Top user-friendly Linux distributions for easy handling.
Top user-friendly Linux distributions for easy handling.
I purchased a Microsoft Surface Pro 7 to convert it into a powerful Linux tablet (let's just say I'm a bit curious). Any Linux distribution I tested works smoothly as long as you install a custom kernel and drivers. But: 1) In GNOME, you can't drag windows with touch for certain programs (like Firefox). The issue intensifies when switching to Wayland, since even fewer apps respond to a finger gesture. 2) The default Ubuntu on-screen keyboard is unreliable. On Ubuntu 20.04, backspace and enter keys often freeze, and on Ubuntu 18.04, they don't function at all for some applications (such as Telegram). Plus, there are no arrow keys and no option to add them. 3) The built-in "Onboard" keyboard is a decent alternative. However, by default GNOME keeps the Onboard panel open alongside the main interface, and disabling it with a Gnome extension causes it to disappear even when needed (for example, in the Applications menu). Also, Onboard only supports Ubuntu 18.04 and doesn't work on 20.04. Have anyone tried Linux on touch-only devices? What setup did you find most effective?
Touch was the top experience for me, with GNOME being the best and Ubuntu providing the most seamless touch keyboard integration. I also discovered a recent Chinese distribution aimed at touchscreen devices.
The process connects directly to the ISO file at the end of the download/installation guide. I’m curious about your experience with it—especially since you only have one tablet and are using a pita for storage, which makes installing things tricky. Would you like to know what to expect if you try it?
Just tried it. Don't waste time installing it—it performs poorly. They designed it so "touch-friendly" that keyboard and mouse inputs are ignored. Installing the custom kernel wasn't possible because I couldn't switch between browser and terminal with the keyboard, and without this kernel, the touch screen stops working. Additionally, some content is in Chinese with no easy way to change languages. Of course, I can find workarounds (like prepping a bash script), but I think reverting to the standard GNOME would be simpler. Overall, it seems like a weak copy of iPadOS, only keeping the form without any functionality. Edited June 20, 2021 by Alexeygridnev1993