[TriLUG] Linux Laptop

[Steve Litt via TriLUG]

On Thu, 25 Feb 2016 21:35:19 +0000
Aaron Cody Weaver via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org> wrote:

> So I am trying to find a laptop that will be a good portable for linux
> sysadmin work.
> 
> I don't want to pay crazy money for a linux laptop like system76.
> 
> I just need a laptop that will handle normal sys admin stuff and will
> have everything work correctly not like ones that have bluetooth or
> webcams that don't work.
> 
> Thanks for the advise.

You know, another thing you could do is buy an old laptop for $200 and
lay down Void Linux with LXDE on it. I have two such old laptops (one I
bought old, one I bought new in 2006). They work great for everything
except of course they won't do Virtual Machines: Too little RAM.

Obviously, this only works if you can get physical access to the
machine, boot System Rescue CD, and make sure that everything works,
including video and wifi, and make sure it has at least 2 GB of RAM and
has 64bit processor.

A six year old machine isn't worth $200, it's worth $100. I write it
off to the fact that I'm paying $100 for the hardware, and $100 for
known Linux compatibility.

One great thing about those older laptops is they're MBR, not UEFI. No
chance of bricking your box by rm -rf.

HTH,

SteveT

Steve Litt 
February 2016 featured book: The Key to Everyday Excellence
http://www.troubleshooters.com/key