2017 Linux Laptop Survey Results

[Zan Lynx]

Which "virtual machine hassles"? I put all other systems (including macOS) in Virtual Box images and ssh into them whenever I need to build something. Far less hassle than dual boot imho.

I am not certain since I run a Dell m3800 with Fedora and not a Mac but SSH is one of the hassles. The other one I heard about recently was having to delete a bunch of files and resize the VM image because Docker inside the VM kept pulling more and bigger images. There's also problems with nested virtual machines, like if an integration test launches a VM as part of the test, inside your Virtualbox ... that doesn't always work.

[F.Ultra]

I am not certain since I run a Dell m3800 with Fedora and not a Mac but SSH is one of the hassles. The other one I heard about recently was having to delete a bunch of files and resize the VM image because Docker inside the VM kept pulling more and bigger images. There's also problems with nested virtual machines, like if an integration test launches a VM as part of the test, inside your Virtualbox ... that doesn't always work.

Well I'm not on a Mac either (I just have one running in Virtual Box thinking that he runs on Apple HW [oh the little fool]). Ok, I don't use containers so that is perhaps why I don't have see the problems your colleagues does. SSH is easy to setup, all you have to to is add a port forwarding under Network Settings in Virtual Box and add something like "TCP 127.0.0.1 2222 - 22" then on your host you create a ~/.ssh/config where you add each guest like:

Host freebsd
    Hostname 127.0.0.1
    Port 2222
    User root


Host macos
    Hostname 127.0.0.1
    Port 2223
    User f.ultra

And then you can "ssh freebsd" or "scp fff macos:". First scp should be "scp .ssh/id_rsa.pub freebsd:.ssh/authorized_keys" so you can logon with keys and skip the password completely.

[enihcam]

I can't believe nobody uses Dells or Arch Linux.

Dell has the best compatibility of Linux, and Archlinux is the best distro.
Dell+Arch is simply the best of best.

[vmicho]

You have two entries for Clevo, one with a capital letter and another without , clevo.

Not only that. System76, Tuxedo, Clevo and clevo should be anyway 1 category as those 2 first are only reselling Clevo laptops (my last two Clevos were from one.de and mysn.de) - should be called "Clevo (tuxedo, system76, ...)". Anyway I expected a bit more Clevos as they are "performace" and really nicely serviceable (easy open and then clean the fans).

[DRanged]

Quite a few Clevo's looked a lot like some MSI notebooks specialy the GT600 series some years ago.

[starshipeleven]

Quite a few Clevo's looked a lot like some MSI notebooks specialy the GT600 series some years ago.

It's the other way around.
Clevo manufactures laptops for Dell, HP and many other big companies too, btw. It's a pretty damn large OEM that sells to other companies that then sell under their brand.

[DRanged]

It's the other way around.
Clevo manufactures laptops for Dell, HP and many other big companies too, btw. It's a pretty damn large OEM that sells to other companies that then sell under their brand.

Funny that Clevo uses MSI motherboards.

[starshipeleven]

Funny that Clevo uses MSI motherboards.

They either make that board for MSI (then they brand it however MSI wants) or sell the laptop shell (i.e. without the motherboard) to MSI and MSI adds their own boards into it.

That's the two main things Clevo does, either full laptops or motherboard-less laptops that their B2B customer will fill with their own board.

[DRanged]

They either make that board for MSI (then they brand it however MSI wants) or sell the laptop shell (i.e. without the motherboard) to MSI and MSI adds their own boards into it.

That's the two main things Clevo does, either full laptops or motherboard-less laptops that their B2B customer will fill with their own board.

They prob. makethe barebones for MSI (gaming) etc. and get the motherboards from MSI without CPU and GPU so they can use those according to there own specs. I have noticed the difference between the Clevo's and MSI gaming notebooks in CPU and GPU.

[starshipeleven]

They prob. makethe barebones for MSI (gaming) etc. and get the motherboards from MSI without CPU and GPU so they can use those according to there own specs. I have noticed the difference between the Clevo's and MSI gaming notebooks in CPU and GPU.

It's all soldered down, and laptop boards are made at once, not piecemeal. Soldering BGA stuff (like CPU and GPU) at industrial scale needs an oven and does stress the board and other components.

Either MSI sends them fully complete boards ready for assembly (so they mount them in the laptops while in their assembly lines) or MSI sent them only the schematics and Clevo is making also the boards themselves.

Even if MSI boards are going to be slightly different than Clevo's stock ones the Clevo factories are already making similar boards anyway, and I'm pretty sure they would be able to make relatively low amounts of boards for MSI gaming laptops for cheaper than MSI would pay if they had to set up that board manufacturing themselves.

It's not that MSI is unable to make their own boards, it's that Clevo has the infrastructure already in place, so they don't need to pay for that again.

Which is why Clevo is the actual manufacturer of laptops for many well-known brands. They can send over the schematics (and cash) and Clevo will set up production lines for them asking less that what would cost them to do the same in-house.