X31 question and ?linux

[gychang]

I am considering getting a used X31 from ebay, with plan on installing linux for general web when I am on the go, and as a sound source when I am at home with USB soundcard.

1. what is the reasonable going price?
2. anyone have any difficulties with linux distro?, considering DSL or antiX.

any thoughts on the X31 in general will be appreciated (need a smallish light TP).

thanks,

gychang

[RRHODY]

I don't know about Linux but I travel with an X31 with WXP Pro. I use it for the Web and as a GPS system with a wireless GPS receiver and both MS Street & Trips and DeLorme Street Atlas. It is light enough but yet a large enough screen to "see" the maps. I used to use a TP240 that was even lighter ans smaller, but having the built-in WiFi and Bluetooth in the X31 is much more convenient.

[tom lightbody]

> ...going price...

don't pay too much: a friend scored an eBay x31
$182.50 including shipping--DVD/CD-RW/2 hr battery
1.6Ghz/wireless/ultrabase/512megs/30GB/XPsp3/office

> ...linux distro?

this x31 runs the current Debian, net-install without
the "desktop environment" i.e. neither KDE nor GNOME

for coding and writing the text consoles are simple and
*fast* but for web browsing my X-interface uses 6
virtual consoles--a firefox, an emacs, 4 xterms and an
initial screen w/ eyecandy. The windowmanager is fvwm2.

multi-user multi-tasking all troublefree and snappy

good ideas at "linux-on-laptops" s.v. IBM x31

[godling]

Just tried xubuntu 8.10 the other day. Installed quickly and ran flawlessly.

[tim S]

As far as Linux is concerned I've found that none are perfect. Each distro varies in its ability to work 100% in different desktops/laptops. For example I have an X40 and an X41, both with Ubuntu 4.05 Hardy Heron, but only the X41 has hot docking capability. The updated Ubuntu, 4.10 Intrepid Ibex, gave both machines fits so I'm staying with Heron.
The moral of the story is that since most distros are free, try them all! Find the one you like, or the one that works best for you, and stay with it.
Tim S

[miggy]

I've managed to get everything working (including fan&voltage control, energy saving, wpa2 support, trackpoint scrolling and KDE4/Compiz) under Arch Linux on X32 (which is basically the same as X31). It took me some time, of course - but thanks to ThinkWiki http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:X31 (a special wiki for getting Linux to work on ThinkPads) and *great* Arch Linux documentation http://wiki.archlinux.org/ it wasn't that hard.

I don't know if you have an experience on Linux. In fact, I hate Linux and GNU software, and I just wanted to play around (dual booting with SP3) as X32 is my secondary PC. Arch Linux installation is not as straightforward as OpenSUSE or Ubuntu, but it is NOT hard and it is certainly more rewarding - you'll get a well-suited, easily maintained system with great docs/wiki... Maybe you'll need more than one evening to set everything up if you are not an expert on the Linux subject.

[gychang]

I've managed to get everything working (including fan&voltage control, energy saving, wpa2 support, trackpoint scrolling and KDE4/Compiz) under Arch Linux on X32 (which is basically the same as X31). It took me some time, of course - but thanks to ThinkWiki http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:X31 (a special wiki for getting Linux to work on ThinkPads) and *great* Arch Linux documentation http://wiki.archlinux.org/ it wasn't that hard.

I don't know if you have an experience on Linux. In fact, I hate Linux and GNU software, and I just wanted to play around (dual booting with SP3) as X32 is my secondary PC. Arch Linux installation is not as straightforward as OpenSUSE or Ubuntu, but it is NOT hard and it is certainly more rewarding - you'll get a well-suited, easily maintained system with great docs/wiki... Maybe you'll need more than one evening to set everything up if you are not an expert on the Linux subject.

thanks for thoughtful input. I may downgrade to X24 (on ebay bidding war) and I do have some linux experience but with minimal terminal use...
I may try Arch Linux since I hear good things and hear it is faster than the usual distro.

gychang