Does my hardware fit opensuse 11.1?

English Hardware
#1

Hi,

this is boerzel writing, beeing completely new to Linux. Since a half year now I am reading (and do my best to understand) a lot about Linux, because I want to change from Windows to Linux, but will do it prepared. Have about 10 years expirience with Windows (2000, XP, Vista Business) and build my PCs by my own.

I have the usual question for my hardware: does it run with Opensuse 11.1 64-bit, or should I better take 32-bit? I would prefer 64-bit to be able use my complete ram.

My “homebrewed” system is:

  • AMD AthlonX2 6000+ CPU
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • Asrock AliveDual-eSATA2 Mainboard
  • Geforce 7300GT AGP-Graphicscard
  • 2x 250GB IDE harddisks,
  • 1x DVD-ROM from Samsung IDE
  • 1x DVD-Burner from Samsung IDE
  • 1x TV-card Hauppauge WinTV PVR 150 with Radio tuner
  • 1x Epson-USB-Scanner Perfection V200 Photo
  • 1x Canon Pixma-inkprinter USB

This systems runs very well with Win Vista, and it would be nice, if this configuration would run with opensuse 11.1 also fine too.

Specially I would like to know, if the scanner could be run with 64-Bit opensuse 11.1.

Also I really need to know, if the television-card runs with 64-Bit opensuse 11.1 and wich software is available for watching TV, recording TV and listening radio with this television card. I know about the ivtv-drivers, but I would like to have some expierienced answer about the software.

Last, but not least, I need to know, wich software is availbale to edit videos - those, wich I had recorded with the TV-card and then some family videos, taken with a digicam. I know avidemux from Windows, but, for example, I need a software, with wich I can cut out the advertising from the tv-recorded movies.

Sorry for my bad English.

Thanks in advance for all suggestions,
have a Happy New Year 2009,
greatings from Germany,
boerzel

#2

Hi,

can give you an experienced answer for your tv-card :wink:

I’am developing a small software for ivtv and pvrusb2 based tv-cards.

Just take a look here, it is also available in german as you may see.

Best Regards
Saedelaere

#3

Hi saedelaere1212,

thanks a lot for your answer. I am checking arround for my questions in several forums and have found information about your software tv-viewer on linux-club.de to be used successfully with all kind of tv-cards, wich need ivtv-drivers.

I answer in English, because I think that this information could be helpful for others too.

I have bookmarked your website TV-Viewer - Frontend für ivtv basierende TV-Karten and will return the soon, when I hav e finished my recherche and am prepared for the change from Win to Lin.

One question: whats about radio support? Same as you I own a PVR 150 tv-card, but this one has a radio tuner too, wich works fine with Win.

Actually your linux-software does not support radio with that card. Do you know a linux-software, wich does?

And is it correct, that you are using mainly opensuse?

Greets,
boerzel

#4

Hi.
Most of your hardware will run. Problems may exist with your tv-card, printer and scanner. There’s a hardware compatibility list on the openSUSE wiki Hardware - openSUSE. It’s very incomplete but you might find something. If not look here SANE Supported Scanners - Search Engine for your scanner and here OpenPrinting database - Printer Listings for your printer.

does it run with Opensuse 11.1 64-bit, or should I better take 32-bit? I would prefer 64-bit to be able use my complete ram.

I run 64-bit. Most things work but for some I had to install 32-bit libraries or set symlinks. If that sounds interesting to you go ahead and install the 64-bit version. If you decide for the 32-bit version you will be able to use all your memory because a kernel will be installed which can use more than 4GB of ram (the pae kernel flavor).
I can’t help you with software for watching tv or editing videos. But here you can Find Open Source Alternatives to commercial software | Open Source Alternative - osalt.com.

Just a short sidenote because you are new to Linux

Until three years ago, I was running Windows exclusively. I tried Linux from time to time but it never worked. Since about two years I only run Linux (well, at least nearly all of the time). The transition was not easy because underneath KDE, which is very similar to Windows, is a completely different operating system. It took me some time to adapt to the new system. And as I am just a user with limited knowledge and experience and not a professional it turned out to be a good idea to have a dual boot in the beginning. When Linux was installed and running fine, I tried to install and configure more and more things until I had to reinstall. That was great fun, but it was a good idea to keep my windows system for some time.
And a last thing… I know I’ll be heavily criticized for that but having a windows background I recommend the KDE3.5 desktop environment over KDE4.1 because it is much more feature complete and stable. But that may be a matter of taste. Actually you can install multiple desktop environments and choose which one to use on login.
Have a lot of fun with Linux!

#5

Hi supertimorplusfort,

thanks a lot for your suggestions. The 32-bit with the complete ram usage (pae) sounds good for me, because I am not coding, so a 64-Bit-system might be not neccessary, if the 32-bit opensuse 11.1 will use all the built-in ram.

It looks like, that, f.e., my scanner would not run under 64-bit opensuse 11.1, because Epson-Avasys only publishes 32-bit-drivers.

The printer himself will run, because there is a commercial software called Turboprint, wich I will buy, and with this the printer will run very fine under all Linux distributions.

Its also a very important suggestion, to run opensuse beside Windows for a while, to get to used to it more and more an have Win in background, if problems will come up for me as a linux beginner.

Talking about the gui, I read a lot about Gnome, and it looks nice for me. I read a lot about KDE too, but 4.x looks not to be finished yet, and 3.x looks to be not supported furthermore, so I think, I will give Gnome a try.

We will see.

Thanks.
boerzel

#6

Don’t worry too much about about the desktop manager - you can always change it in linux.
Why not play with a live cd - that way you can see if you like it. Better still, dual boot and try a few distos till you find one you like. If you keep /home on a separate partition, you won’t lose your personal data.