Acer Aspire E 15

[Feral-Fractals7]

Hello. I am in the market for a laptop that works with Qubes. I am aware of the Hardware compatibility list, however I did not see the Acer Aspire E 15 there. It uses the Core i3-7100U, which according to the site show it has VT-d and VT-x tech. Does this mean the main functions of Qubes will work without error?

[Aaron Dough]

Hello. I am in the market for a laptop that works with Qubes. I am aware of the Hardware compatibility list, however I did not see the Acer Aspire E 15 there. It uses the Core i3-7100U, which according to the site show it has VT-d and VT-x tech. Does this mean the main functions of Qubes will work without error?

Sadly it's not that easy. For example, a 7th gen Intel APU will most probably not work with Qubes 3.2, since the kernel of the underlying Fedora (23 i think) does not yet support it. And since the textual installer is broken (it doesn't prompt for the encryption password), and the GPU is not recognized, you may not be able to install Qubes in the first place. Though I have read about workarounds, like installing via VNC and later upgrading to the experimental newer kernel for example.

So if you are set on Qubes and want to be sure, I'd suggest to just buy an older model that you find in the HCL, or maybe wait until Qubes 4 is stable.

If you are not entirely set on Qubes, but on your model instead, you can of course take the risk and be the one trying the E15 and submitting the HCL for it ;)

--Aaron

[Tai...@gmx.com]

On 09/14/2017 07:39 AM, Feral-Fractals7 wrote:

> Hello. I am in the market for a laptop that works with Qubes. I am aware of the Hardware compatibility list, however I did not see the Acer Aspire E 15 there. It uses the Core i3-7100U, which according to the site show it has VT-d and VT-x tech. Does this mean the main functions of Qubes will work without error?
>

I would instead buy a Lenovo G505S (owner controlled, open source init
coreboot), or a Thinkpad X230 or T430. (T/X/W non-owner controlled due
to ME, but open source init coreboot)

Pros:
Low cost - only $100 on ebay then $100 for a new keyboard and battery
(maybe add an nice ssd too :D?)
Sturdy Construction
Ladies like the exotic industrial look
Docking station
Works with Qubes 4.0
Open source init coreboot

Info:
Coreboot for T/X series:
Non-owner controlled (ME present)
Open source init and me_cleaner (in comparison purism has an entirely
blobbed coreboot and me_cleaner can't remove as much from theirs making
their "coreboot" pointless and entirely non-free)

Coreboot for G505S:
Owner controlled
Open source init AND no ME/PSP, as it was AMD's last mobile CPU (Socket
FT3) without it - performance is the same as a sandy/ivybridge intel laptop
Some blobs for video and power control but they are non-critical and can
be removed as there is no evil hardware code signing enforcement

[Feral-Fractals7]

Thank you for this. After a bit of research I've decided to purchase the T430.

[Tai...@gmx.com]

On 09/14/2017 11:47 PM, Feral-Fractals7 wrote:
> Thank you for this. After a bit of research I've decided to purchase the T430.
>

Excellent choice, let me know if you need help installing coreboot or if
you have any more questions - there is a how to guide on the coreboot
wiki as well.

You will need:
USB CH341A - around $10 (this also supports DIP8 for that libre kcma-d8
in your future)
SOIC-8 Test clip with cable (make sure to get one that comes with a
cable) around $10-20

Notes:
Remember to properly orient the clip according to the various diagrams
so that you don't short anything out (there is a little circle on the
soic8 chip and the ch341a that needs to match on both ends of the cable)

If you want a new keyboard I would get the T420 keyboard and palmrest as
it is slightly nicer (I don't like chiclet keyboards)

You can play video games in a VM on this with an ExpressCard eGPU setup
and IOMMU-GFX

I recommend buying a docking station if you have a lot of peripherals at
home.

There are a lot of counterfeit batteries and charging cords out there,
so be careful you get the real thing if you wish to get another battery
or a charging cord for the dock if it doesn't come with one.

[Feral-Fractals7]

Okay thank you for the information.

[michele...@gmail.com]

On Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 7:39:44 AM UTC-4, Feral-Fractals7 wrote:
> Hello. I am in the market for a laptop that works with Qubes. I am aware of the Hardware compatibility list, however I did not see the Acer Aspire E 15 there. It uses the Core i3-7100U, which according to the site show it has VT-d and VT-x tech. Does this mean the main functions of Qubes will work without error?

For those who answered this question: I already have the Acer Aspire E15 and discovered I am unable to download Google docs. I usually just use it through Firefox, but was hoping for offline capability. I have practically ZERO capability to understand technical jargon. Is there a solution for me?

[michele...@gmail.com]

I already have the Acer Aspire E15 and discovered I can't download Google Docs. I normally access Google Docs through Firefox, but wanted offline capability. Is there a solution for me? (I replied this question to the original poster before I figured out how replying to one comment works. I have very, very little tech savvy.)