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Cheapest new device that can run linux? (lemm.ee)
submitted 15 hours ago by procapra@lemm.ee to c/linux@lemmy.ml
29 comments fedilink hide all child comments

More of a thought exercise/game than anything else. I saw the news that 486 support was getting cut from linux, and I was curious just how cheaply someone could replace a desktop 486 system with something new (provided the device had all the connectivity they needed).

Rules:

  1. Device must be able to run linux.

  2. Device should be cheap as possible. A good starting point is probably sub 40usd.

  3. The device must in someway support a mouse, keyboard, display, and the internet. If adapters are necessary for this connectivity, that cost should be included.

  4. Power supply should be included in the cost of the device. (in the case of most SBCs this is just the cost of a USB cable and wall wart)

  5. The device must be new & still in production. I know used devices like laptops would probably have been king here, but I don't think that would be nearly as interesting.

I suspect that SBCs and other arm devices will be the most common suggestions.

I personally know about the Raspberry Pi Zero which can be had for ~$10, and with all the added accessories necessary to make it a full computer (usb splitters, usb power, usb to rj45, storage) it costs around ~$35. Not bad at all but I'm pretty sure we can do even better!

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[-] grapemix@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Not trying to blame anyone, I just wish more ppl prefer old good stuff over new cheap stuff. Sigh.

Recycling those ewaste is a lot more expensive than manufacturing them. Of course that's edge cases, but I think reusing old devices works better(and more environmentally friendly) for most ppl.

Nothing wrong with brain storming, just please consider reusing old devices when you start a cool project.

[-] Nibodhika@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago

I was going to suggest RPiZero too, it should even be more powerful than an actual 486.

[-] ouRKaoS@lemmy.today 11 points 6 hours ago

You can get EOL Chromebooks for around $40-50. Who cares that they don't get security updates when you're not using ChromeOS!

Right in your price range, and now it's a portable all-in-one package.

[-] haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com 10 points 9 hours ago

I think it isnt a great idea to go for new ever. Why would you? You can buy 10+ yr old computers for 10$ or get them for free. It is far better for the environment and far cheaper.

[-] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 5 hours ago

Because this is a thought experiment. There's no waste when nobody's actually buying anything.

[-] daggermoon@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

Whatever the cheapest laptop is

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 44 points 15 hours ago

Drop the requirement for new and you can get plenty of good stuff for free.

[-] Shdwdrgn@mander.xyz 16 points 14 hours ago

Especially Win10 computers :-)

[-] gradual@lemmings.world 3 points 8 hours ago

Where can I get these for free?

[-] Shdwdrgn@mander.xyz 2 points 55 minutes ago

My current desktop came from a co-worker, but you can also put the word out to family and friends that you're interested in their old machines. Most people are happy to give them away because otherwise it costs them money to dispose of electronics. If nothing else, you could post on Nextdoor or a local Facebook page that you're looking for a Win10 machine that would otherwise be trashed.

Older machines also mean dirt-cheap upgrades. The desktop I have came with a Celeron cpu. I dropped in an i7 for $10 from ebay, and recently upgraded it to 24GB of ram with sticks I had pulled from other free systems. When you switch to Linux you're not wasting horsepower on Microsoft spyware crap, so this machine does just fine for my needs (although I'm also not trying to play games).

[-] SreudianFlip@sh.itjust.works 10 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

I have a bunch of old macs here with different distros onthem, mostly Mint, that I have been trying to give away to locals (without being obligated to provide support, which is the stickler apparently). They all run great. One could dumpster dive or curb cruise, or around here, lurk at Recycling.

[-] filister@lemmy.world 6 points 11 hours ago

Raspberry Pi Zero second hand. Probably you can score something for less than 10 bucks.

[-] filister@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Actually ESP32-S3 will be even cheaper than this one. They sell for around 5-6 $ but they are very limited in what they can do.

[-] princessnorah@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 7 hours ago

Yeah I mean, rule 1 is that it needs to run Linux, so I don't think a microcontroller like an ESP or Arduino is going to qualify...

[-] filister@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago

http://wiki.osll.ru/doku.php/etc:users:jcmvbkbc:linux-xtensa:esp32s3 according to this it can run with some limitations.

[-] yaroto98@lemmy.org 18 points 15 hours ago

Not NEW, but, check out local auctions. Local universities and govt offices are frequently selling lots of newish laptops (5ish yrs old) for $10-$50 apiece.

[-] cmnybo@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 13 hours ago

Watch for thin clients too. You can install Linux on some of them and use them as a normal PC. They will have more processing power than a cheap SBC.

[-] cerement@slrpnk.net 9 points 14 hours ago

along those same lines, used Chromebooks – Google ends support after only a couple years so school districts all over the place are generally stuck with palettes of e-waste

[-] utopiah@lemmy.ml 2 points 10 hours ago

I bet you can find stuff on AliExpress for a lot less but then you have to insure support is descent.

[-] hendrik@palaver.p3x.de 11 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

I believe I saw some other single board computers with some cheap Rockchip CPU /Allwinner and regular HDMI and two USB and an Ethernet port for around $10 on Aliexpress. You wouldn't need the adapters from the Pi Zero with those. And there are some generic Android TV-Boxes for $8-15...

[-] procapra@lemm.ee 7 points 14 hours ago

This seems like the most interesting suggestion so far. I'll look into those!

[-] prex@aussie.zone -1 points 6 hours ago

9 hours and still no GNU/Linux copypasta?

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 0 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

You're looking for a Smartphone.

[-] just_another_person@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago

Minisforum Refurb, or an SoC that's cheaper than RPi

[-] hperrin@lemmy.ca 2 points 12 hours ago

There’s an SBC called Le Potato that usually goes for around $40.

[-] buckykat@hexbear.net 2 points 14 hours ago

Those cheap emulator handhelds run linux out of the box with built in screens, batteries, and controller inputs

[-] nfreak@lemmy.ml 2 points 14 hours ago

I've got a shitty little android one I impulse bought a while back, I should play around with it

[-] procapra@lemm.ee 1 points 14 hours ago

I didn't even think about those. That might be a good bet!

this post was submitted on 10 May 2025
52 points (91.9% liked)

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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