Advice for a Linux Laptop in 2025
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Try Framework.
You'll get a laptop sized to your budget and you'll be able to grow with it, upgrade any part your budget will allow in the future.
Their linux support is excellent.
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From experience, I recommend Tuxedo laptops. They're really good and come with full Linux support.
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Used ThinkPad's are pretty common on Ebay.
They're what I use. Also with Debian.
"Recent" is a factor of how much you're willing to shell out.
$300.00USD will get you a good Debian compatible box. You may want to then replace the battery and/or add RAM.
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If you're using Debian, do you really need to upgrade?
h/j
But seriously anything with an AMD CPU/GPU in it and an Intel wireless card is probably all you'll need to be mindful of, provided it fits in your budget.
Also, don't worry about touch-capable screens or HDR. The support for those is still a work in progress, and you'll likely have a bad time with them if you're using Debian.
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I second used or new Thinkpads. They have good linux support. I use a p14s with arch (btw).
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Open source hardware
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Whats your use case?
Was somewhat recently considering a linux laptop myself and ended up deciding the steamdeck fit my needs well.
A dock + portable keyboard & mouse for when i need to do typing or w/e, and a fun handheld console for when i want fun.
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I'm hearing good things about Framework, provided you get the hinge upgrade.
If you need something beefier, personally I'm using a Lenovo Legion 7 (2024 version... that white one, bought it a few months ago), and I'm loving it. Linux Mint worked out of the box, but I chose to replace the stock wifi driver with a better one.
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Well, OP only specified that they'd been using Linux for about a decade; no mention of their laptops not being from the early 90s.
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An almost exact question was asked here about 3 days ago, maybe begin there.
Almost any Windows machine with an Intel sticker on it will work so it really depends on your priorities:
- ethics - buy from a Linux specialist like Tuxedo to avoid paying Microsoft
- safety (no surprises) - buy whatever your big-box retailer is selling at your budget
- bang for buck - buy a Lenovo ThinkPad second-hand
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https://kfocus.org/spec/spec-ir16.html this is an absolute gem. Framework is way overhyped and its "upgradeability" is totally unrealistic at best, scam at worst.
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Lenovo Thinkpads are always a great choice. You can get N.O.S (new old stock) models at deep discounts directly from their website.
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This is the route I'll probably go when it's time for me to replace my laptop. The 14" Lemur Pro looks perfect for my use case (ultra portable) although the Pangolin looks more powerful.
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not to be a downer but you could very likely buy a higher performing laptop than even the top framework laptop for less money than even a minimal build
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Yes, but that's not the point of framework
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My top pick for a Linux laptop would be the Dell XPS 13 9310. It's old I guess, from 2020. But the build quality and Linux support is excellent. You could get a used one from eBay for around 400USD.
If you want to spend money on brand new hardware, I'd probably get an Thinkpad X1 Carbon. I've purchased several of those in the past and have had good experiences with the hardware and Linux software support.
I would avoid Framework. I actually just switched back to the Dell XPS 13 9310 after a year of using the Framework. Linux support on the Framework is just not as good as some other laptops. The biggest con of Framework is the HiDPI display. You will never get the display to look good. You'll have to do a ton of tweaking and debugging—and you'll still have some apps that are blurry or have weirdly sized icons or text. See: https://lemmy.today/post/22761155/13770242
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What's the deal with the hinge upgrade?
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minisforum v3
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The touch screen in my 2013 laptop has been working fine since... 2013, running only Debian and Debian-derivatives.
