Linux tablet?

jazzkat@lemmy.ml to Linux@lemmy.ml – 110 points –

What's the best tablet to install Linux on? I am looking for something affordable (under $200) and light just to use a PDF reader with MEGA sync.

43

You are viewing a single comment

It's usually pretty easy to find secondhand Microsoft Surface devices for that price point (check craigslist, FB marketplace, and the like), and they absolutely rock when using a Gnome-based distro (like Fedora).

There's a great project that works on Linux compatibility for Surface devices, you can check it out here: https://github.com/linux-surface/linux-surface/wiki/Supported-Devices-and-Features#feature-matrix

Just make sure about what you're getting yourself into: features such as IR facial detection and stylus input isn't supported on all models OOTB by the surface kernel. Also, it is a bit messy with how surface handles booting.

Linux on surface works (I got Ubuntu on both my Go gen 1 and pro 7) but expect to put in time to tinker and manage unexpected issues.

I just installed Fedora with KDE plasma and Wayland last weekend using the surface kernel. Was pretty painless, after abandoning a couple other distros that did not play nice.

The instructions on the GitHub are also very good, though obviously every years surface has its challenges I'm sure.