HP-Compaq 8710W

Introduction

This is a guide to running Linux with the HP 8710W laptop.

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

This page is just for discussing using Linux on the HP-Compaq 8710w. For a general discussion about this laptop you can visit the HP-Compaq 8710w page on LapWik.

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Specifications

For full specifications see the HP-Compaq 8710w specifications page.

NameHP 8710W
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo T7700 2.4Ghz
Screen17” WUXGA Widescreen
RAM2GB
HDD120GB
Optical DriveDVD+-RW
GraphicsNVIDIA Quadro FX 1600M
NetworkEthernet, Intel 4965 802.11abgn, Bluetooth

Linux Compatibility

DeviceCompatibilityComments
ProcessorYes
ScreenYes
HDDYes
Optical DriveYes
GraphicsYesproprietary nvidia driver
SoundYesUse snd_hda_intel kernel driver (2.6.25)
EthernetYesUse e1000e kernel driver (2.6.25)
WirelessYesUse the iwl4965 driver
BluetoothNoDevice not recognized
56K ModemNot Tested
USBYes
FirewireYesUse ohci1394 kernel driver (2.6.25)
Card ReaderYes
PCMCIAYesUse yenta_socket kernel driver (2.6.25)
Fingerprint ReaderYesUse driver from http://home.gna.org/aes2501/index_en.html
SD card readerYesUse kernel driver (ricoh_mmc, sdhci, mmc_block)
Synaptics TouchpadYes

Notes

The Quadro FX 1600M in the 8710W needs the proprietary NVIDIA drivers for full support. Xorg does not yet support this card directly so you are forced to use the proprietary modules for any display at all.

Bluetooth doesn't work, there doesn't appear to be any drivers for it at the moment.

Summary

The HP-Compaq 8710W work quite well with Linux as long as you are comfortable installing and using the NVIDIA drivers.