Comment 3 for bug 1812453

Hi Chris,

Thank you for the reply.

1) It was 18.04
2) During the install process there is a reboot. It would often hang here, and sometimes after 5 minutes or so, it would reset itself. After initial installation, it would sometimes hang at the login screen, but 90% of the time would hang within 60 seconds of hitting the desktop. Pressing the "activities" keys button would load the icons for the programs. After clicking any program it would crash halfway through the animation to fade out the icons.
3) I had to look at the list again. Other than AMD or NVidia I wasn't under the impression there was a great amount of differentiation in the 7720. CPU and chipset does look the same. However, I believe this 7720 has a Quadro P4000 Mobile instead of the P3000.

I appreciate your guys help. I can't stand leaving this equipment on Windows 10.

Namaste,

Ed Epstein III

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Wayne" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2019 4:34:05 PM
Subject: [Bug 1812453] Re: Misleading and deceptive information regarding Dell & Ubuntu certification

Hi Ed,

First of all I'd like to profusely apologize for all of this! If you
can help answer some questions I should be able to get a better idea of
what exactly's going on. Can you please let me know:

1) Which version of stock Ubuntu were you trying to install? If it's 16.04, I'd be curious to see if 18.04 would work (lots of times with pre-installed images like this, the fixes/tweaks required by the hardware are pushed upstream in later versions).
2) What is the exact error/issue you're seeing when trying to install stock ubuntu? i.e. does the install work but the system fails to boot?
3) Is the configuration you're trying the same as listed in the certification link? i.e. is it the same nvidia card listed there?

Again, I'm really sorry you've gone through this.

Thanks
Chris

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report.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1812453

Title:
  Misleading and deceptive information regarding Dell & Ubuntu
  certification

Status in Ubuntu-Certification:
  Opinion

Bug description:
  My friend is unfortunately the owner of a multi-thousand dollar door
  stop from Dell. I recommended Dell to him because of its long
  relationship with Ubuntu, and that Ubuntu certifies specific Dell
  models to run Ubuntu on them.

  Glancing over the certification
  (https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201611-25214/4), it would
  seem Ubuntu is supported. However, those disclaimers are not nearly
  big enough, or contain strong enough language. There is no “maybe”
  about it, stock Ubuntu cannot be installed on a Mobile Precision
  M7220. The difference between pre-install systems and standard images
  does not inform the user of the nasty truth:

  Dell will never allow you, or anyone else, to download the Ubuntu
  Recovery Image for a 7720, unless you purchased the unit with Ubuntu
  pre-installed, and have a warranty.

  Considering that it’s impossible to put Ubuntu on the 7720, I urge the
  community to change the wording of these certifications, and STRONGLY
  warn people NOT TO PURCHASE REFURBISHED DELL HARDWARE if they wish to
  run Ubuntu. You need to very emphatically state that ONLY pre-installs
  will ever work.

  Moreover, this whole situation violates the principles of open source
  software in the first place. Dell hoards the knowledge and refuses to
  share any information about drivers, kernel parameters, software
  settings, etc.

  We’ve been told that it will never be possible to Ubuntu to work with
  this specific 7720, even though it is certified. That is because of
  policy, not capability.

  Ubuntu should revisit its relationship with Dell, and IMHO, strongly
  urge Dell to not lie and misrepresent its support of Ubuntu on its
  hardware, and all certification pages for Dell equipment on Ubuntu’s
  site should be updated to reflect the truth of Dell’s policies.

  Specifically, that if you buy anything certified for Ubuntu, but it
  comes bundled with Windows 10, that you’re vendor locked into Windows
  10.

  I’m sure it would come to no surprise to the people here, that I would
  cut off my genitalia with a rusty salt encrusted spork, before running
  Microsoft on our hardware :wink:

  ******* UPDATE AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DELL CORPORATE **************

  I just finished a lengthy conversation with Dell Corporate. I’ve been
  informed that Dell no longer supports the Mobile Precision line
  entirely with respect to either Ubuntu or Redhat. It’s not possible to
  be sold a Precision 7720 with Ubuntu pre-installed at this time, and
  neither is it possible to modify or update a warranty or service tag
  to allow access to the Ubuntu recovery image. That recovery image is
  effectively locked up behind a service tag “password”, and it’s not
  certain that a service tag for a Ubuntu pre-install can still download
  it.

  Considering that Dell officially no longer supports Ubuntu/Redhat on
  the entire Precision line, and utterly refuses to work with the open
  source community in good faith by providing downloads for Linux
  drivers with additional installation information, it is wholly
  inaccurate for Ubuntu to have those certification pages up. They’re no
  longer reflective of the reality a tech faces when trying to install
  Ubuntu on Precision laptops.

  Ubuntu really should revisit its relationship with Dell, and
  especially should reconsider the logic of certifying hardware that
  does not have the drivers readily available for download, or publicly
  published. The difference between “Standard” and “Pre-install” should
  be eliminated, and “Pre-install” should never receive certification.

  *******************

  I was advised to cross post this here for a "signal boost". Obviously
  we are extremely furious and despondent we cannot run Linux on this
  very expensive hardware. Not only that, but you should refuse
  certification, or heavily caution it, for companies like Dell that
  openly say they will void an onsite hardware warranty if Ubuntu is on
  the laptop. That is Grade-A Bullshit. If they're truly certified for
  Ubuntu, then why do they get to vendor lock whatever software it is
  bundled with?

  Also, anybody reading this that has access to the Ubuntu recovery
  image for the 7720 please let me know. I'm willing to install it in a
  month or two when I have access to the hardware again, and I will take
  the liability of publishing it far and wide on the Internet so that
  7720 owners can indeed run Ubuntu.

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