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System76 Oryx Pro +
+

+ System76 Oryx Pro 7 Review +

+

+ My review of the System76 Oryx Pro 7. +

+
+
+ +
+
+ Windows to Linux +
+

+ Switching from Windows to Linux +

+

+ A reflection on my journey from Windows to + Linux. +

+
+
+
+
+
+ Docker Whale
@@ -43,33 +82,6 @@
- diff --git a/src/blog_docker.html b/src/blog_docker.html index 8da4743..530976c 100644 --- a/src/blog_docker.html +++ b/src/blog_docker.html @@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
diff --git a/src/blog_oryx_pro_review.html b/src/blog_oryx_pro_review.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..07aae61 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/blog_oryx_pro_review.html @@ -0,0 +1,408 @@ + + + + + System76 Oryx Pro 7 Review + + + + + +
+
+
+ +
+
+ +

System76 Oryx Pro 7 Review

+ + +

Updated on August 26, 2021

+ + +
+ System76 Oryx Pro +
+ +
+ + +

+ System Specifications +

+ +

Oryx Pro 7 Configuration

+
    +
  • + OS: Pop!_OS 20.10 (64-bit) with full + disk-encryption +
    • +
  • + CPU: 5 GHz i7-10870H (2.2 up to 5.0 GHz - + 16MB Cache - 8 Cores -16 Threads) +
    • +
  • GPU: 8 GB RTX 3070 w/ 5888 CUDA Cores
    • +
  • + Memory: 8 GB Single Channel DDR4 at 2933 MHz +
    • +
  • + Storage: 240 GB Seq Read: 540 MB/s, Seq + Write: 465 MB/s +
    • +
  • Display: 15.6" Matte 144Hz Full HD 1080p
    • +
  • + Warranty: 2 Year Limited Parts and Labor + Warranty +
    • +
  • + Link: + System76 Website +
    • +
  • Price: $2,209.47
    • +
+ +

Additional Parts

+ +

Storage

+
    +
  • Model: Samsung 970 EVO Plus M.2 NVMe SSD
    • +
  • Size: 2TB
    • +
  • + Link: + Amazon +
    • +
  • Price: $319.99
    • +
+ +

RAM

+
    +
  • + Model: HyperX Impact DDR4 CL17 SODIMM Memory + (Kit of 2) +
    • +
  • Size: 32GB
    • +
  • Speed: 2933MHz
    • +
  • + Link: + Amazon +
    • +
  • Price: $219.00
    • +
+ +
+ +

General Comments

+

+ I ended up purchasing the Oryx Pro 7 with base memory + and storage, then replaced them with parts I bought from + Amazon. The upgrade experience was pretty good. I had + some trouble removing the back plate because some screws + got stuck, but it was overall not too difficult. Coming + from a desktop with a GTX 1070 and a 1440p 60 Hz + monitor, I can honestly say that I prefer the higher + refresh rate over the resolution bump. Gaming + performance has been amazing, and my overall experience + with the laptop has been positive. I will mention that I + occasionally run into some freezing issues even when not + doing anything particularly intensive, but these were + largely resolved when I tried some different kernels. + The fans did get too loud at times, but this was also + resolved by switching kernels. +

+ +
+ +

Replacing Pop!_OS

+

+ Regarding OS, I initially tried to install Arch Linux + with dwm like I had on my desktop, but found that + switching between the graphics modes (i.e. Integrated, + Hybrid, and Discrete) was just a nightmare. I tried + installing System76 software through the AUR, but ran + into too many issues that I couldn't resolve. + Additionally, the laptop speakers did not seem to work + either. Eventually got this working after trying the + solution in ArchWiki. Thus, I decided to switch to + Pop!_OS. The main change I made to the install process + was to use btrfs rather than the default (ext4 I think) + so I could take snapshots and backup my data with + Timeshift. Overall, I'm really happy that System76 and + Pop!_OS have come up with a good solution for switchable + graphics. Being able to just click on the option in the + GNOME menu is so useful. The window management in + Pop!_OS is very good too. Coming from a standalone + window manager like dwm, this provides a pretty good + balance between convenience (having things work out of + the box with a desktop environment) and usability + (keyboard shortcuts in dwm are very handy). +

+

+ After some more time with Pop!_OS, I realized that I + really missed Arch so I decided to try some other Arch + based distros. With Garuda Linux, switchable graphics + now works. Couldn't figure out how to get it working on + vanilla arch. Integrated speakers didn't work out of the + box, but was able to resolve it with the solution listed + in the ArchWiki. Garuda linux implements a lot of the + customizations I usually do in my vanilla Arch installs + anyways (e.g. btrfs, zen kernel, chaotic-aur, backups w/ + timeshift, etc.), so I'm pretty happy with it. Ran into + a bunch of crashing and system break issues with the + GNOME edition. Timeshift usually helped me recover from + this, but not always. Thus, decided to switch to KDE + Dragonized edition as it looks nice, uses KDE plasma + instead of GNOME, and comes with a bunch of gaming + related apps pre-installed, which saves me time. Still + encountered freezing issues with KDE Dragonized edition, + so eventually switched to i3 edition, but replaced i3 w/ + Xmonad. Then replaced Xmonad w/ dwm-flexipatch. + Performance is amazing and haven't encountered the + freezing issue that I had with GNOME and KDE any more. +

+ +
+ +

Pros and Cons

+ +

Pros

+
    +
  • + The display is really good, I am highly satisfied + with it. Everything is just so much smoother in + 144Hz. +
    • +
  • + Keyboard is pretty good, maybe not as good as my old + HP Spectre x360 which was excellent. Having a number + pad on a 15" laptop is really good too. +
    • +
  • + Gaming performance is amazing! Recently got Yakuza: + Like a Dragon on Steam. Runs at above 60 fps on all + of the highest settings. +
    • +
  • + Love the keyboard backlighting and color changing on + the fly. Would love to be able to customize this + further in software though. +
    • +
  • + Trackpad is the best I have used in a long time. + Love the surface feel, my finger just glides. +
    • +
  • + It was a bit more difficult than I expected to + remove the bottom plate when upgrading the RAM and + storage, but overall a very easy process. Really + appreciate the focus on upgradeability in the + hardware design. +
    • +
  • Tons of ports! Extremely useful!
    • +
  • + General build quality is solid. Really like the + feel. +
    • +
+ +

Cons

+
    +
  • + Speakers are really sub-par. I understand that + System76 doesn't design the hardware, but this was + my main disappointment. I have bluetooth bookshelf + speakers and bluetooth headphones I can use, so this + isn't an unsolvable problem, but just generally + annoying. +
    • +
  • + Webcam is functional, but not good at all. + Definitely need to use an external webcam for video + calls. +
    • +
  • + The microphone has a strange oscillatory behavior + where there is some buzzing sound that increases and + decreases regularly. Additionally, you can really + hear the fans ramping up and down in the mic, makes + it difficult to have a meeting if you use the + integrated mic and the fans suddenly turn on. + Definitely need an external mic. +
    • +
  • + Battery life is really bad when the discrete + graphics card is on (as expected). Maybe a little + more than an hour a time, sometimes more depending + on how willing I am to lower CPU frequency and + stuff. As a desktop replacement, that is to be + expected through. +
    • +
  • + Mouse click buttons are not great. Regularly left + click on something in GNOME and nothing happens. + "Tapping" with the mousepad works very reliably + though. +
    • +
  • + Fans can get really loud when gaming, but this is an + understandable limitation with gaming laptops. I was + able to mostly solve this by switching to a custom + kernel. +
    • +
  • + Random freezing is kind of an issue, but is + generally resolved by using a custom kernel. +
    • +
+ +
+ +

Conclusions

+

+ It may seem that the cons outweigh the pros, but this is + only in number and I am really nitpicking. The things + this laptop get right (e.g. gaming, refresh rate, + switchable graphics, general performance) are much more + important to me than the other things. Regarding price, + you are definitely paying a premium for first-class + linux support, but it is well worth it in my opinion. I + do not want to use Windows anymore and I am happy to pay + extra if it means supporting a company that promotes and + sells Linux computers. +

+ +
+ +

Images

+ +
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+ +
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+ +
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+ +
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+ +
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+ +
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+ +
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+ +
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+
+ + + + diff --git a/src/blog_windows_to_linux.html b/src/blog_windows_to_linux.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dadb473 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/blog_windows_to_linux.html @@ -0,0 +1,384 @@ + + + + + Switching from Windows to Linux + + + + + +
+
+
+ +
+
+ +

Switching from Windows to Linux

+ + +

Updated on August 26, 2021

+ + +
+ Windows to Linux +
+ +
+ + +

Introduction

+

+ Around Summer of 2020, I started experimenting with + Linux to see if it could replace Windows. I had a little + bit of experience with + Red Hat Enterprise Linux + and + Ubuntu + through my Computer Science course work, but I had never + really used it as my daily driver desktop / laptop + operating system. I really wanted to see if it could + handle development, general productivity, and gaming. +

+ +

Development

+

+ Development is definitely where Linux shines because of + its superior package management. For example, Ubuntu + (and its derivatives) use the apt package manager which + allows you to easily install most development packages + like Python, gcc, Git, etc. On Windows, you have to go + to a website, click on a download link, run an + executable, and walk through the steps in an installer. + On Linux, it is as simple as a couple terminal commands. +

+ +

Productivity

+

+ General productivity is no different on Linux than + Windows, other than the lack of Microsoft Office. This + wasn't a big deal for me because there are plenty of + free and open-source alternatives as well as web-based + options if I ever needed to write documents, create + presentations, or track finances. +

+ +

Gaming

+

+ Gaming was really the main concern I had when thinking + about moving away from Windows. Luckily, there has been + a lot of progress on this front in recent years. Per + ProtonDB: +

+
+ "Proton is a new tool released by Valve Software that + has been integrated with Steam Play to make playing + Windows games on Linux as simple as hitting the Play + button within Steam. Underneath the hood, Proton + comprises other popular tools like Wine and DXVK among + others that a gamer would otherwise have to install and + maintain themselves. This greatly eases the burden for + users to switch to Linux without having to learn the + underlying systems or losing access to a large part of + their library of games. Proton is still in its infancy + so support is inconsistent, but regularly improving." +
+

+ Looking at ProtonDB, a lot of the games I play (mostly + single-player) have gold or above ratings, meaning they + generally work by just pressing the play button, + possibly with a few tweaks. After trying this out + myself, I have come to the same conclusion. Gaming on + Linux is as good as it has ever been and will only get + better, especially after the announcement and release of + the Linux powered + Steam Deck + from Valve. +

+ +
+ +

Distro Hopping

+

+ After trying out a bunch of distros like + Ubuntu, + Pop!_OS, and + Fedora, I eventually landed on + Arch Linux. As someone who likes to tinker with their computer a + lot, Arch felt like the best option because I could + literally build my OS from the ground up. I essentially + have complete control over which packages get installed + on my system. This means there is a steep learning curve + and things can break if you are not careful, but the + Arch Wiki + is possible the greatest Linux resource I have ever + seen. The main reasons I decided on Arch are: +

+
    +
  • + Rolling Release: I don't have to re-install + my OS every 6 months. My system gets updated through + a simple terminal command. +
    • +
  • + Package Management: Pacman and AUR helpers + like paru are by far the best package management + solution I have seen in Linux. Pretty much any piece + of software you might want to use is available in + either the + main Arch repos + or the + AUR. I wanted my packages to be up to date without + relying on universal package formats like + snap, flatpak, or + AppImage. While these are great in that they can run on any + Linux distro, they don't integrate into the system + as well as I would like. AppImages have to be + updated manually and don't integrate well with the + desktop experience by default. Flatpaks are + sandboxed applications, which means they require + manual intervention to access certain parts of the + OS. The main issue I found here was with theming. + For lots of open source applications, they may not + have a snap, flatpak, or AppImage package, but they + almost always have an AUR package. This means it is + extremely rare to have to manually install any + application or program on my system. +
    • +
  • + Customizability: Everything on my system was + either installed by me or a dependency for something + I installed. There is little to no bloatware. +
    • +
+

+ After running Arch on my gaming desktop and ultrabook + laptop for around a year, I decided to buy a Linux + gaming laptop. I wanted to have one system that I could + get work done and play games on. After doing some + research, I landed on the + System76 Oryx Pro 7 + because it is made by a US based company with excellent + customer service and has first-class Linux support. + System76 also makes Pop!_OS, which I tried for a couple + of weeks, but I just had to go back to Arch for the + reasons mentioned above. Luckily, the Arch Wiki has a + page for the System76 Oryx Pro. Unfortunately, I had some issue with NVIDIA's Linux + drivers and + System76's graphics switching tool + on Arch. I was able to resolve the issue by switching to + Garuda Linux, which is based on Arch, but provides an easy to use + installer and some nice GUI tools for configuring your + system. As of the time of writing, I don't see myself + switching from Garuda because it provides all the + benefits of Arch without the initial hassle of + installing the system from scratch. +

+ +
+ +

+ Desktop Environments +

+

+ While I was in the process of switching between Linux + distros, I was also switching between desktop + environments. I was most familiar with + GNOME + from Ubuntu and RHEL, but it felt kind of slow and + lacked customizability. This is when I discovered + KDE Plasma. Coming from Windows, I was much more comfortable with + the look and feel of KDE Plasma. Additionally, it has + many (perhaps too many) customizability options. After + using this for a while, I eventually ran into some + system freezing issues that I didn't expect to see given + my hardware and felt that I could go for something a bit + more minimal. +

+ +
+ +

Window Managers

+

+ This is when I learned about window managers from + YouTubers like + DistroTube. Desktop environments are generally a combination of a + window manager and a bunch of utility programs and + pre-installed apps. A standalone window manager just + controls where windows show up on your screen and the + decorations that appear around them. The most suggested + window manager for beginners is generally + i3. This + is a tiling window manager with a configuration file + that is written in an easy to use syntax. I tried i3 for + a while, but it never really stuck, so I went back to + KDE Plasma. After doing some more research, I eventually + landed on + dwm. Given my experience with C/C++, this seemed like a + better window manager for my needs. One of the main + downsides of dwm is that it is meant to be super minimal + where features you might expect to see need to be added + through patches. The process of patching can be slow, + annoying, and prone to error. One solution, that I ended + up going with, is to use + dwm-flexipatch. This includes a bunch of commonly used patches that + can be enabled or disabled very easily. You can see my + configuration of dwm-flexipatch on + GitHub. +

+ +
+ +

Current Setup

+

+ My + current setup + involves these main components: +

+ +

+ dwm flexipatch desktop setup +

+ +
+
+
+ +
+
+
+ + + + diff --git a/src/personal.html b/src/personal.html index eccf9e0..482f08f 100644 --- a/src/personal.html +++ b/src/personal.html @@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ >Dracula Official +
  • + Fluent Icons +
  • Live Share Extension Pack
    • -
  • - Material Icon Theme -
  • Prettier - Code formatterPrettier - Code Formatter
  • Settings SyncProject Manager
  • @@ -186,6 +186,20 @@ >Todo Tree
    • +
  • + Vim +
    • +
  • + vscode-icons +
    • @@ -212,13 +226,6 @@ >CMake Tools -
  • - Debugger for Chrome -
  • - +

    Brave BrowserVivaldi Browser

    -

    Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

    +

    Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android

    After trying Microsoft Edge, and - Vivaldi, I finally decided to go with Brave. It will be + Brave, I finally decided to go with Vivaldi. It will be very familiar for those coming from Chrome since it is also based on Chromium. The main reason I like it is for its speed. I - haven't done any official tests comparing - performance, but it subjectively seems more - responsive. Additionally, most if not all Chrome - extensions can be used with Brave, so that should - help ease the transition for those who can't live - without them. Brave's main selling points are its - privacy features, ad blocking, and Brave Rewards. - The latter allows you to earn Brave Attention Tokens - (BAT), which are essentially a cryptocurrency, when - viewing privacy-respecting ads. + >. The main reason I like it is for its + customizability. There are so many features + available to the user like tab stacking and tiling + that I find extremely helpful. If you are a browser + power user such as myself, I think you will find it + really hard to switch to another browser's tab + management system. Vivaldi's is by the best I have + used. Additionally, most if not all Chrome + extensions can be used with Vivaldi and it has + built-in ad blocking and tracking prevention. + Definitely recommend that you give it a try.

    @@ -620,7 +627,7 @@
    • @@ -630,81 +637,45 @@
    - + + +
    -

    - Desktop PC: Custom -

    +

    Laptop: System76 Oryx Pro 7

    - A full list of my desktop PC build components can be - found on + I was looking for a Linux laptop that I could use + for development, general productivity, and gaming + over the next couple of years. While I love my + desktop and my ultrabook laptop, I really wanted one + device that could fill both roles. After doing some + research, I landed on + System76. They are a U.S. based company that specializes in + selling Linux laptops, desktops, and servers. They + also make their own Linux distribution in + Pop!_OS. Of their available laptops, the PCPartPicker. My current build has stayed largely the same from - when I first built it, with the exception of the - peripherals and monitors. I have upgraded my - keyboard, mouse, and speakers over the past couple - of years as I found deals. -

    -
    -
    -
    -
    - -
    -
    -

    Laptop: HP Spectre x360 15"

    -

    - My laptop is mainly used for school. I wanted a - touchscreen so I could take digital written notes in - class and I needed a good processor and dedicated - graphics card for - CAD - software and for general programming applications. I - landed on the HP Spectre x360 because it had a great - balance of specs, amazing display, touch screen, and - very nice typing experience for a reasonable price. - I was initially leaning towards a Razer Blade or - Microsoft's Surface Book. The former would be great - for school and for gaming, but it isn't great for - taking handwritten digital notes. The latter is - similar to the Spectre in regards to specs, but has - a favorable display ratio for productivity. The main - reason I chose against the Surface Book in the end - was the high price relative to the Spectre. I was - able to get very comparable specs for a much lower - price with the Spectre. My laptop is the 2016 model - with Intel i7-7500U CPU, NVIDIA GeForce 940MX GPU, - and 16 GB RAM. The newer models have thinner bezels, - diamond-cut corners, updated specs, and better - trackpad drivers. If you are running Windows 10 and - want better touch pad drivers, check out - Oryx Pro - installing Microsoft's Precision Trackpad - drivers - . Finally, I have had many issues with the speakers - on my model. This has been reported by many other - users as well. I'm not sure if this issue has been - resolved on newer models, but it's something to look - out for. + lineup seemed to be the best balance of portability, + power, and hybrid graphics. The last point is + especially important to me because I want to be able + to extend battery life by turning off the discrete + GPU when I don't need it. Overall, I am very happy + with my purchase. For more information, check out my + review.

    @@ -718,27 +689,52 @@

    Tablet: Microsoft Surface Go

    - The Surface Go is primarily used as a - secondary-device and tablet. I use it for media - consumption and occasional e-book reading. It is by - no means powerful enough to act as my primary - device, but I like it as a secondary device that I - will occasionally use. If you do end up going with - the Surface Go, make sure you + I primarily use the Surface Go as a secondary-device + and tablet. I use it for media consumption, + occasional textbook / pdf reading, and for taking + digital handwritten notes with the + Surface Pen. It is by no means powerful enough to act as my + primary device. The + Surface Go 2 + has since released, so you may want to look into + that instead. If you do end up going with the + Surface Go, make sure you turn off S mode to be able to install apps that aren't on the - Microsoft Store. If you are a Costco member, I would - recommend looking at the - Surface Type Cover bundle. This bundle has a 128 GB SSD, 4GB RAM, Intel - Pentium Gold 4415Y CPU, and includes the type cover. + Microsoft Store. I would generally recommend looking + for bundles as the type cover and pen are not + included by default. +

    +

    + I did experiment with running + BlissOS + on this tablet since I really like the hardware, but + I'm not the biggest fan of Windows. After a bit of + configuration, it was definitely usable, but had + some deal breaking issues. The first one being + battery drain. It seemed like the battery life was + much lower than I would have expected and I didn't + find a good way to resolve this. The other big issue + I found was with the on-board speakers. When + listening to music or watching a video, the audio + seemingly played at 1/2 the normal speed. When + connecting headphones to the headphone jack, it had + the same issue. However, audio worked perfectly when + connecting headphones over Bluetooth.

    @@ -830,24 +826,29 @@

    Wireless Headphones: Sony WH-1000XM4

    - I actually purchased the WH-1000XM2's myself before - the XM4's came out, but the XM4's are an improvement - in every way and well worth the price. Sound quality - is amazing, noise cancelling is excellent, and it - has audio passthrough in case you need to hear your - environment. If you need wireless bluetooth - headphones, this is it. My favorite feature is - definitely the battery life. Sony reports 30 hours - of charge. If you will be away from an outlet for an - extended period of time and plan on using your - headphones a lot, these are great. + I previously purchased the WH-1000XM2's, but decided + to upgrade after seeing the XM4's on sale. The XM4's + are an improvement in every way and well worth the + price. Sound quality is amazing, noise cancelling is + excellent, and it has audio passthrough in case you + need to hear your environment. If you need wireless + bluetooth headphones, this is it. My favorite + feature is definitely the ability to connect to two + devices (e.g. laptop and phone) at once. This means + I can answer a call on my phone while listening to + music on my laptop without having to completely + re-pair devices. I also really like the battery + life. Sony reports 30 hours of charge. If you will + be away from an outlet for an extended period of + time and plan on using your headphones a lot, these + are great.

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