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Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

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Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#41

Post by jeroenhd »

mystifyingpoi wrote: post #20
marcodiego wrote: post #14

> install Windows 11. This came with the laptop. And the installation makes installing Linux feel easy: I had to do so many weird tricks to avoid having to create an account with Microsoft during the installation. The way secure boot evolved is disgusting. Specially because, at the time it was becoming popular, people we're warned that was more a tool of control than for security. Having to install a proprietary OS t…

But what happened doesn't make sense even. Why would upgrading the BIOS suddenly restore the option to toggle Secure Boot? If the previous owner (assuming, some company) disabled this, why would it be so trivial (comparatively) to work around it?

I've seen laptops stuck in weird state. Most likely, Fujitsu didn't bother to test turning off secure boot once they received the BIOS they bought, and fixed the toggle in a firmware update.

Linux boots fine using standard secure boot, so if it refused it's either NixOS using an unsigned bootloader (which is surprising to me) or secure boot just being bugged to hell.

Another option is that NixOS uses secure boot but uses a signature that's too recent: one of the secure boot CAs is expiring soon, and an old BIOS may not carry the new key if NixOS opts to sign their bootloader with the latest key. This issue doesn't just affect Linux, certain Windows images won't boot on older devices either if this mismatch happens.

My bet is on NVRAM getting into a weird state or a buggy BIOS. That's the most obvious thing that would get fixed by updating the BIOS.

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#42

Post by aruggirello »

gchamonlive wrote: post #5

If you want portability on something premium, I can't recommend enough the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7. Specwise I've got the one with the Core ultra 5 125h. It also has an option with the 155h, but it battery and thermals can take a hit that I don't think it's worth it. It's got 16gb spread across 8x2gb modules and 512gb of ssd, both soldered, both extremely fast. Build quality that rivals MacBooks, but with superior keyboar…

> it oversaturate reds out of the box on Linux, which I corrected using hyprshade

Another option would be Redshift, which has a nice widget (Redshift Control plasmoid) for KDE Plasma. It doesn't affect grabbed screenshots or stuff like simplescreenrecorder, BTW

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#43

Post by jack_tripper »

baq wrote: post #37
jack_tripper wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds easy. Why bother getting a laptop with replaceable storage anyway?

Apple doesn't sell one for any price, so if you want Apple hardware, that's what you get. They objectively make the best laptop hardware package unless you value upgradeability over performance or build quality, which most people also very objectively don't.

Removable SSDs aren't just for upgradability but for repairability. To ensure your shiny expensive laptop doesn't become e-waste the minute your SSD NAND (which is a wearable part) inevitably dies.

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#44

Post by bArray »

jjice wrote: post #4

Tossing Linux on used enterprise laptops is maybe the best bang for your buck machine you can get. They're often time a great value and within three years old. Used multiple Thinkpads and Dells over the years that were fantastic and gotten sub $400. Things I learned to look out for: - Locked BIOS - Look into the manufacturer's repairability reputation. I replaced the entire keyboard on my ThinkPad X1 Carbon and it wa…

Can back this. Many years ago I purchased a Dell Latitude from eBay. After messing around with a 3D printer, there was a short of mains voltage onto the USB line, frying the laptop and tripping the house electrics. I contacted Dell asking for a schematic of the PCBs thinking that I had blown some components, but they informed me that the laptop was still under warranty thanks to the original business purchaser (by just a few weeks).

They shipped a box and allowed me to swap out a hard drive for a spare (I had study data on there), I then used the box to ship the laptop to them. A few weeks later the laptop gets shipped back with a parts replacement list, which was essentially every single PCB in the laptop and I asked them to replace the keyboard too because one key was sticking. Brand new parts in a slightly cracked chassis.

If Dell still has customer service like that, it's double thumbs up from me.

I'm currently using a Lenovo laptop which has been solid so far. I do want my next laptop to be open to repairability (even if I have to create it myself).

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#45

Post by incanus77 »

jebarker wrote: post #30
rcarmo wrote: post #9

If you have an old Intel MacBook Air, they work beautifully with Linux as well: https://taoofmac.com/space/blog/2025/11/05/2200

I did this with the 11”, which was one of the greatest sized laptops for travel IMO, just had to replace the explody looking battery!

Same, I have a 2013. It’s such a good size.

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#46

Post by baq »

jack_tripper wrote: post #43
baq wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple doesn't sell one for any price, so if you want Apple hardware, that's what you get. They objectively make the best laptop hardware package unless you value upgradeability over performance or build quality, which most people also very objectively don't.

Removable SSDs aren't just for upgradability but for repairability. To ensure your shiny expensive laptop doesn't become e-waste the minute your SSD NAND (which is a wearable part) inevitably dies.

I agree 100%, I'm just saying if you want Apple, you can't have that regardless how much you're willing to pay (though if you paid them $10B they'd probably bend and design it this way, everybody has a number.)

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#47

Post by gchamonlive »

aruggirello wrote: post #42
gchamonlive wrote: post #5

If you want portability on something premium, I can't recommend enough the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7. Specwise I've got the one with the Core ultra 5 125h. It also has an option with the 155h, but it battery and thermals can take a hit that I don't think it's worth it. It's got 16gb spread across 8x2gb modules and 512gb of ssd, both soldered, both extremely fast. Build quality that rivals MacBooks, but with superior keyboar…

> it oversaturate reds out of the box on Linux, which I corrected using hyprshade Another option would be Redshift, which has a nice widget (Redshift Control plasmoid) for KDE Plasma. It doesn't affect grabbed screenshots or stuff like simplescreenrecorder, BTW

Will give it a try, thanks!

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#49

Post by defanor »

jjice wrote: post #4

Tossing Linux on used enterprise laptops is maybe the best bang for your buck machine you can get. They're often time a great value and within three years old. Used multiple Thinkpads and Dells over the years that were fantastic and gotten sub $400. Things I learned to look out for: - Locked BIOS - Look into the manufacturer's repairability reputation. I replaced the entire keyboard on my ThinkPad X1 Carbon and it wa…

> In my experience, Dell and Lenovo have excellent Linux hardware support.

I have tried just one cheap Dell laptop, Vostro 3515, which works mostly fine with Linux (it came with Ubuntu, I have installed Debian), but the touchpad becomes unreponsive sometimes (probably after a sleep), and at some point it refused to charge, which required an UEFI firmware update to fix, which in turn required Windows (I had to use Windows PE) to install, as the direct update (from the UEFI itself) was failing, and there is no Linux option.

Could have been worse, but now considering a Lenovo ThinkPad as a future replacement.

Re: Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729

#50

Post by user_7832 »

gchamonlive wrote: post #5

If you want portability on something premium, I can't recommend enough the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7. Specwise I've got the one with the Core ultra 5 125h. It also has an option with the 155h, but it battery and thermals can take a hit that I don't think it's worth it. It's got 16gb spread across 8x2gb modules and 512gb of ssd, both soldered, both extremely fast. Build quality that rivals MacBooks, but with superior keyboar…

Do you know what the oled screen resolution is on your device? One of my family members has what I believe is the same laptop, and while I appreciate the build quality, the OLED clearly isn't RGB (in its subpixel arrangement - or some other such major aspect), because the 1080p screen looks so bad for text I initially thought it was broken.
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