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Linux-ready hardware: What to look for before you buy

How to check for Linux compatibility and avoid hardware headaches.

Thinking about switching to Linux and picking up a new computer? You’ve got options. Vendors like  System76TuxedoDellLenovo, and others, offer machines that support Linux out of the box. But what if you wanted a new system and need to know if it will run your favorite distro? Luckily, there are great resources to help you make that call, such as Fedora’s certified hardware list, the Hardware for Linux database, and Ubuntu Certified.

That’s exactly what I did when I came across a Dell Inspiron 3530 while shopping at a prominent technology store. It checked all my boxes: Specs, price, and build. But I needed to make sure it would support Linux. A quick search on Ubuntu Certified confirmed it: This laptop was a match. When I got home, I booted into Fedora 42 KDE Plasma using a Live USB, and everything worked smoothly. These community-maintained hardware databases are invaluable for figuring out compatibility, whether you’re buying new or used.

Read more: Exploring Fedora KDE on a new Lenovo laptop

I backed up my old laptop with Cronopete, a reliable open source backup tool, and restored my files on the new machine in no time. Within minutes, I was up and running, writing this very post.

The Dell Inspiron 3530 is modest but more than enough for my needs, and I love it! It even has a responsive touchscreen, which was a nice feature. Here’s a quick system snapshot using inxi -b:

$ inxi -b
 Host: fedora Kernel: 6.14.9-300.fc42.x86_64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.3.5 Distro: Fedora Linux 42 (KDE Plasma Desktop
    Edition)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 15 3530 v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0VPMKH v: A00 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: Dell
    v: 1.15.0 date: 09/06/2024
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 38.9 Wh (96.3%) condition: 40.4/40.0 Wh (101.0%)
CPU:
  Info: 10-core (2-mt/8-st) 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1334U [MST AMCP]
    speed (MHz): avg: 669 min/max: 400/4600:3400
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Raptor Lake-P [UHD Graphics] driver: i915 v: kernel
  Device-2: Sunplus Innovation Integrated_Webcam_HD driver: uvcvideo
    type: USB
  Display: wayland server: Xwayland v: 24.1.6 compositor: kwin_wayland
    driver: gpu: i915 resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.0.7
    renderer: Mesa Intel Graphics (RPL-U)
  Info: Tools: api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
    de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor wl: wayland-info x11: xdriinfo,
    xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8852BE PCIe 802.11ax Wireless Network
    driver: rtw89_8852be
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 476.94 GiB used: 7.91 GiB (1.7%)
Info:
  Memory: total: 8 GiB note: est. available: 7.44 GiB used: 3.35 GiB (45.0%)
  Processes: 349 Uptime: 18m Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.38

Switching to Linux can be an exciting journey, and having hardware that “just works” makes all the difference. With a little research and using resources like Fedora’s certified hardware list and Ubuntu Certified, you can take the guesswork out of setup and compatibility. If you’re on the fence, dive in. Linux is more accessible than ever.

More from We Love Open Source

This article is adapted from “Finding the perfect Linux-compatible computer” by Don Watkins, and is republished with permission from the author.

About the Author

I am Don Watkins, a free and open source software (FOSS) advocate.

Read Don's Full Bio

The opinions expressed on this website are those of each author, not of the author's employer or All Things Open/We Love Open Source.

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