Users who prioritize security, customization, and privacy are increasingly turning to Linux as their preferred operating system.



However, not all laptops are optimized to work seamlessly with Linux, despite the fact that it can be installed on nearly any laptop. This article presents a list of top-performing laptops that either come pre-installed with a Linux operating system or are specifically engineered to provide an excellent Linux user experience.


Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition
The Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition received Ubuntu certification in August 2022. The Ubuntu certification program ensures that devices undergo rigorous scrutiny to achieve optimal performance, functionality, and compatibility with Ubuntu's Long-Term Support (LTS) releases. The Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition can be ordered with either Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Compared to the previous version, the newer, double-powered Dell XPS 13 Plus Developer Edition radically overhauls both its performance capabilities and visual appeal. Furthermore, its design has been revised to showcase a futuristic, minimalistic look. The keyboard extends to the edges of the device and features LED illumination, while the touchpad is made of a single piece of glass that covers the laptop's wrist rest and remains undetected to the naked eye, giving it an especially futuristic appearance. The starting price for this laptop is $1,499, with numerous customization options available.

Specs
- CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1240P or i7-1260P
- RAM: 8 GB or 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB, up to 2 TB
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe
- Display: 13.4" 3840 x 2400

System76 Galago Pro
The System76 Galago Pro is a laptop designed and manufactured by System76, a company that specializes in producing Linux-based computers and developing Pop!_OS. The Galago Pro offers a lightweight and sturdy chassis, with its display featuring a glare-resistant matte surface that can reduce eye strain during extended working hours. The laptop is specifically designed to run Linux, and users can choose to have it pre-installed with either Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Furthermore, System76 provides access to its firmware, which may attract Linux developers. The starting price for this laptop is $899, with numerous customization options available.

Specs
- CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1240P or i7-1260P
- RAM: 8 GB, up to 64 GB
- Storage: 240 GB, up to 4 TB
- GPU: Intel UHD 620
- Display: 14.1" 1920 x 1080

Librem 14
The Librem 14 is engineered to offer a secure computing experience and features hardware kill switches, the PureOS operating system, and coreboot firmware. The Librem 14's tagline is "the first 14" laptop designed to protect your digital life," and the hardware kill switches are designed to physically disconnect the camera and microphone (including the headphone jack mic), wireless and Bluetooth, or both. Users can write-protect the BIOS and EC chips using hardware switches and detect software and hardware tampering with PureBoot and the Librem Key. Additionally, Librem 14 comes with tamper-evident packaging, tape, and screws. The starting price for this laptop is $1,370, with numerous customization options available.

Specs
- CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10710U
- RAM: 8 GB, up to 64 GB
- Storage: 250 GB, up to 2 TB
- GPU: Intel UHD 620
- Display: 14" 1920 x 1080

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a well-built laptop that offers classic ThinkPad features, with the option to have it come pre-installed with Ubuntu 20.04 or Fedora 36. While it may be delivered Linux-ready, some updates can cause problems with the webcam and fingerprint reader, which can be fixed with other updates and software. However, due to these issues, the laptop cannot be deemed a perfect fit for Linux. It starts at $1300 and has customization options, but keep in mind that the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, so upgrades are not possible. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon may be suitable for those not seeking the most powerful Linux device.

Specs:
- CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1240P
- RAM: 8 GB, soldered
- Storage: 256 GB
- GPU: Integrated Intel Iris Xe
- Display: 14″ 1920 x 1200

On the other hand, the System76 Oryx Pro is a high-performance laptop designed for developers, gamers, and multimedia creators. The Oryx Pro delivers a powerful computing experience with its high-end specifications and features, reflected in its premium pricing starting at $2,649, with customization options available. Consumers looking for a robust and configurable Linux-based laptop will find the Oryx Pro an appealing choice. It also offers the option to come pre-installed with Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS with full disk encryption or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

Specs:
- CPU: 12th Gen Intel i7-12700H
- RAM: Up to 64 GB
- Storage: Up to 8 TB
- GPU: Nvidia 3070 Ti or 3080 Ti
- Display: 15.6″ or 17.3″ 1920 x 1080

There are several manufacturers that specifically produce laptops pre-installed with a Linux distribution or have laptops that support Linux. Here are a few examples, up to my last knowledge cutoff in September 2021:

System76: System76 is a company that specializes in building systems (desktops, laptops, and servers) specifically for Linux. They offer several laptop models that run Pop!_OS or Ubuntu Linux right out of the box.

Dell: Dell offers a "Developer Edition" for certain models of their laptops like the XPS 13 and Precision line. These come with Ubuntu pre-installed.

Purism: The Librem line of laptops from Purism ships with PureOS, a Linux distribution that emphasizes privacy and security.

TUXEDO Computers: TUXEDO Computers offers a variety of laptops, both for general use and gaming, with TUXEDO_OS or Ubuntu pre-installed.

Star Labs: Star Labs offers laptops with a choice of several Linux distributions pre-installed, including Ubuntu, Manjaro, and elementary OS.

Lenovo: Lenovo has a line of 'ThinkPad P' laptops that come with Ubuntu or RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) pre-installed.

Remember that the hardware compatibility with Linux may vary even in these Linux-friendly models depending on the particular components used (wireless card, touchscreen, fingerprint reader, etc.). Always be sure to check the details before purchasing.

Additionally, there is one point to note: While many laptops can technically run Linux, some parts may not be fully supported, necessitating some manual configuration or hardware replacements. This can include things like Wi-Fi cards, touchpads, or unique hardware features.

The good news is that the Linux community is usually very helpful. If you run into problems trying to install Linux on a laptop, there's a good chance someone else has encountered the same problem and found a solution that they've shared online.


In addition to the specific manufacturers' models mentioned above, there are other aspects to consider when evaluating laptops for their Linux-friendliness.

Hardware Support: This is the biggest concern when running Linux on any machine. Most Linux distributions have broad support for different types of hardware, but there can be exceptions, particularly with very new or obscure components. Before buying a laptop to use with Linux, you can look up the laptop model plus the word 'Linux' in a search engine to see if others have had success with that combination.

Components to especially pay attention to include:

Graphics: Integrated Intel graphics chips are generally well supported. Nvidia's proprietary drivers are generally considered to support Linux well, although the open source Nouveau drivers can sometimes cause issues. Some AMD chips work well but can be more hit-or-miss depending on the specific model and the kernel version.

Wi-fi: Most built-in wi-fi chips are supported, but there can sometimes be exceptions. Research the specific model to be sure. It can also be handy to have a Linux-compatible USB wi-fi adapter just in case.

Sound card: Sound can sometimes be problematic on Linux. The Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) supports most sound cards with no problems, but some sound cards may only work with the proprietary OSS drivers.

Power Management: While not usually a major issue, some laptops may have trouble with power management features like sleep and hibernate. Some research may be needed to get these features working if they are not out-of-the-box.

Linux Distribution: There are many different Linux distributions ("distros") and some are better at dealing with certain types of hardware than others. Ubuntu and its derivatives (like Mint and PopOS) are often recommended for beginners because they tend to handle hardware compatibility issues better than some others. Arch Linux and its derivatives (like Manjaro) have the advantage of very recent software, but can sometimes require more work to set up.

Community Support: Another advantage of popular distros is that they have large communities of users who can help answer questions and troubleshoot problems. Before settling on a distro, you might want to check out its forums to see what kinds of issues others are reporting and how quickly and helpfully they're being answered.

When buying a new laptop for use with Linux, it's always a good idea to do a bit of research first. In general, laptop manufacturers are increasingly offering better support for Linux, and many problems that were common in the past are no longer issues. Still, it's always better to be informed so that you can avoid any potential headaches down the line.


In the context of Linux-friendliness for laptops, it's worth mentioning a few more brands and models that are known to be compatible with Linux and have gained a positive reputation within the Linux community.

HP: Some models of HP laptops, especially in the EliteBook and ProBook lines, are known for working well with Linux. Though they don't come pre-installed with Linux, these systems often have good compatibility.

Acer: Acer's Aspire and Swift series are known to run Linux distributions smoothly. Like HP, Acer doesn't sell these laptops with Linux pre-installed, but they are in many cases compatible.

Asus: Asus offers a broad line-up of laptops that are compatible with Linux. This includes their ZenBook and VivoBook series.

For all the above devices, it's important to remember that while the main components like processors, graphics cards, RAM, etc., will most likely work just fine, there might be certain features that are not fully supported. This could be anything from key backlighting to the fingerprint sensor—essentially, functionalities that rely on proprietary drivers.

To address the requirement of certain proprietary drivers or firmware, some Linux distributions provide non-free firmware packages that can be installed to support these features. Debian is a prime example of this with their firmware-linux-nonfree package.

In addition to those mentioned, various organizations focus on Linux compatibility testing for a variety of hardware and provide comprehensive databases of compatibility information. Examples include the Ubuntu Certification Programme and the Linux Hardware Database, where you can check the Linux compatibility of various hardware components and devices.

Lastly, it can't be overstated that the Linux community is a very helpful resource. Forums, Reddit, and Stack Exchange sites are all places where people share their experiences and solutions to problems, making it easier for others who might encounter the same issues. Even if your laptop model or brand isn't known for being particularly "Linux-friendly," there's a good chance someone else has tried it and shared their experience online.


I'll list some more brands and models which have a reputation for being Linux-friendly:

Clevo: Clevo is a Taiwanese OEM/ODM laptop manufacturer which sells its laptops under different brands throughout the world. Some dedicated Linux laptop vendors like System76 and Tuxedo take base models from Clevo, modify and tweak them to run Linux flawlessly. They don't sell directly to consumers, but their models are popular among Linux users for their compatibility.

Entroware: This is a UK-based manufacturer that specializes in Linux-based laptops. Their product portfolio ranges from affordable to high-end. All laptops come with Ubuntu or Ubuntu MATE pre-installed, and they provide good support for these OS configurations.

Purism: Purism's goal is to offer laptops (and other devices) that respect freedom and privacy. Their laptops come with PureOS pre-installed, a Debian-based distribution that complies with the Free Software Foundation's guidelines.

Slimbook: Based in Spain, Slimbook manufactures Linux laptops, desktops and mini-PCs. They offer a choice of several distributions on their machines including Ubuntu, KDE Neon, and others.

KDE Slimbook: KDE is known for producing the Plasma desktop for Linux. They have partnered with Slimbook to produce the KDE Slimbook, a laptop designed to run KDE Neon (which is essentially Ubuntu with the latest KDE software).

Star Labs: A UK based company that offers a range of laptops designed to work flawlessly with Linux. You can also choose from a variety of operating systems to be preinstalled such as Manjaro, Ubuntu, and more.