Posted on 04/15/2022 5:45:53 AM PDT by ShadowAce
Oftentimes you will receive a recommendation to install Linux on an older PC. Doing that can certainly revive those old computers and make them usable today. However, Linux also works extremely well on new and modern hardware.
Knowing that, this article aims to walk you through the process of building a new PC for Linux. This includes all you need to know about hardware support and the different distributions that you can install. Further, this article also aims to provide an all-purpose setup that you can build now and use with Linux.
For the most part, Linux has excellent hardware compatibility. However, just because the kernel can recognize the hardware, does not mean that there is a driver for it.
This can be especially obvious if you are using exotic and rare equipment, such as proprietary interface cards and hardware. Despite that, any sufficiently common hardware should work right out of the box.
Generally, modern processors and storage devices work very well in Linux. This is because the intricate controls dealing with modern motherboards are already provided through the firmware.
However, for graphics cards, networking cards, and peripherals, you may need to check first whether they are already supported by the kernel.
For graphics cards, you can either use the integrated graphics chip that comes with your processor or a dedicated graphics card. In general, the integrated graphics in both Intel and AMD processors are well-supported in Linux. You do not need to do anything else to make sure that your graphics chip works properly.
On the other hand, dedicated graphics cards can be a hit or miss. Due to the lack of proper vendor support, nVidia graphics cards can be difficult to work with under Linux.
Because of that, Linux is often behind in supporting the newest nVidia cards. If you intend on using nVidia for your new PC, you may need to use a card that is at least a generation behind.
In contrast to that, AMD graphics cards are well-supported in Linux. This is mostly because AMD actively develops an open source driver with the kernel developers.
As a result, AMD cards are tightly integrated and highly optimized for use with Linux. If you are looking to play the latest games, you may want to consider getting an AMD graphics card.
For the most part, you should not have any problem with wired networking. Almost all modern Ethernet hardware already has an open source implementation and is fully supported by Linux. This includes the built-in Ethernet port in motherboards as well as external Ethernet cards.
On the other hand, wireless networking has been one of the biggest pain points in using Linux. Most modern wireless cards either have poor support from their manufacturer or do not have any at all.
As such, you need to make sure that you are using either an Atheros or Intel-based card if you want to use wireless on your PC. These are the two most common wireless cards that Linux supports. Between the two, however, Atheros is the chipset that receives the most support.
In general, Linux has good device support for various hardware peripherals. As described above, this support will largely depend on the kind of device you want to use. Knowing that, hardware peripheral support in Linux can be split into three general categories:
At its core, a distribution is an operating system that uses the Linux kernel to drive the devices of the computer. While a simple distribution like Ubuntu may appear different to an advanced distribution such as Arch, the internal machine that drives them is the same. Because of that, hardware compatibility is largely consistent between different distributions.
However, one key difference between Ubuntu and Arch, for example, is that Ubuntu is usually behind in kernel updates. This ultimately means that support for newer devices takes longer to arrive in Ubuntu than in Arch.
Finding the right distribution becomes a trade-off between two things: ease of use and frequency of kernel updates.
The most accessible Linux distribution that you can get today is Ubuntu. This is a Debian-based distribution that focuses on simplicity and usability. Ubuntu is a great distribution if you are still learning the ropes with Linux.
Other than that, Pop!_OS is also a great beginner-friendly Linux distribution. It is based on Ubuntu and, as such, benefits from its focus on ease of use and accessibility. Further, Pop!_OS is optimized for multimedia. This makes it highly attractive to users who want to use their new PC to do video editing and gaming.
On the other hand, one of the most updated Linux distributions available today is Arch Linux. It is a rolling-release distribution that focuses on advanced Linux users and bleeding edge software, so you will get the latest version of the Linux kernel whenever you update and receive immediate support for the newest hardware.
Another great rolling-release distribution is Manjaro. It is based on Arch Linux, so you will also get immediate support for the latest hardware. Unlike Arch, however, Manjaro is built for regular Linux users, making it significantly easy to install and maintain compared to Arch Linux.
Knowing all of that, a modern, all-around PC setup that is fully compatible with Linux could look something like this:
Note: All prices are in US dollars as of April 2022 and may vary depending on when and where you are buying your parts.
This setup should be able to run any program in Linux without any issues. You can use this build for any computer activity, such as browsing the Web, editing documents and watching HD videos.
Not only that, but this machine can also be an affordable media workhorse that can both render video and play video games on high settings.
This all-around setup can also be a good starting point for future upgrades. Both the socket AM4 and LGA 1700 are some of the latest chipsets in the market today. Any CPU upgrade within the next few years will just be a drop-in replacement for this build.
However, one important thing of note is that if you decide to not use the Radeon 6600XT graphics card, you need to instead use the Core i5 12500, as the Ryzen 5 5600 does not include an integrated graphics chip by default.
A computer setup would not be complete without external peripherals. To use your new PC, you need to interact with it through a monitor, keyboard and mouse. For example, a basic set that you can use with the setup above can look something like this:
Congratulations! You now know the process behind building a new computer for Linux and a decent, all-around build that will work with Linux out of the box.
If all this talk made you interested in learning more about other Linux distributions, you can check out some of the best Arch Linux-based distributions today.
The nVidia cards similar to the 6600XT are the RTX 3060 and RTX 2060 Super. For the former, you need to make sure that you are using, at the very least, version 5.8 of the Linux kernel. Further, you also need to make sure that you are using the proprietary nVidia drivers for Linux.
For the latter, you need to use version 5.3 of the Linux kernel as well as the proprietary nVidia drivers.
Yes. It is relatively easy to use Bluetooth under Linux. Common brands such as TP-LINK often offer a decent Linux-compatible Bluetooth USB receiver. For example, the TP-LINK UB400 is a small plug-and-play solution that immediately works out of the box in Linux.
One of the most common issues you may encounter is program incompatibility, mostly because programs in a rolling-release closely track their source versions. Any programs in your system that are lagging behind in updates can quickly be unusable in your system.
Another issue with rolling-release is with critical software bugs. Tracking a development version of a program always carries the risk of it not being tested enough. This can be a problem if you want to use your new PC for critical work.
To avoid spending a thousand bucks I will give my Microsoft PC another chance, or dozens more.
At 2:34pm yesterday its clock stopped until 4:13pm. Running Edge and notepad locked its clock.
Maybe Musk should offer Microsoft $43 million for its PC operating system business.
bfl
(slide)
Catturd, [4/14/2022 6:32 PM]
Breaking ...
Elon Musk has just bought 9.2% of CNN+ stock for a pack of smokes.
@Catturd_2
Catturd, [4/14/2022 9:52 PM]
I wonder how many Twitter employees had to drive their Tesla to work this morning?
@Catturd_2
(/slide)
At 2:34pm yesterday its clock stopped until 4:13pm. Running Edge and notepad locked its clock.
Have you tried Brave browser?
For later reading. Thanks.
I'm up to the W series(2008-2015) with a W530 running 2.7GHz 8x core i7 with 16 GiB of RAM and it just screams with Kubuntu 20.04, latest Long Term Support release. The upgrade path to something a little newer would be the P series(2015 to present), also a business series. P50 series, 50, 51, 52 etc is what I would choose.
X series is a good one too and is high performance but not business. Off lease business models can be found on ebay, with or without a HDD, with HDD wiped or wiped and then freshly installed with whatever version of Windows it came with. The original version of Windows with a legible COA sticker is preferred. No problems activating Windows that way. Then add Linux and do the dual boot setup.
Dell business models are another option and like the Thinkpad, some models did come with Linux pre-installed. With laptops being as powerful as they've become, I have no use for a tower taking up space.
Paid $325 for this W530 and see no reason to upgrade anytime soon. Ebay results for parts lists over 500 items. LCD/LED displays, OEM batteries and keyboards are available as new parts. Everything else is available used. Universal stuff like HDDs and RAM would be available as new of course.
It comes with Linux preinstalled, as they are designed from the ground up to run Linux.
But they are kinda pricey. I tend to keep laptops for ~10 years at a time, though, so it evens out in the end.
An old hardware platform is safer and probably does everything that an average person might want.
Lastly newer systems are adopting the Apple of planned obsolescence. How many of your newer computers are not capable of running Windows 11? The solution — buy a new computer (or install Linux).
Linux is open source and so is more secure and less intrusive.
How does open source make it more secure? I would think it would make it less secure.
Contrary to the article, nVidia graphics cards are well supported by Linux.
I have a GeForce RTX 2060 and it works fine on Linux Mint.
I have a 5 year old Toshiba Linux Mint laptop, i3 processor. It was sluggish to load Linux.
A few weeks ago I replaced the 1 Tb hard drive with a 500 Gb SSD.
I tried to copy from-to and never could get the start-up to recognize the new drive, so I did a fresh install from the Linux Mint 20.3 ISO.
Now, my boot-up is about 12 seconds. Previously, it seemed to take well over a minute. It is surprising how much faster an SSD boot drive is.
The i9 needs some serious power, so an 850W power supply runs it and a liquid CPU cooler with a 360mm radiator draws off the heat.
“To avoid spending a thousand bucks I will give my Microsoft PC another chance.”
How about a new life as a Linux computer? :)
“How does open source make it more secure? I would think it would make it less secure. “
Secure because the code is an open book for everyone to see and review. Nothing can be hidden in it without being found and exposed right away. That is a huge deterrent alone.
That's a common misperception. The basic idea is that with more eyes on the source code, bugs tend to be shallower. Also, open source software doesn't tend to have spyware built and designed into it, which tends to negatively effect security. The history of Linux certainly backs up the idea that it is more secure, though part of that security is in the design. Microsoft has made some terrible design decisions in the past that severely effected the security of the platform. Sometimes that is because they want to make it easier to use, and that ease of use will bite users in the ass. For instance, on Linux, if someone sends you a program in an email, you can't just click it and run it, because the default for saving files is to make them non-executable, whereas on MS-Windows it is the filename, among other things, that makes the file executable, which is a truly horrible design decision, that has cost both consumers and businesses billions, if not trillion in losses.
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