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Ask HN: Best current Linux-compatible laptop?

92 points by sz0ka ↗ HN
Aloha HN!

I'm looking for the "best" linux compatible laptop you know about (business). Here are some specs: - min. 8GB RAM - SSD - VGA (for beamer support) - HDMI / DVI - MUST work with Ubuntu Linux 14.04 without poking around for weeks just to get the damn W-LAN running or jokes like that - Shouldn't cost more than 1.3k €urons

I came up with a custom configured Schenker, but maybe you know something better :D!

It'd be awesome to get some recommendations! Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

./sz0ka

121 comments

[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 185 ms ] thread
neverminder
I'm looking for the same thing, but with yet another most important requirement - 4K screen. Doesn't have to be out now, sometime this year is fine.
claudiug
the guys from dell have a custom ubuntu for xps products :)
jaseemabid
As of now, I use a mac for the hw but the linux experience on this box is shitty.

I installed archlinux, and still havent got the fonts right. Its so much strain on the eyes and I had to go back to mac.

danford
Have you tried Ubuntu 14.04? My sister just installed it on her MBP and she hasn't had any issues except with the track pad, which she was abe to fix (not sure how). Don't install arch unless you're ready to tweak some configuration files.
mqsiuser
I have a MBPR with the current Ubuntu. For non techies I'd say: Too hard (just use MacOS). For techies: No {, } and no @ (need to copy it from somewhere). I still prefer it over MacOS. Nice Hardware + dualboot with MacOS. I actually like it: It's slim, silent and feels great. The Metalcase can be cold sometimes. Retina-Dispay requires you to zoom in on webpages (Strg & "+"), but that works well. Can be a good choice for HN readers. Someone wrote "it's the best Hardware & the best Software" and I agree
TazeTSchnitzel
Are you sure you are using the right keyboard layout?
mqsiuser
Yeah, thanks the keyboard layout. Problems because it's a German MBPR: "Keyboard" -> "Text Entry" -> ...

@: alt + Q

{[]}: alt + 7890

Great nice :)

jaseemabid
I know its stupid, but I just love arch. Moving to anything else just don't seem right.

How did ubuntu fix font issues? That code should be FOSS! Let me see how I can make that run on arch ;)

PS: I use a very minimal arch machine with i3 wm (the most awesome WM ever and I pretty much hate gnome and unity religiously. I think KDE is a bloat) I'll soon have a look at it again, and will post here if something good comes along.

DanBC
I agree.

I'm using a 2009 MBP and the Linux experience is frustrating. (I'm not even dual booting)

It's fine if you enjoy tinkering with the system and finding different drivers and so on, and it's probably good as a learning experience. (WIFI doesn't work. Some models don't have ethernet. That's a fun and relatively easy puzzle to solve).

secure
The ThinkPad X240 will work. Alternatively, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon (perhaps in its 2014 edition) with an adapter for VGA.
einrealist
I have one with all configurable components. The clickpad is not working properly out-of-box and needs to be configured in the xorg.conf. The Ericsson WWAN also has issues, requires a line in udev rules. I did not try fingerprint reader, NFC and the card reader, yet. There are also issues with the Ultra Dock. After a firmware update VGA/DVI is working, but no HDMI/DisplayPort. The sound jack of the dock is not working either.

But so far I'm satisfied. The x240 is a decent laptop. It was a good choice to wait for the FHD model and not to fall for a MacBook Pro.

adfadf
I got my x240 a couple of days ago and am trying to get the wwan card to work. What rule is needed for udev? And did you get the gps function to work as well?
einrealist
I had to add the following line to /lib/udev/rules.d/77-mm-ericsson-mbm.rules for the Ericsson N5321 WWAN adapter:

ATTRS{idVendor}=="0bdb", ATTRS{idProduct}=="193e", ENV{ID_MM_ERICSSON_MBM}="1"

To be sure what vendor and product ID to use, you should check that first via 'lsusb|grep Ericsson'.

I did not care about GPS yet.

herokusaki
How do you find the keyboard compared to that of the X220 and earlier X series laptops? It's the one thing that makes me reluctant to consider the newer devices of the series.
TobbenTM
Most lenovo ThinkPads are certified to work with Ubuntu.

And (for me at least) there are no better laptops out there. They should have all of your needs covered. I would suggest going for the T540. It's awesome.

trobertson
I've got a T530, and have had several distros on it at varying points. I highly recommend ThinkPads as well.
donquichotte
I bought the T430 two years ago. It's the best computer I have ever owned and works flawlessly with Ubuntu.
davb
T430s here. Was running XUbuntu 13.10, now running stock Debian 7.4 (I don't like XUbuntu 14 one bit).

Really happy with it. I bought a T440 for someone recently, which is also really nice however it seems the RAM is limited to 12GB max (too little for my use).

dagw
I just went to Lenovo's website and spec'd out a T440. They seem to have two versions of the T440, the 'normal' T440 for and the higher end T440p. The T440 is very slightly lighter and thinner but has a 1600x900 screen, Intel graphics and is limited to 12 GB of RAM. The higher end T440p is 0.1 lbs heavier and 0.3 inches thicker, but comes with a 1920 x 1080 IPS screen, Geforce graphics and up to 16GB of RAM.
davb
Ah, I did see the T440P but there was something that put me off. Maybe I got the weight wrong (thinking it was much heavier than the T440). Or perhaps there was something in the service manual (which is fantastic, by the way) - awkward HDD upgrade or similar.

As an aside, the dual-batteries on the T440 are fantastic. Though you do need to remember to disconnect the internal one when doing any work inside the unit.

mercurial
Other happy T430 user here. Great keyboard and trackpoint. The touchpad is meh, but you don't really need it with the trackpoint.
davb
Yeah I don't use the touchpad most of the time either. With a huge SSD and plenty of RAM, the i7-3520M T430S gets the job done.

I'm not entirely pleased with the screen quality, but perhaps I've been spoiled by the IPS display on my personal laptop (Dell XPS 13) and my desktop monitor (Samsung S24C750PS).

My one complaint is that the keyboard isn't as robust as previous models. After only a few months I already have some keys which don't work without a firm push. I could sent it away for repair (or replace the keyboard myself) but I can't afford the downtime and tend to use an external mechanical keyboard when I'm not travelling anyway.

mercurial
Oh? Odd. My workflow is almost entirely keyboard-driven, and I have no such problem (the laptop is about a year old).
porlw
With my Thinkpads I always get the international on-site warranty - it's well worth paying a bit extra to have someone come to wherever you are to fix a problem.
sandGorgon
I just upgraded (today!) to a Thinkpad T430S from a Dell Latitude E6410. I now have the ability to go to 16GB RAM and upgrade the processor as well. It is fully compatible with Linux and is one sexy 4.2 lbs laptop.

the Tx30 is "theoretically" previous generation, but the problem with the current generation of Thinkpads is the touchpad without buttons which is very bad (not like the macbook) as well as the fact that several of them have one ram slot soldered to the motherboard, so you cant upgrade.

Also, most of the processors seem underpowered. You will be able to find previous generation thinkpads for less than 800 euros.

Having said that, the Dell Latitudes are also fully compatible with Linux - but not as cool looking.

lugg
I would like to chime in and say, regarding ram slots and upgradeable, you just dont need that flexibility any more. Max out the ram on purchase and it will last you until you upgrade. Its very unlikely you'll be wanting for more than 16GB in 3 years.

While flexibility is always going to be a geek plus its sort of a thing of the past.

mello151
I've been running an (ancient) T420S with Manjaro for quite a while. Never had an issue.
danford
http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/

http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/

In my experience Dells usually work well and if you're willing to spend the money they have some pretty decent end developer laptops that come with ubuntu (xps I think).

Edit: seeing as Ubuntu 14.04 has only been out for a couple weeks the links provided may not be as relevant because they're so far only certified to run on 12.04, but it still gives you some inference as to what manufactures have the best support.

BugBrother
That worked well for me.

I bought a laptop a couple of years ago off that list. Dell Latitude E5520. It is like a cheaper Thinkpad.

autotravis
I have the E6400 and it works like a dream once you install the broadcom driver (which is easily done with "Install Additional Drivers in Ubuntu).
phaemon
Hah! I was thinking of posting the exact same question. Though I don't care about an SSD for an otherwise good machine, as I'm happy enough to put one in myself.

Recommendations at different prices points would also be appreciated!

JohnDoe365
Running my first SSD Laptop now and won't look back. It's definitely worth them money. U/K/L buntu 14.04 with btrfs does also a good job by enablig ssd specfics during boot.
phaemon
Ah, I think you misunderstood my post. I like my ssd as well, but I don't care if the laptop comes with one, as I'll just buy one separately and fit it myself. :)
janvidar
I've used several ThinkPad x-series laptops in the past.

My current machine is a Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition, which ships with Ubuntu pre-installed.

Good battery life, excellent performance and nice size/weight - comparable to a 13" Macbook Air.

You'll ned a mini-DP to HDMI/DVI converter cable though.

davb
I'm using a Dell XPS 13 too and really like it. My biggest gripe is how hot it gets. So much so that it's uncomfortable to use on your lap (with the air vents all along the bottom). I've cleaned the inside, verified the fan operation and speed. It's just a machine that tends to run quite hot.
sandGorgon
have you re-applied the thermal compound or a copper shim ? XPS are famous for needing a better thermal compound ( I recommend Arctic MX-4) between the processor/heatsink or video-card/heatsink.

FYI - all of this will cost you less than 10 bucks.

davb
I actually think I've got some spare MX-4 from my recent PC build. I think I'll take your advice over the weekend. Thanks for your help!
janvidar
Really?

I have the 2014 edition, mine never gets uncomfortably hot, and I rarely hear the fan running. I routinely compile lots of code on it (C/C++ and some Java).

davb
Yeah, pretty bad. It's quite bad. I try to do any compilation on my desktop machine or one a remote machine.

Mine is a 2013 edition (MLK / 2nd edt) w/ Core i5 3rd gen (I think).

kelseyfrancis
There's no official Linux version of the larger Dell XPS 15, but it's also a great choice if you need a little more power: quad-core i7, 16gb ram, 512gb ssd.

I recently installed Fedora 20 on it with no problems. I except Ubuntu 14.04 works well too.

All the hardware works out of the box. As usually, the proprietary NVIDIA drivers gave me fits, so I've just uninstalled them for now. Battery life is still good, as usually the Intel chip is used, even with an external monitor connected (unlike a MacBook Pro).

rvijapurapu
I have been using HP Elitebook 8470p - everything works out of the box (Including the HSPA modem & suspend to ram).
mello151
I use one of these for work and always wondered how it'd fair with Linux. Do you use a docking station with it?
ushi
I am running a Lenovo T430 (Arch Linux) - Everything works out of the box.
jnardiello
At work i use an HP Elitebook 850 with Ubuntu, no issues. Everything works.
guidopallemans
HP almost always get so much shit (also for linux-compatibility), but I never understood it
SamReidHughes
Any HP laptop that isn't an Elitebook (or now, a ZBook) gets rightfully denigrated.
hadoukenio
Ctrl+F ThinkPad.

I guess the search count should show you something.

I'm on a W530. It's a beast and everything works. And I'm talking Debian!

Galanwe
ThinkPads USED to be good products. Lenovo killed it. the W530 is still good, but the W540 is a joke. The "Lenovo recommends Windows." at the top of Lenovo's website finished to convince me not to buy any TP anymore.
Silhouette
ThinkPads USED to be good products. Lenovo killed it. the W530 is still good, but the W540 is a joke.

Elaborate, please?

DArcMattr
The Haswell refresh has been full of laptops where corners have been cut in the form of lower production quality, many convenient features being removed, and questionable keyboard layouts. There have even been a couple of ThinkPad-branded keyboards that do not have trackpoints.

I realize that in order to make a lightweight and power-efficient laptop, there have to be tradeoffs, but the ThinkPad has historically been a premium brand, where frills like indicator lights, hardier materials and more generous keyboard and trackpoint/trackpad button layouts are expected. Their absence in the Haswell lineup is saddening, yet Lenovo still "wins" by default because all the other companies' offerings are even more deficient.

Befittd
I'm on a T-series running ubuntu and it's the best machine I've ever owned. It's fast, reliable, has 6 hours of battery and it's taken a serious kicking and still works perfectly.

It's irritating that they won't sell them without windows, but at least they're guaranteed compatible.

ansible
I got to try out a W520 recently. It seemed quite nice, and I like machines with a bigger screen but without the numeric keypad (which I generally have no use for). From my point of view, it is a shame the W540 now crams in the numeric keypad. I'd rather have a keyboard with full-sized keys (including shift, control, arrows, etc.) than have the more common cramped style seen with most 15.6" screen laptops.
Pyrodogg
For all the configurable internal guts and how much people have issues with keyboard layout i wish manufacturers had options for the keyboard on their mid-high tier laptops.
maguirre
I am on a W520 and things worked fairly well until I decided to connect an external monitor. Has this problem gotten anywhere in the past year or so?
jlgaddis
> I'm on a W530. It's a beast and everything works.

Same here: Quad-core i7, 32 GB RAM, 480 GB SSD + 500 GB SATA, 1920x1080. This thing is mostly going to waste. :(

Torgo
I have that same laptop. It uses the Nvidia optimus video architecture, I can't get that to work right, but I just use the Intel GPU and it works perfectly if you're not playing 3D games. The external displayport doesn't work out of the box for me, I have heard it doesn't work right but it might be an advanced configuration thing.

The fingerprint reader doesn't work, but you shouldn't use it anyway because it offers no real security.

The BIOS doesn't support booting off the sdcard or expresscard slot, which isn't a linux-specific problem, but is a giant pain in the ass.

edit: also adding, I bought it only maybe a year ago, and the battery is already at around 50% recharge capacity. I don't know if it's me or it's linux, but I only run Linux and it's torn through thinkpad and macbook (2008-ish) batteries.

porlw
After 2 years my X220, which runs off battery for a couple of hours pretty much every day, reports it's at 74% or original capacity. This is with vanilla Ubuntu 12.04

Wasn't there a recall for some Thinkpad batteries a while back? Maybe you can get a replacement.

Galanwe
Got a Schenker from XMG. Works like a charm.
hpaavola
I have Asus Zennbook UX31A (I got only 4 GB of ram, newer version have 8GB) and it works almost perfectly with Ubuntu 14.04 (and older, only thing that does not work is ambient light detector).

At least here in Finland they cost about 1100 euros (http://www.verkkokauppa.com/fi/product/36916/dnqkg/Asus-Zenb...). While it does not have VGA output, it comes with HDMI->VGA adapter.

See https://help.ubuntu.com/community/AsusZenbookPrime

natdempk
+1 for Zenbooks. I have a UX32VD, with 12 GB RAM and an i7 and it runs all of the distros I've tried with minimal problems and setup. I've run different versions of Ubuntu and Arch on it with no real issues, and the battery life is decent for its weight and thickness as well. The 1080p screen in the small form factor is also really nice.
nemasu
Hmm, I've got a UX32VD, makes me want to try it out, usually I don't bother with laptops.
klrr
http://shop.gluglug.org.uk/product/ibm-lenovo-thinkpad-x60-c...

Doesn't require any binary blobs and comes with Trisquil GNU/Linux pre-installed.

teh_klev
Nice old machine but doesn't meet OP's desired spec, i.e. 8GB RAM and HDMI/DVI.
userbinator
For HDMI/DVI you can get a converting dongle, but the 8GB RAM is definitely not going to be possible; the '945 is a 32-bit chipset.

That said, I have an X60 and it's a great machine to use, if only a bit underpowered these days.

bebna
My T400 gets DVI with its docking station, wouldn't the X60 have the same option?
glitch273
Take a look at System 76: https://www.system76.com/laptops/model/galu1

The specs are very well chosen for most developer users at a very reasonable price. From your requirements, I believe the only thing missing is native VGA support, which I'm sure you can easily fix with a simple adapter.

pan69
I'm really interested in these but I've heard reports on flaky casings made of cheap and thin plastic. Do you have experience with these yourself and if so can you share your findings?
dsr_
We've bought several over the last five years or so. The cases have always been perfectly adequate -- not single-billet aluminum, but you're not paying MacBook prices, either.

They ship with Ubuntu and are generally comfortable with Debian.

sz0ka
Yeah the VGA thing is optional, but our laptops do need some output, that is compatible to our beamers... :/ Buying an adapter is not the problem :D!
[dead] belial
I have a Lenovo G580 and I'm running Fedora 19 on it, it's pretty cool and everything works fine. I use it for development as well.
zokier
> I'm looking for the "best" linux compatible laptop you know about (business) [...] Shouldn't cost more than 1.3k €urons

Pick one. Personally I find HPs ZBook15 interesting, but Linux models begin from $2500.

> VGA (for beamer support)

get an external dongle, otherwise you are limiting your options needlessly.

w4rh4wk5
if somebody is looking for a cheap one, i can recommend lenovo e330. the laptop costs less than 500 euro, comes with no OS installed but an HDD which should be replaced with an SSD. linux compatibility is top, performance is sufficient for office work, youtube, development. Battery life of about 5-6 hours when using WLAN and maximum display brightness all the time.

been using it for months now without any issues.

edit: for more power i can recommend the lenovo T440, a friend of mine bought one and he is completely satisfied with it)

mekoka
I've used 2 System76 laptops in 5 years. I would buy again and would recommend them. They're not as fancy looking as the more mainstream brands, but they do the job quite well for their price tag (approx 700-800$ for a Gazelle). They come in various size and weight.

The first one I bought was a Pangolin that I used everyday for work and play, in an average of 12hrs/day, and lasted 4 years, before the display started to have problems, at which point I bought another one.

Most things work as expected on delivery, usb ports, camera, mic, audio jacks, hdmi, etc. The laptop itself feels pretty solid.

The low points: speakers are crap (I use headphones), touchpad is crap (I use a mouse), not the most innovative design (I once had someone commenting to me that my laptop must be pretty old, it was only 2 years old).

japhyr
What was your experience with battery life? I had a Pangolin around 2010 that I loved, but the battery would only last 1.5-2 hours.

I have a Thinkpad 430s with a bay battery now, which gets 4-6 hours of battery life. I would have a hard time going back to a machine with a battery life much shorter than that.

JohnDoe365
I was also doing some research some weeks ago and ended up with a Schenker. Is also a good deal value for money - wise!
fgd
I'm currently very happy with ThinkPad T440s. It covers all your requirements, comes with a FullHD panel (optional touchscreen) and double batteries. The only downside is the new Lenovo touch/clickpad. I got used to it, but it took me a while to figure out the settings which worked for me.
rawland
Same here! I like the T440s a lot and get 10h+ out of the double battery under heavy usage incl. WiFi and usable brightness with tlp and roughly the same at a low profile using the standard battery.

Clickpad fix, which feels good:

http://rscircus.org/post/72978821261/t440s-clickpad-fix-whic...

Decent power management:

http://rscircus.org/post/71103253232/linux-on-lenovos-thinkp...

Disclaimer: Wrote that myself to have a manual on how to setup it again in case my machine crashes.

sergiosgc
I'm definitely skewed towards Thinkpads, having carried one with me since '03 when I bought the first. My current laptop is an X1 carbon, and I can only say nice things about it. The only nitpick is that they messed the home/insert/end/Del key island.

No problems whatsoever running Linux on it.

pcx
I've heard very good reviews for the X1 Carbon. The only cons are: 1)weird keyboard layout 2)low-quality mousepad. Except for that the X1 Carbon seems to be a perfect Linux laptop. My friend's running Arch and it's working like a breeze.
sergiosgc
It has a chicklet type keyboard, not the ones you find on previous thinkpads. I like it better than the old ones. Layout-wise, it has the weird layout of the home/insert island, and a stupid positioning of the print screen key. Other than that it's standard qwerty.

As for the trackpad, I'm not a good reviewer. I use the red trackpoint exclusively. My previous laptop (X61t) didn't even have a trackpad. Between the trackpoint and the touch screen, I don't ever use the trackpad.

Pyrodogg
Oh the X61t. It was hilarious how many times i'd hand mine to a friend and they'd be completely lost without the trackpad.
eldelshell
My wife has a new Lenovo and I despise the stupid annoying keyboard layout because of all you mentioned AND the freaking position of the FN key and that function keys are not anymore function keys.

Want to close a window? Press Fn + Alt + Mute Microphone... WTF?!?!!

At least their ESC key is one of the biggest I've seen, so a big win for viers.

lugg
I have an air and a t420 I've been planning on getting an x1 to replace the air. I've used the x1 and while the mouse pad feels extremely tacky to use I have a feeling its still going to work better and longer than the airs counterpart which is starting to do weird shit.

Lenovo often feels tacky if only because of their price constraints but what they offer for the price is usually an astonishingly solid build.

On the Linux compatibility side of things - most issues have work arounds on day one and full compat within a couple of months. I assume this is because of the heavy Linux following behind the think pad series.

blueyed
> My current laptop is an X1 carbon

Is this the second generation?

sergiosgc
No. It was bought last August. First-generation.
bobdvb
I've had two Thinkpad's and bought my mother one as well, all running Linux, so easy, solid and reliable.
marcocampos
I currently use a Thinkpad T530 with Ubuntu 14.04 and TLP power management and it works great. I modded mine by replacing the 900P screen with a 1080P IPS screen and putting a bigger SSD (128GB vs 500GB). Highly recomended.

Specs:

Intel Core i5-3320M 2.6Ghz (Dual-Core) Intel HD4000 Integrated Graphics 8GB DDR3 RAM 500GB Samsung 840 Evo SSD 15.6" 1080p IPS Screen Blacklit keyboard

Price: About 1200€ after replacing the screen and SSD.

Forgot to tell that with TLP and a 9-cell battery I get about 7.5 hours of battery life using the ondemand profile.

kclay
Have a similar configuration on my T530 as well, wonderful laptop.But I do need to tweak my TLP setting I get around 4-5 but think I have a 6cell