Can you recommend such Acer, Asus, Dell or Lenovo computers (desktop computers or laptops) that are fully compatible with the latest versions of the popular distributions of Linux, the X Window System and Gnome and also support disabling UEFI and Secure Boot, can be booted from Linux discs, and are sold new these days in the year 2018? Please specify exact models.

Hi usermn,

Welcome to LQ.

I won't specify any models, but likelihood is *very* high that any current model from any of the manufacturers you mention (Dell may be the finickiest, but even then ...) will be compatible with current versions of most popular linux distros.

If you have any more specific questions, let us know. I would recommend some preliminary first-hand research on your own however, in order to short-list some likely specific candidates (models) that you could then ask for opinions on.

Cheers !

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Welcome to the forums!

I'm a very satisfied Dell customer. Any of their Precision models (desktop or laptop) can be purchased with Ubuntu or Red Hat Linux installed as a factory option. I have a 2 year old Precision 5510 laptop and it runs great. Happy to answer any specific questions you might have.

Try reviewing this:Linux Questions Hardware Compatibility List

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It's very likely that any PC released in 2018 will not be totally compatible with run of the mill Linux. There are some that come with Linux preinstalled, but those are specially hacked versions made to run on the newer hardware. With Linux you're always better off staying about two years behind on hardware.

And nowadays you can do that with laptops and desktops, because really the only that changes is the processor socket to prevent older processors from being used in newer machines. But each generation of Core processors is only marginally better than previous ones.

SSD technology is worthy of consideration. But practically any PC can be fitted with a SSD. Unless you're doing video rendering/editing, or gaming, you don't need the newest hardware. But you should choose a processor one from the top in whichever generation it is.

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that's for debian stable (and distros based on it).
depending on the distros package management, it's +/- one year.

nevertheless, that is solid advice for a newbie!

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Thank you for the replies.

Does any major computer brand not give any sort of Linux compatibility certificate or guarantee?

I noticed that Dell Inspiron 15 3552 can be ordered with Ubuntu pre-installed. Is there certainty that UEFI and Secure Boot can be disabled and a different distribution can be installed on Dell Inspiron 15 3552?

Very few modern machines still have the ability to disable UEFI. MOST still support disabling secure boot. The only ones I've seen are specialty hardware that generally are designed for an embedded windows version and are running cut down minimal firmware.

But most (again, not all) no longer have compatibility mode at all, much less the ability to run in compatibility mode entirely with no UEFI. If you want a modern machine, you're going to have to move to a modern firmware and away from the old bios. But I know of no modern distros that aren't UEFI compatible now when it's a normal (not 32-bit) UEFI implementation.

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You might find this list helpful: https://access.redhat.com/ecosystem

Or this list: https://certification.ubuntu.com/desktop/

I've marked the thread solved. Nobody answered precisely the original question, but some replies have been helpful. Thanks.

Compatibility lists never seem to include the model that I look up. I find them useless.

Actually there are Dell, HP and other higher end / commercial systems that come with some version of Linux. I'd have to say that they would be fully functional on that version of Linux used. There is a system builder that I believe only does provide Linux.
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I'm baffled by this statement, for two reasons:

1. If there's a "compatibility list," and the model you're considering isn't on that list, that's very helpful information.
2. The only computer model you've specifically mentioned (Dell Inspiron 15 3552) absolutely is on the list: https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201504-18248/

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I heard about this company a few months ago. Never tried them:

https://system76.com/

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I purchased a System 76 desktop about 3 years ago. It's still running fine. No complaints.

In my opinion Dell offers a bit more for the money than System76 (especially if you catch a good sale, or buy refurbished).

By the way, I completely forgot to mention earlier, that Dell also offers Ubuntu preinstalled on XPS 13 laptops, they call it the "Developer Edition." A very appealing option if you're looking for something sleeker and more portable than the Precision lineup.

well this piqued me a little.
there's simply no clear answer to that question (quoted below for reference):

1. fully compatible - most machines run gnu/linux just fine, but one or two features might not be available, often you don't even notice
2. specify exact models - there's so many different models out there, it's better the other way round: YOU specify exact models, we try to answer.
3. sold new - never good with gnu/linux, due to its very nature: its devs create software AFTER hardware has been released

the usual way is to simply search your model on the web, e.g. like this:
basic compatibility is usually considered a given.
if there's trouble, you will soon notice it in the search results.
please keep in mind that people post on the internet only if something DOESN'T work.

as always, intel is generally a good choice, at least in terms of compatibility.