[jordanab]

Tip: install Pop!_OS - Nvidia edition. I also have a (1st gen) Thinkpad X1 Extreme with a 4K screen. In addition to that, I have 3 external 4K screens connected to it (so 4x 4K screens in total), and it runs smoothly without having needed any additonal config/customization.

[bitexploder]

How much work does it take to get Ubuntu to a good state with Nvidia drivers. e.g. equivalent of ease of use of Pop!_OS. I have a Thinkpad X1 Extreme (Gen3) on the way, and I am researching Pop!_OS vs. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. I am leaning Ubuntu but if you tell me there is something magical in the Nvidia Pop!_OS distribution that is hard/impossible to replicate in Ubuntu 20.04 I would consider it.

If I install Xfce instead of Gnome desktop will I break the magic?

tangent: Who the hell let them name Pop!_OS, such an engineer name.

[paulsmal]

I’ve tried both. There is no magic except few additional tools to enhance desktop experience like power manager [0] and hi resolution daemon[1]

[0]https://github.com/pop-os/system76-power

[1]https://blog.system76.com/post/174414833678/all-about-the-hi...

[bitexploder]

Thanks. I’m playing around with popos this weekend.

[qchris]

Fwiw, my default method of managing the NVIDIA drivers on Ubuntu 18.04 is by installing the System76 driver package using the directions from their site. I found that to make it way easier than doing it manually, especially bc I needed to manage two CUDA versions on one machine.

I wouldn't guess that switching away from GNOME would break hardware compatibility drivers, but I could be wrong.

[sgtnasty]

I tried popos, but still have an unreadable grub screen.

[RamRodification]

Is that the only issue there? Sounds like it's not worth going back to 1080p over.

[bradwood]

It can be fixed.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/HiDPI#Boot_managers