Another Pop OS thread.

AltTabbins

AltTabbins

Fully [H]
Joined
Jul 29, 2005
Messages
20,387
How is this distro so good!!? I literally can’t find a single tiny bug to bitch about. Literally. I have been running it on my laptop for about 3 months now and it’s been great. That’s kind of cheating though since Linux has been very simple and forgiving on my laptop. I’ve tried to get Manjaro, Soulus, and Ubuntu working on my desktop but I always run into some issue that turns me back to windows. I installed it on my desktop expecting the same and... nothing. I couldn’t break it.

  • Rtx 2080ti drivers out of the box? Check.
  • Nvidia settings that actually write to the x config file so I dont have to change them every reboot? Check.
  • 165hz works and is smooth? Check.
  • Gsync working even though I have 2 monitors? Check.
  • Steam installs and proton works with no additional installation like MS fonts or DXVK stuff? Check.
  • Lutirs installs World of Warcraft without an additional dependencies or wine tweets? Holy shit check, this is the first time ever.
  • Hitman 2 runs without any changes? Check.
  • Netflix in Firefox? Check.
  • Cinnamon desktop installs without issues? Check.
  • Power settings stick in Nvidia control panel? Check.
  • And lastly, the biggest turn off for me so far with Linux... screen tearing on the desktop, in Firefox, and on streaming video? Nope it’s smooth as silk with NO screen tearing anywhere.


This is it. This is me removing Microsoft from every non work computer I have. I never thought I’d get here, I’ve always found a reason to run Windows on my desktop. I can’t find a reason to uninstall Pop OS. It’s fantastic.
 
AltTabbins said:
Give it a shot. Its extremely similar to Ubuntu, but fixes all the gripes I ever had about Ubuntu.
Click to expand...

Oh I will, for sure. The ability a Linux LiveCD offers is awesome. I can try and then avoid if I don't like it.

I also like the Cinnamon desktop manager and its what I use on Linux Mint. I have really been missing it these days by being on normal Ubuntu and I never once even thought about being able to install is separately... So, now I feel like an idiot ;)
 
Think I might have to break down this weekend and see what Pop is all about as well. I always assumed it was just another Ubuntu reskin... sounds like if it started that way they have moved on and up.

Might even have enough old laptop parts around perhaps I should frankenbook a pop machine. lol
 
System76 is doing some very good things and right now if I had a pick an Ubuntu based distro it would be Pop. They've done so many good things you're seeing Ubuntu do the same with 19.10 because they've noticed that well...users like that kind of thing. Things like bundling the proper Nvidia driver right off the bat or Netflix actually working without extra hoop jumping.
 
AltTabbins said:
How is this distro so good!!? I literally can’t find a single tiny bug to bitch about. Literally. I have been running it on my laptop for about 3 months now and it’s been great. That’s kind of cheating though since Linux has been very simple and forgiving on my laptop. I’ve tried to get Manjaro, Soulus, and Ubuntu working on my desktop but I always run into some issue that turns me back to windows. I installed it on my desktop expecting the same and... nothing. I couldn’t break it.

  • Rtx 2080ti drivers out of the box? Check.
  • Nvidia settings that actually write to the x config file so I dont have to change them every reboot? Check.
  • 165hz works and is smooth? Check.
  • Gsync working even though I have 2 monitors? Check.
  • Steam installs and proton works with no additional installation like MS fonts or DXVK stuff? Check.
  • Lutirs installs World of Warcraft without an additional dependencies or wine tweets? Holy shit check, this is the first time ever.
  • Hitman 2 runs without any changes? Check.
  • Netflix in Firefox? Check.
  • Cinnamon desktop installs without issues? Check.
  • Power settings stick in Nvidia control panel? Check.
  • And lastly, the biggest turn off for me so far with Linux... screen tearing on the desktop, in Firefox, and on streaming video? Nope it’s smooth as silk with NO screen tearing anywhere.


This is it. This is me removing Microsoft from every non work computer I have. I never thought I’d get here, I’ve always found a reason to run Windows on my desktop. I can’t find a reason to uninstall Pop OS. It’s fantastic.
Click to expand...

I think you may just have been unlucky in the past? This has literally been my experience running Ubuntu Mate for around three years now...

Good to see System76 doing such a good job however!
 
AltTabbins said:
This is it. This is me removing Microsoft from every non work computer I have. I never thought I’d get here, I’ve always found a reason to run Windows on my desktop. I can’t find a reason to uninstall Pop OS. It’s fantastic.
Click to expand...

Just a note: Wine has become much better also lately. I can run most Windows based programs on Wine, including stuff that uses Access databases. You just need to use winetricks to install a couple of dll:s.
 
Soooo, I gave it a shot on a 2011 2p system I have been meaning to get going and I'll be honest with you, bruv... No real noticeable difference to me besides the terrible desktop manager.

Two things, though.. first, without this thread I would never have even considered being able to install cinnamon and secondly, I found the ISO considerably smaller than most previous ones, but my most current Ubuntu install is in the 18 range, so maybe it's just a Ubuntu 19 thing.

Edit: I'm also not at the cutting edge of technology, and that seemed to be one of the selling points for you. So I'm likely just the wrong audience. Thanks for the heads up, though!
 
Last edited:
It's actually not that hard to find a bug, you are clearly not trying!

Enable optimus, install drivers, connect thunderbolt 3 egpu, put laptop in dock. Unplug and remove the egpu while it is still running. Crash!

PopOS! is great, but it's shit for workstations. My docking station doesn't even work correctly with it. Docking station + egpu + vmware = a middle finger.
 
KarsusTG said:
It's actually not that hard to find a bug, you are clearly not trying!

Enable optimus, install drivers, connect thunderbolt 3 egpu, put laptop in dock. Unplug and remove the egpu while it is still running. Crash!

PopOS! is great, but it's shit for workstations. My docking station doesn't even work correctly with it. Docking station + egpu + vmware = a middle finger.
Click to expand...

Seems like an awfully uncommon type of setup lol.. but I'll let you be mad.
 
ChadD said:
Think I might have to break down this weekend and see what Pop is all about as well. I always assumed it was just another Ubuntu reskin... sounds like if it started that way they have moved on and up.

Might even have enough old laptop parts around perhaps I should frankenbook a pop machine. lol
Click to expand...

So would that be called a Pop-up book? :LOL:
 
KarsusTG said:
It's actually not that hard to find a bug, you are clearly not trying!

Enable optimus, install drivers, connect thunderbolt 3 egpu, put laptop in dock. Unplug and remove the egpu while it is still running. Crash!

PopOS! is great, but it's shit for workstations. My docking station doesn't even work correctly with it. Docking station + egpu + vmware = a middle finger.
Click to expand...
Who uses egpu anyway? If you need a desktop use a friggin desktop! My house has 7 computers for different work profiles and a couple of pads. And that's not even counting the servers and SBC:s.
 
auntjemima said:
Seems like an awfully uncommon type of setup lol.. but I'll let you be mad.
Click to expand...

Nah, it's actually really common. A lot of professionals use laptops with docking stations to enable going from desk at work to a desk at a home office. Honestly, it's awesome.

B00nie said:
Who uses egpu anyway? If you need a desktop use a friggin desktop! My house has 7 computers for different work profiles and a couple of pads. And that's not even counting the servers and SBC:s.
Click to expand...

Ya, I gave up my 6800k system for my brothers startup. Then built a threadripper which quickly got delegated to an image processing station. I plan on building a 16 core am4 system in June/July for my home use, but until then I am using the eGPU to push my 3 4k monitors when I am at home.

Honestly, the only distro I have found that stands up to this kind of use is fedora. Go figure since it's designed for enterprise use, which typically has a lot of laptops on docking stations. Pop_OS! is a good OS though imo.
 
KarsusTG said:
A lot of professionals use laptops with docking stations to enable going from desk at work to a desk at a home office.
Click to expand...

...but you're throwing an eGPU into the mix while the Linux graphics pipeline isn't quite mature enough to natively handle many common graphics setups.
 
I have pop a bit of a run through this weekend. Not extensive or anything.... and I installed it on a pretty old core machine with a 750ti. So perhaps not the most fair run.

Not a bad ubuntu spin... I can see its not a complete Ubuntu reskin, but it isn't exactly a ton more. I loved that the gnome hot corners where gone by default. A no hot corner extension is almost always my first install. I liked the integrated slim top bar option... although there are extensions to do that as well. In general it was clean the install was smooth and everything just worked.

My only gripe and the reason I won't likely use it is the package manager. I would end up going full terminal cause that pop shop is just junk. To be fair I haven't seen many debian based GUI package managers that I have liked all that much. Also I give them props for not bothering to change the old grub boot loader... and the left it saying "ubuntu" on boot. I guess their own machines don't really use that so its not something they worried about. :)

Having said all that if I was setting up a laptop for a friend or family member. Pop might be a real consideration... although I still don't see much reason to not just install Ubuntu instead.

I guess it goes into my list of not terrible distros worth keeping tabs on. lol
 
I had a somewhat bad experience with a previous spin of Pop, where I missed the option to not wipe out the Windows install... and then I had the same audio issue that I'd been having with many distros, which I'm now having again with Fedora 30. Which is infuriating and I'm pretty sure is just this hardware and some combination of driver and software when trying to get Lutris running League of Legends.

I'd definitely try it again if I weren't using RHEL-based stuff for work; I'll probably try it with my ancient gaming laptop which has a 675M :D.
 
The problem with egpus for me is that I don't see what the point is to have a microatx sized box sitting on the table and get to fiddle with cables (or docking stations) just so you can use your laptop lol.
 
B00nie said:
The problem with egpus for me is that I don't see what the point is to have a microatx sized box sitting on the table and get to fiddle with cables (or docking stations) just so you can use your laptop lol.
Click to expand...

It depends. If you are just doing word processing ya why bother, but if you are doing work that can utilize a gpu or pushing multiple hi rez monitors then why not? My quadro runs circles around the desktop 1070 in work stuff, but when you add in 3 4k monitors it starts to choke.
 
KarsusTG said:
It depends. If you are just doing word processing ya why bother, but if you are doing work that can utilize a gpu or pushing multiple hi rez monitors then why not? My quadro runs circles around the desktop 1070 in work stuff, but when you add in 3 4k monitors it starts to choke.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't criticize you at all for using an eGPU- just trying to do it in Linux, with how tenuous the desktop codebase seems to be. It's improving quickly and I hope that it continues to.
 
IdiotInCharge said:
I wouldn't criticize you at all for using an eGPU- just trying to do it in Linux, with how tenuous the desktop codebase seems to be. It's improving quickly and I hope that it continues to.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I don't normally run linux on my laptop, but after giving up my workstation again I switched over until I build another desktop to take it's place. I would have done it already if we had not been so close to the new am4 chips coming out.
 
Ok so one good thing that came from my Pop OS experiment.

"Pop Slim" is my new goto GTK theme.
Arch has a nice AUR system76-GTK package... perfect. lol

I will say Pop Slim is one of the cleanest best looking GTK themes I have seen.

The more I think about it though I'll have to look at pop again this weekend coming... perhaps if I just replace the terrible popshop crap with synaptic. :)
 
B00nie said:
The problem with egpus for me is that I don't see what the point is to have a microatx sized box sitting on the table and get to fiddle with cables (or docking stations) just so you can use your laptop lol.
Click to expand...

A microATX sized box worth a million dollars...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top