Hello all,
I’m in the market for buying a new laptop to install Linux on. I’m trying to stay with something relatively cheap (Around $300 and below). I’m getting ready to start a degree program in cyber security and did some research, and it seems Kali Linux would be the best distro for me to install.
I would install it on my current computer, but I only have a 2015 MacBook Pro, and I’ve read that a few people run into some issues installing on a Mac compared to a regular PC.
With the above in mind, do I need to increase my budget or does Linux run fine on low-end laptops?
Thanks!
I think my next one will be a https://frame.work There is also an overview of supported systems: https://frame.work/en/en/linux
Thinkpad for compatibility
whatever you get, don’t sleep on the ethernet port, very few cheap laptops come with it nowadays, and that ill greatly reduce your selection
Personally. I don’t need an Ethernet port. If I’m getting a cheap laptop I won’t be doing any gaming on it and don’t need low-latency or maximum bandwith internet. Just use WIFI
his interest toward cybersecurity means he probably is going to have to at least connect and reconnect to different networks, which will be a pain when not required to be wifi
Thanks for the information! I ended up going with a t480
Kali isn’t meant to be a desktop OS. Use it only in VM or in a spare rig. It is meant to be a toolbox. So dual boot it with your daily driver OS or use in a VM.
Your Mac can take Linux just well: https://djharper.dev/post/2020/06/07/running-linux-on-my-macbook/
For your 300 bucks budget look nothing else than Thinkpad T480 or HP Dev One. T480 will need replacement batteries if not replaced yet.
so tired of people recommending thinkpads when there are much better options. the fact the control and alt key were swapped for years is enough to never get ibm or Lenovo.
Thanks! Think I’ll try installing Linux on a VM first and see how it runs on my Mac. If performance is slow ill look into the Thinkpad.
See if you can run off a live USB instead of in a VM if you’re testing for performance. VM is likely gonna perform worse than if you were to install it on your hardware. Usually when you make a USB installer for a distro you can boot to it and use the desktop like normal off the USB rather than running the install.
Thanks for the information! I tried installing Linux on my Mac but I was getting partition errors (bought my 2015 Mac used) and after troubleshooting for a couple hours I decided to just go out and buy the t480. I got Pop! OS running on it smoothly and I"m enjoying it so far!
If you’re trying to optimize your cost, you might get away for free by installing a virtual machine on your existing MacBook :)
My t480 came in right at that price, and is doing very well for word processing and media consumption.
But Linux is almost always going to do well on low end stuff compared to Windows.
I ended up going with the t480 and I recently installed Pop! OS on it!
Sweet :)
I’d check local places like offerup. can get business laptops for cheap when places refresh. there are a few people around me selling 3-4 year old dells with i5/i7, nvme, etc. take a Linux USB and install it on site before you buy to test. they’re more than enough specwise for daily use or testing. often sub $300
Interested in Linux? Getting a degree in Cyber Security?
A used ThinkPad. The older the better
I second this! If all you need is low end and Linux compatible laptop, Thinkpads are, almost annoyingly, regarded as the tinkerer/hacker Laptop. After some research (one search on ebay) they are going for very cheap, far within your budget.
I did a little research and found this which states that for the graphical installation, it will take “at least 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk space” and in some cases certain apps/programs recommend 8 GB of RAM.
I recommend 8 GB of RAM for now and a 128 GB hard drive. If you can get a smaller drive go for it, but just stick with the main brands like Crucial or Western Digital when it comes to drives. I recently had my SSD corrupted in my thinkpad because the previous owner bought a cheap drive that randomly disconnected at times.
I believe RAM is replaceable and upgradeable in most thinkpads, but verify that before purchase, it’ll save you the disappointment of being stuck with 8 GB of RAM.
I hope this helped :)
Thanks for the information! I ended up going with a t480 and installed Pop! OS on it. I"m enjoying it so far!
I am running Fedora Asahi Linux on my M1 MBA and it performs fantastically.
Currently I think the most eco-friendly option is a Framework.
Another option would be to get a laptop which is verified to work with most or all of QubesOS security features.
does Linux run fine on low-end laptops?
Linux runs fine on a potato lol
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Tuxedo is the linux brand of the german company “Schenker”.
I’ve always stuck to Thinkpads for Linux – especially the T series is incredibly solid. That said, you really shouldn’t have an issue with a 2015 MacBook.
With that budget you should be able to get your hands on a machine with plenty of power. My recomendation would go to a lenovo t480/t480s. I was planning to buy one of those for myself but my current laptop is still good enough. Regardless of the device you choose, I would recomend portability over power: power efficient i5 4 cores, 8gb (idealy 16gb) ram, ssd storage, lightweight and good battery.
To answer your last question, you shouldn’t be concerned about performance. Linux can give life to old hardware, but you’re not really looking at old hardware.
As a cybersec student myself, I would suggest starting out with a generic linux distro and just install the tools you need as you go. If you really need kali, install it in a vm. I say this because I expect you’ll use Linux as your daily driver, and Kali is NOT mean to be a daily driver, but a tool for when you need it. And “when you need it” will come with experience I guess.
