Hey guys, looking into getting a cheap laptop to play around with Linux on.
2 parter question:
1: Would like to get more familiar with Backtrack5, but assuming its maybe not the best distro for day to day use, so is should I go with a Windows OS and a couple of VM distro, say Backtrack5 and Ubuntu as they are next of kin.....or just a straight dual boot Backtrack5 and Ubuntu boot?
2: Are there any hardware consideration to take into account for Linux, regards certain components/brand not having good driver support?
Best part about linux is that you could insall it on a rock hooked up to a screen. But if you want to consider hardware:
The proprietary nvidia drivers are really nice and functional, basically the only case where you shouldn't use an opensource driver.
The proprietary catalyst drivers are wonky when it comes to older onboard video processors, things like the X1XX series are gimped in that respect.
RAM is not an issue, you can get openbox running on as little as 256mb of ram.
If i were you i'd boot ubuntu, and then run backtrack in a VM since backtrack shouldn't have any issues running in that enviroment. I'd look for a laptop with x2000 series amd chips or the nvidia equivalent. I'm running arch an awesome on 2gb of ram and an Intel T2500 2.0GHz Core Duo with opensource drivers for my x1400 chip.
trust me its worth it. It might not be an i7 machine but its amazing. I've setup a few thinkpads for friends and I have one laying around myself for tunneling to servers and such it works great.
Which thinkpad was that, the listing expired? I want to dual-boot Windows and Linux and have been looking on Newegg for Thinkpads and such and was wondering which one to get.
In general you shouldn't have any major problems. Common problems however include: Media and volume keys not working, Wifi radio on/off key not working, internal mike/speaker not working, brightness controls and keyboard backlighting not working. The one larger problem you may discover is that while Linux supports most wifi cards there are a few cards that are still unsupported. When you find a machine you like, look at the specs and google the wifi card to find out if it is supported.
Also, a good way to be safe when shopping for linux laptops is to simply take a USB stick with Ubuntu or something with you to a computer store, turn off the machine and boot the live image off the USB. That way you can check all the features before you buy.
another way is to buy your computer from system76.. they're guaranteed to run linux. There are probably other linux computer vendors out there as well.
dell offers ubuntu as an option on most of their laptops. but your better off looking for a laptop that has the specs you want. almost any laptop will work for linux. that said I'd recomend haswell refresh/broadwell i3,i5 or i7 cpus since they have VT-d which allows you to use your gpu in a virtual machine.
If you are looking for a simple linux experience that will work reasonably well right away, Ubuntu or Linux Mint are good options and as others said you can run Backtrack/Kali on a virtual machine. Or if your the adventurous type, try a version of linux with less support built in and spend hours trying to make it run properly. You'll definitely learn more about linux and get the satisfaction of fixing problems.
Also, if you already have windows on the computer I would recommend dual booting so if an install doesn't work properly you have a safety net to catch you. And download some tools ahead of time like Super Grub 2 or some other MBR repair tools.