Today, I will revert back to Linux and install Fedora on my Zephyrus G15 as the only operating system. Several days ago, I needed to install a proprietary software that is only available for Windows. To do the work, I decided to do a fresh install of Windows 10 Pro which went without issues.
After the install completed, I once again experineced the original laptop but without Armory Crate.
Bonus info! Just for the fun of it, I upgraded to Windows 11 before deleting everything and reverting to Fedora. Windows 11 looks nice but is awkward when it comes to UX. I right-clicked a file that I wanted to delete and the pop-up menu had no delete option.
Also, installing Python as administrator did not let me use it when logged in as a non-admin user. I know that there is a way to fix this but give me a break. Networking, compared to Fedora, is frustrating.
Setting up a non-admin account is a royal pain. The “terminal” (cmd) is a joke. I could go on and on but in contrast to Linux, using Windows feels like driving a heavy loaded small car up a steep hill.
To me, using Windows feels like driving a heavy loaded small car up a steep hill.
anonymous 🙂
To make a short story shorter, I gladly nuked Windows 11 and grabbed my USB stick to boot a live version of Fedora. Right away, Gnome presents two options. Try or install.
Try or install Fedora
Anyone can try Fedora Linux without making a change to the existing operating system. Booting from a USB flash drive is all it takes to load a temporary version of Fedora. The difference is mostly the execution speed. I, how ever, did not try and clicked the install option.
As 100’s of times before, the install script opened and after I specified the hard drive, all existing partitions which were created by the Windows installer got deleted. Because I always install Linux encrypted, I provided my secure password and maybe 5 minutes later, I rebooted.
Booting Fedora for the first time on the Zephyrus laptop
At this point, Linux runs rough on the Zephyrus because there are two important steps which must be completed as fast as possible. They are:
- Install NVIDIA drivers
- Install asusctl
To complete the above listed steps, I point Firefox to https://asus-linux.org/guides/fedora-guide/ and copy / paste the relevant portions.
WARNING!
Do not rush the instructions. If you have a 2021 model, then there are certain steps that can be skipped. Take your time with installing the NVIDIA drivers and don’t forget to reboot.
Installing asusctl
Thanks to some very smart and generous people, my Zephyrus G15 will regain all of the special features that come with the laptop except the fingerprint reader.
After implementing all of the needed steps, I visit the gnome extensions website and install three must-have extensions. They are:
- https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/4320/asusctl-gex/
- https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/5344/supergfxctl-gex/
- https://extensions.gnome.org/extension/1160/dash-to-panel/
Usually, I add Dash to Panel first but when I get the Zephyrus ready, I focus on the first two right away. The reason is simple. Zephyrus owners should set the batter charge level to something else than the default 100 percent. For long-levity, a setting of 60% is suggested but I set it to 80% which gives me a bit more juice when I am out and about.
Gnome extensions error
Lately, the developers did significant updates to the asusctl Gnome extension and I received an error. I once more consulted the instructions on the asus-linux.org website and discovered that I forgot to start the asusctl control daemon. The issue I am talking about was this one:
sudo dnf install asusctl supergfxctl
sudo dnf update --refresh
sudo systemctl enable supergfxd.serviceAfter I enabled the supergfxd.service, the Gnome extensions activated and all was well. The third Gnome extension, Dash to Panel, is my favorite and used on all of my computers. Once enabled, asusctl and supergfxctl get added in the right corner and provide interaction with Zephyrus-specific features.
As of last week, a new GUI version gets installed and can be accessed from either the panel or Gnome’s application grid. I used it to set the batter charge level and kept the default fan curve because right now, I don’t do Unreal Engine 5 stuff. When I work on games or 3D modelling with Blender, I switch to maximum performance. For web design and programming, I usually just use the built-in AMD GFX option.
Final thoughts
Now that the 2021 Zephyrus series of laptops have been around for a while, the Linux kernel has caught up enough to make installing Fedora a breeze. In my previous blog post, I stated that installing and configuring PHP on Windows takes the same time as installing a full Linux operating system. I was not kidding. All of the described steps I mentioned in this blog article take maybe 15 minutes to complete. After that, I have a fully functioning, encrypted GNU Linux operating system, that doesn’t mind giving me an option to delete a file. Of course, we Linux users don’t just delete, we shred because we can.
