I want to replace my macbook air 11 by something light, quiet and running linux. Is it possible now?
Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
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Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#2It'd be hard for us to make this decision for you. Some people feel like they really need a huge screen, some don't. You have lots of personal preferences that we don't know.
Here's a process you can follow to decide, though:
1. Find a laptop you like that's in your price range.
2. Buy the laptop, making sure it has a no-questions-asked return policy with no restocking fee (Amazon, Microsoft, and certain OEMs all have this). I think the Dell XPS 13/15 are good places to start, as Dell officially supports Linux on these.
3. Try your favorite Linux distro by booting "live" from a USB drive. Ubuntu is a good option for laptops because you can usually Google "ubuntu [insert problem] [insert laptop]" and find a forum post about it.
4. If Linux doesn't work well enough for you, return the laptop and start again at step 1. I haven't so far had any more issues with Ubuntu on a laptop than I have on a desktop, so I don't know that you'd have to do this many times. To be honest, though, the problems on both laptops and desktops were too great, and I finally switched back to Windows after 5 years. Your mileage will vary, I'm sure.
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#3I have a Thinkpad T450S and it is working amazingly with Fedora 22.
It is very lightweight and battery life / support is good in Linux Kernel 4.x
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#4It'd be hard for us to make this decision for you. Some people feel like they really need a huge screen, some don't. You have lots of personal preferences that we don't know. Here's a process you can follow to decide, though: 1. Find a laptop you like that's in your price range. 2. Buy the laptop, making sure it has a no-questions-asked return policy with no restocking fee (Amazon, Microsoft, and certain OEMs all hav…
Just a reminder regarding the Dell XPS. Dell officially supports Linux on these only on the developer editions. The Windows versions differ in things like the Wi-Fi module and are not recommended if you plan to use Linux.
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#5I have been using a System 76 Gazelle Pro since 2012 running either Ubuntu or Mint and I love it. They are solid laptops. The help center is very friendly and knowledgeable. I had one problem when I first got my machine and they handled it in about 10 minutes with a link to a new linux kernel.
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#6I have been using a System 76 Gazelle Pro since 2012 running either Ubuntu or Mint and I love it. They are solid laptops. The help center is very friendly and knowledgeable. I had one problem when I first got my machine and they handled it in about 10 minutes with a link to a new linux kernel.
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#7Ubuntu 14 worked after changing some EFI garbage in the BIOS on my 2015 Lenovo Carbon X1
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#8It'd be hard for us to make this decision for you. Some people feel like they really need a huge screen, some don't. You have lots of personal preferences that we don't know. Here's a process you can follow to decide, though: 1. Find a laptop you like that's in your price range. 2. Buy the laptop, making sure it has a no-questions-asked return policy with no restocking fee (Amazon, Microsoft, and certain OEMs all hav…
Just a reminder regarding the Dell XPS. Dell officially supports Linux on these only on the developer editions. The Windows versions differ in things like the Wi-Fi module and are not recommended if you plan to use Linux.
> Windows versions differ in things like the Wi-Fi module
Really? That's odd. Is there a parts sheet that lets you check which module the Windows version uses?
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just a reminder regarding the Dell XPS. Dell officially supports Linux on these only on the developer editions. The Windows versions differ in things like the Wi-Fi module and are not recommended if you plan to use Linux.
> Windows versions differ in things like the Wi-Fi module Really? That's odd. Is there a parts sheet that lets you check which module the Windows version uses?
According to ArchWiki[1] the Windows version and Developer editions use Dell DW1560 and Intel 7265 respectively.
[1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dell_XPS_13_(2015)#Mode...
Re: Ask HN: Best Linux/dev laptop as of October 2015?
#10If you don't need the newest and fastest, I recommend a ThinkPad X201 (upgrade the LCD to an AFFS one if you like a little DIY), or you can go really hard and get an X61.
Debian has worked great on both.