Linux will work on almost any computer. I mean that literally. Remember the Intel Pentium 4 processor? It is still supported by Debian Linux. However, Linux works better on some laptops than on others. These days, very few of the big-name PC makers offer official Linux support, which means you have somewhere to turn if things go wrong.
To help you discover the best Linux laptop for your ideal machine, I’ve installed (or attempted to install) Linux on every laptop I’ve tested over the past three years. Almost all of them worked great, but some were easier to run than others. More than a few of my favorites come with Linux right out of the box.
Be sure to check out our other buying guides, like the best laptops, best cheap laptops, best MacBooks, and how to choose the right laptop.
table of contents
- Best for minimalists
- Best for extremists
- The best repair
- Best for hackers
- Best for system administrators
- If your budget is tight
- What to look for in a Linux laptop
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The Dell XPS 13 Developer Edition was one of the first big name laptops to ship with Linux and it’s still the lightest and smallest laptop with Linux installed. This configuration has a 12th Gen Intel i7-1250U processor, 32GB of RAM (soldered), and a 1TB SSD. It ships with Ubuntu Linux 20.04, but in my testing it’ll happily run any distro from Fedora to Arch (Dell support only applies to Ubuntu though). When you’re on the product page, make sure you choose Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS as your operating system (it defaults to Windows).
For more details on the hardware, see our review of the Windows version (6/10 WIRED Review). While performance wasn’t great with Windows, I didn’t find the same to be true with Ubuntu. The main drawback of this device is the lack of ports. There are two USB-C ports, one of which is your charging port. There isn’t even a headphone jack.
If Dell’s lack of ports leaves you wanting, this is the laptop for you. System76’s Pangolin (8/10, WIRED Recommendations) is an AMD-powered 15-inch beast of a laptop with every port a sysadmin could hope for. This configuration comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, 32GB of RAM (soldered), and a 250GB SSD. You can configure Pangolin with up to 8TB of storage.
Battery life is fine for the size—it lasts all day in most use cases—but not as good as the Dell’s. The keyboard, on the other hand, is great and a real pleasure to type on. The only downside is the number pad, which makes the trackpad off-center. The port selection is where Pangolin really shines. There’s Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port (with DisplayPort support, but not Thunderbolt), three USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack, and a full-size SD card reader.
Most salvageable and future
If you want a laptop you can upgrade to, Framework’s Laptop is the best Linux machine for you. There are a few flavors available. I tested the second version on the 13-inch model (8/10, WIRED Recommendations) and loved it. You can now order an AMD Ryzen 7 7040 or Intel Core 13th-Gen series system with 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and any combination of ports that suits your needs for around $1,400. That will ship without OS. When it arrives, you can install Linux yourself (or choose to ship it with Windows if you need to dual boot). The only catch is that the AMD model ships in the third quarter of the year, even though the Intel version will ship in June. If you were okay with the previous generation chips, you can get one today.
I’ve tested Ubuntu, which the Framework supports, and Arch Linux, and both work great (although the Framework doesn’t officially support Arch). My only gripe about using the Framework is my gripe about almost any Linux laptop: battery life could be better.
The System76 Oryx Pro comes in either 15-inch or 17-inch models with 12th Gen Intel processors and Nvidia graphics (either 3070 Ti or 3080 Ti GPU). There are options for a glossy 4K OLED screen, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 8TB of SSD space. It’s not cheap, but the Oryx Pro is the most powerful laptop on this page. Like the Pangolin above, Oryx ships with Pop_OS from System76! or Ubuntu Linux. Unlike the Pangolin, the Intel chip in the Oryx Pro means it comes with Coreboot, and the firmware is open source.
Well, okay, it’s cliche, but there’s just something about the Lenovo X1 Carbon Linux edition that makes me want to install Kali Linux and start checking out my coffee shop’s Wi-Fi. Whatever the case, this is a sleek laptop for those of us who think ThinkPads are, ahem, sleek. This softness comes at a serious price. For nearly twice the price of our other picks, you’ll get a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD (much of this is customizable).
On the plus side, you get a great 2K (2880 x 1800) OLED screen and anti-glare. I haven’t had a chance to test this newer model, but I like the previous version (8/10, WIRED Recommend), and the new version is basically a spec bump. They are often for sale.
Image: Lenovo
One advantage of Linux is that it requires fewer resources and maintains support for older hardware for much longer than Windows or macOS. This means you don’t need to spend a fortune on a new laptop; You can breathe life into an old machine or get a used laptop from eBay. I’ve been doing this for years, working my way through Lenovo’s X series laptops (starting with the X220, now the X14 Gen 1), but older Dell and Asus laptops are also great for Linux. If you choose to buy used products, take a look at our guide to buying used on eBay to make sure you’re getting a good deal.