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Raspberry Pi as GNU/Linux Pocket Server and Mac Mini With GNU/Linux
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XDA ☛ I turned my Raspberry Pi into a pocket Linux server that runs from a power bank, and it's weirdly useful
With most x86 devices in my arsenal already engaged in DIY projects, I’ve gone back to experimenting with ARM boards. In fact, I've been running a bunch of lightweight LLMs on my single-board computers, and they’re surprisingly decent at running sub-4B models. Toss them in a cluster, and they can even handle the likes of 9B LLMs (provided you’re willing to overlook the abysmally low token generation rates).
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XDA ☛ The best cheap Linux-based desktop you can buy was never designed to run Linux
The best cheap Linux desktop you can buy right now might have an Apple logo on it. That sounds wrong at first, because the M1 Mac mini was designed to be a tightly integrated macOS desktop, not a playground for open-source operating systems. Yet used prices, Apple Silicon efficiency, and the steady work behind Asahi Linux have turned it into a very strange bargain. It’s a compact desktop that was never supposed to run Linux this well, and that makes it more interesting than another generic mini PC.
The appeal isn’t just that Linux runs on it. Plenty of hardware can do that. The real hook is that the M1 Mac mini offers Linux users a level of build quality, silence, and performance that usually costs more in the mini-PC world. If you’re willing to live with a few Apple Silicon-specific limits, it can be one of the most satisfying cheap desktops around.