[CentOS] What RH-like on a Dell XPS 15 (9590)?

Fri Jul 28 15:26:29 UTC 2017
wwp <subscript at free.fr>

Hello Johnny,


On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 08:58:16 -0500 Johnny Hughes <johnny at centos.org> wrote:

> On 07/28/2017 07:51 AM, wwp wrote:
> > Hello Johnny,
> > 
> > 
> > On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 07:14:49 -0500 Johnny Hughes <johnny at centos.org> wrote:
> >   
> >> On 07/28/2017 07:04 AM, wwp wrote:  
> >>> Hello Johnny,
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, 28 Jul 2017 05:44:33 -0500 Johnny Hughes <johnny at centos.org> wrote:
> >>>     
> >>>> On 07/28/2017 05:40 AM, Johnny Hughes wrote:    
> >>>>> On 07/27/2017 12:25 PM, wwp wrote:      
> >>>>>> Hello there,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I've just got a Dell XPS 15 (9590) at work and need to set up a stable
> >>>>>> GNU/Linux system on it. I thought of CentOS7, but.. obviously its
> >>>>>> kernel can't run on this hardware.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> What would you recommend? Waiting for CentOS8 is not an option unless
> >>>>>> it's a question of few weeks. Are there respins of the CentOS7 DVDs w/
> >>>>>> more top-recent kernels? I'm know of Fedora 26 or course, and not
> >>>>>> willing to switch to Ubuntu 16.10 at all.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>      
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I have an experimental 4.9.x kernel stream for x86_64.  Let me see if I
> >>>>> can create a live-dvd that boots with that kernel and installs.      
> >>>>
> >>>> 4.9 kernel tree for CentOS-7 that is.
> >>>>
> >>>> It lives here:
> >>>>
> >>>> http://mirror.centos.org/altarch/7/experimental/x86_64/
> >>>>
> >>>> (currently pushing a 4.9.39 kernel there)    
> >>>
> >>> Thanks, if I succeed in installing a C7, I'll make use of it and
> >>> provide feedback.
> >>>     
> >>
> >> hmmm .. the live ISO fails to boot .. there is not squashfs module ..
> >> let me see if I can fix that.  
> > 
> > Where could I get an ISO (once fixed), I only saw RPMs at the link you
> > pasted? Or do I have to assemble myself in some way?
> >   
> 
> Once I get a working ISO that installs, I'll post a link.
> 
> You would have to set up the experimental repo in /etc/yum.repos.d/ to
> get kernel updates, and those would be RPM only.
> 
> In fact, I have a live ISO now that installs (in KVM) .. but I still
> need to make sure this kernel updates correctly from the experimental
> repo.
> 
> The kernel (and linux-firmware) rpms are unsigned, but should upgrade
> from the experimental repo for future upgrades and those are signed.
> 
> So, I should have something installable sometime in the next few hours
> that you can try.

I've just succeeded in installing CentOS7 from the DVD! Had no luck
using a Live CD (both dd'ed to a flash drive).

Hardware support is not complete (or not configured as-is):
 - bluetooth not working
 - HDMI ouput -> nothing
 - dell Fn keys -> no screen light, no wifi toggle
 - no suspend/hibernate

I will now try to inject more recent kernels (yours *) or extra firmware,
see how I can find better hardware support and configuration. And
compare this to what Fedora 26 provides..

(*) BTW, I installed your 4.9.39 kernel (did a yum update after
configuring a repo file to get your stuff) and at boot, I immediately
get:
error: $KERNEL_NAME_HERE has invalid signature
error: you need to load the kernel first


Regards,

-- 
wwp
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