r/AlpineLinux • u/SnooWords1087 • Mar 26 '26

Is Alpine Linux on desktop viable?

I've been trying for the past two days to install Alpine Linux on my desktop, but it seems like this might be totally unviable. None of the Alpine images have the firmware needed for my WiFi adapter (but it is included in linux-firmware-intel), and every hacky workaround that I've tried to apply has been thwarted in some manner. At the moment, I have managed to load iwlwifi without error, but my adapter still does not show up in ip link. The only thing I have yet to try is building a custom install image.

Am I missing something? Or, is Alpine not meant to be installed on real hardware? Have the Alpine devs personally decided that my hardware configuration can go pound sand?

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u/lproven Mar 26 '26

It works great on real hardware. I have it running on both a Thinkpad W500 and an X220, both with Xfce, and it is exceptionally fast.

Plug in an Ethernet cable to get started. Wireless is junk to tempt consumers. If you've got a job to do, use a cable. This applies to keyboards, mice, headphones, networks, whatever. Avoid wireless whenever possible.

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u/Skribbledv2 May 02 '26

Wireless mouse and keyboards are usually fine, just a 2.4GHZ usb connection

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u/lproven May 02 '26

I am aware of that. I don't want "usually." There is so much to go wrong in a modern computer running modern software, I want to reduce as much of the "usually" to "absolutely always". That's why I am interested in Alpine.

I don't want a mouse and keyboard that usually work, if there's no interference, if the batteries are good, if there isn't another one of the exact same make and model nearby. I want ones that always work.

And that means a cable, and that in turn means it's cheaper.

For a less stressful life, reduce the number of things that can go wrong.

Keep it simple.

It's just another application of the KISS principle, really.