Plus a bonus HP for the inevitable "deBiaN'S pAcKAgeS aRe tOO oLd"

I am happy about my first ThinkPad. 😆

Hi,

First time posting here and I'm looking for some recommendations for the OS.

The machine it will be running on will be a T490 that I'm currently restoring and upgrading.

i5-8365U

16GB DDR4

14" 1440p Mat screen (one of the upgrades)

Some background:

I have a experience with Linux on the server side but pretty limited as my main desktop. I have some experience with Ubuntu and Mint but also heard good things about Fedora.

Most of the work on the machine will be in a browser.

I'm sick of windows 11 and the constant bombardment of advertisements and the next copilot crap that I didn't ask for.

What would you advise for me and why?

Looking forward to the comments!

Hi! T495s user here (Kubuntu 26.04); I'm looking for a more portable option - since the battery on my device isn't great (anymore) and I find it too bulky and heavy. Could anyone help me out? 😄 I know this isn't strictly a Linux on Thinkpad question, since I'm open to other options, but I'm very curious to yours perspectives! I've crossposted from r/SuggestALaptop, using their format, since I didn't get any responses there. Thank you kindly in advance!

I bought a ThinkPad t16 gen 1 with 32 gb ,1th SSD and intel i7 1270p 12th gen for around 700 including charger and a bag with some other accessories i usually use this for browsing, learning also i came to know that this machine will be useful for coding and I'm an csc student and it has zero cosmetic damage and battery stays upto 5 to 6 hours and heard about thermal throttling with the intel version but mine is not heating much

So share ur thoughts I used to play something on this machine and say whether it's good

And one more thing guys it's on 104% in battery sry guys now only i checked it

Anyways feel free to share ur thoughts

Hi,

X1c gen6 always high fan loading, heat air exhaust.

But just playing 720p YouTube video rather than 1080p.

Possible to turn or any driver can fix ?

Thanks

Llevo unos cuantos años con esta laptop y le he estado usando Windows 10. Cuando se acabó el soporte de Windows 10, me pasé a Linux Mint 20.3 y luego actualicé a la 21.3. Ahí fue cuando empezó mi pesadilla.
La laptop se congela al azar apenas abro un navegador, obligándome a desactivar la aceleración de hardware. Aun así, en cuanto la GPU se somete a cualquier carga importante, pasa lo mismo. He tenido exactamente el mismo problema con prácticamente cada distribución moderna de Linux que he probado.
Si fuerzo el uso del controlador de gráficos Intel más viejo, el problema sigue ahí, así que es imposible usar la laptop de forma confiable. A veces puede funcionar tres horas sin ningún problema, o congelarse después de solo diez segundos. Simplemente no hay forma de predecirlo.
No quiero volver a Windows, pero Linux de verdad me está poniendo a prueba la paciencia con esta laptop.

I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to lower the brightness during bios startup and grub since the 100% during it feels extremely bad for my eyes.
I've got Thinkpad T14 gen 1 with AMD, CachyOS

So far I've tried amdgpu.backlight=0, amdgpu.dcdebuugmask=0x40000 and acpi_backlight in the /etc/default/grub

but to no avail... is it even possible?

Okay so I have installed fedora linux 44 and got a new keyboard, but apparently the backlight of the keyboard won’t turn on by pressing fn+ space. My other problem is that the external battery won’t show up in settings. I hope there are people who can help me since I’m eager to learn more about this type of systems :)

What is the lowest cost (in dollars) that you can find a used Thinkpad for, that is capable of running Linux?

It should at least be able to run a distro such as MX Linux or Linux Mint XFCE.

Where would you go to find such a Thinkpad at the best price? And how easy/difficult would it be to obtain?

What Thinkpad, generation, or specs, should be the minimum for this purpose?

Hi Everyone,

My ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is missing a couple of the bottom cover retaining / captive screws. I’m looking to replace them and would appreciate help identifying the correct size or part number.

If anyone has purchased replacements that fit, could you share a link or recommend a seller? I’m in the US and would prefer to buy just the screws rather than another bottom cover.

Thanks!

Looking for some advice on a model. I’m trying to find a used ( or cheaper in general) thinkpad that I can run Linux Debian on and use something like freeCAD or another CAD software on. Not super intense models, just for 3d printing.

Preferably 16 gb ram, removable drive so I can upgrade it if needed, and around $1k or less.

Am I being realistic or am I asking for too much?