Some questions about installing and using alternative operating systems

[Halcyon]

Hello. I have a couple of questions about the laptops sold on the PCSpecialist site, particularly about the Enigma IV and Optimus IV lines.

Has anyone had any experience installing and using non-Windows operating systems on these computers, specifically GNU/Linux-based distributions like Ubuntu/Kubuntu or Fedora? If yes, did you encounter any problems with the OS and your chosen hardware configuration?

Secondly, do these computers have UEFI secure boot enabled? If so, can it be disabled by the user? (See http://www.howtogeek.com/149254/if-...-8-and-secure-boot-can-i-still-install-linux/ for my reasons for wanting to disable it.)

 

[brobr]

Has anyone had any experience installing and using non-Windows operating systems on these computers, specifically GNU/Linux-based distributions like Ubuntu/Kubuntu or Fedora? If yes, did you encounter any problems with the OS and your chosen hardware configuration?

I have an UltraNote running Slackware. Installation was not a problem. But mind that I chose this model (the 15.6 inch one with a great -matte- screen, light weight and very nice to work on) because there would not be any difficulty with the graphics cards (it runs integrated intel HD4000). If you aim for an extra graphics card, better read up on Nvidia Optimus under linux (or look on the fora of your OS of choice) and see whether you want to go through the hassle of getting this kind of hardware to work. In general you should be able to run linux on these laptops but whether all hardware can be used as intended (like the graphics) depends on what is supported (by the kernel that ships with a linux distribution or compiled by yourself). Check the fora for problems/questions concerning the bits and bops you want to use (e.g. cpu: the latest intel-ones will need a kernel later than 3.7 or so to prevent sudden freezes) and then make your mind up.

Secondly, do these computers have UEFI secure boot enabled? If so, can it be disabled by the user?

This will depend on the BIOS and the OS which is used to test the system. On my box there was a legacy-setting that will bypass secure boot, further secure boot was not activated from the start. I could bypass Windows 8 although I had to do hard-reboots when a couple of linux-boots (over a network) did not work and the whole thing went on and got stuck on Windows 8 asking for some code but not offering to shut down as an alternative. Anyway, best is that you know your way around linux a bit or get someone with that knowledge to help you. Also, Ubuntu and Fedora might not be the stablest or easiest to trouble-shoot when you have to problem-solve. I've been using Slackware since 2000 (after trying Suse and Mandrake) and never looked for an alternative since. It's KISS, and all can be changed, organised etc. by editing configuration files in your favourite text-editor. The learning curve could be steep but entertaining, and you learn to understand your tool much better.

Good luck.