Hey folks. I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with Linux for over 20 years. Usually, my attempts to use it are either thwarted by issues installing, issues booting, or general problems while using it… leading to “catastrophic failure” that I can’t fix without digging into hours of research and terminal commands.
Windows 11 (even 10) are rock solid for me, even as a very heavy multitasker. No crashes. No needing to reboot, unless I’m forced to with an update, and really no issues with any hardware or software I was running.
But with Linux, I just can’t believe how unstable it is, even when I do the absolute basic things.
I’m trying to learn why this is, and how I can prevent these issues from coming up. As I said, I’m committed to using Linux now (I’m done with American software), so I’m open to suggestions.
For context, I’m using a Framework laptop, which is fully (and officially) supports Fedora and Ubuntu. Since Fedora has American ties, I’ve settled with Ubuntu.
All things work as they should: fingerprint scanner, wifi, bluetooth, screen dimming, wake up from suspend, external drives, NAS shared folders, etc. I’ve even got VirtualBox running Windows 11 for the few paid software that I need to load up from time to time.
But I’m noticing issues that seemingly pop out of nowhere on the software/os end of things.
For example, after having no issues updating software, I get this an error: “something went wrong, but we’re not sure what it is.”
Then sometimes I’ll be using Firefox, I’ll open a new tab to type in a search term or URL, and the typing will “lag”, then the address bar will flicker like it’s reloading, and it doesn’t respond well to my mouse clicks. I have to close it out, then start over for it to resolve.
Then I’ll open a different app, sometimes it might open, sometimes it won’t.
Or an app will freeze for no obvious reason, and I’ll get a popup asking to wait or quit.
Another time I left my computer while I went out for a walk, came back, and it was like I just rebooted… all my work was gone, and it was starting fresh from the login screen.
I’m trying not to overload things, and I’m doing maybe 1/5th of what I’d normally be doing when running windows. But I don’t understand why it’s so unstable.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
FWIW, I’m not keen to switch away from Ubuntu, because I do still want official support if there’s ever a problem with getting hardware to work.
UPDATE: Wow, I did not expect to get so many responses! Amazing!
Per suggestions, I ran a memtest86 for over 3 hours and it was clean.
I installed Fedora 41 and am now setting it up. Seems good so far, and elevated permissions can be authorized with biometrics! This was not something I had to. Ubuntu, so awesome there!
Any specific tips for Fedora that I should know? Obviously, no more Snap packages now! 😂
UPDATE 2: Ok, Fedora seems waaaay more stable than Ubuntu (and Mint). No strangeness like before… but not everything works as easily. For example, getting a bridged network adapter to work in virtualbox was one-click easy on Ubuntu… not so much on Fedora (still trying to get it working). And Virtualbox didn’t even run my VM without more terminal hackery.
But the OS seems usable, and I’m still setting things up.
One thing I have noticed, however. When I search for how to fix or do something, nearly all websites and forums reference Debian/Ubuntu commands, so the fragmentation there is a little annoying
Using only non american oss is literally impossible.
If you’re using Ubuntu make sure you’re using the most recent LTS release instead of the latest one. Stability issues shouldn’t be a problem on those.
I’d love to know what hardware you are using as well.
It’s the 11th Gen Framework 13 running:
- Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7, integrated Intel XE graphics chip
- Western Digital Black 770 2TB SSD
- 32gb ram (16GB x 2) Crucial DDR4-3200
I’m assuming stock ax210 wifi card as well.
I had a lot of stability issues on 11th gen Intel but I was using windows. (I have switched to an amd motherboard on my laptop (no it’s not a framework))
Yes, I’m using the Intel® Wi-Fi 6E AX210 No vPro®. It’s been very stable, and highly performent (on Windows, at least). So far, no issues with Wifi on Fedora-based distros.
pebkac
For every linux post trying to manifest “it works good now” like the secret, there’s a post like OP and a response like this.
Because Linux has been awesome since at least Slackware 1.0.
Love how when someone has issues with Linux but not Windows somehow it’s pebkac. Classic annoying Linux user response.
I see your edits and I had the same experience with Ubuntu. For whatever reason on my ThinkPad I had bugs and just weird issues that no one else would run into every single time. And I would try Ubuntu after every major update and it would still be some weird bugs never the same ones.
I’ve now been using Fedora for almost 4 years it’s solid. I always recommend enabling RPM fusion to get those proprietary codecs and I like to change my zram config to what is recommended on the arch wiki.
I was told Ubuntu was a good beginner distro and used it for like a year and then towards the end of that year things got weird. So since then I’ve moved to arch, because it rolls so much and I don’t keep up, it’s even more unstable. I got some other laptops running bazzite (fedora based) and they seem ok.
So yeah, like your edited comment, I would recommend fedora or even vanilla Debian.
Surprised to hear stability questioned. We have RHEL systems at work that have been running 24/7 for over a year.
From the look of it, I may just have really bad luck with Ubuntu and related distros.
I’ve been on Fedora for the last 24h, and it’s been incredibly stable. Even heavy multitasking with Boxes running two VMs in the background! haha
The latest Ubuntu defaults to using Wayland. On my Framework, it would freeze the whole box every few days. I switched to Xorg, and it was much better. (It’s an option on the login screen - just clock the little cog and choose Xorg before you log in.)
Framework fully supports Ubuntu and has full guides on them. If you have issues, I’d suggest posting on the Framework message boards, they’re very responsive.
Yes, I think I might need to, especially if advanced troubleshooting is needed.
I was hoping perhaps that it’s something I’m doing wrong. Clearly, this isn’t how it should be, but I’ll keep trying to get this working!
I think they have a live usb that you can boot into to see if the issues are still occurring there to try and rule out hardware. Would probably be my first go-to. If that works well, probably backup, wipe, follow the framework guide for your OS, and hopefully that does it. :)
I don’t know the support model for Framework but they should really be able to work through these issues for such a common distro. With the various things you mentioned it doesn’t sound like bad configuration, it sounds like a hardware issue. Given that Windows is so different from Linux it may be the case that Win11 does a better job masking the issues.
People downvoting a post asking for help have very weak egos. I hope you’re able to find a better Linux experience, OP.
I started using Linux more or less full-time in 2014. I find it to be just as “stable” as Windows or OS-X, which is to say: it’s stable until you do something that makes it not stable.
If you’re staying in the mainstream, using a “stable release” from a big distro (Ubuntu, Debian, there are others…) and waiting at least 6 months after the release of that stable release before using it, I have found Ubuntu to be just as stable as Windows or OS-X. You might want to use an unstable app, that can be a problem in any OS, but granted: there aren’t as many “stable” apps to choose from in Linux as Windows.
OS-X and their apps have burned me hard, repeatedly, for things that Windows and Linux had under control 10 years earlier.
The major difference in my WIndows vs Linux experiences has been: when you want something to work and it just doesn’t, in Windows you have to shrug your shoulders and explain to your customers: It just doesn’t work, there’s nothing we can do. In Linux, you have the option to do the heavy lifting and make it work. It will frequently not be worth the effort, but if you’re really determined you can fix just about anything in Linux.
One thing I have noticed, however. When I search for how to fix or do something, nearly all websites and forums reference Debian/Ubuntu commands, so the fragmentation there is a little annoying
I’m using Nobara, which is based on Fedora, so I hear you, but the only thing you really need to do is learn enough about DNF to translate “apt” commands in your head.
And maybe set up a few aliases you’re used to.
People shouldn’t HAVE to do that if they won’t want to. You should just be able to use your OS, not learn a new language to use it “okayish”
A new language? It’s one app.
And if you learn it, you are back to the same level of usage, not “okayish”.
But yeah, no one HAS to move from Ubuntu/Debian to another flavor. (Which is what OP is talking about).
No one has to move off Win 11, either, if that pain doesn’t make it worth it to them.
I shouldn’t have to learn where setting is in the windows UI every few years but that’s just the shit we live in. I find Linux easier because I just have to change one word. In windows I got to go through three different setting panels. Same but different
I just search for what I need in windows. Haven’t browsed through menus in years.
… You know there are menus with search in Linux just like Windows, right?
We’re only talking about the people who want to use the command line.
It’s less than the difference between windows CLI and poweshell. And if you’re like “I don’t use those”, guess what? You don’t need to in Linux either. You can run the update app.
Do your issues appear on a fresh install? At my admittedly limited level of expertise, I’d probably start from there. If a clean install works properly, then something that’s happening later is messing it up. You’d have to keep track of changes you make to your system and check for issues as you go.
If a clean install is borked from the get-go, maybe try different distros. Since Framework supports Fedora, I’m surprised that anything would go wrong.
I don’t know if Framework offers any support or warranty, but you could check with them too.
Do your issues appear on a fresh install?
Before, during, and after a fresh install, depending on the day I’ve tried! LOL
I’m going to do a proper memtest as others have suggested. Then I may just start fresh again, perhaps with another distro. Thank god it’s Friday, so I’ve got a few days to sort this out. haha
Just FYI. My family has used linux for 25 on many systems and we do not have stability issues. We use mostly Ubuntu or Debian.
Have no idea why your having issues. Could distro or hardware related. Also are you sure your storage media is good.
Just FYI. My family has used linux for 25 on many systems and we do not have stability issues. We use mostly Ubuntu or Debian.
Have no idea why your having issues. Could distro or hardware related. Also are you sure your storage media is good.
This has been my experience with Linux over at least six different laptop and desktop PCs. As I said, I’ve been dabbling for decades, and always have to go back to windows because of how Linux crashes and burns for me.
Then again, I do usually stick to Ubuntu and distros based off it, so maybe that’s my problem. LOL
I don’t know about that. I’ve been running Mint, an Ubuntu based distro, for over a decade now on tons of machines with no stability issues at all. But then again I make sure to buy hardware that is known to support linux well. All of my laptops have been from Tuxedo except for this last one which is a Framework.
Just thinking what possibilities. Some thoughts.
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We always use Ubuntu LTS and do not install or upgrade a release until is out for 6 to 9 months. For Debian we use stable.
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Make certain your install media is good and also the computer storge media.
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Keep the system updates current.
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Use packages installed from the standard repo and supported by the security team.
Not sure what else.
Use packages installed from the standard repo and supported by the security team.
Can you be more specific? Does this mean use snap packages? Debian packages? Flatpak (which isn’t even officially supported without installing some extra packages to begin with)?
Snap packages seem to be hated for their instability, so it could be related to that.
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I’ve been running Linux for 20+ years as well (on-amd-off for most of that, but mostly on). Stability has almost never been an issue, only when I was fucking around and finding out lol. My biggest problem in recent years was Ubuntu never having what I wanted, and Arch always having what I needed… So I just moved to Arch and things have never been better.
This. If you’re going to fuck around with your root, be prepared to find out. Most other problems is a quick search, “oh I don’t have x dependency”, and done.
Nowadays you just need to learn how to use Timeshift and make a save point before messing with stuff. System unstable after tinkering? Time to roll back. Linux is easier and more stable than ever before.
Just stay home, literally in your system, and you’ll be fine 99% of the time.
