[z1mm32m4n]

Is it possible to run Linux on a Surface Book? I'd really love to have the large detachable screen to read PDFs, but I'd really prefer to be able to use actual Linux as opposed to WSL Linux.

Alternatively, are there any other laptops like the Surface Book (i.e., have a detachable touch screen) that work with Linux?

[Analemma_]

Here's an evergreen post with the "current status": https://www.reddit.com/r/SurfaceLinux/comments/6eau79/curren...

TL;DR: You can install and run it, but touch, pen, and the dGPU do not work, which makes it kind of pointless compared to e.g. an XPS 13.

[Declanomous]

Which is one of the reasons I'm considering an XPS 13 over a Surface.

I actually like touch screens, but they do not work well in Linux. I didn't 'get' Windows 8 until I got my Surface, and I really enjoy using the touch screen when browsing the web and just screwing around with my computer. Touch/pen is a lot more convenient than any other mouse replacement while on the go.

I will be surprised if the Linux community does anything meaningful with touch in the next 5 years though.

As for WiFi, I hate how finicky it is, but it isn't really the developers fault. I spent an entire week trying to get a "Linux compatible" WiFi dongle working before I gave up and returned it. The drivers had been written for Linux 4.1 or maybe even 3.xx. Once I took care of all of the errors and got the driver to compile, I learned that the USB 3.0 version never worked on Linux, despite the fact that the manufacturer had compiled a driver.

At least every new install of Linux doesn't start from the command line, unless you are looking for a distro like that.

[Analemma_]

I totally agree. I actually love both Linux and my Surface, but I would never put Linux on the Surface, for exactly that reason. Touch-friendliness is one of those things that's just going to take a while on Linux if it comes at all: a lot of the people who might contribute tend to be the same sort of people who turn up their noses at touch interfaces on a desktop OS.

As for the WiFi, that's probably more Microsoft's fault. For some reason they insist on using these godawful Marvell chipsets for all the Surfaces. Users have been yelling at them to pick anything else, but it hasn't stuck.

[Declanomous]

The Marvell chipsets are awful, this is true. However, I think the only 802.11ac chipset that currently works with Linux is Intel, since Atheros hasn't been Linux-friendly ever since they were bought out by Qualcomm.

As far as I'm aware, there are no WiFi dongles that support 802.11AC. I think your only option is internal. So if you want to connect to a 802.11ac network on a Linux desktop your only option is connecting through a wired connection with a bridged 802.11ac router or something.

I don't personally mind, but I do think it's bad for the adoption of Linux. Most people I know only have Laptops, and if people can't get their WiFi working they aren't going to use Linux.

[z1mm32m4n]

I hope that it takes less than 5 years to get a Linux touch screen app that lets me mark up PDFs and take handwritten notes.

[Declanomous]

Yeah, me too. I've honestly considered designing it myself, but I'm a really marginal system programmer. I can modify things that other people have built, but I don't think I could start a project from scratch.

[voltagex_]

Heh, the NVMe patch for the XPS 13 will probably never be merged, meaning you have to switch the config over to "AHCI" mode and lose ?????? (features? performance? power usage?)

[petecox]

Windows-only wifi used to be a solved problem with NDISWrapper.

Does this library not work with newer chipsets?

[Declanomous]

NDISWrapper only works with Windows XP drivers. most newer chipsets don't support XP.

[exergy]

Yes, I run all kinds of distros; Manjaro, Xubuntu, Mint and even Fedora. Fedora is especially stable, but some fiddling is required, and personally, I cannot get stable WiFi. Others can, though, so maybe you might want to read a bit more. There is also the famous /r/surfacelinux subreddit.