I have just received a new MSI Pulse GL66 15.6" FHD Gaming Laptop Intel Coe i7-12700H RTX 3070 16GB 512GB 12UGKV-464. (Please don’t ask why or how but I did not pay money for it.)
Searching a bit on the Internet, I find that it is difficult or not recommended to install any Linux OS on this brand of computer.
Is that right? Has anyone here installed any Linux OS on one of this brand of computer? I would want to install EndeavourOS onto this new computer and would be grateful for any tips by anyone who has actually installed EndeavourOS onto an MSI computer, preferably an MSI gaming computer.
The easiest answer is to simply “try it”. In general, things like “Brand X” laptops won’t work with Linux don’t really make much sense because all the laptops have completely different hardware on the inside. They are often even OEM’d from completely different partners.
Hello Lawrence
It should be no problem installing Linux on this laptop. The issues you may have will relate to the Intel Iris and Nvidia graphics setup. It also has RGB backlit keyboard i think? Also there have been some issues with some newer Intel Audio chip codecs but don’t really know what chip this laptop has on it although it’s listed as Intel HD audio. You also have Intel thunderbolt 4 so there may be a package to install for that or it may be in the kernel?
I think the first thing i would do is boot on a live ISO and run it from there to see how it works and what issues you find with it not installed yet. You could run the command and post the link for the hardware. This would be helpful. I would use it for a while on the live ISO. See if the RGB keys are working if it has it etc.
inxi -Faz | eos-sendlog
Edit: The hardware is great. Nice laptop.
Edi2: When you run it on the live ISO you’ll know if the audio is working and WiFi and Ethernet if it has it etc…
I hope this tells you what you need to know. Audio is working fine (Alder Lake PCH-P High Definition Audio Control).
Wi-Fi and Ethernet also work fine on the live ISO.
The main question on my mind is that sometimes a live ISO works fine but when the program is installed then the system does not work. While I have never had this happen to me personally, I have read about this many times.
This computer was offered to me free of charge and, of course, I couldn’t resist it. But when I did some reading about MSI computers, I got very concerned. I have NEVER had any problems in installing EndeavourOS on any previous computer but I have never owned an MSI one. I don’t want to do anything that might ruin it.
Please let me know what you can determine from the log above. If you determine that everything appears to be okay, then I’ll permanently install EndeavourOS to this computer.
By the way, whenever I install EndeavourOS to a computer, I always run the GParted program on the live ISO and ‘wipe’ everything which had been on the computer (Windows, etc.); I hope that doing this with this computer will be okay because, when that’s done, there is no possibility of reinstalling Windows if the EndeavourOS system does not work properly.
Ricklinux you have helped me MANY times in the past and I want to thank you for helping me here and for everything else you do.
Plus I want to thank all who have written here and have tried to help me.
Everything looks fine to me as far as hardware goes. So it’s shows the Nvidia driver as loaded but I’m not sure how this works on a hybrid system when you install it. I’m not sure if you should select the Nvidia option on the live ISO when you install? I would think it would install the Opensource drivers (Nouveau) for the Nvidia otherwise. Then you would have the option of installing the Nvidia drivers after which is fine. All I’m saying is I don’t know on a Hybrid system what happens if you selected Nividia because it’s booting on Intel? If you want to run the Nvidia for gaming or other graphic intensive applications or you could run on the opensource nouveau also if it works for you. It’s entirely your choice. I’m not sure whether this laptop has any settings to change gpu in the UEFI Bios? Otherwise you would have to use one of the other methods such as optimus manager or prime etc in order to switch the graphics from one to the other when needed.
I’m not sure whether you have run any Hybrid graphics on any other laptops or not? I think i would just install using the standard grub entry and then use the tools EOS provides to install the Nvidia drivers after if necessary.
There is a new package in the EOS repo to install nvidia called
nvidia -inst
You have to install the package first then you can use it to install nvidia drivers.
Edit: If you have any other questions just let us know. Someone will try to help. I can’t guarantee you won’t have any issues but I’m sure they can be solved if you do. Just take your time and be sure of what you want and how you are going to to it before you decide to go ahead. There have been some changes probably since you last installed.
I installed EndeavourOS successfully onto this computer this morning. Everything went perfectly. Prior to engaging the installer I used the Partition Manager section on the Live ISO to completely remove everything that had come installed on this computer (Microsoft Windows and everything associated with it) and used the standard installation method (automatic partitioning as this computer has only one drive) and used the Offline installation as I want the Xfce desktop and I do not care about Nvidia.
My W-Fi works perfectly and, while I have not yet checked the sound, I fully expect that to work perfectly too. (If it doesn’t, I’ll be back here!)
I want to thank EACH AND EVERY PERSON who helped me with this process. After having read (extensively) on the Internet that it was difficult or impossible (and not recommended) to install any Linux distro onto an MSI computer, I was quite concerned.
I needn’t have been. That which I had read is totally incorrect. Plus you people here on this forum are positively the best help for which anyone could ask and I can’t express my gratitude enough.
