A Review of Linux on Surface Pro 4

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

WSL vs Native Linux on Surface

  • Some argue the “trick” with Surface devices is to use WSL rather than native Linux, since hardware support (touch, power, odd peripherals) is incomplete.
  • Others object that WSL lacks multi‑touch/gestures, has slow I/O / high CPU (vmmem), and still forces use of Windows’ disliked UX.
  • There’s skepticism about running Linux on Surface at all, but also pushback: the linux‑surface project is described as close to upstream with a modest patch set and active reverse‑engineering work.

Surface Hardware: Performance, Reliability, Value

  • The m3‑6Y30 SP4 in the review is widely seen as underpowered (very low TDP, tiny GPU), and 4 GB RAM is described as marginal in 2024.
  • Reports of SP4/7 instability: ghost/failed touchscreens, flaky Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth, short battery life, poor thermals.
  • Newer SP8/9 and ARM-based models get more positive experiences (usable coding, pen, travel, good battery on ARM), but are considered overpriced for their specs.
  • Some like the form factor (3:2, pen, detachable keyboard) and use Surfaces as primary machines; others find them slow, fragile, or “weird tablets pretending to be laptops.”

Linux on Laptops/Tablets: Touch, Power, and Distro Choices

  • Touch on Linux is described as “mostly works but janky”: Firefox touch issues, occasional breakage, poor tablet‑only install experience, reliance on USB keyboards.
  • Several report good results on specific hardware: SP5 with NixOS, SP7 with Fedora, SP2 with Fedora, Surface Laptop 4 with EndeavourOS, Dell XPS 13 “Developer Edition” with Ubuntu, Framework 13 with Fedora.
  • Others describe the classic Linux desktop pattern: initial excitement → driver/power issues (sleep, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth) → abandonment back to Windows/macOS.
  • Arch/Arch‑based distros (EndeavourOS, Manjaro) are praised as lighter and smoother than Fedora/Ubuntu on low‑RAM devices, largely due to different defaults (zswap vs zram, less background services).

Swap, zram, and Memory Management Debate

  • The article’s disabling of swap/zram and subsequent OOM sparks a long debate.
  • One camp: swap/zram is essential on 4 GB systems and generally beneficial on workstations; modern zram + MGLRU can keep systems responsive and extend disk cache.
  • Opposing views: swapping (even to zram) often leads to unresponsive systems; better to disable swap and rely on OOM killers, especially for large numeric/scientific workloads where swaps indicate a bug or mis‑sizing.
  • Multiple tuning recipes are shared (zram + LZ4, aggressive swappiness, sysctl tweaks), but commenters agree guidance online is often outdated and inconsistent.

Battery Life, Sleep, and “Modern Standby”

  • Many complain that only Apple reliably delivers excellent battery life and sleep/wake behavior; x86 laptops on both Windows and Linux often have poor standby and wake‑in‑bag issues.
  • Windows “Modern Standby” is heavily criticized: systems may run substantial background work while “asleep,” heating bags and draining batteries; S3 “traditional sleep” support is being removed.
  • Some report Mac‑like reliability with carefully chosen Linux hardware (e.g., XPS Developer Edition, certain ThinkPads/Ideapads with tuned distros); others still see flaky sleep, Wi‑Fi crashes after suspend, or need to rely on hibernate.

Alternatives, Expectations, and Form Factor Trade‑offs

  • Several emphasize that “Linux support” is primarily a hardware vendor choice: Linux‑first laptops (Framework, System76, Starlabs, Dell Dev Editions) integrate far better than random Windows machines.
  • 2‑in‑1s and tablets: mixed views. Some love Surfaces, Galaxy Books, and Yogas for pen input, note‑taking and travel; others find them compromised as both laptops (ergonomics, keyboards) and tablets (weight, battery).
  • Alternatives mentioned for Linux‑friendly tablet‑like use include Steam Deck, Minisforum V3, and Starlabs’ Starlite.
  • Broader theme: if you want a smooth Linux experience, buy hardware designed and tested for it; expecting flawless Linux on proprietary tablets like Surface remains risky.