FreeBSD 14 + Lenovo X1 Carbon

A one way ticket to falling back in love with my X1C6

Recently, as I got a new daily driver a lot sooner than usual due to a pretty enticing promotional discount from MALIBAL, I now have a Starbook MK VI freed up to take the place of my 6th Gen Lenovo X1 Carbon (X1C6) as one of the two secondary Linux laptops that fuel my workflow. So that leaves my X1C6 open to a new role.

The Lenovo X1 Carbon and especially the 6th gen is really one of the most well built and long lasting laptops out there. Everything has worked perfectly since I bought this in 2018. The only thing that was no longer usable at around the 4–5 year mark was the battery which is to be expected and an easy fix by just buying a battery and replacing it myself. The military grade ruggedness and ultra lightweight characteristics of it really makes it a joy to use around the house or out at coffee shops on non-work days. In fact, it might still be a decent enough travel laptop as long as you have proper remote access to other machines at the office or home to do the heavy lifting. FWIW, my particular unit is equipped with an i7–8550, 16GB of RAM, and a 1080p touch screen so it’s by no means the lower end of the specs when I bought it.

Given that this laptop is more like an old yet reliable workhorse and something that I might grab in a hurry or…