this post was submitted on 30 May 2025
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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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Google used to use Ubuntu on MacBooks though I’m not sure if that’s still the case. It has a reputation of being straightforward and well supported but not everyone likes what canonical is doing anymore.
Fedora is weirdly more complex and its documentation isn’t as great as it looks on the surface. It’s worth a try but honestly documentation is more important than out of box support at this point.
Arch needs a lot of handholding and it’s a bit of a handful but the wiki is amazing and frankly the best part of that particular distro. Unlike Ubuntu you would get a virgin GNOME experience more similar to fedora but it’s also easier to break things in arch than elsewhere so keep that in mind before you head down this road. Arch is an excellent education but not always a best place to live in.
Start with Ubuntu if you want to see how that hardware is supported. If it is a pain in the ass in Ubuntu, it’s likely to be a pain in the ass elsewhere too. Consider using a usb wifi nubbin and just moving in with that.
Ubuntu is literally the only distro that I object to LOL but I will give Linux Mint Ubuntu a try on this machine. I haven't tried it before.
Mint is in a weird place right now with their transition to Wayland. It’s not complete yet and in my opinion it’s not ready for daily use.
Well the Wifi on Mint worked out of the box but the cursor would flash in and out, the audio didn't work, Steam wouldn't launch and my webcam was constantly lit up for some reason.
Okay then try Fedora and look into power management settings for the WiFi adaptor
How do you do that?
Unfortunately I dont have specific instructions on how to tame an angry fedora. It’s not my main so I dont have that memorized, but I do know Ubuntu likes to include some quality of life tweaks out of box that other distros like fedora can omit, including power management settings that can help tame stubborn wireless cards like these.
What does power management have to do with wireless cards?
wireless cards have their own power management settings that typically arent shown in the GUI and in linux the defaults for some of them are so aggressive they cause problems. Intels are notorious for this but some older broadcom cards had this problem too.
So if the wireless card draws too much power it won't be visible?
Opposite problem. Some wireless cards have unstable low power modes that get turned on anyway.
Interesting, thanks for that perspective.