Best Distro for New Hardware

[Sting]

I recently bought a new laptop with a 4000 series Nvidia graphics card. Trying to decide between Mint and Fedora. Will Mint have good hardware support if I manually install the latest kernel? Or is Fedora a better choice for new hardware?

Feel free to suggest alternative distros, but I do not plan to install Arch

[Pierre]

you could try the LinuxMint Edge version:

https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=4584
and
https://linuxmint-user-guide.readthedoc ... /edge.html

[Sting]

Thanks for the tip! Is the kernel the only thing that affects hardware compatibility?

[SMG]

I recently bought a new laptop with a 4000 series Nvidia graphics card.

Others are running 4000 Nvidia GPUs. Depending upon which one you have, you would not necessarily need the "latest" kernel. The 6.2 kernel is available with the Edge ISO and the 6.5-oem kernel can be installed from the command line.

What laptop did you buy?
Did you search this forum to see if anyone else has posted about it?

[Sting]

It's an HP Omen gaming laptop with an intel CPU. I will try searching the forum, thanks!

[SMG]

It's an HP Omen gaming laptop with an intel CPU. I will try searching the forum, thanks!

Here's a topic from August with a 12th-gen Intel and an RTX 3060 [SOLVED] No sound outputs or inputs (Dummy output) - OMEN laptop with Mint 21.2.

I know I've seen output with 4000 series GPUs, but I don't recall if those were HPs. I'm thinking those might have been Lenovos (but I'm not sure). I know I've seen people using 4000 series GPUs and the drivers are loading with the currently available kernels.

[MurphCID]

I have the Galago Pro with the 12th Gen intel chipset running Mint 21.2 but I installed the Linux OEM kernel. It works great.

sudo apt install linux-oem-22.04e it will put the 6.5.0-1009 kernel on the system.

[Sting]

Update: Thanks for the advice everyone! I installed both Mint and the KDE spin of Fedora on the computer. Fedora worked out of the box. The wifi and touch-pad didn't work at first on Mint. However, Ethernet and a mouse worked fine, and once I installed the latest kernel the wifi and touch-pad started working.

The only other issue I had with Mint is that the computer switches between using the dedicated graphics card and the integrated Intel graphics to save power, and when I installed the Nvidia drivers, Mint would crash when booting because it couldn't detect the Nvidia graphics card. I fixed this by turning off the dual-graphics setting in the BIOS.

Fedora seems like a nice OS, and I might try it out again one day, but for now I am sticking with Mint. This is mostly because I already know how to use Mint. For instance, I like to rebind CapsLock to a second Ctrl key. KDE plasma supports tons of custom keyboard layouts, but it doesn't allow rebinding arbitrary keys. My usual way of rebinding keys didn't work because Fedora uses Wayland instead of X11. Searching the internet on how to rebind keys in Fedora did not yield a solution. There is not really a reason to work through this and other issues when I already have a perfectly functioning OS in Mint.

[SMG]

The only other issue I had with Mint is that the computer switches between using the dedicated graphics card and the integrated Intel graphics to save power...

Linux Mint does not automatically switch GPUs. You have to manually set which GPU is being used. Did you mean you had problems when you were trying to switch using the nvidia-prime-applet?

[Sting]

Linux Mint does not automatically switch GPUs. You have to manually set which GPU is being used. Did you mean you had problems when you were trying to switch using the nvidia-prime-applet?

Initially, I think Mint was only using the Intel integrated graphics card. All I did was install the Nvidia drivers and restart. When the computer tried to boot Mint, I got command line errors, something about not being able to detect the Nvidia graphics card. When I disabled the graphics card switching in the BIOS, the computer booted perfectly. It is now using the Nvidia graphics card exclusively.

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 6.5.0-21-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A Desktop: Cinnamon 6.0.4 tk: GTK 3.24.33
    wm: muffin vt: 7 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 Distro: Linux Mint 21.3 Virginia base: Ubuntu 22.04 jammy
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: HP product: OMEN by HP Laptop 17t-cm200 v: N/A serial: <superuser required>
    Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: HP model: 8BAD v: 78.35 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: AMI v: F.08 date: 08/10/2023
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 82.3 Wh (100.0%) condition: 82.3/83.0 Wh (99.1%) volts: 13.1 min: 11.6
    model: HP Primary type: Li-ion serial: <filter> status: Full cycles: 6
CPU:
  Info: 24-core (8-mt/16-st) model: 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900HX bits: 64 type: MST AMCP
    smt: enabled arch: N/A rev: 1 cache: L1: 2.1 MiB L2: 32 MiB L3: 36 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1052 high: 1826 min/max: 800/5200:5400:3900 cores: 1: 975 2: 800 3: 800
    4: 800 5: 1304 6: 1750 7: 1255 8: 800 9: 840 10: 1672 11: 1201 12: 800 13: 1205 14: 800 15: 1315
    16: 800 17: 800 18: 1335 19: 800 20: 800 21: 1523 22: 1589 23: 1826 24: 1477 25: 800 26: 800
    27: 800 28: 800 29: 800 30: 800 31: 800 32: 800 bogomips: 154828
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: nvidia v: 535.161.07 pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s
    lanes: 16 ports: active: none off: eDP-1 empty: DP-1, DP-2, DP-3, HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0
    chip-ID: 10de:2757 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Chicony HP Wide Vision HD Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-6:3
    chip-ID: 04f2:b760 class-ID: fe01 serial: <filter>
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: nvidia
    unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,nouveau,vesa gpu: nvidia display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 2560x1440 s-dpi: 171 s-size: 380x210mm (15.0x8.3") s-diag: 434mm (17.1")
  Monitor-1: DP-0 res: 2560x1440 hz: 60 dpi: 170 size: 382x215mm (15.0x8.5") diag: 438mm (17.3")
  OpenGL: renderer: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU/PCIe/SSE2 v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 535.161.07
    direct render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:7a50 class-ID: 0401
  Device-2: NVIDIA vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: speed: 16 GT/s
    lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:22bb class-ID: 0403
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k6.5.0-21-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 4000 bus-ID: 04:00.0
    chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: rtw89_8852ce v: kernel pcie: speed: 5 GT/s
    lanes: 1 port: 3000 bus-ID: 05:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:c852 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp5s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Realtek Bluetooth Radio type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-7:4
    chip-ID: 0bda:c85c class-ID: e001 serial: <filter>
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 21 state: down bt-service: enabled,running rfk-block:
    hardware: no software: yes address: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.86 TiB used: 642.19 GiB (33.7%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: KIOXIA model: N/A size: 1.86 TiB speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: HP01AP40 temp: 46.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 1.36 TiB used: 321.06 GiB (23.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 256 MiB used: 65.1 MiB (25.4%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 2 GiB used: 46.8 MiB (2.3%) priority: -2 file: /swapfile
USB:
  Hub-1: 1-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 16 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
    chip-ID: 1d6b:0002 class-ID: 0900
  Device-1: 1-3:34 info: HP HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless type: Mouse,Keyboard,HID
    driver: hid-generic,usbhid interfaces: 3 rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s power: 500mA chip-ID: 03f0:0f98
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: 1-4:33 info: Hoksi DURGOD Taurus K320 type: Keyboard,HID driver: hid-generic,usbhid
    interfaces: 3 rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s power: 500mA chip-ID: 2f68:0082 class-ID: 0300
  Device-3: 1-6:3 info: Chicony HP Wide Vision HD Camera type: Video driver: uvcvideo
    interfaces: 3 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s power: 500mA chip-ID: 04f2:b760 class-ID: fe01
    serial: <filter>
  Device-4: 1-7:4 info: Realtek Bluetooth Radio type: Bluetooth driver: btusb interfaces: 2
    rev: 1.0 speed: 12 Mb/s power: 500mA chip-ID: 0bda:c85c class-ID: e001 serial: <filter>
  Hub-2: 2-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 10 rev: 3.1 speed: 20 Gb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
    class-ID: 0900
  Hub-3: 3-0:1 info: Hi-speed hub with single TT ports: 2 rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s
    chip-ID: 1d6b:0002 class-ID: 0900
  Hub-4: 4-0:1 info: Super-speed hub ports: 2 rev: 3.1 speed: 10 Gb/s chip-ID: 1d6b:0003
    class-ID: 0900
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 59.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 48 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 1830 fan-2: 0
Repos:
  Packages: 2493 apt: 2483 flatpak: 10
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    1: deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https: //brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nordvpn.list
    1: deb https: //repo.nordvpn.com//deb/nordvpn/debian stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
    1: deb http: //packages.linuxmint.com virginia main upstream import backport
    2: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy main restricted universe multiverse
    3: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates main restricted universe multiverse
    4: deb http: //archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports main restricted universe multiverse
    5: deb http: //security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ jammy-security main restricted universe multiverse
Info:
  Processes: 557 Uptime: 6d 18h 34m wakeups: 25759 Memory: 30.98 GiB used: 6.54 GiB (21.1%)
  Init: systemd v: 249 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 11.4.0 alt: 11/12 Client: Cinnamon v: 6.0.4
  inxi: 3.3.13

[SMG]

Initially, I think Mint was only using the Intel integrated graphics card.

Linux Mint either uses Intel mode or on-demand mode by default. It depends on the hardware which one comes up.

All I did was install the Nvidia drivers and restart. When the computer tried to boot Mint, I got command line errors, something about not being able to detect the Nvidia graphics card.

I do not have any ideas what that message might be. Installing the drivers should not have changed the mode so I would have expected it to render with Intel even if the Nvidia driver did not load.

You used Driver Manager to install the driver, correct?

When I disabled the graphics card switching in the BIOS, the computer booted perfectly. It is now using the Nvidia graphics card exclusively.

If that works for you, it's fine to leave it that way.

[Sting]

I do not have any ideas what that message might be. Installing the drivers should not have changed the mode so I would have expected it to render with Intel even if the Nvidia driver did not load.

I changed the BIOS setting back in order to replicate the error message for you, but instead it worked! It will be nice to have the extra battery life from only using the dedicated graphics card under heavy load

I now have a new icon on the task bar, which says:
Active profile: NVIDIA On-Demand [grayed out]
Switch to: Intel (Power Saving Mode) [selectable]
Switch to: NVIDIA (Performance Mode) [selectable]

I take it On-Demand means the system switches to the dedicated graphics card under heavy load and uses Intel the rest of the time?

You used Driver Manager to install the driver, correct?

Yes, that is correct.

[SMG]

I changed the BIOS setting back in order to replicate the error message for you, but instead it worked!

I had a sneaking suspicion that might happen.

I now have a new icon on the task bar, which says:
Active profile: NVIDIA On-Demand [grayed out]
Switch to: Intel (Power Saving Mode) [selectable]
Switch to: NVIDIA (Performance Mode) [selectable]

I take it On-Demand means the system switches to the dedicated graphics card under heavy load and uses Intel the rest of the time?

No. What it means is both drivers are available and if you tell a program to use Nvidia then it will, but otherwise it will use Intel.

I don't know if the option is still there (or still works), but at one time you could right-click a program in the menu and if the app allowed it, you could select "run with Nvidia" (which would be for that program only). See the "Nvidia Optimus" section of Linux Mint 20 Cinnamon: New Features for a screenshot (second screenshot in that section). Some programs have settings within the program itself to specify the GPU.

[Cyberbleuet]

Hi, even with the LinuxMint edge version with the 6.5.0-25-generic kernel some peripherals don't work on a recent pc, for example in my case the microphone doesn't work you need to install a very recent kernel with Liquorix for example.

Greetings!

[Sting]

I had a sneaking suspicion that might happen.

I guess after some 30,000 posts you gain an intuition for these sorts of things

I don't know if the option is still there (or still works), but at one time you could right-click a program in the menu and if the app allowed it, you could select "run with Nvidia" (which would be for that program only). See the "Nvidia Optimus" section of Linux Mint 20 Cinnamon: New Features for a screenshot (second screenshot in that section). Some programs have settings within the program itself to specify the GPU.

Thanks for the link! It still works that way.

[Sting]

Hi, even with the LinuxMint edge version with the 6.5.0-25-generic kernel some peripherals don't work on a recent pc, for example in my case the microphone doesn't work you need to install a very recent kernel with Liquorix for example.

Greetings!

Greetings! Everything is working great on my computer so far, but I will keep that in mind for the future.

[Hoser Rob]

... installed both Mint and the KDE spin of Fedora on the computer. Fedora worked out of the box. The wifi and touch-pad didn't work at first on Mint. ...t.

Fedora isn't a bad choice with new hardware. It's more bleeding edge than Mint/Ubuntu so for new boxes you don't have to deal with backported kernels, which is a bit of a hack. And it's not going to break itself regularly like a rolling release.

However I didn't like Fedora much. I don't like the packaging system or their support forum. And they don't do LTS, you have to reinstall every six months.

[Sting]

Fedora isn't a bad choice with new hardware. It's more bleeding edge than Mint/Ubuntu so for new boxes you don't have to deal with backported kernels, which is a bit of a hack.

Is there any downside to dealing with backported kernels, aside from the effort required to install them? I don't care if it's a hack as long as it works.

However I didn't like Fedora much. I don't like the packaging system or their support forum. And they don't do LTS, you have to reinstall every six months.

Yes, a major advantage of Mint over Fedora is the support forum here is much more active. I don't mind the lack of LTS though, and didn't notice any problems with the packaging system aside from the need to install other repositories to get non-free software.

[SMG]

Fedora isn't a bad choice with new hardware. It's more bleeding edge than Mint/Ubuntu so for new boxes you don't have to deal with backported kernels, which is a bit of a hack.

Is there any downside to dealing with backported kernels, aside from the effort required to install them? I don't care if it's a hack as long as it works.

Debian (LMDE) has the ability to backport kernels.

Mint/Ubuntu has HardWare Enablement (HWE) kernels which are the kernels which come with each new Ubuntu release. Those kernels are the ones available in Update Manager and I have never heard them referred to as "backports".