08-04-2023, 04:43 PM
What do you plan to do with it? Are you looking to run Linux, or are you looking for a Windows-like Linux installation?
Does it have to be Linux? NetBSD runs very well on the PBP, and it's a good beginner Unix experience (better than Linux IMO). But it isn't going to give you a polished Windows-like experience "out of the box".
If you want the Windows-like approach then stock Manjaru on the PBP might just be thing for you. If you want to learn Unix–like operating systems, NetBSD, Debian, or Gentoo might be better.
The best part about the PBP is that you can run any one of many operating systems at any time. You can have 8 different SD cards with 8 different operating systems and boot them right away. One caveat is that you should replace the U-Boot that comes with the default Manjaru, first thing when you boot it the first time. Else you'll have serious headaches and frustrations later. So before purchasing one, you may want to get familiar with how to do that.
Does it have to be Linux? NetBSD runs very well on the PBP, and it's a good beginner Unix experience (better than Linux IMO). But it isn't going to give you a polished Windows-like experience "out of the box".
If you want the Windows-like approach then stock Manjaru on the PBP might just be thing for you. If you want to learn Unix–like operating systems, NetBSD, Debian, or Gentoo might be better.
The best part about the PBP is that you can run any one of many operating systems at any time. You can have 8 different SD cards with 8 different operating systems and boot them right away. One caveat is that you should replace the U-Boot that comes with the default Manjaru, first thing when you boot it the first time. Else you'll have serious headaches and frustrations later. So before purchasing one, you may want to get familiar with how to do that.