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Dell Inspiron 17
Introduction
This is an initial attempt at a guide to running Linux with the Dell Inspiron 17 laptop. If you have the Dell Inspiron 17 and are running Linux on it please consider editing this page or adding a comment below with your compatibility details. By contributing you will help other people running this laptop or trying to make a decision on whether to buy it or not.
The tests carried out used Debian Lenny amd64.
This page is just for discussing using Linux on the Dell Inspiron 17. For a general discussion about this laptop you can visit the Dell Inspiron 17 page on LapWik.
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Specifications
For full specifications see the Dell Inspiron 17 specifications page.
| Name | Dell Inspiron 17 |
| Processor | Intel® Celeron Dual Core Intel® Core™2 Duo Intel® Pentium Dual Core |
| Screen | 17” 1600×900 or 1920×1080 Widescreen |
| RAM | Up to 8GB |
| HDD | 160GB to 500GB |
| Optical Drive | DVD+-RW Blueray |
| Graphics | Intel® GMA X4500HD ATI Mobility RadeonTM HD4330 |
| Network | 10/100 Ethernet Dell 1397 Wireless G Mini-Card Dell 1515 Wireless Draft-N Mini-Card Intel WiFi Link 5100 (802.11 a/g/n) Mini card |
Linux Compatibility
| Device | Compatibility | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Working | Tested system has Celeron T3000 |
| Screen | Working | See notes on Graphics |
| HDD | Working | 160GB tried with custom Debian installer. LVM unsuccessful but regular partitioning OK. Diagnostic partition undisturbed. |
| Optical Drive | Working | DVD+-RW - Reads - not yet tested for writing |
| Graphics | Working | Intel - Further testing needed |
| Sound | Working | |
| Ethernet | Working | Had to use it during installation as wireless did not work even with custom installer. |
| Wireless | Working | Intel 5100 - not working when installing from custom installer but works fine once installed. Needs backported kernel if using Debian Lenny. |
| Bluetooth | Working | Did not work out of box. Needed a patch to bluez-utils packages, [http://www.natisbad.org/E4300/] has it. Kernel patch not needed if using 2.6.30. Should work with unpatched bluez-utils 4. Test included accessing 3G connection on N95. |
| USB | Working | Used pendrives successfully, and internal Bluetooth is on the USB. |
| Card Reader | Working | Internal card reader is on the USB. |
| ExpressCard Slot | Not Tested | |
| Webcam | Working | Picture seen in xawtv. Not tested further as yet. |
Notes
You can enter any specific notes with running Linux on the Dell Inspiron 17 here.
Summary
Appears fully functional in the “all Intel” configuration I chose, under Debian Lenny, once bluez-utils patched.
Discussion
I installed Ubuntu 9.10 64-bit.
Took me a few hours to get wifi working (bug) and the screen is set to maximum brightness after every reboot. But these are the only issues, everything else works 'out of the box'
Ubuntu runs much faster on this machine than Vista !!
Well…Hibernate and Suspend…doesn't seems to work on my box…Any of you got it work ?
Thanks:)
ATI Mobility RadeonTM HD4330 working with the latest catalyst driver 9.11 with no problems.Glxgears shows ~3000 fps which is OK …Compiz works fine. Fn keys works. Need to pach the bluetooth.Good laptop for linux fans.
Update:
Using Mandriva Spring 2010 x64 Free Ed. and everything is “working”.
I've added the restricted repos, made good use of www.easyurpmi.zarb.org, and installed the PLF repos.
The only “issue”, that I think is just part of Mandriva, would be the Network Manager is terrible and automatically connecting to a saved network one you bring the laptop out of standby. (This is all to say nothing of the half-baked status of KDE, but you take the good with the bad.)
For flash, which mysteriously started- stopped- and started working again, simply download the lin-x64-alpha file, and place it (SUDO through Konsole) in your /usr/lib64/mozilla/plugins folder. Make sure you don't have any other instance of flash running.
The Fn keys are hit and miss, but I don't really mind.
Hi,
Anyone test the laptop with ATI Mobility RadeonTM HD4330 ?
is there 3D..compiz working?
Thanks :)
The function key binding is set in the BIOS setup. Agree that the touchpad is a bit sensitive.
My sound works, but is very quiet.
Issues/frustrations:
1) the F-keys are default bound to their (traditionally) alternate function eg. contrast up/down
2) the touchpad is extraordinarily sensitive and I am forever bumping it with my palm.
I have successfully installed Ubuntu 9.04 (jaunty) 64 bit on this machine. Only issues are with the sound card, which seems to work randomly or not at all.