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Dell Studio 15 with Ubuntu Linux does not boot
I just received a DELL studio 15 with Ubuntu Linux. It does not boot properly. I get the normal "DELL" start screen and then the Ubuntu loading screen and then the screen goes to the image shown in the picture.
Also, I don't like the watermark that is on the lower right quarter of the keyboard case. This may be a design issue, but it wasn't shown on the dell website images and it is ugly.
o
Also, I don't like the watermark that is on the lower right quarter of the keyboard case. This may be a design issue, but it wasn't shown on the dell website images and it is ugly.
o
I’m frustrated
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Inappropriate?Dellhelp,
Are you able to get into the system bios upon booting up the system?
Jesse1 Comment
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Yes. The bios stuff seems to be OK, and Ubuntu seems to boot somewhat--I can press Alt-F3, for example to go to a terminal. It seems to die when starting X. I can get to a terminal with Alt-Fx but don't have a username or password to login or do anything. -
Inappropriate?Dellhelp,
Contact Canonical software support at 1-866-9UBUNTU (1-866-982-8688). If they determine that hardware needs replace then email me back.
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Thanks. I called the number and they recommended that I return the system.
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Inappropriate?dellhelp,
what is the reason they said to return the system? -
Inappropriate?The hardware is defective -
Inappropriate?dellhelp,
If you would go to http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportf... Login and send me a PM to Dell-Jesse L with your service tag number your address phone number. Do you want to exchange this system for another system or a refund?
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I tried to PM you, but it wasn't working. There is a 'send note' icon that I clicked on and it opened a window, but the window was blank.
I want a refund. I was excited about getting this computer, but the customer support (except from you) has been so bad that I don't want to deal with it any more. -
Inappropriate?dellhelp,
Email me at jesse_leonard@dell.com and provide your system service tag number, address, phone number, and email address.
Jesse
You would have to create an account on the dell community forum in order to send a PM to me.
Jesse -
Inappropriate?I bought the same laptop. Canonical also told me that my hardware would need to be replaced. After telling Dell about this, they sent me a second Dell Studio 15 with Ubuntu which also has the same "white screen of death" / vertical lines problem.
At this point I don't even want a refund anymore. I want Dell to start checking that their laptops actually work before sending them out. It seems that nearly EVERYONE who has purchased a Dell Studio 15 with Ubuntu preloaded gets a laptop that doesn't work. On top of that, the Dell customer support phone bank won't take calls regardling Linux, and Canonical thinks the hardware is bad. What gives?
Here's a whole thread of Ubuntu users who have the exact same problem with this same model.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.ph...
Dell, this is a huge issue!
The call center told me it would take 20 days for me to get a refund, but that I need to send the laptop back within 5 days.
No. I want my laptop to work. Fix the problem. Get together with Canonical and write a patch that fixes this. And for the love of God, stop selling faulty hardware.1 Comment Add a comment
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Chris--best of luck to you. It seems like Dell doesn't verify that machines actually boot up before they ship them out. Sounds like a serious quality control problem.
I originally bought the Studio 15 because I wanted Linux pre-installed so that I wouldn't have to bother with Linux hardware incompatibility issues. Dell is the only major vendor for this. After my experience, I don't plan on purchasing from Dell again.
I returned my laptop to Dell and got a new MacBook instead. The new aluminum models are really cool. You get all the benefits of Unix/Linux but with a polished user interface. If I have problems, I can just drive a couple of miles to an Apple store and work it out with real people rather than waiting 'on hold' for hours with some technical support guy in another country.
I'm glad things didn't work out for me with Dell--I'm so much happier with my Mac. -
Inappropriate?That's what I'm thinking. I actually have found lots of people who have this same problem, and I have yet to find anyone who actually has bought one that worked. Rather than send it back to them, I want to see Dell get their act together, maybe even issue a public apology to their users and the whole OpenSource community. But if I don't get anywhere, I'm going with a Macbook, no contest.1 Comment Add a comment
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Chris--unfortunately Dell will probably conclude from all of this that selling Linux machines isn't good business because of the high rate of returns/problems. What do they expect when they ship out machines that don't even boot up?
I admire you for trying to help get this resolved, but I'd make sure that you do get a refund or working machine in the end. I didn't need the stress of dealing with it all, so I just gave up and went somewhere else. -
Inappropriate?Chris,
I have escalated this issue to our escalation team. They will be contacting you.
Jesse -
Inappropriate?has anyone received a second studio from dell with ubuntu preloaded and had it actually work?
I’m frustrated
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James, all that Dell wants to do is give me a refund. Luckily I got in contact with Mark Shuttleworth himself, and Canonical is now aware of the blunders on Dell's part. Shuttleworth assures me that Tim Gardner is currently looking into a fix. Canonical's Mark Murphy is also looking into the matter personally. You can follow the bug here. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bu...
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Inappropriate?A refund is all well in good. I believe I should get to keep the laptop for free for uncovering this gross oversight. But rather than just get my money back, I want to see Dell actually make good on selling what they promise. It's just amazing to me that you have to do so much to make that happen.
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Inappropriate?I knew I should have stuck with the refund! I let them convince me to send it back for another studio.
I’m frustrated
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James, just to confirm, neither of my Dell Studio 15s work. When yours arrives, I would encourage you to video tape yourself unboxing it, plugging it in, and turning it on. This is the tip of an iceberg of massive oversight on Dell's part, and I am compiling a list of users who have had this exact problem. The key problem here is that our laptops were shipped without anyone even checking to see if they were able to boot up. They lied to us and they lied to Canonical.
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The big problem here is that it shows just how little Dell does to verify the hardware works reasonable well with Linux and how bad they are at giving support on Linux related problems. If they would have tried to boot any one of the Studio 15 Linux systems that they are selling, they would have seen this problem.
I'm sure there will eventually be some fix to this issue. But what about the next issue? If they don't even boot up the machines to verify that X is working, how do you know that the wireless networking or camera or power management or anything else is going to work reliably with Linux?
I returned my machine to Dell and bought a Macbook. I'm happy. You are welcome to spend your time making videos of yourself unboxing defective Dell products. I'm actually doing stuff with my Mac. -
Inappropriate?I can do that. Before I just wanted a working laptop as fast as possible, but now I think I am more interested in them making good on their end of the bargain, or at least acknowledging that it was a major over site on their part.
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Inappropriate?dellhelp makes a good point. As much as I would like to draw this out on principle, from a practicle standpoint I need a working laptop more. Tomorrow I will see If I can just get a refund. If not, you will have your pictures.
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Inappropriate?Just curious--has this issue been resolved yet?
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Inappropriate?After lots of troubleshooting, it looks as though the LCD being used in the Dell Studio 1535 isn't compatible with the current version of the Intel Driver and no one has been able to develop a fix just yet. Dell has finally agreed to let me exchange my laptop for one with a compatible LCD but they said they'll call my on the phone to discuss the details. I'm still waiting. -
Inappropriate?A Ubuntu user discovered, and reported on openSUSE (to help SuSE users) what they believe could be a work around to this problem with a lack of monitor compatibility with the Intel driver ... where the fix consists of adding a modeline in xorg.conf and 915resolution patch:
http://forums.opensuse.org/install-bo... -
Inappropriate?I have had the same problem. I wasted hours on the phone with customer and tech support, and I too let them send a replacement. It took weeks to get the shipping labels to return both laptops (they finally emailed them to me). I contacted the Better Business Bureau and will be contacting the Consumer Protection Agency and anyone else I can think of. Dell is essentially committing fraud by continuing to sell a knowingly defective product. I was promised a full refund upon return of the laptop, and now found out they charging me for the shipping. I am filing complaints because someone should force them to stop selling this defective item.
I’m frustrated and ANGRY
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Inappropriate?Today I'm looking at buying a laptop to run Ubuntu (with Windows in a VM). The salesperson was leading me towards a Studio 15, but this exchange here worries me a bit. Is it possible this is cleaned up by upgrading from the Intel graphics chipset to the ATI chipset? Is that even possible? Curiously, when I asked the Dell salesperson today about Ubuntu on the Studio 15, he said that they do not offer it. As the OP apparently got it this way, has Dell decided not to offer this anymore? I'm personally not looking at buying it in that configuration, just installing Ubuntu afterwards.
I’m anxious
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Inappropriate?David--I think that there is no guarantee that any Dell hardware will be supported by Ubuntu. It might work, it might not. Even the systems with Ubuntu pre-loaded seem to have problems.
If you run Ubuntu under Windows (with a VM) things might be better. The wireless networking, for example, might use the Windows driver so that Ubuntu doesn't need to natively support the wireless card. I'm not sure if this applies to the video card or not.
I bought one of the Dell Ubuntu systems, but it didn't work. I returned it and bought a MacBook. I run Ubuntu on the MacBook using VMware. This configuration gives the best hardware support that I've ever had with Linux.
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