First Impressions running Linux
Like almost all non-barebone mini PCs, the M4 is supplied with Windows (Windows 11 Professional to be precise). I’m not a regular Windows user (quelle surprise), but I did have a few hours using it although most of the time was taken up with the laborious Windows update. This isn’t a criticism of the M4, merely Microsoft’s ineptitude.
Installing Linux on the M4 is an absolute breeze. Unlike some other mini PCs, you don’t need to turn off Secure Boot in the BIOS. I just booted the machine from my Ventoy prepated USB key (which has 30+ Linux distributions on it).
I’ve spent a few days testing Ubuntu 25.04 on the machine. It’s so quick installing Linux on the M4 — the whole installation is a tiny fraction of the time it takes the Windows updates just to complete.
All the hardware including WiFi and Bluetooth is automatically detected. Ubuntu performs beautifully on the M4.
I’ve also tested a few other Linux distributions including Manjaro and Fedora. Each distribution installs with zero issues; all the M4’s hardware works out of the box including picking the maximum refresh rates for a variety of monitors I’ve connected.
Let’s dive into the M4’s hardware in more detail.
Next page: Page 3 – Interrogation of the System
Pages in this article:
Page 1 – Introduction and Design
Page 2 – First Impressions running Linux
Page 3 – Interrogation of the System
Complete list of articles in this series:
| BOSGAME M4 Plus Mini PC | |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Introduction to the series and interrogation of the machine |