@Scott: Sure you can do what with you want with it - but don't ask for support for it. If you buy a car, you can change the engine - just don't go back to the manufacturer and ask for them to fix it under warranty. 
 
However, in this case, I do think HP should fix BIOS problems since that is a problem with what they shipped to you. On the other hand if you replaced the engine, and the ignition no longer works - whose fault is that? What if you couldn't fix it or replace it? (as in a 3rd party BIOS) 
 
~Michael http://theplaz.com

http://theplaz.com

If your problem is with one or more of the APICs on the system, there are a couple places the problems could be, could you elaborate on the issue?  
 
The problem could be in the MP table. If that's the case it may be simple to deal with on either the BIOS or the OS end. If there is missing information, such as entries for the local APICs or IOAPICs, that would be a bit harder to deal with. But IIRC, MS favors ACPI and will not use the MP table unless it has to. 
 
Or the issue could be with the ACPI tables, and there is plenty of info out there concerning the creation of that spec and Linux thanks to the antitrust suit. But I belive most of the issues are know so I would hope you can find some way to deal witht he problem there.

> It's not a matter of adding support for other operating systems 
 
Yes, it is. There is no such thing as 100% compliant hardware or 100% compliant software. The Pavilion is cheap, and it's cheap particularly because it's designed as a unit, with the OS shipping with the computer. If you don't want to build your own box or buy a box that is advertised as Linux compatible, you're betting that the company will expand their support window for you out of the goodness of their hearts. 
 
You can probably run FreeBSD, or OpenSolaris, or Linux, or whatever on just about anything, but unless you take the time before purchasing to determine if the hardware is going to work 100% with whatever you want to run, that's sort of your problem. I can't run Mandriva 2007 x86_64 on my Sun Ultra 20 and get USB 2.0 support. I can using Solaris or XP 64 bit. 
 
I don't see that HP has a responsibility to fix anything here. You have a reasonable expectation to get quality control for a product that is being used as it's being marketed. You don't have a reasonable expectation to get quality control for a product that's being used in a way the manufacturer explicitly doesn't support. If you hack your iPhone to work with a different network, you can't expect Apple to fix it if you brick it. If you bust open your TiVo and put in a bigger hard drive, you can't expect them to replace it if you screw it up. 
 
I'm all for supporting creative uses for equipment, but once you pass over the "we support this" horizon, you better be prepared for dragon slaying.

http://padraic2112.wordpress.com

Sorry to hear of all the drama dude. I know that HP is a bitch to deal with. I have Ubuntu installed on my Dell laptop and have been running it since 6.06 when the wireless card wasn't really supported so I know how you must feel in terms of fustration. Unless a major number of people start complaining then HP won't ever do anything about. I would suggest not buying anything from them again and letting them know that.

That seems funny as when my pavilion notebook was having functionality problems (thanks to the bullcrap customer service solutions that only made things worse) I had to send it in (it had XP at the time). When I got it back it came with a non-functional Linux on it and a note saying I had violated the Waranty. They eventually cleared things up and sent me a new computer, but they were the ones that "tried" to install Linux

The difference in analogy to other products is that you have people that can repair issues for mechanical problems. Autos for example, If I replace my engine in my car, the dealership may not support it under warrantee now but they are still willing to take my money on an hourly basis to help me fix the ignition. There are many other mechanics outside the dealership to help also. There are also public specifications and spare parts available to work with. And my replacement engine was created by another company offering specifications. And, there is a big difference between taking apart something bolted together and deciphering chip programming.  
If HP was configured to permit another bios to be put in, or provided their bios source code or bios interaction specifications, one could set up a bounty and have someone code a patch for you. This is more like welding your engine together and no owners manual nor repair manuals, then saying "if you changed it, we don't even want to talk to you. We don't have time to figure out what you re-welded into your car even though you are not the only one that has done this before."

Next time buy a machine with Linux preloaded from one of the many companies that provide this service. HP has always been unfriendly to Linux users (unless you are a giant corporation, in which case they are eager for your business).

HP has a list of vendor certified Linux-compatible laptops on its web site: 
 
http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/cache/569891-0-0-0-121.html 
 
Your laptop came bundled with a version of Microsoft Windows that HP is contractually obliged (through OEM agreements) to support. They are not, however, obliged to offer support for any other operating systems. 
 
Since this feature works with Windows, it may not be a problem with the BIOS. You may have a misconfiguration on your Linux system or the drivers are not written to support your specific implementation of that feature. 
 
You failed to specific which distribution of Linux you are using. If it is one of the major vendors, you could try paying them for support. They may coordinate with HP to get a BIOS update or may have a software workaround or patch that will address the issue without negatively impacting performance. 
 
Buying a consumer-grade laptop that is already marked-down enough to the point of HP only making profit off of volume and expecting enterprise-grade support is unreasonable. If you want good support or Linux support or whatever, always get the enterprise-grade product. Just expect to pay what it's actually worth.

What a shame. I've had nothing but wonderful experience with HP's server support under Linux. If only they'd support consumer hardware as well....

http://www.jasonantman.com

I make my living supporting HP notebooks and I need to say that there's a reason we don't support Linux on our notebooks NOONE WHO USES IT CALLS US (cruse controll for cool) I personaly use linux, even took an Ubuntu live CD and run it on the exact same model the author is wining about when I'm bored between calls, no problems like he's talking about, then again I'm not actually installing Ubuntu on it for fear of being fired. another point is we don't make the BIOSes for our notebooks, we buy the parts and make the computers just like everyone else. our notebooks =! our server line. And yes BTW I would so much rather work on our server line