I'm currently using Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS on my gaming laptop and I'm considering installing it on my 14-inch 2-in-1 device that runs Windows 11 and has a touchscreen feature. When I fold the machine into tablet mode, the keyboard automatically turns off and I rely solely on the touchscreen. I'd like to know a few things about using Linux on this type of device: 1. How well does Linux perform on a touchscreen? 2. Is the touchscreen compatible with a pen or stylus? 3. Does the keyboard disable completely when in tablet mode? Any insights would be appreciated!
5 Answers
Generally, Linux has pretty solid driver support for touchscreens, and most devices will work fine. For your 2-in-1, it depends on your Desktop Environment—KDE or Gnome are both good choices for easy usage, and usually detect tablet mode without issues.
If you want to be absolutely sure, just boot up a live USB of your desired distro and test everything out. It’s a quick way to check compatibility before fully installing.
You might encounter some challenges, especially with devices like the Microsoft Surface, which need specific kernels to fully use the touchscreen features. Just a heads up that generic setups might not work seamlessly, but many have reported success with more tailored approaches!
I’ve had a solid experience running Fedora with Gnome on my Dell 2-in-1, and the touchscreen works perfectly without any issues! Really smooth performance.
Same here, I have an HP touchscreen laptop running Fedora with KDE and it functions great as well!
I’m running Mint on my Lenovo laptop with a touchscreen, and it works really well! I haven’t tested the pen features yet, but the touch functionality is excellent. The keyboard does turn off in tablet mode, which is exactly what I expected.
Good to know! It seems it's hit or miss depending on your specific setup.