What's the cheapest linux machine that I can get?

[mrchow19910319]

I just got into linux, and I have a MacBook Pro as my daily driver. 

However I would like to have a separate machine just to run linux. 

 

I heard that you can install linux on a USB drive is that true? 

 

What is the cheapest linux machine I can get? I won't use it for heavy lifting apps, just to mess around a bit, got familiar with command line etc. 

[Lurick]

If you just want command line, something like a Raspberry Pi will be perfect.

[mrchow19910319]

Or you guys recommend me just use bootcamp to run linux? 

Or via VM? 

 

Feel free to hit me up with anything. 

[Droidbot]

VM, or get something like a Orange Pi Zero with WiFi and SSH into it

[manikyath]

you have a few options here:

- just tossing it in a VM

- corporate surplus (you know, desktops between 4-8 years old from HP that companies are throwing away, sold at a price)

- dumpster diving

- etc.

[mrchow19910319]

@Droidbot @manikyath 

 

Okay. Between VM and bootcamp, which one should I choose? 

If I use VM, which VM is the best?? I quite fancy parallel. And I think I can get it for like $70. If I use parallel I can install windows too and do some light gaming on my MacBook Pro. 

[KenjiUmino]

5 minutes ago, mrchow19910319 said:

What is the cheapest linux machine I can get? I won't use it for heavy lifting apps, just to mess around a bit, got familiar with command line etc. 

just look for a used laptop or netbook as cheap as possible and throw a lightweight distro on there. 

 

anything with a PAE capable CPU and enough RAM (1gb minimum, 2gb preferred) should be ok to get started. 

 

you CAN install linux to a usb stick or usb HDD but the performance will not be great. use internal HDD or SSD if you can

[manikyath]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

 

If I use VM, which VM is the best?? I quite fancy parallel. And I think I can get it for like $70. If I use parallel I can install windows too and do some light gaming on my MacBook Pro. 

if you're gonna pay $70 for VM software, just get a corporate surplus desktop from some outlet.

[mrchow19910319]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

if you're gonna pay $70 for VM software, just get a corporate surplus desktop from some outlet.

I see....  I think I will use bootcamp to duo boot linux with macOS. 

[mrchow19910319]

@manikyath  what is the most customizable distro out there?? 

[KenjiUmino]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

@Droidbot @manikyath 

 

Okay. Between VM and bootcamp, which one should I choose? 

If I use VM, which VM is the best?? I quite fancy parallel. And I think I can get it for like $70. If I use parallel I can install windows too and do some light gaming on my MacBook Pro. 

not really sure about that.

 

the VM needs to have direct access to the GPU to run any 3D games worth playing

 

most VM software can't do that. virtual box can do it on a linux host but i don't know if it can do it on mac. by the way, i would use virtual box either way because it's free. 

 

paying $70 for a VM software just to play around with a new operating system sounds a bit weird to me

[manikyath]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

@manikyath  what is the most customizable distro out there?? 

arch, but expect to get hit in the face with a learning cliff.

[mrchow19910319]

1 minute ago, manikyath said:

arch, but expect to get hit in the face with a learning cliff.

I'll probably start with ubuntu 1st...

 

2 minutes ago, KenjiUmino said:

not really sure about that.

 

the VM needs to have direct access to the GPU to run any 3D games worth playing

 

most VM software can't do that. virtual box can do it on a linux host but i don't know if it can do it on mac. by the way, i would use virtual box either way because it's free. 

 

paying $70 for a VM software just to play around with a new operating system sounds a bit weird to me

Noted. Will bootcamp into it. 

[Shiv78]

if you want a full separate PC a RPi or Intel Compute Stick is good, or a used school/office PC

[SCHISCHKA]

i cant use linux on my mac because suspend does not work. You will have do some homework for your mac pro. Reversing the installation is painless. I cant remember if i used anything special to dual boot, I just followed the instructions on the debian wiki

https://wiki.debian.org/MacBook

[mrchow19910319]

1 minute ago, SCHISCHKA said:

i cant use linux on my mac because suspend does not work. You will have do some homework for your mac pro. Reversing the installation is painless. I cant remember if i used anything special to dual boot, I just followed the instructions on the debian wiki

https://wiki.debian.org/MacBook

okay thanks! 

[Sauron]

2 hours ago, mrchow19910319 said:

I heard that you can install linux on a USB drive is that true? 

Yes, you can use pretty much any drive as long as your computer supports booting from it.

 

As for what will run it, the answer is pretty much anything. Power requirements are extremely modest for some distributions. The only problem is that sometimes certain hardware requires proprietary drivers that are not compatible with linux. Thinkpads are notoriously linux friendly and are good machines in general, so you could look into one of those (you can find refurbished thinkpads for very good prices since businesses throw them out in blocks every few years).

2 hours ago, mrchow19910319 said:

@manikyath  what is the most customizable distro out there?? 

Arch is the most customizable binary distro (as in, you don't have to compile anything to install it). However, there are distros that let you compile everything (gentoo) which means you can customize every package individually if you so desire. You can even go one step further and build Linux From Scratch. Of course none of these are for beginners. However, Arch has some derivatives (such as Antergos) which provide a graphical installer like ubuntu etc, so if you like the features Arch offers but don't want the hassle of installing it manually you can try one of those.

[mrchow19910319]

3 minutes ago, Sauron said:

 

Thanks for the info! 

[Ethann_AKA_CPU1]

the cheapest linux rig you can get is the cheapest computer you can get, but something like a raspberry pi is a good option with its community and the ability to use the gpio for different things

[noahdvs]

All Linux distros are very customizable, the main differences are release schedule, repositories and what they have installed out of the box. Information made for one distribution will often work for others. For example, the Arch Wiki (pretty much the best distro wiki) is used by lots of non-Archers. In the case of Arch Linux, very little comes out of the box and updates are daily. In the case of Ubuntu, a lot of stuff is included and pre-configured and updates are every 6 months (regular) or every 2 years (LTS).

[WillPJK]

If you want a really lightweight distro which will run nicely off a flash drive or even a CD, try DSL (Damn Small Linux). It's very lightweight and somewhat stripped back, but if you're looking to learn command line then it might be a really good option.

 

Here's the project website: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

 

Not sure which kernel they're using in the latest version though.