Mini PCs are awesome because of their versatility, and when you marry them with an open-source operating system like Linux, the possibilities are endless. But why install Linux manually when you can skip the image writing and get dedicated support by buying Linux-first?

I decided recently to get a prebuilt mini PC for some projects and experiments, but I wanted to save a bit of cash in the process. Instead of buying brand new, I shopped eBay for a secondhand device and found a good deal—or at least it looked that way, until I took these steps.

You no doubt use your PC for all kinds of tasks, but you might find one even more useful in a tiny form factor. Mini PCs aren't just cute; they're versatile, portable, and can be more powerful than you'd expect.

The interim version of Ubuntu Linux released in October of last year will soon get its last security update. That means, if you're running Ubuntu 24.10, it's time to start considering your upgrade path.

I can't be alone in noticing how, no matter how much storage I buy for my computer, digital refuse always piles up. Fortunately for me, on Linux, there's a simple terminal command that let me easily drag up the heftiest files. I wasn't too proud of the results.