# Raw notes on trying Ubuntu. I've started experimenting with Ubuntu, and am considering it as my primary platform once my current MacBook Pro M1 reaches end of life . I'm using this page as a place to capture some notes as I go along. ### The laptop It started with me picking up a refurbished Lenovo IdeaPad 1 for about $95 at BestBuy. With the default Windows 11 installation, it's (as expected) nearly unusable[^1] in terms of speed. Apart from that, though, it's a neat little laptop: a pleasing design, small, lightweight, a fantastic keyboard, and a webcam (1MP lol) with a physical shutter. The display is only 1366x768, but bright enough, and I'm a fan of phat pixels. I then decided to try out Ubuntu, and was pleasantly surprised that the OS is even more refined than I remembered, and that it made the laptop feel quite a bit snappier. After opening[^2] the laptop up, I discovered there was an empty socket on the motherboard for a standard laptop SSD, which opened the possibility to much larger and much faster storage. I dropped in a 1TB drive, installed Ubuntu directly on that drive, and that's my primary setup. (Update: Replaced the 1TB drive with a 2TB drive.) ### It's about mindset I didn't come to Ubuntu with the perspective that it would be a 1:1 substitute for another operating system. Rather, my goal was to have it as a working operating system - one that I use for the focused parts of my daily compute (such as writing), but knowing that I may go back to my Mac for certain things like Pixelmator Pro or, in times of duress, Excel. (Update: I'm finding that LibreOffice Calc works quite well instead of Excel.) This has helped to frame what I do on the device, and my attitude towards it. For instance, I can't get the camera app to see the webcam. I could probably fix it with a bit effort, but at the same time I have a phone and a Mac with significantly better cameras. (Update: It's working now.) Similarly, the computer tends to lag when I open too many apps, which in turn leads me to be more focused on this device than I am on my other devices. Over time, however, I'm curious to see if I find myself going back to the Mac less and less, and eventually moving full-time to Ubuntu. It's in the realm of possibility, although I'd have to get a much more robust device if it were to be my full-time platform. I'm eyeing a [Framework](https://frame.work) laptop for that use case. (Update: Framework Laptop 13 ordered!) ### Abandoning (escaping?) ecosystems I started the process of moving out of the Apple ecosystem a few years ago when I stopped ping-ponging between iOS and Android, and settled into the Samsung [[galaxy fold|Galaxy Fold]] line. As part of that effort, I did several things which made it much easier to integrate an Ubuntu device into my mix: - Moved my pictures out of Apple Photos and into folders in the file system - Moved my notes out of Apple Notes and into Markdown files - Moved my contacts to Google (yea, I know) - Moved my files out of the cloud, and began using [Syncthing](https://syncthing.net/) to keep them in sync across my MacBook, Ubuntu device, and Android phone - Switched over to Firefox, bringing bookmarks and such along ### Obsidian If you're trying to use [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md) and you're having difficulties seeing inline images under Ubuntu, it might be because of the specific executable file you have. Try redownloading the Obsidian Appimage file directly from their website, marking it as executable, and using that one. [^1]: It has an Intel Celeron N4020, 4GB RAM, an 128GB eMMC5.1, and Intel UHD Graphics 600. [^2]: As any self-respecting nerd does with a brand-new piece of tech still under warranty. ∎