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Small blog post updates

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- Added some more links and fleshed out wording
- Fixed some consistency issues
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Sravan Balaji
2021-08-27 12:19:57 -04:00
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245
src/blog_oryx_pro_review.html
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@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
<h1>System76 Oryx Pro 7 Review</h1>
<!-- Author & Date/Time -->
<p class="lead">Updated on August 26, 2021</p>
<p class="lead">Updated on August 27, 2021</p>
<!-- Preview Image -->
<div class="blog-cover">
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@
</h2>
<h3>Oryx Pro 7 Configuration</h3>
<p>
See the
<a
href="https://tech-docs.system76.com/models/oryp7/README.html"
target="_blank"
>System76 Technical Documentation</a
>
for more information.
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<b>OS</b>: Pop!_OS 20.10 (64-bit) with full
@@ -64,7 +73,7 @@
<b>Storage</b>: 240 GB Seq Read: 540 MB/s, Seq
Write: 465 MB/s
</li>
<li><b>Display</b>: 15.6" Matte 144Hz Full HD 1080p</li>
<li><b>Display</b>: 15.6" 1920x1080@144Hz LCD</li>
<li>
<b>Warranty</b>: 2 Year Limited Parts and Labor
Warranty
@@ -118,73 +127,127 @@
<hr />
<h2><a name="general-comments">General Comments</a></h2>
<h2><a name="upgradeability">Upgradeability</a></h2>
<p>
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.
and storage, then upgraded these components with parts I
bought from Amazon. The upgrade experience was pretty
good. Removing the bottom cover just involves removing a
bunch of screws, nothing too difficult. I had a little
trouble with this because one of the screws seemed to
get stuck, but I eventually got it out. The
<a
href="https://tech-docs.system76.com/models/oryp7/repairs.html"
target="_blank"
>Parts & Repairs guide</a
>
was very clear and helpful in this regard.
</p>
<hr />
<h2><a name="replacing-pop-os">Replacing Pop!_OS</a></h2>
<h2>
<a name="experimenting-with-linux-distros"
>Experimenting with Linux Distros</a
>
</h2>
<p>
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.
installing
<a
href="https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/system76-power/"
target="_blank"
>System76 software through the AUR</a
>, but could never get it working reliably.
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).
out of the box. I eventually got the audio working
thanks to the
<a
href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System76_Oryx_Pro#Audio"
target="_blank"
>solution in the ArchWiki</a
>, but I ultimately decided to switch to Pop!_OS because
of the graphics switching issue. The main change I made
to the default Pop!_OS install process was to use
<a
href="https://btrfs.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Main_Page"
target="_blank"
>btrfs</a
>
rather than the default (ext4 I think) so I could take
snapshots and backup my data with
<a
href="https://github.com/teejee2008/timeshift"
target="_blank"
>Timeshift</a
>.
</p>
<p>
My experience with Pop!_OS was very positive. 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's
<a
href="https://github.com/pop-os/cosmic"
target="_blank"
>COSMIC</a
>
desktop environment is very good too. Coming from a
standalone tiling window manager like dwm, this provides
a pretty good balance between convenience and usability.
</p>
<p>
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.
really missed the package management, customizability,
and rolling release of Arch. Since I couldn't get Arch
working before, I decided to try some other Arch based
distros like
<a href="https://manjaro.org/" target="_blank"
>Manjaro</a
>
and
<a href="https://garudalinux.org/" target="_blank"
>Garuda</a
>. With both of these, I found that switchable graphics
(via the
<a
href="https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/system76-power/"
target="_blank"
>system76-power AUR package</a
>, now works. I eventually decided on Garuda because it
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, easy options
to enable gaming tweaks, etc.). The
<a href="https://www.gnome.org/" target="_blank"
>GNOME</a
>
edition immediately ran into crashing and system break
issues, so I tried the KDE Dragonized edition. It looks
pretty nice and uses
<a
href="https://kde.org/plasma-desktop/"
target="_blank"
>KDE plasma</a
>
instead of GNOME. After still encountered freezing
issues, I switched to the
<a href="https://i3wm.org/" target="_blank">i3</a>
edition, but replaced i3 with
<a href="https://xmonad.org/" target="_blank">Xmonad</a>
because I was experimenting with it at the time. After
realizing that Xmonad would not really fit my needs
(mainly gaming), I replaced it with
<a
href="https://github.com/bakkeby/dwm-flexipatch"
target="_blank"
>dwm-flexipatch</a
>. Now, performance is amazing and I haven't encountered
the major freezing issues that I had with GNOME and KDE.
</p>
<hr />
@@ -199,14 +262,26 @@
144Hz.
</li>
<li>
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.
Keyboard is not bad at all, but it definitely
doesn't match up in terms of quality and
satisfaction to the excellent HP Spectre x360
keyboard that I used previously. I really don't mind
it though and love that it includes a full sized
number pad. The layout doesn't feel cramped and it
has plenty of keys that can be customized via the
<a
href="https://github.com/pop-os/keyboard-configurator"
target="_blank"
>keyboard configurator</a
>.
</li>
<li>
Gaming performance is amazing! Recently got Yakuza:
Like a Dragon on Steam. Runs at above 60 fps on all
of the highest settings.
Like a Dragon on Steam. It runs at around 70 to 80
fps with all the settings turned up to the max. I
love that I can use my favorite operating system
without having to compromise too much on gaming
performance.
</li>
<li>
Love the keyboard backlighting and color changing on
@@ -214,8 +289,12 @@
further in software though.
</li>
<li>
Trackpad is the best I have used in a long time.
Love the surface feel, my finger just glides.
When I need a mouse, I tend to use an external one,
but the trackpad feels excellent to me. My finger
just glides across the super smooth surface. I think
the overall trackpad size is good as well. Not as
large as one you would find on a Macbook, but
definitely good enough for my use cases.
</li>
<li>
It was a bit more difficult than I expected to
@@ -224,10 +303,14 @@
appreciate the focus on upgradeability in the
hardware design.
</li>
<li>Tons of ports! Extremely useful!</li>
<li>
General build quality is solid. Really like the
feel.
I absolutely love the port selection. No need to
live the dongle life when the laptop has so many
built-in already.
</li>
<li>
The build quality is pretty solid. It definitely
feels like a premium device.
</li>
</ul>
@@ -270,15 +353,28 @@
though.
</li>
<li>
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.
Fans can get really loud at times, especially when
gaming. I often have to turn up my speakers or wear
noise cancelling headphones. This is an
understandable limitation with gaming laptops
though. Using a custom kernel solved a lot of my
complaints with the thermals and fan noise though.
Now the fans don't turn on as often. When they do,
they don't ramp up to the maximum speed, so noise is
kept to a reasonable level.
</li>
<li>
Random freezing is kind of an issue, but is
generally resolved by using a custom kernel.
</li>
<li>
While the display itself is great, I really wish the
hinge would rotate farther back. It looks like the
screen can only rotate about 120 degrees from fully
closed, so getting a good viewing angle (especially
when the laptop is propped up or really low) can be
difficult.
</li>
</ul>
<hr />
@@ -286,20 +382,27 @@
<h2><a name="conclusions">Conclusions</a></h2>
<p>
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,
only in number and because 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.
sells Linux computers and having a device that can be
easily upgraded down the line. Overall, I am very happy
with my purchase.
</p>
<hr />
<h2><a name="images">Images</a></h2>
<p>
These are some images from when I unboxed the laptop,
installed the RAM & SSD, and customized my setup a
little.
</p>
<div class="container-fluid">
<div class="row align-items-center">

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src/blog_windows_to_linux.html
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@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
<h1>Switching from Windows to Linux</h1>
<!-- Author & Date/Time -->
<p class="lead">Updated on August 26, 2021</p>
<p class="lead">Updated on August 27, 2021</p>
<!-- Preview Image -->
<div class="blog-cover">
@@ -42,9 +42,10 @@
<!-- Post Content -->
<h2><a name="introduction">Introduction</a></h2>
<p>
Around Summer of 2020, I started experimenting with
Linux to see if it could replace Windows. I had a little
bit of experience with
Around the summer of 2020, I started experimenting with
Linux to see if it could replace Windows as my daily
driver operating system. I had a little bit of
experience with
<a
href="https://www.redhat.com/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux"
target="_blank"
@@ -68,16 +69,27 @@
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.
There's a reason even Microsoft felt it needed to
improve the developer experience on Windows via the
<a
href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10"
target="_blank"
>Windows Subsystem for Linux</a
>.
</p>
<h3>Productivity</h3>
<p>
General productivity is no different on Linux than
Windows, other than the lack of Microsoft Office. This
Windows, other than the lack of Microsoft Office and
some proprietary software like Adobe's products. 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.
presentations, edit pictures, etc. If you rely on
software that only works on Windows for daily
productivity work, you might want to look into free and
open-source alternatives before switching to Linux.
</p>
<h3>Gaming</h3>
@@ -116,7 +128,9 @@
target="_blank"
>Steam Deck</a
>
from Valve.
from Valve. If you play a lot of online multiplayer
games, you may need to wait as popular anti-cheat
software doesn't currently work through Proton.
</p>
<hr />
@@ -140,22 +154,27 @@
on my system. This means there is a steep learning curve
and things can break if you are not careful, but the
<a href="https://wiki.archlinux.org" target="_blank"
>Arch Wiki</a
>ArchWiki</a
>
is possible the greatest Linux resource I have ever
is possibly the greatest Linux resource I have ever
seen. The main reasons I decided on Arch are:
</p>
<ul>
<li>
<b>Rolling Release</b>: I don't have to re-install
my OS every 6 months. My system gets updated through
a simple terminal command.
my OS every 6 months. My system and the kernel get
updated through my package manager.
</li>
<li>
<b>Package Management</b>: 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
(e.g.
<a
href="https://github.com/Morganamilo/paru"
target="_blank"
>paru</a
>) 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
<a
href="https://archlinux.org/packages/"
@@ -203,11 +222,11 @@
target="_blank"
>System76 Oryx Pro 7</a
>
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
because it is made by a U.S. 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 ArchWiki has a
<a
href="https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System76_Oryx_Pro"
target="_blank"
@@ -242,8 +261,9 @@
<a href="https://www.gnome.org" target="_blank"
>GNOME</a
>
from Ubuntu and RHEL, but it felt kind of slow and
lacked customizability. This is when I discovered
from Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), but it
felt kind of slow and lacked customizability. This is
when I discovered
<a href="https://kde.org" target="_blank">KDE Plasma</a
>. Coming from Windows, I was much more comfortable with
the look and feel of KDE Plasma. Additionally, it has