If you’re searching for how to compress images on Fedora or wondering how to optimize images for WordPress without relying on plugins, you’re probably running into the same frustration I did.
You upload a photo.
Then you wait for Smush or WP-Optimize to process it.
Then you hope it compressed enough.
It works — but it slows everything down.
The better solution is simple: compress images locally on Linux before uploading them to WordPress.
After weeks of comparing ThinkPads, Latitudes, EliteBooks, and the Acer Swift Go 16, I’m finally at the edge of the Buy button. Part 5 of my Linux Laptop Quest captures the hesitation, the clarity, and the final checks before committing to my next daily driver.
By the time I reached this stage of the search, I had stared at more spec sheets than any human should. I had compared ThinkPads to Latitudes, Latitudes to EliteBooks, EliteBooks to Yogas, and Yogas to my own sanity. Every laptop had a fatal flaw — a “but” big enough to trip over.
By the time I reached this stage of the search, I had accepted two truths:
These two requirements alone eliminated roughly 80% of the laptop market, which honestly made things easier. But the remaining 20%? That’s where the real chaos began.
This is the part of the journey where I stared at spec sheets like they were ancient scrolls, watched Linux compatibility videos at 1 a.m., and whispered things like “why is this one perfect except for the display?” into the void.
Let’s talk about the contenders — the laptops that almost made it, but ultimately didn’t.
There are two kinds of people in this world:
I discovered — with scientific precision — that I am firmly in the second category.
There’s a moment in every tech person’s life when their laptop does something so profoundly stupid that it forces a full existential reset. For me, that moment came courtesy of my ThinkBook 16 G6 ABP — a machine that, on paper, should have been a dependable workhorse, but in reality behaved like it was auditioning for a role in a cyberpunk horror film.
When I started Hacking The Hike, it was a place to document gear, trails, and the chaos of hiking with five kids. It was personal, practical, and full of pine needles. But over time, the blog evolved — because I did.
My ThinkBook 16 has been the center of much consternation the latest few months. If the other problems weren’t enough, I have one more to add. This is when scrolling turns into zooming.
After Ubuntu blinded me and Kubuntu froze on me, I found myself staring at the one trail I usually avoid: Fedora./
