Laptops that work well with Kubuntu?

[Guest]

Hi all! Linux noob here.

I currently have an aging HP dv7-7027cl that's going downhill: Windows 7 is starting to fail, and Ubuntu barely works on it.
I'm looking to get a new laptop later this year, but this time I want to try Kubuntu in a dual-boot system with Windows 10.
Lenovo looks like it has a pretty good laptop lineup, and I see that a lot of them have really good Ubuntu support.

Is it possible to install drivers separately from the Ubuntu ISO package (ex. http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/.../201501-16339/) so that I can use them with Kubuntu? (and if so, will this cause issues?)
If not, what do you all recommend for a laptop that works really well with Kubuntu?

[Feathers McGraw]

Like you say Lenovo stuff is generally fine, Thinkpads are excellent. Ubuntu and Kubuntu are the same under the hood, only the desktop environment and default installed applications are different (so the drivers included in an ISO will be the same for Ubuntu and Kubuntu).

If the laptop comes preloaded with Ubuntu you can just install the kubuntu desktop meta package to get Kubuntu.

BTW, if you have the chance to customise it, check if it has a Broadcom wifi chip. If it does, replace it with an Intel wifi chip, generally they work better in Linux in my experience. Or you can swap the chip yourself when you get it.

[GreyGeek]

I've had excellent results with a wide variety of Acer laptops and notebooks. In fact Acer's are the only brand I've purchased since I made my last white box back around 2004.

[Qqmike]

I haven't used a laptop for Linux yet--I'm using desktop PCs I build. But one thing I'd check is the UEFI firmware. For example, on desktop motherboards, ASUS does a very good job. Recent posting by geezer suggests that Acer firmware has some quirks (which, apparently, you can overcome). You can google this. You want it to be able to handle the newer UEFI booting -- and we would hope all major brand-name laptops should be able to do, with a decent user interface. This would be important if you plan to dual-boot OSs, or dual-boot with Windows. Maybe not a show-stopper, per se, but it is at least somewhat important. You do want to be able to easily, conveniently, configure your setup at the firmware level, as needed.

[DoYouKubuntu]

I've never had a problem with *ANY* HP laptops I've purchased, including my two most recent ones, a dv6000 and a dv7. Please note that I ONLY use Linux, so the first thing I did when I received those laptops was wipe window$ off of them and install Kubuntu.

I've also installed Kubuntu on an Acer Chromebook, after giving its idea of Linux a whirl for about, oh, 30 minutes, I think. I don't do "the cloud" and couldn't accept the limitations of its OS, where you're expected to do everything and store everything via Google's tools. NOT ME! So I put Kubuntu on it and now happily use its hard drive for installing the programs I want to use, and for storing data, etc.

Finally, if you're looking for a great, pre-installed Linux laptop, take a look at System76. Last year I bought a System76 Kudu Professional--I'm typing on it right now--and for the first time EVER upon receiving a new computer, I didn't have to wipe its drive to get rid of that annoying virus called window$.

[GreyGeek]

I supported two folks that had HPs. One, IIRC, was a dv7. The problem the both had was that the webcam picture was upside down on the display. I couldn't find a webcam client that would flip the display. It made using Skype hard at the time. I thought about doing some surgery and flipping polarity of the vertical trace but they weren't my machines.

[Guest]

Thanks for all of the quick replies! Unfortunately wiping that expensive virus isn't an option, because of school stuff (teachers that demand exactly the right formatting for essays that I don't want to just hope that LibreOffice got right, VBasic... ugh!), and I still need something that I'm familiar with as I start learning the ins and outs of Linux. I don't want to install Kubuntu by first installing Ubuntu and then installing the Kubuntu package afterwards because I've read about issues that pop up because of that. It would drive me INSANE if a random application started displaying things in the wrong font, so I don't think I would take too well to going down that route. Can someone tell me how I would install all of the drivers for my future laptop? Or will the Kubuntu Live CD automatically detect and install them during installation?

[Qqmike]

It might be better to ask members here, What would you buy and do?


Just a note/caveat:
You should be OK with your Windows. My experience is with Linux only--no Windows (since XP). My how-to's are based on Linux only. There are many how-to's on dealing with any special Windows issues you may have. I referenced some in the Study Guide (see link below). We have a UEFI Assistance forum and a few experts here.
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/forumd...EFI-assistance

I'm thinking you should not have any weird problems with your Windows in dual-boot with Kubuntu, just advising you to be aware.

If it were me, here's what I'd do, based only on my limited experience/research and what I feel would go OK:

ASUS laptop.

I'd use a partitioning tool to create my partitions for Kubuntu: I would use GParted Live CD/USB.
--> And do this BEFORE running the Kubuntu installer DVD/USB.

UEFI booting:

-- The Windows that comes with the new laptop (after, say, 2011-12) will be booting in UEFI mode and will already have set up the special partition you need to do UEFI booting: the ESP = EFI System Partition (usually, 100-500 MB, FAT32, labeled esp or esp_boot, or type EF00). In UEFI, all OSs on your computer will place their boot-loader files in that partition. In Linux, that partition will be mounted at the directory /boot/efi (as seen in your Kubuntu filesystem). Windows may have its bootloader under /boot/efi/EFI/Windows, and Kubuntu will place its boot-loader files (called GRUB2-EFI, like grubx64.efi) in /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu. (It is called ubuntu for Kubuntu because ALL Ubuntu-derivative OSs use this subdirectory--Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Mint, Xubuntu, etc.).

-- Study Guide for UEFI:
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post346604
Here's one I recently wrote:
-- UEFI for Kubuntu -- simplified
which tells about GRUB and the ESP and so on.

When you do the partitioning for Kubuntu, in general terms you will do this:

-- Shrink the existing Windows partition down, to make room for Kubuntu.
-- Make a partition for Kubuntu's root filesystem, say about 15-25 GB. Keep thing simple and format it as ext4.
--Do you want a separate /home partition for your user files, config files, and data? If not, then make that root filesystem partition bigger (like, maybe, a minimum of 115 GB?--ask questions in this forum). If you want a separate /home partition, make it, as big as you want. Keep thing simple and format it as ext4.
-- Make a swap partition, it can be small, like 1.5x-2x your RAM. If RAM is 8 GB, make the swap partition, say 12 GB (but that would be too big, actually, but the new HDDs are very big and so you have plenty of room).

-- Select a version of Kubuntu that is stable, to start, like 14.04 LTS -- ask in this forum for opinions and current status of your options. For UEFI booting--which what you definitely want--use the 64-bit version of Kubuntu.

--> When you install Kubuntu, select the Manual method on the Installation Type screen.

Here are my notes (copy-paste) on using the Manual installation method, and using GParted live CD/USB:

Installing Kubuntu -- Using the "Manual" Installation Type

Two steps:
-- First, set up your partitions for Kubuntu.
-- Then install Kubuntu using the "Manual" method of installation.

Step 1:
Partitioning for Kubuntu

Many long-time users of Kubuntu prefer to do their own partitioning using GParted (or other similar programs) instead of doing allowing the Kubuntu installer to do the partitioning.

So, use GParted to partition your drive for Kubuntu, making partitions for root /, and /home (if you use a separate home partition), and swap. If you already have swap partition set up for another K(Ubuntu) OS, you do not need to create another swap partiton for the Kubuntu version you are installing now.

You can use GParted from another installed Linux OS on your computer, or you can use GParted Live CD/USB. In Kubuntu, you can install gparted using Muon. After doing so, you will probably find it here: K > Applications > System > Partition Editor (GParted).

GParted Live CD:
http://gparted.org/livecd.php
The Manual shows you how to do parttioning operations:
http://gparted.org/display-doc.php?n...ed-live-manual
Make sure you choose the right version of GParted, read the Note:
http://gparted.org/download.php

Step 2:
Install Kubuntu using the "Manual" method of installation

Download Kubuntu, check it, and make the installer medium
Download the correct version of Kubuntu (use 64-bit for newer UEFI+GPT systems). Run checks on it (MD5 or Shasums).
Burn the iso image to DVD (using K3b or similar), or make a live USB flash drive
( https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...aller-using-dd ).

Boot your computer with the Live Kubuntu medium
Reboot your computer with the DVD or flash drive installed.
At the computer's POST screen, hit the proper key to enter the firmware ("BIOS") setup.
Locate the boot or boot override menu.
Select the DVD or USB flash drive to boot from.
(If you are installing in UEFI mode: Your DVD or flash drive may have more than one boot menu entry; choose the entry that says UEFI or EFI.)
--> Thus, boot your PC with the DVD/USB Kubuntu installer medium.
Get to the Kubuntu welcome page and select Install Kubuntu (your other choice will be to Try Kubuntu [without installing]).

Installation Type screen: Select Manual.

Prepare Partition screen (the left side bar may say "Disk Setup"):

You will see a list of all your partitions, including those you created in GParted for Kubuntu.
Highlight a partition you want to use (for example, for root / or for /home or for swap).
Hit the Change button.
You will see a menu called Edit Partition.
New size: do not change what you did in Gparted, leave it as it is.
Use as:
Format partition: No, do not check this box -- leave the format as you did it in GParted.
Mount point: Drop-down list: you will see /, /home, etc. If in GParted, you formatted it as swap, you will also see that choice here. Choose one.
Hit the OK button.
Repeat this by highlighting another partition you wish to use for Kubuntu (/, /home, swap).
Bootloader:
When you are done you may also see a choice where to install the bootloader (GRUB2). You can say sdX, where X is the drive you wish GRUB to go on; if you are using UEFI mode, it doesn't matter what you say here: GRUB will go to the ESP, usually sda1, automatically; thus, you can say sda, if you wish.

Finally, click Install Now.
(Or, you can click Back; or Quit if you wish to NOT install Kubuntu at this time.)

Note:
Since you did your partitioning ahead of time using GParted (or similar), there are other options you will see that you will NOT use, like these: new partition table, Add, Delete. If you make any mistakes or are not sure about what you did, there is a button called "Undo all changes."

[Qqmike]

feedthesoup:
Here, written by SteveRiley, exactly your case, new laptop, Windows on it, install Kubuntu in dual-boot:

Dual-booting Kubuntu on a Windows machine

https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showthread.php?65253

I haven't read it for quite awhile, I recall it was fairly simple, and, as I recall, you can probably skip some of the steps.

[SecretCode]

I've had very few problems with ASUS.

I supported two folks that had HPs. One, IIRC, was a dv7. The problem the both had was that the webcam picture was upside down on the display. I couldn't find a webcam client that would flip the display. It made using Skype hard at the time. I thought about doing some surgery and flipping polarity of the vertical trace but they weren't my machines.

The upside webcam was one of them.
The solution is

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype

with appropriate changes for .desktop files and for 32 bit vs 64 bit architectures ... I don't have a good reference to point you to at the moment

[GreyGeek]

I've had very few problems with ASUS.


The upside webcam was one of them.
The solution is

LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib32/libv4l/v4l1compat.so /usr/bin/skype

with appropriate changes for .desktop files and for 32 bit vs 64 bit architectures ... I don't have a good reference to point you to at the moment

Interesting! Where were you five years ago when I could have used that info? I don't need it now, one has died and the other uses only his iPhone.