 3:09 PM >>>> > Subject: Re: Main advantages of SBL over Speakup >>>> > > > Samuel, do you mean there is no kernel convention for accessing >>>> serial >>>> > ports or there is no speakup support for accessing serial ports > >>>> according >>>> > to kernel conventions? >>>> > > It would be really great if speakup could use ttyS# devices, so >>>> speakup >>>> > would work with modern motherboards that do not have built-in serial >>>> > ports. The way I see it is speakup can only use software speech on > >>>> modern >>>> > computers, so unless it can access external serial ports or usb serial >>>> > ports, there really is no advantage to speakup being in the kernel so >>>> > far >>>> > as I can tell... >>>> > > On Tue, 9 Feb 2010, Samuel Thibault wrote: >>>> > > > Bill Cox, le Tue 09 Feb 2010 14:23:25 -0500, a ?crit : >>>> > > > I hear that it doesn't follow kernel >>>> > > > programming conventions, for example in how it interfaces to the >>>> COM >>>> > > > ports. >>>> > > > > Yes, because no such thing exists (yet). >>>> > > > > Samuel >>>> > > _______________________________________________ >>>> > > Speakup mailing list >>>> > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>> > > > > > > > > >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> > > > > _______________________________________________ >>>> > > Speakup mailing list >>>> > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>> > > > > _______________________________________________ >>>> > Speakup mailing list >>>> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>> > > >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> >>>> >>>> > _______________________________________________ >>>> > Speakup mailing list >>>> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>> > _______________________________________________ >>>> Speakup mailing list >>>> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca >>>> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup >>>> >>>> >
