Hello, Paul.

I was given an HP Pavilion DV5-1003nr "Entertainment Notebook PC" a year ago as a gift.

I hate HP's design for these notebook PCs, which are basically Blu-ray DVD players with tiny screens -- but complete with a hand-held remote control -- with 64-bit processors, 4-GB of RAM, and small, 5400-RPM SATA drives.

Apparently, HP marketing came up with a "brilliant" philosophy of "let's make everything shiny and reflective [plus, easy to scratch and a magnet for fingerprints and dust...so we can claim product misuse], because customers will see our Pavilion line, say 'ooh, shiny', and be unable to resist making a purchase."

I was grateful for the gift, so I did not criticize it, although I could not wait to wipe Vista off the hard drive after the warranty expired and to replace Windows (which I stopped using almost 4 years ago) with Debian GNU/Linux, which I've used happily (dropping SuSE, after Novell's acquisition and subsequent slavery to Microsoft -- which made the mistake of approaching Red Hat first with its patent-lawsuit-threat/partnership scheme -- but Novell did me a favor, because, after I switched to Debian, I realized I knew more about "SuSE Linux" than "real Linux."

My brand new notebook was unable to load Vista the first time I turned it on, and kept insisting that I select a restore point on a brand new machine. I should have returned the notebook immediately, but my only experience with OEM computers has been with Apple's Macs (totally positive) and I've built all of my other PCs, giving me a fix-it-myself mindset (which is useless with new, OEM computers under warranty...especially laptops and notebooks).

Vista ran as if it were on a Pentium II, not a 2.0-GHz, AMD Turion X2 64-bit processor, with a 256-MB ATI Radeon 3200 HD video card, and 4-GB of RAM (of no use for 32-bit Vista, but useful with "live" bootable discs of 64-bit Linux distributions. Not only was Vista slow, but I was plagued with errors and HP support totally ignored me for three whole months.

I learned in December, after having installed Vista the 250th time, that HP built the notebook with a defective processor and that the motherboard generated multiple errors during a diagnostic. The bottom of the case also inflicts second-degree burns (through thick denim jeans) in under two seconds.

A few weeks ago, after a nightmare with HP of over 11 months (during which I was ignored, blatantly lied to as if I were an idiot, and subjected to verbal abuse and rants by my "case manager"...and each feeble support overture by HP was the direct result of my contacting HP CEO Mark Hurd).

I built a bootable "live" Debian GNU/Linux DVD ("Lenny") and also tried the "live" 32- and 64-bit Kubuntu discs (although KDE is bloated, I really dislike Gnome, and tend to use window and file managers).

The live Debian/Debian-based discs were more responsive than Vista, and the open-source Atheros wireless driver worked without problems, as did the RealTek Ethernet card. Sound worked, but I never tried to use the Web cam (which I keep disabled in Vista, nor have I watched any DVDs or taken the absurd remote control out of its wrapper).

I used the X.org drivers, because I was running from a "live" disc, and I have a philosophical problem with ATI and Nvidia's proprietary, "binary blob" drivers, although apparently the open-source ATI and Nvidia drivers do not support multiple monitors, and I still do not understand how people do programming or Web development on 16:9-ration displays. My screen's resolution is 1280x800, making me miss the 1280x1024 resolution I used on my now-faded, 21-inch, refurbished, Trintron-based CRT monitors (two of which outweigh me, and one of which I cannot lift because of spinal stenosis).

IF HP repairs this notebook from h*ll so that it is actually usable -- although, based upon my experience with HP, I will receive the notebook back with a note that no defects were found -- your article, Paul, along with my research on attempts to install Linux on HP Pavilion DV5 series notebooks, and the HP Pavilion DV5-1003nr, in particular -- leave me with little hope that, even with my willingness to recompile kernels and hack modules, I will be successful in getting Linux (Ubuntu or Debian, which made Ubunto possible, of course) to work on this DV5-1003nr...and the warranty, which will expire soon, required that I run the OEM version of Vista installed by HP (with a corrupt recovery partition, and their sending me recovery media for free "as a favor" did not help, because I had to use the corrupted processor to install the OS, as well as use it.

The relative who wasted her money on this defective, "toy" notebook made a great financial sacrifice, for which I am grateful. She brushes off her generosity by joking that she had heard me talk about wanting a laptop computer (and a refurbished IBM ThinkPad would have been an ideal Linux laptop) and had decided she did not want me to wait until I was 49 until I got my first laptop computer.

(She now thinks all laptop and notebook computers are defective junk, and wonders why I still get excited about refurbished $250 ThinkPads (my original "ideal laptop" for running Linux, and Linux only -- but for which I have no funds.

I've researched the ThinkPad models that are the most "Linux-friendly" and found a seller today on eBay who has several refurbished ThinkPad models, ranging from $220-#270, with free shipping and a 30-day warranty.

I have never even tried the "Win-modem" in this Pavilion notebook with Vista. If it works, I realize that it will pose a challenge for Linux -- and analog modems remain the most convenient way to send faxes.

Almost five months have passed since you posted your article, Paul, and I hope you have found a solution via Ubuntu 9.04 or Debian GNU/Linux. If so, perhaps I have a shot at success.

Otherwise, IF HP does repair this notebook and return it to me, I will have no use for it. (I cannot use the metallic keyboard because of the excessive glare, and the Synaptic touchpad's buttons required too much pressure (and are very loud) by me, because of bilateral, carpal-tunnel syndrome (the result of using keyboards and computers since 1982).

As long as the market is saturated with proprietary, OEM hardware designed for Windows, those of use who love Linux -- and use Windows only when we must -- do Linux a disservice by speaking of it as a panacea for the bloat, instability, and security headaches of Windows.

On a final note, I find it sadly ironic that the Linux and open-source community protest closed, proprietary software, yet download and use bloated and risky binary plug-ins by Adobe and RealNetworks (Flash, primarily, which Adobe obviously will keep closed, and it poses a security risk for every browser on every platform), not to mention blindly downloading proprietary ATI and Nvidia video drivers. Atheros makes open-source, Linux drivers for all of its currently available network cards, for which I am grateful.

ATI and Nvidia, especially with X.org replacing XFree86, have virtually enslaved Linux users who want/need 3D graphics and/or dual- or multiple-monitor displays. These closed, bloated binary drivers are a security and stability risk -- which is why the all-volunteer Debian team wisely does not and cannot offer any support to users who report buts or stability issues but use these "black box" drivers.

I often wonder how many mysterious stability problems with Linux are the result of proprietary plug-ins, drivers, and similar software with inaccessible code.

Sadly, GnuSense and the few Linux distributions that GNU considers to be "pure" and "totally free" are unusable, despite the lofty ideals.

People run kernels and operating systems in order to run software. Although opening up BIOS code and other efforts are cause for hope, for every case of "the first thing I did after I got my new laptop was to wipe Windows off the hard drive and install the current version of Ubuntu, which just works," there are untold cases of utter failures with Linux...and "Ubuntu" has become so ubiquitous that Windows users have no idea that it is a Linux distribution (or any understanding of Linux).

The time I spent futilely trying to secure Windows and dealing with bugs and other problems, compared to the time I actually got work done, made me realize that Windows is basically useless -- at least to me, personally -- but I would do Linux a grave disservice by suggesting it as "the fix" for users sick of Windows.

Cordially,

David

Posted by David on 2009-08-02 07:32:24.

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