Ask HN: Recommendations for a Linux Distro and Laptop?

I use Macbook Air for the laptop and Debian as the server. Debian is stable and not bloated.

My favorite is Debian with Cinnamon GUI.

Assuming you're in the US, System76[0] and Framework[1] both make laptops that support Linux as a first-class OS.

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.

[0] https://system76.com/

[1] https://frame.work/

If you want top of the line, system76 dot com is the place to go.

Arch on a Thinkpad is pretty good.

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.

Ubuntu is fine. It supports a lot of hardware. Many things work out of box.

There's dozens of distros of Linux, and they're all pretty good. (A handy skill to develop would be getting comfortable with installing and trying news ones -- because then you don't have to feel stuck.)

I've heard Linux Mint is an easy choice for beginners hoping to get comfortable and familiar with Linux.

I have used Manjaro with i3wm (a tiling window manager) on a number of different Thinkpads and it's generally been pretty trouble free, and a lot of fun sometimes! Currently have an AMD T14s.

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).

I use Pop!_OS for my gaming rig. Pretty well optimized for gaming and light programming. Been enjoying it

Switched to Linux Mint last year. Works like a charm and is pretty ready out of the box

NixOS is something to consider. It is easy to use if all you need is packaged inside NixPkgs (which is enormous). A bonus point is stability. You can upgrade without fear, including changes that would be pretty risky in other distros. You can always roll back to previous system states, unless you have garbage-collected them to save space.

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.

Regardless of what distro you want: I recommend thinkpads, and check the Arch wiki for that model to confirm driver support.

Checkout https://omakub.org (web dev focused setup script for Ubuntu) and https://frame.work

For a first distro, Ubuntu is probably a good idea. Fedora later maybe. Arch or LinuxFromScratch is a good learning experience too.

Another vote for Linux Mint. It's very easy to use and has a good blend of recent software and stability.

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.

I don't have them (yet), but take a look at the xmg evo 14 or 15 (https://www.xmg.gg/en/xmg-evo-14-m24/). New Versions with amd strix point coming end of february or march I think.

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

I guess a follow up question might be: what laptop would you recommend to go with the recommended distro?

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?

As for distro, if you want something that works out-of-the-box, with modern desktop features, I'd give Linux Mint (Cinnamon Edition) a try. Personally, I enjoy tinkering and learning, so I set up Arch with Wayland on my laptop. I wouldn't consider it super stable, but I've had surprisingly few issues. There is a learning curve, but it's certainly do-able.

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.

I stopped distro hopping after switching to Arch (with Sway WM), now my same installation is hopping across laptops instead.

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.

Echoing mainline Debian + DE of your choice. Switched away from Ubuntu a few years ago and never looked back. If I remember correctly, the Debian setup allows you to specify GNOME, KDE, or Cinnamon.

EDIT: Forgot to mention I'm running this on an Acer Swift 3 flawlessly.

Debian on Thinkpad T480.

I’ve had multiple Thinkpad X1 carbon laptops with whatever the most recent Ubuntu LTS version. The hardware is well supported by Ubuntu, however I have experienced a few bugs with Gnome and the keyboards on newer X1 carbons are not as reliable. Since much of what people do these days is in a web browser, the difference between operating systems is not as meaningful these days.

Pick an image-based distro. I personally use Atomic Fedora Sway but there are many others in this vein.

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.

Ubuntu, ThinkPad

I have been using Ubuntu on a Asus Zenbooks for almost a decade now. Guess it's a recommendation.

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.