Using Linux on a ThinkPad

I got a thinkpad t480 from eBay when trying to flip it for profit. It had a battery issue where the internal battery was missing, the last owner gave it to someone to fix it and after that the “didn’t hold charge” which was weird. Anyways, I installed a new battery and voila. It works like a charm.

While waiting for a buyer, I installed Debian to see what the fuss is about with thinkpads being too good for linux. Can’t lie, it was worth the hype.

Install

Usually it takes me around an hour to install and setup Debian, from start to finish. With this machine, it just took me 15 minutes to install debian and 10 minutes to set it up with my browser, code editor and blah blah. you get the point.

Overall Usage

The first thing I noticed was how smoothly everything ran, even without any tweaks. ThinkPads have a reputation for being some of the best machines for Linux, and the T480 didn’t disappoint. Debian recognized most of the hardware out of the box, including the Wi-Fi, trackpad, and even the fingerprint reader (after a little bit of configuration).

Performance-wise, it felt snappy and responsive, even though it wasn’t a top-of-the-line model. The combination of Linux and ThinkPad’s sturdy build made me appreciate why these laptops have such a loyal following. The keyboard is a dream to type on, and the trackpoint—something I had always ignored—became quite useful when I got the hang of it.

In terms of battery life, the new battery I installed paired well with the TLP power management tool for Linux. It gave me decent runtime, comparable to what I’d expect from Windows, if not better. I didn’t have to dive deep into the power settings or troubleshoot to make it work, which was a relief.

Overall, the ThinkPad T480 is an excellent choice for Linux users, especially for anyone looking for a reliable, affordable, and customizable machine. I didn’t plan on keeping it, but after seeing how well it performed with Debian, I might just hold on to it.

Observations

It might just be that my current laptop is significantly low on specs compared to this thinkpad however there is just something which clicks when using linux on a thinkpad. Its like it was made to be used with linux.

End of the day, I might just buy a thinkpad for myself and use the current laptop as a home server. might as well keep this one if no one buys it lol

-MB