Re: Subnotebook?

On 10/02/2025 09:54, R Daneel Olivaw wrote:

David Brown wrote:

On 07/02/2025 20:43, Carl Fink wrote:

Anyone have a recommendation for a Linux-installed, or second-best
Linux-compatible subnotebook? I'm defining a subnote as having a 10" or
smaller screen, and I'm looking to buy new, not refurb or used.
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I've never found much point in pre-installed Linux systems - they never have the distro or setup I want.  But that might be just me.  So I tend to get the hardware I want, then install the Linux I want, ignoring the "pre-installed" Windows.
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Generally, most hardware works out of the box with a fairly modern distro (vastly more than with Windows), but there are some things to watch out for if you get a very new design.  The most common issue, I think, is new laptops or notebooks with Wifi chips that are not supported by the kernel versions that come as standard with a mainstream distro like Mint or Ubuntu.  That means upgrading the kernel, which can be a pain without a working network - and these machines often don't have Ethernet.  So make sure you have a USB C docking station or Ethernet adaptor handy for putting it all together.
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 Occasionally you can get something with a version of DOS as an operating system, but you still have the problem of maybe-incompatible-hardware.

I haven't seen that on notebooks or laptops, but I've seen FreeDOS advertised on some desktops or mini PCs.  You can interpret that as meaning no Windows and no commitment to checking support for Linux, but where they don't want to market systems without claiming at least /some/ OS support.  You frequently see it on systems that don't have any SSD or disk, or even any ram - barebones machines.  So clearly they don't have FreeDOS installed, just a vague suggestion that it will work, safe in the knowledge that no one will ever test it.  (I've nothing against FreeDOS, but it's typical use is on virtual machines of some kind, not real hardware.  And I've nothing against barebones either - I buy most Linux desktop or server systems as barebones.)