Linux and Voided Warranties

Linux.com recently ran an article about someone who saw their HP warranty voided by installing Linux on it. It's really crappy that she's getting nowhere with HP, but it's important (if even just to be able to use that information to put yourself in a better position) to understand HP's position.

The fact is that HP doesn't support Linux on their laptops. While most software can't cause hardware problems, an operating system can. As someone that has run Linux on an HP laptop before ACPI power-management supported it, you can do a lot of real damage (I melted part of my case).

Also, it was a Best Buy rep (i.e. a low-paid worker who don't completely know what he/she's talking about and is in no way associated with HP) who ensured her that it was perfect for Linux. It isn't like HP had a written policy of saying Linux was golden and then reversed it on her. Maybe I'm a little cynical, but today I get everything in writing. It isn't even that people are less trustworthy today. It's that our economy has changed. 50 years ago, if you bought something from the store, you'd be able to go back and find one of the same 5 workers from that store who are still working there. With Best Buy, workers turn-over FAST and there are just so many of them. Likewise, HP can't commit to something some random person promised you. You need to look for it in official writing.

Linux.com is quick to blame Microsoft's "tentacles" that are "chocking a free marketplace". I agree that they are, but this isn't an example of it (if you want to see it, read an OEM contract). HP has real reasons (if not that compelling to you) for not wanting to warranty a device with different operating systems. While Linux's power-management has gotten a lot better since when I melted the bottom of my case, there have been times that, while supported, I had to configure the power-management myself. If I didn't, it would have been damaging to my computer.

If there is any moral to this story, it's that everyone has reasons for doing things and that to dismiss those reasons isn't smart. While you might not come to the same conclusion as they do, realizing how they got to their conclusion makes you more powerful.

Oh, that and don't tell HP you put Linux on your laptop.

P.S. The same goes for things like hardware upgrades and the like. Always pretend that you're an average user when looking for warranty repairs. While it's unlikely that you fsck'd up your computer, it gives them a great excuse to write it off as a user caused fault.