Thx for the write up. Really good insight, as I´m planning to buy a Framework soon. And installing Fedora and Windows 11 - that´s just so funny and so Linux :-). Take care!
Oct 14, 2023·edited Oct 14, 2023Liked by Zach Silveira
Thanks for this. Teething problems are to be expected; I get them with new ThinkPads too.
I am waiting for mine, batch 4, but I will be using KDE Plasma with Wayland and fractional scaling, and it avoids X11 apps being blurry (optionally) by letting them see the actual screen resolution and deal with it. It might be really small, or if the X app is smart enough it will look great. It won't be blurry. I think this is a better choice than Gnome. Also, Plasma lets you set trackpad scroll speed; Gnome still does not expose this setting, even though the underlying libinput library offers it.
It is incredible that Ubuntu Firefox does not enable wayland by default still, Fedora did this ages ago. I hope this is fixed in 23.10. It is an easy thing to fix, but if you don't know to fix it, you get bad trackpad support.
I was intrigued that Framework advises you can use the standard Fedora kernel, because the Fedora kernel is a stock kernel but more recent (although Ubuntu 23.10 is shipping with same kernel version that Fedora has now, so if it works in Fedora, it should also work in Ubuntu 23.10 unless an Ubuntu configuration breaks it).
All of your problems are not unique to using a Framework laptop. They are all due to a learning curve with Linux. For example: you don't just switch to Wayland. You read about it. Fuzziness in Slack has nothing to do with fractional scaling. It has to do with configuring Electron apps for Wayland so they don't default to XWayland. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/wayland#GUI_libraries
Oct 13, 2023·edited Oct 13, 2023Liked by Zach Silveira
Yea, my buddy goes through this with his Ubuntu as well. I guess I disagree about the "not all" statement. It reads as a beginner Linux user. Not "here is my experience with a piece of hardware as a developer"
I use Arch, BTW. The install is easy, the wiki is phenomenal, and the ability to tweak anything is a dream. Docker also isn't trash like it is on an MBP. Different strokes for different consumers, I suppose.
Thx for the write up. Really good insight, as I´m planning to buy a Framework soon. And installing Fedora and Windows 11 - that´s just so funny and so Linux :-). Take care!
haha i know right... i use windows for the bios and driver updates now, don't even bother until framework can get linux more stable
Thanks for this. Teething problems are to be expected; I get them with new ThinkPads too.
I am waiting for mine, batch 4, but I will be using KDE Plasma with Wayland and fractional scaling, and it avoids X11 apps being blurry (optionally) by letting them see the actual screen resolution and deal with it. It might be really small, or if the X app is smart enough it will look great. It won't be blurry. I think this is a better choice than Gnome. Also, Plasma lets you set trackpad scroll speed; Gnome still does not expose this setting, even though the underlying libinput library offers it.
It is incredible that Ubuntu Firefox does not enable wayland by default still, Fedora did this ages ago. I hope this is fixed in 23.10. It is an easy thing to fix, but if you don't know to fix it, you get bad trackpad support.
I was intrigued that Framework advises you can use the standard Fedora kernel, because the Fedora kernel is a stock kernel but more recent (although Ubuntu 23.10 is shipping with same kernel version that Fedora has now, so if it works in Fedora, it should also work in Ubuntu 23.10 unless an Ubuntu configuration breaks it).
You can make the power button led dimmer in the bios under advanced
That’s what I did but it’s still very bright. Only option is low, they need “off”
All of your problems are not unique to using a Framework laptop. They are all due to a learning curve with Linux. For example: you don't just switch to Wayland. You read about it. Fuzziness in Slack has nothing to do with fractional scaling. It has to do with configuring Electron apps for Wayland so they don't default to XWayland. https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/wayland#GUI_libraries
That’s why I mentioned once or twice in the article “not all of it is framework’s fault”
Having to manually enable Wayland in 2023 is pretty crappy.
It’s all these little things that make Mac’s more appealing right now.
Gestures just work better. Scaling works, you don’t need to turn on stuff for different apps, or waste any time configuring these sort of things.
I’ve used Ubuntu since 2008, but I stopped for the past few years using the desktop variant, only server for the past years.
I’m just surprised so many things that should be the default for the gui stuff, isn’t.
P.S the fuzziness does have to do with fractional scaling.
If I leave it at 100%. No fuzziness in slack. Fractional, then fuzzy, until enabling Wayland
Yea, my buddy goes through this with his Ubuntu as well. I guess I disagree about the "not all" statement. It reads as a beginner Linux user. Not "here is my experience with a piece of hardware as a developer"
I use Arch, BTW. The install is easy, the wiki is phenomenal, and the ability to tweak anything is a dream. Docker also isn't trash like it is on an MBP. Different strokes for different consumers, I suppose.
oh boy is this website great