Linux on The Framework Laptop

I have already heard several things about the framework laptop , which was then discussed quite controversially. As for its Linux compatibility, there is new news . The modular laptop is offered with Windows 10 or without an operating system. According to CEO Nirav Patel, there is great interest in the latter configuration and by far exceeds sales of preconfigured systems with Windows 10.

Hardware too new for some distributions

Developers of the distributions Fedora, elementary OS, NixOS and Arch Linux had received devices in advance for testing with the respective distributions in order to guarantee the best possible support. It turned out that parts of the hardware are too new for many distributions. This applies above all to Intel’s 11th generation CPUs, the Intel AX210 WiFi chip and the fingerprint sensor. The use of at least Kernel 5.12 together with libfprint version 1.92.0 or higher is recommended for the fingerprint sensor.

Active Linux forum

In the meantime, an active Linux forum has been established that provides instructions for various distributions. Ubuntu recommends version 21.04 because the current LTS version 20.04 is not up to date. Fedora 34 must first be brought up to date or a current respin must be used. With Arch Linux everything seems to work from kernel 5.13.7 onwards, while with elementary OS due to the Ubuntu LTS basis there is still a lot of manual work to be done. Even the Qubes OS , which is very critical in terms of hardware, runs on the framework laptop.

Zorin OS 16 Pro brings the interface from Windows 11 to Linux

It’s nice to see how quickly the Linux community has established a strong base and supported the project. The company itself seems to be doing well, currently 13 vacancies are advertised. Despite all the criticism that has been made, I think that the young project should be given a chance to learn from its first experiences and to draw the right conclusions.