SomeGamer's assorted Linux issues

[SomeGamer]

If anyone has a solution to any of these problems, please don't hesitate to share with me! Thanks!
Sooo, let's begin...

• Since 16.10, only Ubuntu sets the correct keyboard layout on the login screen. For all other distros (except Linux Mint), I have to use the on-screen keyboard to log in.
• Linux Mint (Sarah, Xfce to be specific) can't resume from suspend mode.
• On Ubuntu GNOME there is no tap-to-click setting for the touchpad.
• On Kubuntu, I'm having a ton of graphical glitches.
• On all distros except Linux Mint, the nm-applet crashes every so often.

And finally, it's an MSI GX620 laptop. (And yes, I have the proprietary drivers installed.)

 

[matpower]

At least for the keyboard issue on login screen... there should be an option to pick a keyboard layout on the top-right corner of the screen IIRC, not sure if it applies to Ubuntu with Unity since they used to change the skin of LightDM. You can also try lightdm-gtk-greeter-settings too.

Suspend mode issue usually is related to the kernel too, which version is Mint using nowadays?

I haven't used GNOME or KDE5, so I can't really help with that.

Which distros did you try besides Ubuntu/Mint?

 

[SomeGamer]

At least for the keyboard issue on login screen... there should be an option to pick a keyboard layout on the top-right corner of the screen IIRC, not sure if it applies to Ubuntu with Unity since they used to change the skin of LightDM. You can also try lightdm-gtk-greeter-settings too.

You're right, but only English is an option there. Setting a new layout in LightDM settings is wiped after a reboot.

Which distros did you try besides Ubuntu/Mint?

All flavours of Ubuntu. This is a 32-bit laptop so there aren't many options since most distros are abandoning this architecture.

 

[matpower]

You're right, but only English is an option there. Setting a new layout in LightDM settings is wiped after a reboot.

All flavours of Ubuntu. This is a 32-bit laptop so there aren't many options since most distros are abandoning this architecture.

Really? i386 still is well supported AFAIK, specially since Steam and Wine relies on 32-bits libraries.

So you never branched off from Ubuntu and its family tree... What are the specs of that laptop? Also for the Mint Suspend issue, there should be a way to update the kernel on Mint Updater, try upgrading or downgrading it until it works.

 

[The Catboy]

Try using the open-source drivers or maybe try a distro like Manjaro.

 

[SomeGamer]

Really? i386 still is well supported AFAIK, specially since Steam and Wine relies on 32-bits libraries.

That's good to hear!

So you never branched off from Ubuntu and its family tree...

Yes, because I still consider myself a Linux beginner, I need a good desktop environment!

What are the specs of that laptop?

https://www.msi.com/Laptop/Gx620.html

Also for the Mint Suspend issue, there should be a way to update the kernel on Mint Updater, try upgrading or downgrading it until it works.

Thanks, I'll give that a try.

Try using the open-source drivers or maybe try a distro like Manjaro.

Tried open-source drivers, downloading Manjaro as we speak.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[SomeGamer]

OK, the results are in! Updated Linux Mint kernel, didn't fix anything. Manjaro couldn't even connect to WiFi.

 

[matpower]

Weird, your laptop is pretty old by now, usually everything works from get-go.

Okay, so keep closed-source drivers, you're using NVIDIA and since NVIDIA hates open-source, the open driver lacks 3D acceleration and a bunch of other things in more recents GPUs. If you have to choose, use the "340xx" variant. It should also help with suspend.

 

[SomeGamer]

Weird, your laptop is pretty old by now, usually everything works from get-go.

Okay, so keep closed-source drivers, you're using NVIDIA and since NVIDIA hates open-source, the open driver lacks 3D acceleration and a bunch of other things in more recents GPUs. If you have to choose, use the "340xx" variant. It should also help with suspend.

Thanks! Updated the Linux kernel, installed closed source NVIDIA drivers (under Linux Mint) now it won't even change power states. (The only option is long pressing the power button to turn it off.)

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Breaking news! Reinstalled lubuntu in the meantime, keyboard layout and suspend issues (since it's not Linux Mint) are no more!

 

[The Catboy]

Did Windows work fine on it? Because that hardware should work just fine on Linux. I am just going to throw some distros I've been using that seem to work on complicated hardware
https://www.sabayon.org/
https://antergos.com/
http://www.mageia.org/en/
http://chapeaulinux.org/
http://zorinos.com/
https://kororaproject.org/
I have tested and used all these in the past on complicated hardware and all of them worked out great.

 

[FaTaL_ErRoR]

Lol, wut? Why would one need to try out a ton of different linux distros to find one that works when they all use the linux kernel?
OP, which linux distro do you like the best? Let's get that one working for you.
I'll just start with your issue with gnome ubuntu. http://askubuntu.com/questions/403113/how-do-you-enable-tap-to-click-via-command-line-with-xmodmap
And now on to network manager.
sudo apt-get install libnl-3-200=3.2.21-1 libnl-route-3-200=3.2.21-1 libnl-genl-3-200=3.2.21-1
If this doesn't work then
Download and copy them to your system
[ from booting a live distrib/rescue cd or from another computer + usb stick ]
Download links for amd64: libnl libnl-genl libnl-route
Download links for i386: libnl libnl-genl libnl-route

Back to your system, where you saved these .deb files, install them with dpkg:

• 
  sudo dpkg -i libnl-*.deb
• sudo service network-manager restart

If you need help just ask. You do not need to distro jump in hopes one will be the solve for your issue.
It's easier to just fix the distro you like instead of searching for one that may or may not function properly.
If it's linux mint with the fail to resume after suspend read here.
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=136960
Easy enough right?

 

[The Catboy]

Lol, wut? Why would one need to try out a ton of different linux distros to find one that works when they all use the linux kernel?
OP, which linux distro do you like the best? Let's get that one working for you.
I'll just start with your issue with gnome ubuntu. http://askubuntu.com/questions/403113/how-do-you-enable-tap-to-click-via-command-line-with-xmodmap
And now on to network manager.
sudo apt-get install libnl-3-200=3.2.21-1 libnl-route-3-200=3.2.21-1 libnl-genl-3-200=3.2.21-1
If this doesn't work then
Download and copy them to your system
[ from booting a live distrib/rescue cd or from another computer + usb stick ]
Download links for amd64: libnl libnl-genl libnl-route
Download links for i386: libnl libnl-genl libnl-route

Back to your system, where you saved these .deb files, install them with dpkg:

• 
  sudo dpkg -i libnl-*.deb
• sudo service network-manager restart

If you need help just ask. You do not need to distro jump in hopes one will be the solve for your issue.
It's easier to just fix the distro you like instead of searching for one that may or may not function properly.

Because why not? My list is also helpful for finding the best distro to work best out of the box.
Although I never settle on one distro and I am always hopping around to figure out which one works best on what hardware. I can compile an entire list of hardware I've tested and best distros for those hardware.