The History of Pre-Installed PC Linux, Part I
Dell said last week it was considering certifying Linux on some of its desktops and notebooks. And then somebody translated that to mean Dell would offer factory-loaded Linux on specific SKUs of PCs. And then it got posted that way on Slashdot. And then some media picked up the ball and ran with it. And it was off to the races.
There was just one problem. Nobody called Dell and asked them to spell it out. Now it turns out -- just as I cautioned -- that Dell never meant to imply it would offer factory-loaded Linux on PCs.
There are certain buzz words when it comes to the idea of Linux on the desktop, especially when it involves major OEMs. The word "certify," in the PC Linux world, means, "Fine with us, but you're on your own." "Support" means, "fine with us. If it crashes we can try to help but can't guarantee anything."
Bottom line: No major OEMs offer Linux as a factory pre-load on PCs, and none have, in the pipeline, any kind of commitment to do so. And the next time you hear an executive of an OEM talk about it, stop them in their tracks and ask him or her to spell out precisely what they mean. It could save a lot of aggravation.
In the mean time, here is a brief timeline of The History Of Pre-Installed Linux On The Desktop, starting last June:
* Lenovo executive says the company has no plans to have anything to do with Linux on the desktop. "We will not have models available for Linux, and we do not have custom order, either," the executive said. "What you see is what you get. And at this point, it's Windows."
* Days later, Lenovo executives say the company does have plans for Linux on the desktop, but it's still hashing it all out.
* Lenovo hints that it will offer pre-loaded Linux in ThinkPads.
* Lenovo says you can now order a ThinkPad without an operating system, then call up Novell and buy a SLED 10 disc, and then have it installed on the ThinkPad after everything is bought and paid for individually. "Let me be clear. We are not preloading," a Lenovo executive says.
* HP says it will certify Linux to work on some of its notebooks. Stresses it is not pre-loading.
* Dell says it is considering certifying some versions of Linux on some desktops and notebooks. Despite initial hopes by some, it says it has no current plans to pre-load.
That's the current desktop Linux timeline. And for free, it's absolutely certified.