

Ask HN: Which Laptop models would you recommend for a developer using Linux? - cruxr


======
Ronsenshi
Lenovo Thinkpad.

Switched to Thinkpad X250 recently from old HP netbook and so far very much
happy. Running Ubuntu 15.04 with Gnome.

Everything works out of the box, no problems with hardware so far, no need to
patch or edit any obscure config files or download weird drivers.

Solid hardware. Internal battery that allows you to switch drained battery to
a full one (if you have it) at any moment without the need to turn notebook
off.

Besides that, I really like how Thinkpads look. Sturdy build that feels great
in your hands.

Good keyboard. Some people don't like that type of keyboards (chicklet), but I
feel comfortable working on it.

~~~
stephenboyd
Beware of the 2nd generation (2014) X1 Carbon. The HDMI port doesn't support
audio (in either Windows or Linux), the click pad rattles and requires too
much force/travel for something you're supposedly to do as effortlessly and
frequently as clicking, the mouse buttons that correspond with the trackpoint
are practically non-functional, and the "adaptive function row" is an endless
source of frustration. And for reasons that I may or may not be able to fix
eventually, wifi on Linux Mint with this laptop is so unreliable that I spend
most of my time in Windows despite otherwise preferring Linux. I'm typing this
on one right now, so I know from experience.

I've read that the 2014 T-series clickpads and trackpoints have similar issues
too. Generally, when people recommend Thinkpads for their quality they're
referring to the X and T series. The 2014 models are frequently showing up in
the Lenovo outlet store with surprisingly low prices because of low sales and
high returns. Not a good deal. I would have gotten a refund if it wasn't a
refurbished purchase.

~~~
ibrahima
I have the 2014 T440s and it's the best laptop I've ever used, though I guess
that's not a particularly large sample size. I definitely think the 2015 T450s
should be much better because they brought back the buttons but the clickpad
is not really that hard to get used to. I think this year's Thinkpads should
be really awesome, and if I could justify it I'd easily get a 2015 X1C now
that they fixed the keyboard and trackpad.

It does have a wifi issue, it seems to me that the Intel 7260 wifi chip has
serious issues across multiple laptops from what I've read online. But I found
that for my home network switching to 5ghz fixed all my issues so it might
just be an interference thing.

~~~
SamReidHughes
By the way, you can replace the trackpad assembly on your T440s with the T450s
version that has clickpad buttons.

------
Aheinemann
IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad. Sturdy, replacements / repair kits available, often used
by university students. Buy refurbished, max ram and swap for ssd. look for i5
/ i7 models T420, x201T is a tablet pc (pen, but no touch) available in i5/i7
models. avoid the newer models / research linux compatibility first.

~~~
fapjacks
I have a W530 for work and it works very well with Linux Mint 17. There was a
bit of trickiness with the dual graphics cards and getting it to work right on
the dock to output to quad monitors, but if you're not using multiple monitors
via a dock, I highly recommend the W530. Even with that little bit of work
it's been an excellent performer.

~~~
jlgaddis
I'll second the recommendation for the Thinkpad W530, with one additional
suggestion: go for one of the "pre-configured" ones, skimp on RAM and HDD, and
upgrade it yourself.

I purchased mine right about two years ago (brand new from a seller on Amazon
in order to avoid delivery delays when purchasing direct) and went for one
with only 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB SATA HDD. I paid (separately and, again,
via Amazon) $300 for 32 GB of RAM and $385 for a 480 GB SSD (and spent 20
minutes installing them) but this was much, much cheaper than purchasing the
W530 with those upgrades pre-installed. I ended up giving away the "original"
4 GB RAM to a friend who could use it and (since I very rarely need or use the
optical drive) I usually keep the original 500 GB SATA HDD in the secondary
bay in order to keep a fresh, up-to-date backup of my data for when the SSD
inevitably fails without warning.

The NVIDIA Optimus graphics system is apparently a PITA for some people but
since I don't use a dock or external monitor it's really not been an issue for
me. I believe I have my BIOS set to the "Discrete Graphics" setting (to use
the NVIDIA card) and Ubuntu has no problems with it (I previously ran Arch
Linux on the W530 with the Intel card and also had no issues).

The W530 isn't nearly as light as many other laptops (about six pounds, if
memory serves) but, then again, it's considered a "Mobile Workstation" \-- and
with the quad-core i7 @ 2.70 GHz, 32 GB RAM, the 480 GB SSD and 500 GB SATA
spinning disk, and FHD 1920x1080 15" display, it truly is!

Side note: after using MacBooks and MacBook Pros exclusively for ~7 years, I
said that I'd never again buy a "PC laptop" (i.e. a non-Mac), but I'm
extremely happy with my W530 (running Linux, of course) and use it almost
exclusively nowadays. About a year after purchasing the W530, I sold my MBP
simply because I had only used it two or three times in that year and thought
I might as well sell it and get something out of it instead of letting it sit
around and eventually become obsolete.

------
jdietrich
Dell XPS 13 developer edition. It's a beautifully designed machine with
excellent battery life, a good keyboard and a sensational screen, at a
reasonable price. The fact that it comes pre-installed with Ubuntu is just the
cherry on top of a very attractive cake.

~~~
plumeria
Have you experienced problems with the WiFi? Mine constantly disconnects from
the wireless network.

~~~
dominicgs
I think I may have seen this a couple of times, but it's certainly not
constant for me. It may just be my router.

I'm dual booting Ubuntu 15.04 and Windows 8.1 as I support software on both
platforms. So I'm suffering from the "reboot twice to get working audio" issue
and occasional touchpad problems.

I believe that both will be fixed with kernel 4.1.

------
pella
"Ubuntu Desktop certified hardware ( Dell / HP / Lenovo / Asus )"

[http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/models/?query=&c...](http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/desktop/models/?query=&category=Laptop&release=&level=Any&vendors=Dell&vendors=HP&vendors=Lenovo&vendors=Asus)

// I am a happy Lenovo Thinkpad user :)

~~~
jlgaddis
Nice, thanks for that!

I'm also a happy Thinkpad owner but have been considering a new one, although
it's hard to find one that can compete with the two-year-old W530 I have now.

------
thoman23
Would love to hear some thoughts on the System 76 laptops. I'm tempted by the
15" Gazelle Pro, but haven't heard any first-hand accounts from real users.

~~~
jlgaddis
I wish I could remember where it was at, just within the last week I recall
reading several unfavorable opinions about System 76. It was either here, on
Reddit, or the FreeBSD forums.

I had been considering one of their laptops due to the apparent extensive
Linux support and wonderful "unicorns and puppies" praise on some of the
Jupiter Broadcasting podcasts (until it hit me that System 76 is a huge
sponsor and so they wouldn't be saying anything negative about them) but the
comments I just read caused me to strike them from my short list.

~~~
sdalfakj
I heard of these issues too, on Reddit. After my experience with their support
people, I decided that the issues were either an active social media PR
campaign against them by one of the other vendors or regular mishaps of the
support department or a combination of both.

------
chx
The Lenovo T420 can't be beaten, to this day. You can sink three SSDs in the
thing (one mSATA, one primary 2.5", one in place of the ODD), it survives a
beating or two, it has the legendary classic ThinkPad keyboard (later models
don't) and as late models have switched to U series CPUs, the full wattage
Sandy Bridge CPU in there can keep up with many of the current models.
Extensibility is not bad with an eSATAp port (or two if you dock). The dock
has two DisplayPorts, the laptop has one. USB3 can be added via an
ExpressCard.

The only other possibility I would entertain is the new Dell M3800 developer
edition. The step up is significant: it has a quad core i7-4712HQ and
Thunderbolt and 4K screen as an option. While even a well pimped out T420 is
well below $1000 (starting at a few hundred, even), this one will run to $3K
and more if you pile on everything. I'd get it if I needed Thunderbolt
bandwidth but otherwise just go with the old.

------
dzhiurgis
Dell xps 13 developer edition comes with Ubuntu

------
mxvanzant
I'm running Linux Mint 17.1 Mate on a Toshiba Satellite P55t B5340. i7, 16GB
ram and 500GB SSD. Also has 4k screen, but I run in 1920 x 1080 since I can't
get good scaling with Mate. I really like this notebook. Nice keyboard also.
Has numeric keypad which is nice.

------
fzn
If you're on a budget, you could get a lenovo X200 Tablet, fit a new battery
and 8GB of RAM. You get a nice touchscreen which you can orient as you please
and 2 minipcie expansion slots.

That is, if you don't require modern OpenGL/gpgpu features, nor plan on doing
massively parallel jobs on it (It sports a Core(TM)2 Duo CPU L9400 @ 1.86GHz)

Hypothetically, you _could_ solder a faster processor (not realistically for
most of us tho).

Why the X200 and not a more recent one? They changed the keyboard / buttons
afterwards, for the worst :(

NB: you might want to patch the bios to remove the mpcie whitelist ibm/lenovo
put in. Misewell flash coreboot (requires in-circuit programming, due to flash
block write protection)

~~~
xlaacid
Question; does the pen work with the linux install?

~~~
fzn
Yup.

You'll want to add something in the lines of

xsetwacom set "Wacom Serial Penabled 1FG Touchscreen touch" Area 104 26074 115
16374

for proper calibration to your .xinitrc (as it doesn't survive reboots). As
always, RTFM ;-)

------
NateDad
Dell XPS 15. Awesome build quality, very very similar to the Macbook, but
slightly cheaper, and still had an option for a hi red screen. And you won't
have everyone assuming you're running OSX.

------
pella
6 month ago : " Ask HN: The best Linux laptop"
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8673709](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8673709)

------
cweagans
Personally, I use a Macbook Pro. I don't want to spend time messing with my
configuration files. I want to focus on what gets money flowing into my
pocket.

To answer your question, I've heard great things about the Dell M3800. You can
get Linux preloaded and get a higher resolution screen. Dell has worked with
Canonical to make sure the hardware support is there.

Before this machine, I had a Thinkpad and I really had trouble understanding
what all the hype was. I don't think I'd buy one now after Superfish.

------
Porkepix
As already told before: Thinkpads or Dell developper edition. I will add HP's
pro series: a bit Probooks but mainly Elitebook series which are really great
too.

Run away (far!) from general use HPs. Only professional series are fine.

Plus excepted the XPS, you can at least here find other laptops pretty easily
on refurbished/used market.

------
evgg
I've been running Arch on a Thinkpad t430s for about three years now, it's a
very solid laptop.

------
data-cat
MacBook Pro with Retina

~~~
jlgaddis
Running Linux?

~~~
phkahler
I know a guy who runs OSX and windows at the same time. He just swipes left to
slide windows on and swipes right to get back to OSX. Since Linus uses a
macbook for development I assume you can do the same thing with Linux.

~~~
partisan
I installed vmware fusion to run windows and linux vms on my MBP. It works
great and the swiping feature is really slick, allowing me to jump between
desktops as needed.

------
nmstoker
Would echo several other comments herem. Am in the lucky position of owning a
Dell XPS 13 with Linux pre-installed and then using a Lenovo X250 for my job,
and they're both excellent laptops for development on. The work one isn't
running Linux, so my comment is less fully tested but the hardware alone is
just a joy with the solid feel to everything.

I'd definitely buy the XPS again as it's been brilliant (not Wi-Fi issues as
other owner mentioned), although I might forgo the touch screen which adds
nothing really on Linux and marginally increased weight and apparently causes
slightly lower battery life.

------
grouma
Definitely pricey and a little off the beaten track but I absolutely love my
Chromebook Pixel LS. Ubuntu was super easy to set up using Crouton. Everything
worked out of the box, the only minor modification I made was replace the
synaptic touchpad drivers with a ported version of Chromebook's. When I'm not
developing I usually keep it in ChromeOS as it is extremely snappy and
responsive. A quick keypress and I can drop into Ubuntu to get some work done.

------
mgmeyers
I have a two year old Lenovo S431 running Linux Mint 17.1. For the most part
it runs flawlessly. My only complaint is the wireless card. I can't connect to
comcast wifi networks when xfinity wifi is turned on, and in general, the wifi
range is horrible. I wanted a thinner, portable laptop, but from what I've
read, a lot of the newer Lenovos that aren't part of the business line (like
the T series) have wifi problems.

------
ilurk
I have an 2 year old Asus N56V. With Debian not everything worked out of the
box when I bought it. But after a couple of weeks the problems were solved.

If I were to buy a new one I'd be really tempted at this, which aims a being
fully FOSS powered: [https://puri.sm/](https://puri.sm/)

BTW, have you considered a mac and then installing Linux on top of it?

------
rbanffy
It really depends.

You may go with a Thinkpad or a Dell XPS if you need a well built machine or
you could go with a less flashy, cheaper expendable machine that's slightly
slower, slightly heavier and less durable. More memory is good, a good screen
is good. I'd suggest avoiding any hardware with less than stellar Linux
support.

------
vfulco
While not a pure developer, I am extremely impressed with the Lenovo X1 Carbon
Gen 2 with I7 and an SSD. It has the perfect blend of speed, strength,
lightness, battery life and quiet which I always thought was unattainable.
I.E. at least one factor would have to go.

~~~
stephenboyd
I just wrote a comment specifically warning people against buying this very
model. I have the 20A7/20A8 model. Does your clickpad rattle and require more
force than every other laptop? Does your function row take half a second every
time you want to switch rows? Do your function row keys only respond when you
press forcefully in specific locations that are near but not the same as their
icons? Does your HDMI audio work? You obviously don't have the Linux wifi
problems I do. What distro do you use?

I agree that the "speed, strength, lightness, battery life and quiet" is
excellent by the way.

------
vkjv
Along with lots of other people here. I recommend getting a ThinkPad that is
Ubuntu certified. Even if you don't use Ubuntu, it will mean that there is
good linux support for all of the hardware.

I use a T440s and it is fantastic. No issues whatsoever in Mint 17.1 Mate
64-bit.

------
shams93
A chromebook that has the 4 gigs of ram and a 32 gig ssd is large enough to
handle the android sdk's, I was trying to do this on a 16 gig chromebook, but
16 gigs is only enough for web development, the android sdk is pretty huge.

------
throwawayaway
One of these guys:

[http://shop.gluglug.org.uk](http://shop.gluglug.org.uk)

put in an SSD.

if you do go for a thinkpad or dell xps, if it has a 'decent' graphics card,
search google for overheating on that model before buying.

------
Nullabillity
I've generally had good experiences with ASUS and very poor ones with Samsung.

------
therealmarv
Very good: Thinkpad X250, Thinkpad X1 Carbon, Thinkpad T550 \- Good: Dell XPS
13

------
xlaacid
Im using Centos 7 on a thinkpad x201. No issues with a standard install.

------
lewisl9029
I would actually recommend getting any Windows laptop and just use Hyper-V (or
VirtualBox/VMware if you prefer Type-2 Hypervisors) to run Linux.

Most modern laptops can handle virtualization with no noticeable performance
penalties even for heavy dev tasks, and the UX is essentially identical to
running on bare metal if you use the full screen immersive mode that most
virtualization software offers for interaction. The virtualization stack takes
care of most hardware compatibility issues, and running Windows as your host
OS means you won't have to restart to do Windows specific dev stuff and/or
play games (Hyper-V allows full access to the GPU for the "host OS").

Getting a Macbook and running Linux with VirtualBox, VMware Fusion or
Parallels is also a viable alternative if you don't need to game on the
Windows VM but need OS X support instead.

------
felixgallo
Linux on the desktop is a mistake that's driving a lot of bad code into
distributions. Get a macbook, which has, even now, a very solid desktop
environment that'll always be more functional and easier to use than any
desktop linux, and use vagrant to develop against linux virtual machines,
and/or ssh into your linux environment.

This is how I've done it for the last several years with great success.

~~~
matthewmacleod
What bad code is desktop linux driving into distributions?

~~~
felixgallo
primarily systemd, journald, dbus.

