Linux Laptop Recommendations
jc00ke.com
jc00ke.com
I did have to make a slight tweak to the trackpad config, but I believe they have fixed that with a recent change. If not, google for synaptics AreaBottomEdge and that will give you what you need to tune it.
I previously had a MacBook, and decided to stop using Apple products after the Bitcoin app ban fiasco (and because I don't agree with many of their policies). Now that I'm comfortable with my Linux laptop, I like it a lot more than my old MacBook. It's been a great experience, and it also means my development environment is closer to my production one, so I'm happy with it.
Edit: Despite my reservations towards the legacy weirdness of the Thinkpad line, I've learned through observation that they are kindof the industry standard for Linux laptops right now, and people seem to like them. When I meet someone running a Linux laptop, it's usually a thinkpad.
The TrackPoint is not a "legacy oddity," it's a far superior input method compared to a trackpad, if you take the time to learn how to use it.
IMHO the proper way to use a pointing device is "sparingly", which suits the trackpoint _perfectly_.
I have a hard time imagining a more suitable laptop for Linux.
That said, we've got some Lenovo T440s in the office that come with a wifi card (Realtek RTL8192EE) that's unsupported by ubuntu at the moment (there's an active bug at ubuntu [1] that walks through the issues and has workarounds)
0. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXa0XzNvuZU
1. http://arstechnica.com/staff/2014/01/stop-trying-to-innovate...
(1) my battery only lasts for 2.5 hours in linux on a good day, while it lasts over 6 hours in windows, and
(2) I develop touch-based apps, and ubuntu doesn't broadcast touch events to its browser. The system itself can receive touch events (if you tap three fingers on a window, it triggers the move mode), but the browsers themselves only receive mouse events. The result is that I cannot use pinch-and-zoom on touch-enabled webapps.
[1] http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XXVnP0Y...
I've seen the Chromebook Pixel is 3:2, which is hopeful. But going with a machine that erases your installation when it loses power seems like a outright terrible idea (in addition to signaling Google that their locked down computing is appreciated in the least)
I suppose I shouldn't get my hopes up at all, given that manufacturers have moved on to even more terrible ideas like soldering a paltry amount of RAM to the motherboard, and then removing one or even both sodimm slots. Maybe I just need a NUC strapped to a car battery.
Either way I understand you position.
[1] x200 chassis with x201 motherboard. Ask for more details if you're interested.
It does not erase your installation when it loses power. If you switch into or out of developer mode, it'll wipe user data, but otherwise your data is safe.
As for "locked-down computing", as long as Google continues to mandate developer mode as part of their hardware requirements, that seems quite sufficient to me.
https://plus.google.com/111049168280159033135/posts/4nkSEmGo...
Its the main reason why I dont use my pixel anymore.
> [Chromebook Pixel] has a fatal bug - when battery runs out to zero, my Gentoo installation is erased. It's some kind of security measure. After full discharge any non-signed OS is erased. And I need to install Gentoo again from scratch
I have no firsthand experience, but I've heard the same thing other times as well. Is it just a baseless rumor?
I wouldn't be worried about my data per se (backed up with unison, etc), just the hassle of reinstalling and ultimately wary of electing into that kind of user-hostile design.
"Developer mode" is equivalent to rooting your phone - something that most users won't do, and that some misguided developers will even think they should discriminate against (I believe some banking apps were recently mentioned here). Even if you go out of your way to do it and suffer the oddities, buying such a device sends an economic signal (to Google and developers) and social signal (to less-clued friends) that the official locked-down experience is desirable.
>> [Chromebook Pixel] has a fatal bug - when battery runs out to zero, my Gentoo installation is erased. It's some kind of security measure. After full discharge any non-signed OS is erased. And I need to install Gentoo again from scratch
> I have no firsthand experience, but I've heard the same thing other times as well. Is it just a baseless rumor?
News to me; ugh. Quoting one of the Google posts on this: "The problem here is that the flags that remember whether or not you're in dev-mode have to be stored somewhere, and we chose to put them in the battery-backed CMOS. When they're lost, we have to assume we should be in normal mode, or it opens a security hole. The only other place we could keep them would be in the TPM, but that's slow to access and would adversely affect boot times in normal mode. We may be able to fix that in future Chromebooks, but changing the verified boot security features generally requires a change to the read-only BIOS, which isn't possible with an update."
That's really broken.
Has this delay been quantified? I've used Linux-based systems with dynamic root of trust, with the TPM being queried at boot. There wasn't any noticeable delay in boot.
Assuming budget isn't an issue, I find many linux laptops (including the 13inch Dell) to have bad UX. Relatively short battery life, low res screen, and may i say, terrible trackpad.
Apple trackpads are significantly better than all competitors.
On top of that, a lot of nice to have apps don't run on linux. Things like screenhero. And apps that do have a linux build often don't work as well. (Think skype, hipchat)
Running VM on macbooks is the best of both worlds, you get linux for development and OSX for everything else.
The downside if you won't be able to use a windows manager like WMII. Because parallels provide bindings for unity that makes the whole experience smooth and they don't provide bindings for other windows managers
I would have really loved to use elementaryOS on it but without the 3.13 kernel the CPU and GPU refused to play nicely and the machine refused to sleep. These issues were fixed in the 3.13 kernel.
The main problem I have found with laptops and linux is still GPU. Im reluctant to use a laptop with anything but an intel GPU these days because the last experience I had with an AMD GPU was simply terrible. The AMD drivers refused to install on anything but a specific kernel and even when installed the laptop performed better when i told the AMD control panel to always use the intel chip over the AMD one.
Id like to be able to change my opinion, but AMD and Nvidia drivers on Linux are still some sort of absurd joke.
I didn't have trouble with my Dell e1505 running Nvidia drivers, but I didn't tax it very hard, either, other than using Compiz for some desktop effects.
I thought having a proper graphics chip rather than integrated Intel graphics would make for a snappier experience, but in the future I'll just stick with integrated graphics and max out the RAM.
Edit: Good to hear the Samsung works so well. I remember seeing some issues with those on the Ubuntu forums when they came out, which is why I opted for a different brand, but I'd expect to revisit them on my next purchase.
The other thinkpads I've seen don't have screens this bad, but this one is a corker. Apart from that, I love the little thing.
One of the big bonuses to the thinkpads is that very complete user manuals are available free online, including exploded disassembly diagrams. Perhaps I should do the upgrade just because it's possible :)
I'll recount my recent story.
I started out with an x200, which I loved for the size and lack of trackpad (I only use the trackpoint, I use keybinds and tiling wms heavily), and ran that for a few months. I did the screen upgrade[0] and was extremly happy with the mod. Unfortunatley a mishap at a hackerspace involving a large cup of beer destroyed my poor motherboard. I had a descision to make: either buy a new laptop or repair this one. I went with the rebuild plan. I squeezed in an x201 motherboard into the chassis instead of going with the same C2D mobo. I bought a refurbed 120GB SSD and a new 4GB stick of RAM. On top of that I had to replace my keyboard so that came as I also bought a new 9-Cell battery.
In the end I ended up with a near new x201 with an x200 chassis, an IPS screen, SSD, full DIMM of RAM, and a kew keyboard with roughly 8-9 hours of battery life all for about $550 out of pocket. I've spent about 2 years with it like this and if I had to make the choice again I would absolutley do the repair; I love my laptop. But I'm also only a sysadmin and compiling code and major power isn't a conern for me. Portability and reliability is.
[0] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4hVYq9glKg : This mod is just under $200 but you get an IPS equivalent screen that covers roughly 75-80% colour gamut. Way nicer to watch movies on.
Poking around on youtube a bit more, here is the x201 TN screen (same as mine) in a side-by-side with an IPS screen - it's quite a dramatic comparison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzP3rFZXSgE
Brand is Hydis
HV121WX4-110 or HV121WX4-120
There's two screens you can choose from. The 120 is a matte finish just like the stock screen (a little finer/nicer than the stock finish) and the 110 is a glossy finish. Your preference.
The screen is a direct swap for the x200. For the x201 you need the CCFL/screen controller from an x200. The x201 has an LED backlight and it doesn't work with this screen. You need the CCFL controller from the x200. Easiest way to do this is to source a broken x200 with the lid intact and swap the screen into the lid, and then the lid onto the x201. Aside from that it's a direct swap.
Have they solved the EFI glitch when power was lost?
What's the baseline power consumption (as reported by powertop)?
Now, I've gotten a custom build Sager from ReflexNotebook (reflexnotebook.ca). It screams, it's 13", it was fully supported out of the box by Ubuntu 14.04 and Mint 17, and more importantly, a full 3 year warranty.
Though, if you'd like to support the community, check out ZaReason. I'm done buying from everyone else. Linux support is (shockingly) finally at the point where usually, things just work.
Everything works perfectly, including integrated GPS and 3G modem. Here's the setup instructions captured in Ansible so i don't need to do it manually when wiping: https://github.com/CraigJPerry/home-network/blob/master/role...
Because of the problem with the Radeon graphics support, I wouldn't recommend using a laptop with AMD graphics. I previously had a Dell e1505 with Nvidia graphics that worked without trouble, and I've had no trouble with integrated Intel graphics support.
Also, I have a 1.5 year-old Sony Vaio from work. The weird BIOS Sony uses is completely borked for Linux, as I have not been able to so much as boot from a USB drive, much less dual boot. Actually, I may have gotten it to boot to a USB drive once using some dark voodoo magic, but you shouldn't have to sacrifice a chicken to Jobu just to boot into Linux, so I strongly recommend against even trying with the Sony laptops.
I have a Thinkpad T410, it has been very solid, I don't think there is one item that will physically wear out anytime soon, except for the power plug, which is larger than most brands, but has started to become loose. Oh for a magsafe power plug! Actually the little bumps on the trackpad are starting to wear off in the middle, but this doesn't seem to affect it's function.
Another great thing about Thinkpads is they're quite easy to fix.
I assume you mean the jack? That should be a separate piece, attached to the motherboard with a cable. If it's just wobbly, then it just needs to be tightened, possibly even without opening the laptop. If it's a poor connection, then you should be able to get a new one for <$5. On the T61, both of these things are dead easy, but check the T410 Hardware Maintenance Manual for the details.
(of course, now I'm thinking about the prospect of replacing this piece with a magsafe connector...)
I just want nice things! ;)
Plus, the images of the products are always at oblique angle that make seeing the keyboard unnecessarily difficult. Nobody gives two shits what a laptop looks like 85%-shut from the corner.
Only problem is that system76 seems to be stuck in the early 2000s, making laptops which are simply bigger than anyone really wants these days. Pixel density on the small ones, at least, has come on par with many PCs, but still lags Apple.
I just got a "new" Thinkpad T530. It's a two year old model, but the last of the Thinkpads with physical mouse buttons, essential for using the Trackpoint. Got it for $550 with three year warranty after rebates; the specs are comparable to a current model. It takes up to 16GB RAM and supports up to three dedicated storage devices. In general Thinkpads run Linux very well. This was mainly for the larger screen, I saved enough I can wait for a travel computer in early 2015 based on Broadwell.
https://www.google.com/search?output=search&tbm=shop&q=t530&...
http://www.fsf.org/news/gluglug-x60-laptop-now-certified-to-...
This also means that you shouldn't have any issues with running Linux distros on it. I have one and it is more than enough for the things I'd use a laptop for - email, SSH, programming, light web browsing.
Running Lubuntu 14.04 -- most of my work is Python related at the moment. I'm happy with this setup -- if I need more power I can always use the desktop which is a Core i5, $1500 to carry that around with me wasnt convincing
The right notebook for Linux is a Linux notebook. Vendors of such machines are still boutique, but unlike in the past they actually exist. Just a few are Zareason, Thinkpenguin, and System76. I personally have an off brand Clevo 740 SU (same model as the System76 Galago) because I had confidence in the notebooks ability and got it OSless since I'd have to install Arch anyway.
But recommending all these Samsung and Llenovo Windows machines is a disservice to everyone. It is a disservice to the Linux ecosystem because you cannot guarantee hardware support and using a non-Windows OS will void your warranty most of the time (at least if they catch you with it). It means that you get a bad impression of the experience due to any bugs or glitches you encounter, and rather than acknowledge you crossed into the land of dragons and took the risk many end up blaming the ecosystem that cannot provide hardware support realistically for any parts the vendors do not support in kernel themselves - especially those that are actively hostile to attempts to implement hardware support (video drivers - Android ones are really bad right now, but Nouveau had to wage a tangible uphill battle to get where it is today, but a lot of wifi cards, pci cards, etc can have no vendor support).
It also means you are paying your MS tax, and getting a Windows license you intend not to use. I'm not even going to argue the price aspect, because we know it really does not matter - if Linux were ever a threat (and really, it already is with Windows talking about version 9 possibly being free or ultra low cost with the looming threat of Android) they would just give away licenses, and that combined with bloatware contracts would provide the vendors more revene than just shipping Ubuntu (or whatever distro).
What I care about is the message. Every Linux Thinkpad fanboy is one bullet point in the Llenovo board meeting affirming the need not to ever ship a non-Windows notebook (except in countries like Germany that actually force them to). It sends the message "go ahead, bill me for a Windows license I'll never use, and make me fight the hardware to make it work, but I will still buy your stuff because having a pleasant straightforward and painless Linux experience is not one of my priorities.
It also obscures how large the market segment is, because to these vendors every machine sold is a mark that Windows is still king. If they do not see retailors selling real Linux machines (including the Dell one) they have absoutely no reason to ever fathom selling Linux native machines themselves.
And that hurts you, because that means there is less adoption, fewer options, and less pressure towards more widespread use of the platform. And for whatever your reason, you want to use Linux right now, and buying these Windows machines denies others from having the chance to even know it exists, and supports the continued monopoly Microsoft has on the personal computing industry (and Apple is not even on that radar).
So please, when you are looking for a new notebook with the intent to run a Linux distro on it, give some consideration to the vendors actually selling Linux machines, with support, as first class citizens. If you cannot find one that meets you needs so be it, but don't go out of your way to buy a Windows notebook and hope it can run a Linux distro flawlessly.
ZaReason and System76 are awesome companies! I purchased a small notebook from ZaReason back in '08 but returned it because it was too underpowered. I would happily buy a laptop from either ZaReason or System76 if it was in the same vein of well designed hardware like the 3 companies I mentioned above.
I'm also very familiar with the Windows tax. A few years back I tried, very hard, to get HP to refund the Windows license on 2 desktops I bought for my dad. It was futile. Here are the blog posts from '09
HP Refund for Windows Tax: So far so good - http://bit.ly/wy4zC HP Refund for Windows Tax: No refund policy - http://bit.ly/1a0FW1
Trust me, I hate seeing the little Windows 7 sticker and Windows super key on my laptop, but the hardware is good and I have no compatibility issues. Ideal? Nope. But good enough, and unfortunately that's what we Linux users have to contend with for now.
And my point is that any sale of a Lenovo Thinkpad does zilch to solve it, and only reinforces their position of Windows-only. So if you do go and buy that ASUS / Samsung / Apple notebook, and put Linux on it, that means the next time you are looking for a notebook, you will have to do the exact same thing because nobody is buying Linux machines to show the market there is any demand.
#All of them has up time for more than 500 days. #T42p been on since 2007. #I am missing old IBM laptop, almost everything are serviceable.
I believe in "user-serviceable" of anything, Cars, Washing Machines and old IBM/Lenovo laptops.
I have fans controlled not to run unless CPU or GPU over 52C.
Looking for a replacement like Thinkpad is extreme hard.
There's a detachable Ekoore Python S3 tablet which triple boots to Ubuntu, Windows, and Android, but it doesn't appear to be available in the U.S.
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/How_to_enable_integrated_finge...
I think people have been putting ubuntu on it.
I'm not affiliated with them, I just own an U2442, and am extremely satisfied.