Buying first Linux pc help

General Discussion
1

Hi everyone,

We are getting a new programme at work (Caldera Grand RIP+) and it runs on Linux. So can anyone recommend where to buy a PC with Linux pre-loaded.

This is a spec the software company sent me (I could buy one from them direct, they are in France, but I think I prefer to buy in UK):

ANTEC THREE HUNDRED CASE
POWER SUPPLY 520W CMPU-520HX
MOTHER CARD GIGABYTE INTEL GA-EP55-UD5 LGA1156
INTEL PROCESSOR I5 750 LGA1156 2.66 Ghz
MEMORY 4 Gb DDR3-1333 Mhz
HARD DRIVE 750GB SATA-II 7200rpm 32Mb cache
RACK FOR HARD DRIVE SATA ICY BOX IB-128SK-B
NVIDIA GRAPHICS CARD
DVD R/W
(Prices valid until 30/06/08) Caldera Confidentiel Page 1
FIREWIRE / SERIAL / USB
2 ONBOARD NIC’s 10/100/1000 Mps
UNIVERSAL CARD READER
SILENT FAN 120x120mm 16.1db max
ASSEMBLED + Pre-loaded with LinuxOS

many thanks ;D

2

You could try the LinuxEmporium… they’ve been around for a long time and have built themselves a good reputation.
http://www.linuxemporium.co.uk/

and in particular, for a similarly spec’d PC
http://shop.linuxemporium.co.uk/hardware/hardware-desktops/antec-ultimate-linux-desktop-computer.html
with monitor
or
http://shop.linuxemporium.co.uk/hardware/hardware-desktops/antec-ultimate-linux-desktop-computer-no-screen.html
without monitor.

Or if you want something really special, custom built for you, which would make the intel i5 based system you mentioned look like a calculator…
http://linux.co.uk/2010/08/building-a-beast/
:slight_smile:

Do you mind if I ask how much they wanted for the system you mentioned ?

3

Price quoted was 995 euros

The printer company said they will load Linux onto my new pc, if I did buy one pre-loaded with Linux will this cause any problems? I mean are there different versions of Linux, or is it simple if to overwrite?

4

You can be pretty confident that if the printer company are using a distribution (version) of Linux with a fairly up-to date kernel then it will run on the LinuxEmporium hardware without issue.

If you want to be 100% sure… I’d ask the printer company to answer these questions.

  1. Which Linux distribution/version they are going to install ?

and if it is a custom distribution…

  1. Which distribution/version is it based on ?

and

  1. Which Linux kernel version does it use ?

Answers to 1 and 2 should come in the format -
examples:
Ubuntu 10.04
Ubuntu 9.10
SUSE 9.3
openSUSE 11.3
Debian - Squeeze
Debian - Lenny
Redhat RHEL 5

Answer to question 3 should be in the format <2.x.xx>
examples
2.6.31
2.6.35

Question 3 (kernel version) is probably the most important as you need to know that the hardware you are going to buy is supported by that kernel.

then either get back to us, or phone whoever you are going to get the PC from and ask them if the hardware is supported in that kernel version.

But unless the printer company are using a Linux distribution with a very old kernel (which I doubt) then you can be pretty confident that you’ll be OK.

As a prospective customer, the printer company will be happy to give you that info, and any “reputable” Linux PC builder will be happy to tell you if the hardware will work.

But if you have any questions, get back to us.

5

Firstly my dear I wouldnt worry about dealing with a French company because one of the basic functions and a point Linux systems sell themselves on all over the world is the fact you can change and set them up configuring in any language–its your choice at boot time.As is printer configuration etc.

6

For that price I hope it comes with a 50" widescreen monitor … :wink: