[PD] Laptop+Linux+PD+LowLatencySoundCard

[Ali Azarbayejani]

Hi, I am new on the list.  I used Max a long time ago.
Thanks Miller for making PD.

I would like to set up

    Laptop + Linux + PD + LowLatencySoundCard

for audio and midi.

I am in the fortunate position of not having any prior
constraints since I will buy the system from scratch, but I
am concerned about getting parts that will work together.

For a low-latency (<10ms) soundcard I've been turned onto
RME Hammerfall, but I understand from previous discussion on
the list and the net that

  o there is some ALSA driver that works for some RME system
    (but not a laptop system?)
  o there is currently no working ALSA driver for the Multiface
  o there might be a third-party ALSA driver for the
    Multiface sometime
  o there might someday be a working ALSA driver for the
    Multiface that is supported by RME

(did i get this right?)  (anyone able to use an RME
Multiface with PD on Linux?)...so I'm afraid that this
probably won't work at the moment.  Also, I don't know if
there are any quirks with particular Laptops with regards to
Linux/PD.

My question is: can anyone specify such a system for me that
they've been able to get working or is reasonably sure would
work?  (I assume I'd use RedHat 7.2 (do I have to get a
low-latency kernel?), and the latest version of PD...but
what laptop and what soundcard?)  (or conversely, what
laptop/soundcard NOT to get?)

Thanks in advance,
--Ali