How to Build Your Own Linux Laptop
A Linux laptop can breathe new life into older hardware. Linux is a slim, trim operating system that requires less processor speed, memory and hard drive space than a comparable Windows operating system installation. So whether you have an older laptop you want to keep around longer, or want to buy a used laptop to install Linux and save money, by following a few easy steps you can be up and running in no time. The best part is, Linux is free.
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Instructions
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Choose A Laptop
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Assess what you need from your laptop. An older laptop running Linux will run common office programs that build spreadsheets and presentations, surf the web, and email just fine. If your interests are creating CAD drawings, creating videos or gaming, you may have to get a newer laptop with the latest hardware.
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Determine what hardware you have. If you already have an older laptop, knowing what hardware it has can help determine if it is suitable for your needs. Often a manufacturer's website will list system specifications for a particular model.
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Click on the "Start" menu for Windows laptops running Windows 95 and on, then right click on "My Computer" then "Properties." Under the system tab it will tell you the amount of memory you have and the processor speed and model. Having at least 512 MB of memory is suggested, as is a 486-class or greater processor.
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Examine the ports and drives on the outside of the computer. You most likely want at least one USB port, a CD-ROM drive and one network port. Other nice things are a headphone jack and a port for an external keyboard and monitor.
Linux Test Installation
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Choose a Linux distribution that suits your needs. Linux is an open source operating system, so there are several companies on the market; such as Ubuntu, Fedora, RedHat, and openSUSE, among others, that make their own versions, or "distributions." While the core is always Linux, the features, design and look and feel are unique to each company. Ubuntu is the most popular, whereas openSUSE is close in popularity and offers many utilities useful for a laptop, such as Wi-Fi and cellular modem connectivity tools for mobile networking. However, due to its superior support and ease of use, we will use Ubuntu for this tutorial.
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Navigate to http://www.ubuntu.com/netbook/get-ubuntu/download and download the netbook version of the Ubuntu software. For this step, you can use any computer that is connected to the Internet.
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Create a USB drive by inserting the USB stick into the computer. When the download completes, select "Run" on the menu that will appear. From the dropdown menu, select "Ubuntu netbook edition." On the next screen, choose the downloaded ISO file. It will say something like "Ubuntu-10.11-netbook-remix-i386.iso" and then on the next screen select your USB drive and click "Create."
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Insert the USB drive into the laptop on which you want to run Linux. Turn the computer on, and you should be greeted by a screen that asks if you want to install Ubuntu or try it from the USB drive. Choose the USB drive option and let it boot. This is great because you can try Linux on your computer without installing it, giving you time to decide whether you like it or not.
Permanent Linux Installation
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Permanently install Ubuntu Linux on your computer by booting the computer using the USB drive again, and selecting the "Install" option. Plug your computer into a power source to ensure the battery does not die during this process.
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Choose whether you want to dual boot Windows and Linux, or do a fresh install of Linux. This will determine whether you have both Windows and Linux on your laptop or just Linux.
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Follow the prompts on the install window to set things such as location, date and time. Wait for Linux to install, then restart your computer, which will now run the sleek, fast Linux operating system.
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Tips & Warnings
If your laptop will not boot from the USB drive, you have to change the settings in the BIOS. Reboot your computer, and during the boot process, watch the screen. It will tell you what key to press to enter setup. Press this key. Navigate the BIOS menu until you locate the boot order setting. Make sure "removable drive" or "USB media" is in the first position, then press the save and exit button.
Ubuntu comes with the Firefox web browser and the Openoffice office suite, and has several other great programs available.
If you have to go into the BIOS to change the boot order to use the USB drive, be sure not to change any other settings accidentally, as this can negatively affect your computer.
References
Resources
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