First Impressions running Linux
The machine comes with Windows 11 Pro installed. I did have a quick rummage with Windows in part to see how long it takes for the updates to complete. They take some time. I can probably install a dozen Linux distributions in the time it takes for Windows just to update itself!
The machine has Secure Boot enabled in the BIOS which stops installing a Linux distribution on the machine. First step then is to turn off Secure Boot. Press the Del key at boot up takes you into an colourful graphical BIOS. Select Setup and then Security. Change the Secure Boot dropdown from Enabled to Disabled. Job done. The BIOS has quite a few interesting options which I’ll explore in a later article in this series
I use a USB key to install Linux distributions made with the wonderfully useful open source Ventoy software. That way I have 30+ popular Linux distributions at my fingertips all on a single USB key.
I first installed Kubuntu 25.04 on the machine. I’ve really warmed to KDE Plasma over the past year supplanting GNOME as my default desktop. Installing the distribution takes a fraction of the time it takes Windows to complete its updates.
All the hardware works out of the box including WiFi, displays (at the right resolution and maximum refresh rate), the card reader etc with the exception of Bluetooth. Despite trying a variety of techniques to coax Bluetooth working, nothing played ball. When I run into any type of hardware issue, it’s sometimes quicker just to try another distribution, if only because it can make troubleshooting easier. An Arch-based distro (such as Manjaro) is a good option.
Manjaro installed the Linux kernel version 6.6.101-1. Again, Bluetooth wouldn’t work. Manjaro makes it easy to try different kernels using its Manjaro Settings Manager.
I tried Linux 6.16.0-5, but again no joy. Given the machine has Bluetooth 5.4, I suspected trying an even newer kernel might help. And it did. As soon as I installed Linux 6.17.0rc1-1, Bluetooth works beautifully without any tweaking needed. Maybe I can coax Bluetooth to work with an LTS kernel, but that’s for another day.
Let’s delve into the Minisforum AI X1 Pro’s hardware in more detail.
Next page: Page 3 – Interrogation of the System
Pages in this article:
Page 1 – Introduction and Design
Page 2 – First Impressions running Linux
Page 3 – Interrogation of the System
Complete list of articles in this series:
| Minisforum AI X1 Pro | |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Introduction to the series and interrogation of the Minisforum AI X1 Pro |