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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I have a Framework 13 AMD running Linux Mint. It works great and I love it. Modular IO ports are super nifty.
Here are the downsides as I see them:
I expect 2&3 will come in the future and I can upgrade! The fact that I can upgrade rather than throw it away in the future offsets 1.
Can you not use an M.2 wifi card? Or do wifi 7 cards not exist yet?
According to Framework support, there are no supported models as of yet.
Yay, It's always gonna be Yay
I've been trying to sell mine. Went down to 60% of the original price and no takers.
My tip: Don't take funny-colored borders or funny keyboards unless you're 120% sure you don't want to sell it in half a year.
Still trying to sell? Would you ship to aus?
i have the intel one, i love it.
it matches with my definition of laptop, portable, 2k screen, the battery lasts a lot and a bit touchpad.
i have kde 6.x so i also have TouchPad gestures.
Ooh I didn't know that KDE has touchpad gesture support now, I'll need to give that a go next time I try linux
I currently own a Framework 13... and... after daily driving it for a year, I decided I don't like it.
The deal beaker for me is the high dpi display. Linux just isn't 100% compatible with hpi displays. I'm tired of my apps either having blurry fonts or tiny text. Ironic because hi dpi displays are supposed to look better.
With Framework, you'll be pushed into using Fedora (it doesn't solve all the scaling issues) or pushed to stop using apps you like because they're using older GTK (some times there are no alternatives). You'll also have to dive into debugging scaling issues.
I just switched back to my Dell XPS 13 9310 FHD and it was a breath of fresh air having everything just work. Any distro, any apps, no scaling debugging, text is readable and crisp, app UI elements look properly sized.
I only ever switched out the modular ports once, but honestly it would have been better to buy a dongle instead because that would work on any computer.
Oh, and I tried the higher resolution screen. It didn't fix the scaling issues.
Oh, and, I actually had a display fail on me! After like 8 months, half the display went black. Thankfully, they were nice enough to send me a free replacement, but it definitely left me feeling like the Framework isn't that sturdy or durable.
The shell also dents easily. I dropped a small music player from desk height onto the top lid and it left a small dent. (I have like 3 dents on the lid.)
Repairability is the one feature that the Framework beats everyone else on, but to me the cons outweigh the pros.
Framework 16 with the same display and linux mint user.
Pushed towards fedora? What?
I also have no issues whatsoever with the screen or igpu of amd, so i wonder what you were using there and with what chipset.
Ive been daily driving mine for nearly a year now ( amd chipset and igpu) and none of those issues at all...
Here's a screenshot I just took from my Framework 13. Notice how some of the text is clear, but the entire menu to the right is blurry.
Common "fixes" are "move to Fedora" or "just enable some experimental flag in some random config". This all misses the point though: I don't want to have to do any of that. I just want a system that works with the most amount of apps.
Of course, it depends on what you specifically value. For me, I value broader software compatibility over slightly neater pixels. Some people might like it the other way around. That's fine, but it's something important to know.
I had the same display failure, but 4 times in about 9 months. It made me pretty done with the whole thing. I only got the laptop back from the repair centre 2 or so weeks ago but I have no faith the issue is properly fixed now. Let's see how it turns out, if it happens again I'm going to throw this thing out of the window.
This was my failure.
I have a linux desktop with dual 4K screens and I don't have problems with high DPI? The only problems I've come across is with Wine which is easly fixed within the winecfg.
I'm on OpenSuSE, using KDE in X11. I DID have scaling problems with Wayland which I avoid until it is fit for daily use.
Of course 4k is 4 times 1080p (or twice in X and Y dimensions) so maybe it's much easier to scale to? 2K on the Framework is an odd resolution so maybe scaling would be more troublesome? 1080p to 1440p would be 1.3x scaling.
I don’t have problems with high DPI ... only problems I’ve come across is ... I DID have scaling problems with Wayland
This is exactly my point. You did have problems with high DPI. You had to fix some random config and avoid Wayland.
I don't want to deal with this. I want to be able to use whatever software I want and have it work with minimal or no extra "fixing". I value this over slightly neater pixels.
Then you shouldnt have picked wayland, period. There is a reason its still experimental. And in general, hearing you talk, im not sure linux is your thing in general. Even in linux mint i have to poke in cli once in a while..
EDIT: as i mentioned below,i just gave it another go as i recently upgraded linux mint. Keyboard layout was stuck to us so altgr didnt work. Teams window could also not be double clicked to maximize and remote desktop via remmina was acting odd, like my mouse had shifted to the right. Desktop wallpaper was also shifted. Like i said, experimental on some systems ( in this case linux mint ) :)
Wayland is not experimental.
Wayland hasn't been experimental for a while. Both KDE Plasma and GNOME have defaulted to Wayland for a while now indicating it's ready to be used. And in fact, scaling works better on Wayland than on X11 but I suppose ymmv.
I know a few distros have switched, and i support it 1000%!
I know ive had a few glitches in linux mint which suggests they need to fix some stuff with cinnamon in wayland still ( and a few other apps ), hence my stance towards wayland atm. I love every piece of it but imma wait a liiiitle longer. The reason i think op's issues came from either wayland or fedora because on debian-based distros ive had no issues on my framework 16, nor on the framework 13's that are at the office ( ubuntu, linux mint, windows )
Edit: just gave it another go as i recently upgraded linux mint. Keyboard layout was stuck to us so altgr didnt work. Teams window could also not be double clicked to maximize and remote desktop via remmina was acting odd, like my mouse had shifted to the right. Desktop wallpaper was also shifted. Like i said, experimental on some systems :)
I have the AMD edition and overall the laptop is nice but since I received the laptop about 9 months ago the screen broke 4 times. I only got it back 2 or so weeks ago from the repaircenter so I have only been able to actually use it for a few weeks. So my experience is pretty terrible so far. I honestly have no faith the screen is durably fixed this time but let's see, I'm pretty done with it.
I can actually game one the AMD one pretty okay. Couldn't with Intel. Battery life also increased by 30 minutes.
I have both the 13 and the 16. Absolutely love them.
Does anyone have experience running the 13 with linux and an eGPU by any chance?
Via TB4? If I'm not mistaken Oculink eGPU adapter is only possible with the Framework 16. It may worth waiting to perhaps get the new Arrow Lake with a discrete TB5
yes, that would be via TB4 for now...
Got it, the performance in the the TB4 for eGPU isn't very good, with a degradation of 30% or more in some cases
I can confirm the Intel version of the Framework 13 works amazingly with an eGPU (Fedora). 11th gen was my daily driver until I upgraded to a Framework 16 😎
nice, that sounds great
I was like batch 5 of the AMD framework 13 running Arch and Gnome on it.
I did have some problems with suspend/nvme drive that was fixed by replacing the nvme. If you go with their drive you'll probably be fine (I just grabbed one I had laying around). Ever since then the laptop is perfect. If you do get it check out the Archwiki article that has a lot of helpful tips for tuning your OS to the Hardware
It's probably good if that is the sort of thing you are after, a laptop just isn't something I want to spend real money on myself.
Yea*
It's spelled Y-E-A.
I just bought one a couple of months ago. It’s my daily driver. My work issued laptop sits on my desk, and I carry my framework around. If you’re a Linux guy, fedora runs fantastic on it - everything works, couldn’t be easier. Battery life could be better, but it’s fine. Trackpad is great, I heard some bitchin about it, but I don’t get that hate. Some complaints about the hinges and how they bounce. Again, unfounded complaints in my opinion. The hinges are stiffer to open/close than I expected, but they are fine (just a little different feeling). New webcam is great for a laptop webcam. New screen is nice - but let’s be honest, not much touches an apple screen. Sound is ok, nothing special. The case is fantastic-people (engineers and nerds) drool over it. The swappable ports are awesome, that alone makes the laptop imo. But the real star is the serviceability of it. Five screws and the whole thing comes apart. Everything can be replaced and upgraded. They even give you the screwdriver you need to take it apart. Bios updates work with fwupdate in Linux and they update regularly. Keyboard feels good. It stays cool and fans don’t go crazy.
It’s expensive. But I love mine. But I do plan on keeping it and upgrading forever - or at least until I smash it accidentally, so maybe it wasn’t expensive.
The 13 doesn’t have a gpu. It’s capable, but if you want to game on it, look at the 16. If you have specific questions I’d be happy to answer or post a vid/pic or something.