On Mon, 21 May 2018 19:30:48 -0700
mike enriquez <
mylinux@cox.net> wrote:
> I am planing to build a Linux computer. I have Ubuntu 16.0 on an old
> Dell XPS. I will be using it as my research computer. So "I will be
> going where where others do not dare to go." I want a VPN on it
> because I have not been able to install a VPN on the computer I now
> have. I want a 64bit OS.
>
> I know that most people say to use and old computer to run Linux. I
> need ideas on Hardware to avoid and use. What would you do if you
> had to build your own Linux computer from scratch?
By far my top priority would be to make sure any "Secure Boot" can be
turned off, and that any UEFI system isn't so buggy as to preclude
Linux or allow itself to be bricked by a Linux system that "did the
wrong thing." If you find a motherboard able to boot the old MBR
method, that's MUCH better, as MBR is a tiny module, unlike the the
huge switchtrack called UEFI.
Now if you want to restrict yourself to the giant distros: Redhat,
Debian, Ubuntu, this doesn't matter as much because those distros
include keys, bought from Microsoft, that allow their kernel to boot,
as long as you haven't recompiled it. But when you get into that stuff,
you're allowing somebody else to decide what you can and can't run on
your computer.
I heard someone else mention avoiding Broadcom wifi. Broadcom wifi is a
hot mess, that's for sure. The thing that makes it less of a problem
than UEFI is that you can buy a $20 Linux compatible wifi dongle. I
think you can get some directly from the Raspberry Pi people.
If this is a research computer, presumably to research Linux and
networking and programming, I'd recommend a desktop over a laptop. With
a desktop, you can always replace the one incompatible component.
I really wish secure boot disable switches and MBR mode switches were
specifications published just like speed and number of cores.
SteveT
Steve Litt
June 2018 featured book: Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting
http://www.troubleshooters.com/28
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