Installing Linux on the JiGe 14x: First Look at Fedora 42

Preface

Fedora updates very quickly, with version numbers climbing at an astonishing rate.

I remember the last time I saw a discussion, the version number was only in the twenties. I didn't expect it to be at 42 already.

I mentioned before that my Kunkun 14x was sent for repair and has been returned.

• Less than half a year, my Kunkun 14x also broke down...
• After 10 days for repair, the Kunkun 14x is finally back, but it's not that simple...

I installed Linux specifically to test the keyboard, but it was sent for repair after less than two days of use.

Now that it's fixed, I need to do some in-depth testing to see what the Fedora system experience is like in 2025.

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This article is just a simple record and doesn't involve specific configurations. The development speed of the Linux desktop experience has exceeded my imagination~

For system installation and configuration, you can refer to the article I wrote last year: In 2024, I started using the Linux desktop as my main system again

Overview

First Impression

The first impression after installing the system is great.

The interface has a fresh and clean vibe.

Launchpad

I chose GNOME for this interface – I fell in love with this Launchpad the first time I used it on Debian.

Multitasking Interface

Not bad, I guess

I still prefer the neat and organized style of Windows for the multitasking interface

GNOME's multitasking interface is similar to that of macOS

Terminal

I really like this terminal.

The only drawback is that I can't adjust the transparency (I'm not sure if I just haven't found the configuration setting).

File Manager

This file manager gets great reviews.

It supports AV1 encoding by default, allows previewing, and enables opening avif format images directly with a click.

On Windows, you still have to download a decoder from the store yourself.

Mouse

GNOME's experience is getting better and better now

The mouse configuration is similar to Mac, allowing you to set the scroll direction.

Touchpad Support

To my surprise, GNOME's touchpad support is even better than Windows.

These edge gesture functionalities seem to be something some domestic laptop manufacturers are also working on, implemented through third-party software (I haven't tried them yet).

This edge swiping—I've actually used it and the experience was quite good. For fixed scrolling scenarios, using this saves a lot of effort.

However, in daily use, I'm still used to two-finger swiping, which offers more freedom.

Summary

The experience of using Linux on the Geeker 14x has been pretty good.

Most drivers work out of the box. I haven’t messed with facial recognition, but everything else has been fine.

Though for some reason, Wayland still feels half-dead after all these years.

Using XWindow always feels a bit sluggish compared to Windows—kind of laggy?

A fellow internet user suggested I try KDE, and I’m currently looking for a suitable distro. (I probably won’t end up falling down the Arch rabbit hole, right?)

Also, GNOME looks nice, but it has quite a few small bugs. For example, sometimes when I open the Launchpad, the app names are all jumbled up. Reopening it fixes it, but I’m not sure if it’s a GNOME bug or a Wayland bug 😂

Oh, and after not using it for a while, I booted into Fedora again and found that the network was broken. The Wi-Fi wasn’t detected, and even plugging in an Ethernet cable didn’t work. I’m not sure what went wrong. Switching kernel versions didn’t help either… but I’m planning to reinstall anyway, so I won’t worry about it too much.

OK, that’s it for now. I need to hurry up and try out Pop!_OS 😄

Aside: About Pop!_OS

This is a distribution with great characteristics and potential. The reason I wanted to try it is that it reminded me of the Unity desktop. I stayed on Ubuntu 16.04 for a long time and was reluctant to switch from this old gem, all because of the Unity desktop. Later, starting with 18.04, it was dropped. Ubuntu's parent company also abandoned the project, which is truly a shame. I believe Unity was the best desktop experience in the Linux ecosystem.

While browsing forums, I saw that many other users also liked Unity. As I scrolled through, I came across Pop!_OS. What a strange name! User reviews say it's a distribution that can carry the torch for the Linux desktop. Based on Ubuntu, it uses the familiar apt package manager and offers its own COSMIC desktop as an alternative to GNOME and KDE. It also comes with built-in tiling window management—all worth trying.

Moreover, Pop!_OS is backed by the hardware manufacturer System76, which secures funding for the system's development. This is unlike Canonical, which was so poor that it had to cut both Unity and Mir 🤣.

Enough talk, I'll finish posting the article and reinstall right away.

Bonus: About Screenshot Formats

All images in this article were taken using GNOME's built-in screenshot tool.

The default screenshot format is PNG.

There are 11 images in total, and I used Magick to test the sizes of different formats, just for your reference.

Converting with ImageMagick is quite convenient.

I've also attached the script here.

Shell version

for i in *.png; do
    magick "$i" "output/${i%.png}.jpg"
done

PowerShell version

foreach ($i in Get-ChildItem *.png) {
    magick $i.FullName ("output\" + $i.BaseName + ".jpg")
}

The AVIF version has the smallest size, but the conversion speed is also the slowest.

WebP is the most balanced among them, offering the best value and good compatibility. My blog also uses this WebP approach.