Dell has got to be one of the most frustrating companies that put out a linux laptop. They put out a laptop certified for ubuntu but then never support newer releases. A big part of their hardware is always proprietary drivers like webcam, fingerprint reader etc… Then you update to a new LTS release because lets be serious 20.04 at this point is going to sunset in a couple of years… However after you update the webcam stops working, or some other hardware stops working. Then you are constantly troubleshooting to get it working and every kernel update it breaks again. If you ever did ask support they will just tell you to go back to 20.04 image from dell. Not to mention all their OS tools are made for windows even the ones for making linux recovery images… like WTF! I am two years in on this laptop and I am just getting rid of it I cannot put up with this nonsense anymore from them.
Better hardware manifacturers for Linux:
- Clevo (ODM, nearly exclusively from companies like below)
- Novacustom
- System76
- Kubuntu Focus
- Tuxedo
- Framework
- Slimbook
- Starlabs (only order what is in stock)
- Lenovo Thinkpad
If you go with Starlabs, make sure what you’re ordering is IN STOCK.
I ordered the Lite V which I as estimated to deliver in October 2023. It’s now April 2024 and they are just receiving it on their end. It seems like they’ve learned their lesson but not letting people pre-order their newer things now. Reviews of previous products seem promising with them.
My friend has the Slimbook Executive. That thing is sex with a keyboard.
Would not recommend System76. I’ve had many issues with my machine (primarily software, related to their buggy custom firmware, and Pop!_OS, until I ditched that for stock Ubuntu). Their support has been terrible - rather similar to OP’s, actually. I’ve had the laptop for about 2.5 years, and I’m checking practically daily for something to replace it.
I’ve had a Gazelle 16 for 2 years now, and while I agree they are not the end-all for Linux laptop hardware, I’m pretty happy with it. I’ve distrohopped on it quite a bit since I got it, but I mostly run Fedora Gnome on it (running 39 currently), and so fat, everything just works. I’m thinking of buying from a different provider when it’s time to change (maybe 2 to 4 more years). Can’t speak to their support since mine has just worked since day one and I’ve had no need to reach out to them. PopOS is pretty good, but it is lacking when compared to Fedora. Let’s see what happens when 24.04 comes out with the rust-based Cosmic DE.
Considering that you are not using their software, was the laptop worth the premium you paid for it, vs buying from Clevo directly?
I figured the hardware and software coming from the same vendor would yield the best results, and wanted to support a company that supports right-to-repair, and Linux in general. But ultimately I found Pop!_OS buggy and had performance issues, so I’m not using their OS, and their firmware is causing issues with my SSD, so I’d like to be off of it as well (but was told "there’s no process for reverting to the proprietary firmware“ for the specific model I have). I could have bought a Clevo directly, saving hundreds of dollars, and probably had a better working machine.
