This blog post will document how I installed Ubuntu 23.04 on my Zephyrus G15 gaming laptop.
Everything works as expected
Previously, I used Fedora 37 / 38 which is easy to install and, as far as I can tell, runs flawlessly on the Zephyrus G15. To prepare the laptop for traveling, I installed Windows 11 so that I could get the device trough all of the customs checks. Once I arrive, I would then reinstall Linux – you get the point.
After installing Windows 11, I noticed heat issues which were not present when running Fedora. To make a long story short, I installed Ubuntu 23.04 so I could see if that even would be possible. Not only is it possible, it runs perfectly fine without the asus patch which is well documented on asus-linux.org
After installing Ubuntu on my Zephyrus, I proceeded to setup:
- UFW Firewall
- Extensions Manager
Battery Health Charging
Dash to Panel - Brave Browser
- GIMP
- Gedit plus plugins
- lm-sensors
Just so that we are all on the same page, I did a minimal install of Ubuntu 23.04. Still, the firewall UFW was already installed and only needed to be activated with sudo ufw enable – that was it.
I was most happy to see that the Batteryh Health Charging Gnome extension worked on my device. Had it not, I would have to revert to Fedora once again. After that, I added the Dash to Panel extension and tweaked the settings to somewhat mimic the Apple look.
Lastly, I’ve installed the Brave browser by copying and pasting their instructions which are easy to follow and always work. To save time, I always copy the Brave Browser directory which is located in home > .config (the dot means that it is a hidden file) and paste it into a new install. This way, I don’t have to disable the countless settings and options I don’t want/need.
Ubuntu’s default icons are nice enough and I am not planing to install the amazing Kora icon set. After I set one of my custom wallpapers and went trough the Gnome settings to tweak some more, I was ready to in stall GIMP.
While the laptop runs noticeably hot on Windows 11, the same is not true when running Ubuntu. According to lm-sensors, my operating temperatures are fine. See terminal output of sensors:
asus-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
cpu_fan: 0 RPM
gpu_fan: 0 RPM
amdgpu-pci-0600
Adapter: PCI adapter
vddgfx: 737.00 mV
vddnb: 756.00 mV
edge: +47.0°C
PPT: 3.00 W
BAT0-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
in0: 15.86 V
k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
Tctl: +48.9°C
nvme-pci-0500
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite: +35.9°C (low = -0.1°C, high = +76.8°C)
(crit = +79.8°C)
acpitz-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
temp1: +49.0°C (crit = +120.0°C)Scroll to the bottom for battery usage statistics.
Do not install GIMP as a snap
Linux has come a long way and these days, Flatpak, Appimage and Snap packages are getting a lot of attention and hype. I will NEVER chose those options if a standard deb file is available. The real reason why I trued Ubuntu on my Zephyrus laptop was based on the fact that it installed nicely on my Dell workstation which had issues with Fedora. It where during that install that I didn’t pay attention and installed GIMP via Gnome Software which defaults to snap.
Doing so, downloaded one GIG of packages. In comparison to hardly anything when I used deb from the drop-down menu. Knowing this, I installed GIMP on the Zephyrus with the Ubuntu deb option and everything works perfectly.
Conclusion
Running Linux is easy if one only has one or two computers. But since I have to administer several, I always look for the one size fits all option. Previously, Fedora and openSUSE Tumbleweed worked just fine but each have issues which need time to correct and time is something I do not have much of. Fedora is great when it comes to virtualization. Want to use the latest version of PHP? No problem. But, my ultrawide monitor hisses at 60Hz.
The other option, openSUSE Tumbleweed runs good on my workstations but is a pain for web design. Outdated version of PHP, Pyhthon2 still the default plus a few more things that take time to change. Sure, openSUSE is solid but not ideal for the Zephyrus. Lately, I’m running my local instances of WordPress on an Ubuntu Server (virtual machine hosted on Fedora) and it is flawless.
One more thing
I read a lot about Linux users who hop from one distribution to another but I can not relate. After I install and configure a workstation for web development and programming, the last thing I want is to switch to a different distro. But when I saw how reliable the Ubuntu server was, I started to notice some positive reviews and then I downloaded the Ubuntu 23.04 ISO. What can I say, it instantly feels right and now this it runs amazingly well on the Zephyrus G15, it is becoming my daily driver.
I do not care which distribution I use. I do care if the documentation is error free and perhaps more important, available. Ubuntu shines when it comes to finding online solutions. So far, so good.
Battery usage and stats
Finally, enough time has past to post some meaningful statistics about the battery life. After all, I don’t want to bring my charger if I only use the laptop for a few hours. Without further ado, here are some facts.
I finished installing Ubuntu around 16:42
The battery charge level was at 94% (this is because during installation, the laptop tries to charge the battery fully which is why it’s a good idea to not waste time and do it quickly).
Then I did a lot of configuration and installation. Now it is 18:25 and the battery level is 58%. Gnome power settings shows that there are still 2 hours and 44 minutes remaining. There was no idle time. I have used every minute on installing and configuring the setup until just now. All in all, I am happy and can see this working. I will look into more power saving options such as reducing the refresh rate from 165 to 60Hz and playing with the brightness setting.
Thank you for your time. As always, I’m happy to provide more information. Ask and you shall receive.
