My adventures daily driving Linux, or why I went back to Windows

Big tech kind of sucks. It’s stupid that we have to rely on these giant corporations, who scoop up our data to their financial benefit, all while dictating what we can do with our computers. What if there was an alternative there that was freed from the shackles of “The Man’s” software? Linux seems to be the answer from the open source gods. The ultimate solution for someone looking to break away.

That was my thoughts when I purchased a new laptop recently. A Framework that I deliberately configured without an operating system pre-installed. While I’ve dabbled in Linux before, this would be my first system that I would daily drive entirely with the penguin powered OS. So how did it go? Well, let’s just say I lasted a week before I ordered a Windows license.

Now, I’m currently running Zorin 16 on my desktop in a dual boot setup. As far as Linux based operating systems go, it’s not bad. It’s certainly very Windows like, and designed to be as painless as possible. However, for my new laptop, I went with Fedora 35.

Now, there’s a couple of reasons why I did this. First of all, it’s the Linux distribution that Framework themselves recommend. The laptop has a couple hardware components, notably the WiFi card and fingerprint reader, that require the latest kernel and some additional software packages. Fedora currently offers the best compatibility, ahead of the many Ubuntu based distributions like Zorin. I’m very familiar with the Linux install process, so getting the computer up and running was a fairly painless experience. In a lot of ways, it’s easier to set up and install than even Windows is. Faster too.

Fedora uses the GNOME 41 desktop environment by default. Which is the Linux community’s attempt to replicate the ease of use and functionality of MacOS. Well, loosely speaking. GNOME is certainly slicker and more modern looking than a lot of other desktop environments, such as KDE Plasma or Cinnamon. It’s not that hard to use either once you get past the learning curve. But it’s definitely a case of putting form over function. Like the Super (Windows) key being defaulted to showing all your desktops instead of the app drawer. Now, I’m sure there are people who use multiple desktops. I don’t, and I don’t know anybody that does. But for something that’s specifically trying to lure in Windows users, that key has always been for the app drawer.

GNOME 41 also doesn’t make it easy to switch between windows on your current desktop. Instead having everything maximized, and offering no minimization button whatsoever. Now this can be added using a bit of software called GNOME Tweaks, but it isn’t installed by default. If you do plan on running GNOME though, it’s practically mandatory.

Overall, despite the streamlined impression it gives off the bat, it’s ironically a very cluttered and not that intuitive of a user experience. Once you figure out how it works, you can muddle your way through it easily enough. But there’s a reason why they say you don’t fix what ain’t broken.

This brings us to the next issue I encountered. The Framework, like it’s brother from another mother the Surface Laptop, features a 3:2 display with an oddball resolution. 2256×1504 to be specific. The problem with Linux is that most apps are designed with 1080p displays in mind. Which is a bit of a problem considering that most of the world is moving on from 1080p displays. Out of the box, Fedora 35 offers display scaling either at 100% or 200%. One of which makes UI elements way too small on the Framework. The other makes everything way too big. Fractional scaling can be turned on by running a script in the Terminal. Something which non-tux initiated wouldn’t even know to look for. However, using this tends to make most apps blurry. Heck, even at 200% integer scaling, many apps still look blurry. Which really detracts from gorgeous display this laptop ships with. I’ve also noticed the same problem with Zorin on my desktop, which has a standard 1440p monitor.

Now, there is a workaround to this. You set the scaling to 100% and just make the text bigger. Again accomplished via GNOME Tweaks. There are also extensions you can get for GNOME that make the task bar icons bigger. Some software like Vivaldi Browser also feature their own scaling engines. But many UI elements still end up being way too small. Like the comically tiny mouse cursor or min/max buttons. Needless to say, GNOME, and Linux in general, has a lot of improvements to make before it can catch up to Windows and MacOS in this regard.

Of course the fun didn’t stop there. Installing the Cura slicer for my 3D printer went smoothly, but the application failed to scale correctly causing issues with selecting menu options. Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve failed to detect my laptop’s GPU. Bluemail meanwhile somehow managed to break automatic updates. Some Steam games would just immediately crash even with Proton enabled. I suspect some of these issues could have been fixed with a re-install of the OS, or a hunt for missing packages, but that just seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

Now, in fairness I haven’t had the same issues with Zorin on my desktop. So maybe this is just specific to Fedora. Yet this was supposed to be the distro with the best support for the Framework Laptop, and well, it just kind of pooped the bed on first impressions. All the tweaking and terminal scripts to make if half-way usable just ended up being a colossal hassle. I really do sympathize with Linus when he tried to do the same, but for gaming.

So I reluctantly plopped down the cash for a Windows 10 license, and the experience has been night and day. As much as I hate handing over money to that fork tongued lizard Bill Gates and his spyware, you have to admit Windows is a highly streamlined product. Everything was fuss free. Which is probably why Framework, despite their open hardware, still ships their pre-assembled units with it and not Linux.

This experience circles back to an article I did a few months back about why desktop Linux wasn’t ready for prime time. I love the concept, and I’m sure many Linux fanatics will tell me I’m using it wrong . And they’re probably right. But if a power user like me still runs into so many problems and hassles, then it’s going to be no good for your average ham & egger. There is a reason why Big Tech got so big in the first place, even if I think their business practices are deplorable.