Hello,
As mentioned is a previous thread, my current computer is having some hardware problems that prevent me from installing Debian (It is currently running Mandriva). Since I have some cash coming in, I am now definitely looking at buying a new computer on which I will exclusively install Debian. I am set to buying a socket AM2 mainboard, with a slow CPU, a minimum amount of RAM and use the onboard graphic unit, but I would like to buy a fairly good/excellent mainboard + very good power supply unit, so that I can over time, as prices drop, upgrade CPU, RAM and buy a good, dedicated video card. For the power supply, I am thinking to buy a 500~550 Watt, 80plus certified unit. Right now, I am in the middle of researching and comparing socket AM2 mainboards. My problem is that there are so many chipsets and I am a bit lost. I am looking for a list of chipsets available on AM2 mainboards so that I can clarify a bit things in my mind. Unfortunately, I cannot find such a list. Wikipedia has good lists of Video cards per generation, a list of AMD CPU for the socket AM2, but no list of chipset that I could find. Searching online I find a lot of mainboard reviews... but there are so many AM2 mainboards... Also, since the new computer is meant to replace an existing one which has some hardware problems, I would like to be 100% sure that the hardware I am going to purchase is 100% supported by the linux kernel in etch (or at least by the newest stable kernel). I am going to use (at least at first) the onboard video chip, the sound chip, etc... But again, where do I see a list of such chips and check whether they are supported by linux? Can I be 100% sure that whatever desktop PC mainboard I buy will be supported by linux? Or "only" 95% sure (e.g. if one or two chips are known to cause problem and are better avoided)? In terms of Linux support, what other things should be looked at when purchasing a mainboard (again, I couldn't find a page with such information: can we really assume that linux can be painlessly installed on 100% of the mainboards on the market???) Which (socket AM2) motherboard do you use? Do you use the onboard video chip (i.e. you have no video card)? Sound? What is the chipset on your AM2 board? Have you experienced any problem. Whenever I receive help on a mailing list, I would like to contribute back the information preferably in the form of a wiki article that others could improve after me. I am tempted to do this at wiki.debian.org but I am afraid that some people would say this kind of hardware related information is not suitable for the wiki (there is a discussion page about this on the wiki). Maybe I could create a stub on wikipedia: how do you suggest I proceed? Or where else? I am asking this because I have already spent an awful lot of time doing my homework, and YOU are going to spend some of your time replying to me... I that if there is an ideal place to put this information, it could help other people to find answers quicker than I did. thanks, -- Augustin http://minguo.info/ better election methods http://minguo.info/usa/ the USA FA/DP Free Association with Delegable Proxy: an internet experiment in democracy. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
