Ask Slashdot: Where Can You Buy a Desktop PC That Makes Linux Easy to Install?

'It's time for me to build a new Linux PC,' writes Slashdot reader eggegick, complaining that while Dell (and Amazon) sell systems with Linux pre-installed, it feels like they're tacking on an unnecessary extra expense.

But then who sells a desktop PC where Linux is still easy to install? Windows seems to make it difficult to use your own (Linux OS) boot media:

I guess this is a security measure, but I can think of better ways to implement this, for instance ask the user to type in 'yes' or 'fire the explosive bolts', or some sort of simple override).... As it is, I hit the F12 key during the boot to enter the BIOS, hoping to tell it to enable booting from the CD. Well I have not looked at a BIOS screen in a long time, and there is no 'enable boot from CD option' anymore. There are some options for booting from other devices but it is all fubar magic to me.

One Dell user discovered it's as simple (or as complicated) as going into Settings / Recovery / Troubleshoot / Advanced options / See More Recovery Settings / Advanced Options / UEFI Firmware Settings / Restart to Change UEFI Firmware Settings. (And then under the Boot menu there's a choice called 'Secure Boot' with an option labelled 'Disabled,' after which under the Boot menu the third choice becomes File Browser Add Boot Option / Select Media Driver...)

Is that simple enough — or is it fubar magic? 'My question is, who builds a desktop PC these days that is user friendly in this regard (i.e. lets me install the OS I want),' asks the original submission.

Share your own experiences and suggestions in the comments. Where can you buy a desktop PC that makes Linux easy to install?

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