Which Linux OS would be compatible with my laptop

[tak1za]

I've been using Windows for quite some time and would like to switch to Linux. I've read a lot of forums discussing various hardware issues regarding Linux on HP laptops especially dealing with Wireless Cards specifically RTL8723BE being disabled after suspend/sleep.
I would like to know if I would face the same issue or if I do, is there a fix?

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

@tak1za

Laptops in general are poor choices for Linux because of the lack of Linux drivers for the specialized hardware generally present.

Sorry, but the only real way to know which Linux distros work with a particular model laptop is to create the Linux boot media, boot from it, and try it in Live Mode.

That way, you will see what hardware works, and what does not -- and fixing that will range from easy (i.e., Linux driver exists) to impossible (i.e., no Linux driver exists).

Your best bet for any particular Linux distro is to visit the support forums for that distro, post the specs of your laptop, and see what that community has to say.

[tak1za]

Thank you for the reply.

I tried Ubuntu 18.04 on my laptop. There were some issues finding the drivers, but I managed to make them work.
Making the wifi work after waking up from suspend was a hassle. And the solution that worked involved buying a 500 INR USB Wireless adaptor -> Installing its drivers -> Resetting BIOS settings to default (this enables Secure Boot, which in turn disables the in-built RTL Wireless Card while booting Linux) -> Boot up into the system, hooked up my WiFi to the USB adaptor -> Suspended the system -> Woke it back up and WiFi was still working.

To be clear the issue was that whenever the system was suspended, the Airplane mode used to be switched on, and there was no way to turn it back off, not the hardware switch and nor any terminal command like 'rfkill unblock all'.
The wireless was being showed as hardblocked and only a full restart was turning it back on.
 
Luckily using a USB Wireless Adaptor with Secure Boot enabled was the trick!

Hope this helps someone. 🙂