A Dell Linux Timeline - The Countdown Begins <strike>today</strike> in 1992.

280 points posted to Dell, Linux, Small Business by jmxz 04/20/07

For those newer to Linux, here's a timeline of Dell's involvement with Linux.

The Idea for IdeaStorm is that Dell should support Linux as well as it had in the past (before the Mar 2002 event)

I consider this document a work-in-progress and any additions are welcome.
PLEASE Find more links and post them in the comments and I'll add them to the timeline.

• Feb 1992 · Linux runs fine (except for swapping) on a Dell 235D (25Mhz 386).
• Mar 1992 · Dell employees help vote for the creation of comp.os.linux
• Aug 1992 · Dell employees active on the Linux-Activists mailing lists.
• Oct 1994 · Dell employees help thier customers run Linux on Notebooks with a footnote that"In this isolated instance these are indeed the opinions of my employer"
• Jun 1995 · Dell tests Linux on Notebooks and notes to potential customers "OS/2 Warp is supported. Linux isn't officially supported but unofficially, it works fine. I've been using these machines for over a year... I'm on the notebook design team at Dell.".
• Mar 1998 · Ralph Nader sends a letter to Michael Dell requesting pre-installed Linux "after learning that Dell and other OEMs were reluctant to offer a Linux client PC on the grounds that it would harm the OEM's relationship with Microsoft."
• Feb 2000 · CNN reports "Red Hat Linux 6.1 is now available on the Dell Inspiron 7500.... The Linux-enabled laptops will cost no more than their Windows 98 counterparts, according to a spokesperson for Dell....With the availability of Linux on its laptops, Dell is leading the pack in the deployment of Linux, ...I think Dell has set themselves as the innovator here,...With their basic business model, they don't have to build 10,000 Linux machines and then worry about getting orders."
• Apr 2000 · Michael Dell says "I think Linux on the desktop has a fair shot over the next couple of years"
• Jun 2000 · Michael Dell responds to "if I log on to your Web site and order a laptop running Linux, will you ship it to me", Dell: "Absolutely. Not only can you order a laptop, but you can order at least one configuration of every single product we sell, and we would encourage you to. We are one of the leading providers of Linux-based systems, and I believe that's a rapidly growing part of the market."
• Aug 2000 · Michael Dell says "Dell is now the No. 2 provider of Linux-based systems worldwide and the first major manufacturer to offer Linux across its full product line"
• Aug 2000 · Michael Dell says "configurations of all Dell products are now designed, tested and certified for Linux. Our factories can now customize each system -- from PCs to servers -- with Linux. "
• Mar 2002 · Media reports that Microsoft killed Dell Linux.
• Jul 2002 · Dell's support channels still provide excellent support on pre-installed Linux Dell Notebooks.
• Jan 2003 · Michael Dell says "We continue to offer Linux on the desktop and there is nothing else to say,"
• Sep 2004 · Near impossible to buy a Dell Linux desktop (they apparently stopped pre-installing though the website suggested they did).
• Sep 2005 · Dell introduced a notebook with pre-installed Linux for the French market.
• Jan 2007 · Dell introduced a notebook with pre-installed Linux in China.
• Mar 2007 · Dell writes "Dell has heard you and we will expand our Linux support beyond our existing servers and Precision workstation line. Our first step in this effort is offering Linux pre-installed on select desktop and notebook systems. We will provide an update in the coming weeks that includes detailed information on which systems we will offer, our testing and certification efforts, and the Linux distribution(s) that will be available. The countdown begins today."

Yes, it's focused a bit heavily on notebooks now - because that's what I'm in the market for - but if your interest is in a different area, feel free to add more links in the comments. After I verify your link I'll add it to the main posting.

• [Feb1992] http://groups.google.com/group/alt.os.linux/browse_thread/thread/93c8a6cc186e...
• [Mar1992] http://groups.google.com/group/alt.os.linux/msg/044374eb8845069c?&hl=en&q=lin...
• [Aug1992] http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux/browse_thread/thread/c08e6aada33...
• [Oct1994] http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.laptops/browse_thread/thread/b2144e39...
• [Jun1995] http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys.laptops/browse_thread/thread/f5186036...
• [Mar1998] http://ideastorm.com/article/show/66040
• [Feb2000] http://archives.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/02/03/linux.laptop.idg/index.html
• [Apr2000] http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/corporate/speeches/msd/2000_04_27_msd_st...
• [Jun2000] http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/corporate/speeches/msd/2000_06_08_msd_fu...
• [Aug2000] http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/corporate/speeches/msd/2000_08_15_msd_li...
• [Mar2002] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/03/19/microsoft_killed_dell_linux_states/
• [Jul 2002] ]http://lists.us.dell.com/pipermail/linux-precision/2002-July/000022.html
• [Jan2003] http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/03/01/14/030114hndellinterview.html?...
• ]http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20040918105850387
• [Sep2005] http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/corporate/speeches/execs/20050928_consum...
• [Jan2007] http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/09/dell_linux_china/
• [Mar2007] http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/ideastorm/ideasinaction?c=us&l...