The great thing about being a custom systems builder is that we're not locked in to any single configuration. If you are looking to have an OS installed that we don't list on our configure pages, we have great news -- we're happy to work with you! This page details our most common requests, and what we are able to provide.
While our alternate OS options are not limited to Linux, we recognise that Linux is likely what will be most often requested. Therefore, we list here our favorite flavors. The benefit of using one of these is that we already have installation sources on hand, leading to a faster time to shipping. Other flavors are certainly welcome!
Preferred Linux Distributions
Ubuntu
[Website] [Documentation] [Support]
Ubuntu Linux is getting a lot of attention for the approach they are taking -- leveraging community support, and combining it with paid professional support options, to provide the most user-friendly Linux experience possible. Ubuntu, by default, uses the Unity desktop environment.
Linux Mint
[Website] [Documentation] [Support]
Linux Mint is based on Debian and Ubuntu and strives to be a "modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use." Linux Mint provides good out-of-the-box multimedia support by including some proprietary software and comes bundled with a variety of free and open-source applications. It tends to be one of the more user friendly distributions, and most likely the most comfortable for those moving from Windows and new to Linux.
CentOS
[Website] [Documentation] [Support]
CentOS (abbreviated from Community Enterprise Operating System) is a Linux distribution that attempts to provide a free, enterprise-class, community-supported computing platform which aims to be functionally compatible with its upstream source, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It is very popular for scientific computing and servers.
Other Windows Options
Windows XP
[Website]
Some applications still require Windows XP, and as custom PC builders, we are flexible to accommodate those situations. Hardware compatibility must be carefully considered, so work closely with your Puget Systems representative regarding your Windows XP needs.
Support / Guarantees
While Linux is growing in popularity every day, Microsoft Windows is still used on the vast majority of computers, and many manufacturers do not provide drivers or support for their products under Linux. For that reason, Puget cannot make any guarantees about the functionality of specific components or features when running Linux. Further, our willingness to provide Linux should in no way be interpreted as a guarantee of that functionality. Since we are offering to install the OS for you at no profit, we do not provide tech support for the Linux OS, though you can find support from the Linux community.
Linux Compatible Puget Systems PCs
Obsidian
Supporting:
CentOS 7
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Mint 18 w/ Cinnamon Desktop
Genesis I
Supporting:
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Mint 18 w/ Cinnamon Desktop
Genesis II
Supporting:
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Mint 18 w/ Cinnamon Desktop
Peak Single Xeon Tower
Supporting:
CentOS 7
CentOS 6
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Peak Mini
Supporting:
CentOS 7
CentOS 6
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Peak Dual Xeon Tower
Supporting:
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
CentOS 7
CentOS 6
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Peak Quad Xeon Tower
Supporting:
CentOS 7
CentOS 6
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS w/ Unity Desktop
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Peak 1U
Supporting:
CentOS 7
CentOS 6
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Peak 3U
Supporting:
CentOS 7
CentOS 6
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Summit Server
Supporting:
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Summit Storage
Supporting:
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Server
Recommended Reading
How to Install Anaconda Python and First Steps for Linux and Windows
Written on 03/28/2017 by Dr Donald KinghornKabylake vs Skylake for compute on Linux -- Linpack on Ubuntu 1610
Written on 01/03/2017 by Dr Donald Kinghorn
Time for William to learn Linux
Written on 09/14/2016 by William GeorgeInstall Ubuntu 16.04 or 14.04 and CUDA 8 and 7.5 for NVIDIA Pascal GPU
Written on 08/29/2016 by Dr Donald KinghornNVIDIA Titan GPUs (3 generations) - CUDA 8 rc performance on Ubuntu 16.04
Written on 08/12/2016 by DNVIDIA CUDA with Ubuntu 16.04 beta on a laptop (if you just cannot wait)
Written on 03/08/2016 by Dr Donald KinghornCentOS 7 kernel boot order bug
Written on 07/30/2015 by Dr Donald KinghornHow Our Process Works
Configure
Customize your own Linux PC from scratch. You're choosing from the best, because we only sell products we recommend and stand behind.
Refine
Let us save you money! Work with our experts to find the best choices for your needs and your budget, to give you the best bang for your buck.
Purchase
Place your order on our secure website. Buy a Linux PC with complete confidence from our reviews and testimonials.
Track
Follow your order in real-time through our 110 step process, and receive a tracking number by email. Most orders ship in 7-10 business days.