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.

  • xcjs@programming.dev
    3·
    1 year ago

    I bought a used 2018 model over a new current model because of the lack of physical function keys.

    Also, Dell, bring back Fn + Left for Home and Fn + Right for End!

    Who looked at a great keyboard layout and decided, “I know! I’ll make this Developer Edition hardware more difficult to develop on!”