This guide is intended to provide you details on how well this laptop works with Linux and which drivers you need to configure. For details on how to actually install and configure the required drivers have a look at our guides section for distribution specific instructions.

Page Contents Author Introduction Editing This Page Specifications Linux Compatibility Notes Related Resources Summary

If you are looking to purchase this laptop you can visit HP's notebook page.

Author

Bill Giannikos (bill2 at giannikos.com.au)

Introduction

This is a guide to running Linux with the HP-Compaq 8710P laptop.

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Specifications

Name	HP-Compaq 8710P
Processor	Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2GHz
Screen	17" WSXGA+
RAM	2GB
HDD	160GB
Optical Drive	DVD+-RW
Graphics	NVIDIA Quadro NVS 320M
Network	10/100/1000 Ethernet, Intel 4965 802.11abgn Wireless, Bluetooth
Other	6 x USB2.0, 1 x Firewire, Fingerprint Reader

Linux Compatibility

Device	Compatibility	Comments
Processor	Yes
Screen	Yes
HDD	Yes
Optical Drive	Yes
Graphics	Yes	See notes below
Sound	Yes	See notes below
Ethernet	Yes	e1000 driver
Wireless	Yes	See notes below
Bluetooth	Yes
56K Modem	Not Tested
USB	Yes
Firewire	Not Tested
Card Reader	Yes	Driver is available in the kernel
PCMCIA	Not Tested
Fingerprint Reader	Not Tested

Notes

The NVIDIA Quadro NVS 320M in the 8710P is not supported by the open source 'nv' driver included with Xorg. However there is support for this chip with the proprietary driver from Nvidia. Check the guide below for details on how to install and use this driver.

For Ubuntu 7.04 you will need to use the alternative CD as the live CD does not work because of the video issue above.

The Intel 4965 wireless controller in the 8710P works with the iwlwifi driver from intel. However depending on the Linux distribution used these driver may be difficult to install. For details on installing this driver see our guide below. An up to date installation of Fedora 7 and the upcoming Ubuntu 7.10 have built-in support for this chip.

For sound to work you will need kernel 2.6.22 or greater. For older kernels you can try installing the latest ALSA driver but since the wireless controller works best with kernel 2.6.22 I would recommend using this kernel for the easiest installation.

Related Resources

Preparing your laptop for Linux
Configuring the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 & 950
Configuring a nVidia graphics chip
Configuring the audio
Configuring the iwl4965 driver for the Intel 4965AGN wireless controller
Increasing battery life

Summary

Linux compatibility for the HP-Compaq 8710P largely depends on the Linux distribution used. Using kernel 2.6.22 or greater is highly recommended.


Have you installed Linux on this laptop? If so how about leaving a comment about your success in the comments section below.