The Dell XPS 13 is the best-known developer-focused, high-end Linux laptop. Here's how it got there.

Today, the Dell XPS-13 with Ubuntu Linux is easily the most well-known Linux laptop. Many users, especially developers – including Linus Torvalds – love it. As Torvalds recently said, “Normally, I wouldn’t name names, but I’m making an exception for the XPS 13 just because I liked it so much that I also ended up buying one for my daughter when she went off to college.”

So, how did Dell – best known for good-quality, mass-produced PCs – end up building top-of-the-line Ubuntu Linux laptops? Well, Barton George, Dell Technologies’ Developer Community manager, shared the “Project Sputnik” story this week in a presentation at the popular Linux and open-source community show, All Things Open.

  • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml
    77·
    1 year ago

    You think Arch is going to replace Ubuntu on commercial and corporate machines? Or some other funny distro like Fedora that cannot survive an upgrade? Ubuntu is based off of Debian Unstable, with a lot of UX polish and Snaps that allow for sandboxed system programs.

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipEnglish
      51·
      1 year ago

      It also runs terribly. What we need is a more diverse ecosystem that is more than just ubuntu

      • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml
        27·
        1 year ago

        …aaaand what is it going to be, other than Debian/Ubuntu based distros? Stable AND LTS only, NO rolling release options. Last I saw, Debian is harder than Ubuntu (source I used Ubuntu LTS for 6 years before adopting Debian 12 Stable upon release).

        I have a Linux/Windows computing guide made from a couple decades of experience, and simply see nothing beating Ubuntu and GNOME as far as UX polish goes. https://lemmy.ml/post/511377