5 ms·

So what would be a good laptop for Linux these days?

by kreyenborgi 2y ago

quantumspandex 2y ago
You may look into Framework laptops.
anthropodie 2y ago
Checkout framework laptop
jonesjohnson 2y ago
A used Thinkpad. (or any other used non-consumer grade laptop) Most companies either rent their laptops or somehow sell them after a couple of years. They are usually in good condition and often the reseller gives you 1-2 years of warranty. I've bought a used X250 for <300€ a couple of years ago and I could not be much happier. Of course, the specs could be a bit better, but for most of my tasks (HW + embedded Linux dev) it's sufficient. For everything else i can spin up some beefy server somewhere in a couple of minutes. And since the hardware is on the market for quite some time, driver issues are mostly resolved. Bonus: used Docking stations and spare power supplies are cheap and the battery can be hot-swapped. Bonus2: since it's already slightly beaten down, making another scratch doesn't hurt as much as if it would've been a shiny new macbook. edit: I think the official term is "refurbished". I can't see myself ever buying a new device again.
trelane 2y ago
System76 is by far the best that I have found. No litany of kludges to make your Windows laptop mostly functional (e.g. no need to have kernel parameters to work around buggy hardware) No need to look compatibility tables and install guides. It ships with Linux preinstalled and with great support. So if you want Linux that Just Works, this is my recommendation. (Also if you want to DIY it with e.g. Arch, since the hardware supports Linux already.)
christophilus 2y ago
I’ve had good experiences with business-grade Dell laptops like the Latitude line. Framework and Thinkpads are generally solid, too. As for distro, Fedora is a great beginner distro.
the4anoni 2y ago
It's mostly up to you and your requirements. Most laptops should be fine, that doesn't really matter that much whenever do you use windows or Linux. I think thinkpads are way too over hyped. I would just grab something with good build quality, and specs you need. If you want something really fancy like fingerprint, smartcard reader make sure it's compatible with Linux, that's all. I wouldn't recommend fedora as it uses RPM and SElinux which can be tricky, especially for beginners. I am mid-advanced Linux user, I would went with Linux Mint, no matter is it for me or for somebody totally new.
123yawaworht456 2y ago
that depends entirely on what you do with it. bare 24.04 sits at about 0% CPU / 1 GiB RAM usage. a browser+IDE combo will perfectly fine even on a budget laptop with 4 cores / 8 GB RAM / generic SSD.
- dingaling 2y ago
  8GB isn't really sufficient anymore, unless you're obsessive about pruning browser tabs and closing one program before open another. On my just-retired 8GB T410, trying to use a filter in Gimp without closing Firefox would start thrashing and result in the infamous Linux lock-up until power-cycled. Ubuntu 22.
  - 123yawaworht456 2y ago
    well, idk. just four years ago, I had a PC with 8 GB RAM and it was enough for firefox, CLion and a Windows 7 VM in virtualbox. I have several VMs with xubuntu 24.04, and they're doing fine with 2 cores and 3 GB RAM. but yes, I rarely have more than a dozen tabs open.
gregors 2y ago
framework 13 amd cpu. It's great!

So what would be a good laptop for Linux these days?

quantumspandex 2y ago

You may look into Framework laptops.

anthropodie 2y ago

Checkout framework laptop

jonesjohnson 2y ago

A used Thinkpad. (or any other used non-consumer grade laptop) Most companies either rent their laptops or somehow sell them after a couple of years. They are usually in good condition and often the reseller gives you 1-2 years of warranty. I've bought a used X250 for <300€ a couple of years ago and I could not be much happier. Of course, the specs could be a bit better, but for most of my tasks (HW + embedded Linux dev) it's sufficient. For everything else i can spin up some beefy server somewhere in a couple of minutes. And since the hardware is on the market for quite some time, driver issues are mostly resolved. Bonus: used Docking stations and spare power supplies are cheap and the battery can be hot-swapped. Bonus2: since it's already slightly beaten down, making another scratch doesn't hurt as much as if it would've been a shiny new macbook. edit: I think the official term is "refurbished". I can't see myself ever buying a new device again.

trelane 2y ago

System76 is by far the best that I have found. No litany of kludges to make your Windows laptop mostly functional (e.g. no need to have kernel parameters to work around buggy hardware) No need to look compatibility tables and install guides. It ships with Linux preinstalled and with great support. So if you want Linux that Just Works, this is my recommendation. (Also if you want to DIY it with e.g. Arch, since the hardware supports Linux already.)

christophilus 2y ago

I’ve had good experiences with business-grade Dell laptops like the Latitude line. Framework and Thinkpads are generally solid, too. As for distro, Fedora is a great beginner distro.

the4anoni 2y ago

It's mostly up to you and your requirements. Most laptops should be fine, that doesn't really matter that much whenever do you use windows or Linux. I think thinkpads are way too over hyped. I would just grab something with good build quality, and specs you need. If you want something really fancy like fingerprint, smartcard reader make sure it's compatible with Linux, that's all. I wouldn't recommend fedora as it uses RPM and SElinux which can be tricky, especially for beginners. I am mid-advanced Linux user, I would went with Linux Mint, no matter is it for me or for somebody totally new.

123yawaworht456 2y ago

that depends entirely on what you do with it. bare 24.04 sits at about 0% CPU / 1 GiB RAM usage. a browser+IDE combo will perfectly fine even on a budget laptop with 4 cores / 8 GB RAM / generic SSD.

dingaling 2y ago
8GB isn't really sufficient anymore, unless you're obsessive about pruning browser tabs and closing one program before open another. On my just-retired 8GB T410, trying to use a filter in Gimp without closing Firefox would start thrashing and result in the infamous Linux lock-up until power-cycled. Ubuntu 22.
- 123yawaworht456 2y ago
  well, idk. just four years ago, I had a PC with 8 GB RAM and it was enough for firefox, CLion and a Windows 7 VM in virtualbox. I have several VMs with xubuntu 24.04, and they're doing fine with 2 cores and 3 GB RAM. but yes, I rarely have more than a dozen tabs open.

gregors 2y ago

framework 13 amd cpu. It's great!