by lemonberry on 2/1/25, 8:01 PM with 61 comments
I build websites and simple web apps so I don't need anything super powerful.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
by mtlynch on 2/1/25, 8:11 PM
I tried both and ended up preferring Framework. I especially like that they're repairable.
I bought the DIY version of Framework worried I'd hate building it, but it was super easy to put together. You're only putting together a few pieces, not the entire laptop. It ended up being one of the best unboxing experiences of my life.
by 0xbadcafebee on 2/1/25, 9:11 PM
If you don't want to learn more and just want a "working computer", use either Ubuntu or Fedora, as they have the most support. If you use Ubuntu you'll want to use Kubuntu or one of its derivatives as the default Ubuntu desktop is one of the most unusable and featureless things I've ever used.
Laptop wise, look up distributions' officially supported laptop lists, and laptop vendors' laptops that officially support linux. Lenovo and I think Dell have some officially supported Linux laptops. Then there's a smattering of vendors who sell laptops with Linux as the only OS. Any of these will save you lots of headaches; an incompatible laptop can leave you struggling for weeks to get it to work, if it'll work at all. Generally stay away from brand-new gear as it's the most likely to use something that doesn't yet have good Linux support, or may require the newest Linux software which isn't supported on slightly older stable Linux distro releases. Finally, always look up reviews of that laptop with Linux, as you may find quirks like poor performance, overheating, battery issues, wifi/bluetooth connectivity issues, non-working keys, and more.
I recently got a ThinkPad T14s Gen4 and it works very well with Ubuntu 24.04. You need to check the generation of the laptop, though, as the internals change and may make it not compatible anymore. In general I would suggest buying a laptop which you can return within 30 days, as you may find you either don't like the laptop itself, or its Linux support is too quirky.
by w4rh4wk5 on 2/1/25, 9:00 PM
For laptop: I got myself a Framework 13 with Intel 13th gen. I am very happy with the machine and with the Linux support. So, definitely have a look at that.
by montroser on 2/1/25, 9:22 PM
by docsaintly on 2/1/25, 8:59 PM
As long as you don't pick a brand new CPU/chipset the hardware support is nearly flawless as long as the laptop isn't from an overly proprietary manufacturer.
I do like performance, and a 2-in-1 form factor, so I went with an MSI Summit. They have cheaper models without discrete GPUs in a smaller form factor.
by nzeid on 2/1/25, 9:03 PM
EDIT: Forgot to mention I'm running this on an Acer Swift 3 flawlessly.
by nextos on 2/1/25, 8:52 PM
It's also great that everything is declarative. You can define your entire setup in a few LOC. There's a bit of a learning curve for harder things, but IMHO you can get going in an afternoon. On the contrary, if you need to package your own software or install things that have messy build processes, it's probably not worth the effort.
by INTPenis on 2/1/25, 9:06 PM
The point is that out-of-box you get the ability to not only rollback to a previously working state of your distro, but also to run container images you build yourself on your computer. You can boot container images now with bootc.
This makes managing a Linux distro super easy, and rolling back experimental changes or package issues even easier.
Because you have to make the assumption that something will go wrong, sooner or later, you will have to use the commandline to troubleshoot and workaround issues. Unfortunately this is the case in every OS.
That's why a simple rollback process is the best gift to ordinary users.
by blfr on 2/1/25, 9:09 PM
GNOME on the latest LTS Ubuntu (24.04) has a pretty cool Android-like panel for basic settings (wifi/bluetooth/vpn/brightness) and only requires a handful of tweaks.
by MilnerRoute on 2/1/25, 8:43 PM
I've heard Linux Mint is an easy choice for beginners hoping to get comfortable and familiar with Linux.
by replete on 2/1/25, 8:57 PM
by aborsy on 2/1/25, 8:38 PM
by elseleigh on 2/2/25, 7:19 PM
There's no shortage of good distro choices. I've run Mint for ten years on my primary device and trialed a host of others on my secondary laptops. I'd be happy long term with Debian, Fedora, perhaps Arch. I could cope with Ubuntu, at least for as long as it took to overwrite it with Mint.
by husam212 on 2/1/25, 9:01 PM
It might not be friendly for new Linux users but I feel in control using it and keep it maintained and clean easily.
I usually recommend Vanilla OS for non-tech savvy people, in case you're looking for something that just works. It will probably become limiting for you after a while since you like tinkering.
by roldie on 2/1/25, 8:51 PM
by antongribok on 2/1/25, 9:21 PM
Laptop: LG Gram 16"
There are several variations of the laptop with spec differences, the main thing you want is Intel CPU with integrated graphics.
Great screen (16:10 ratio), great battery life (80Wh), dual NVMe slots (if you care about bit rot).
Last, but not least, very, very light.
by franczesko on 2/1/25, 8:52 PM
by felipemesquita on 2/1/25, 8:56 PM
by ai-christianson on 2/1/25, 8:26 PM
Ironically, arch has been a better "stable" distro for me than Debian, which I used for years previously.
The problem with the stable distros, when used as a desktop, is you inevitably get into a situation where you need a newer version of something, but the whole stack of libraries the system provides isn't compatible. It leads to a "frankendebian" situation which is much worse than just dealing with a binary rolling distro where the latest version of anything you want is a pacman paru install away.
by okucu on 2/1/25, 9:00 PM
As opposed to other popular recommendations here they don't sound like jet engines, have a meager 5 hours of battery life or praise you for changing the world with your purchase.
Personally I'd go with debian testing
by adrianstoll on 2/1/25, 9:05 PM
by gunalx on 2/1/25, 9:58 PM
Wpuld suggest kde as desktop.
by jefc1111 on 2/1/25, 8:47 PM
Fwiw I tried Ubuntu desktop a few times before settling on Manjaro/Arch about 4 years and and it never clicked for me (though I'll happily use Ubuntu servers).
by yjftsjthsd-h on 2/1/25, 8:55 PM
by austin-cheney on 2/1/25, 8:11 PM
by kkfx on 2/2/25, 8:43 PM
For laptops... Well... If you REALLY need one, because 90% of the time you just need a desktop, Lenovo Thinkpads, Dell Precisions are the least crappy I knows.
by joshdavham on 2/1/25, 9:00 PM
I'd be curious to see what y'all recommend. Are there non-Mac laptops that sorta feel like Mac laptops and are of similar (or even superior) quality?
by ciaovietnam on 2/1/25, 8:09 PM
by BMc2020 on 2/1/25, 8:12 PM
by yesnomaybe on 2/1/25, 10:37 PM
if you want to liberate yourself from corp controlled OS (like me), avoid Ubuntu and probably also Fedora.
I'd recommend to try out EndeavourOS (= Arch in easy mode). Then, once you are familiar with pacman and yay, try vanilla Arch (which is no more problem with archinstall). you won't regret it. I have installed arch on my kids gaming PC and they work like a charm. KDE is fantastic (I love it because it is snappy).
by johnea on 2/2/25, 2:01 AM
Very well supported h/w, for decades. True user controlled distribution...
by rmrf100 on 2/2/25, 3:10 AM
by supertrope on 2/1/25, 9:05 PM
by mhitza on 2/1/25, 9:11 PM
For Laptops I'd have a hard time highly recommending anything. The thinkpad I have works great and heard great things about Thinkpads in general. The frame.work looks like a good suggestion on paper (which I'm also considering to buy) but based on their forums, thermals, noise and AMD firmware bugs are still too prevalent for my taste (including slow uefi firmware updates).
There are a couple of Linux tailored laptop sellers in Europe. Products look nice, but imo make the same mistake of throwing top of the line CPUs in thin laptops, then people wonder why their testis are toasty.
by sshine on 2/1/25, 9:08 PM
by tonymet on 2/1/25, 10:23 PM
by theyknowitsxmas on 2/2/25, 3:13 AM