Hey everyone, I recently made the switch from Mac to Linux because my old MacBook is on its last legs and I'm a bit fed up with Apple. I chose Ubuntu, thinking it was the most user-friendly option for newcomers, but it's been a frustrating experience. I've encountered a lot of issues, from significant mouse lag with my Nvidia graphics on a dual monitor setup, random crashes when closing and reopening the lid, to general system freezes while using games. The browsing experience has also been questionable, with Firefox running slow and Chrome freezing at times. I was hoping for more customization options coming from Mac, but it feels like the tools available are lacking—especially when looking for something similar to Time Machine for backups. All these problems surfaced within the first week, and I'm wondering if I've just had a bad experience or if this is the norm for Linux users. Should I stick it out, switch to another distro, or just bite the bullet and get a new MacBook?
4 Answers
You might be dealing with a hackintosh situation! The hardware on your HP might not have proper Linux support. If you're considering switching distros, maybe try Pop!_OS—it’s really user-friendly and has good Nvidia support.
Absolutely, I switched to Pop!_OS and it made a difference for gaming.
It sounds like your experience with Ubuntu might not be unique. Many people have mentioned similar issues, especially with Nvidia drivers. If you’re looking for something more stable, I’d recommend trying Linux Mint. It’s more tailored for similar use cases and has fewer bugs compared to Ubuntu. But hey, if that doesn’t work, it might just be that Linux isn’t the best fit for everyone, and that's totally okay!
What do you think is better about Mint? Is it really that much more reliable?
I’m using Mint too, and I find it much smoother! Plus, it generally has broader hardware support.
Your setup may have some specific compatibility quirks, especially with a gaming laptop like the HP Omen. Linux does have issues with Nvidia cards, especially if you haven't set up the right drivers. Consider going with a Lenovo or a laptop known to support Linux better. But you might also just be unlucky with your current setup and need to try a different distro—Fedora works well for many!
Well, not all laptops are created equal for Linux. Some components just don’t play nicely.
What do you mean by support? Most people say any laptop can run Linux.
Honestly, the issues you’ve faced are pretty common with Ubuntu. You may want to try something like Manjaro or openSUSE. Both of these have a reputation for better out-of-the-box experiences than Ubuntu. And as for customization, it varies greatly by what desktop environment you choose!
What makes Manjaro easier to use compared to Ubuntu?
Manjaro has its own package management and often finds the latest drivers right away!
Have you had better performance with Pop!_OS than with Ubuntu?