Fund the Pocket Powerhouse: My Favorite Linux Handheld Computer

by

Simon Batt
2026-01-26 07:48:00

Summary

  • The Mecha Comet is a modular handheld Linux PC where you can swap the controls out.

  • It’s all open-source, with the OS on GitHub and the hardware under a CERN-OHL-S-2.0 license.

  • It’s nearly 1000% funded on Kickstarter, but remember that pledging does not guarantee receiving a product.

I didn’t really think about how much I want a handheld Linux computer until just now. Ever since I discovered the Mecha Comet, I suddenly realised that the only way I can be even more insufferable about my distaste for Windows is to have a portable Linux system I can show off to my friends. Please listen to me talk about Fedora KDE. I’ll buy you a snack if you do.

Anyway, if you like the idea of a portable Linux PC as much as I do, you’ll want to check out the Mecha Comet. While it hasn’t been released yet, it is drumming up interest over at Kickstarter and has reached just shy of 1000% (yes, a thousand) of its original goal.

Before you grab your wallet, it’s important to note that funding a project is not the same as purchasing a product. When you pledge to a tier that secures you a product, you are not guaranteed to get it as described on the page, nor are you guaranteed to get it at all. Never pledge with money you’re afraid to lose.

I switched to the COSMIC Linux desktop, and I can’t wait for the future

COSMIC is out of this world, even with its flaws

The Mecha Comet is a Linux handheld you can help fund right now

And it even comes with its own OS

Over on Kickstarter, Mecha Systems Inc has set up a campaign for their newest invention, the Mecha Comet. It’s a modular handheld Linux computer that lets you swap out the parts to suit what you want to use it for. Need to get some work done? Slap on the keyboard module and get to typing, Blackberry-style. Fancy some gaming? Swap out the module with a built-in controller and start playing.

Of course, because it’s focused on FOSS, everything in this project is open-source. The operating system is available on GitHub, and all the hardware will be published with a CERN-OHL-S-2.0 license with its own GitHub page. The design encourages repairability, so you can swap out any parts that die on you yourself. And the team plans to support both the software and hardware for the Mecha Comet for a while:

Hardware Longevity

Our software support will be officially available for 7 years, our SOC is supported till 2036. Community support could last even longer.

Access to spares at reasonable prices, we will be stocking sufficient and ensure availability on our website to purchase.

If you’d like to see this device in the wild, check out when our sister website, How-To Geek, saw the Mecha Comet in person during CES 2025.

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