Using Linux

I first started using Linux in my second year of middle school so about 14 years old. I got introduced to the world of Linux by my teacher Renick Bell. I was having performance issues and he asked me if I wanted to try Linux. At that time, I had just started using computers so I was quite unfamiliar with Windows. So, I agreed to try dual booting Linux. He helped me install Manjaro Linux with the XFCE window manager. I started using it and I had no issues with Linux itself other than that I could not see my old files in Windows. Eventually, I felt that my computer was still slow and combined with the files issue, I just decided to use only Linux. In the end, it did not really improve my speeds but I got quite comfortable with Linux and used it with no issues. That was until I got a new laptop an ROG Strix. It was equipped with a dual GPU setup, featuring Intel integrated graphics and an Nvidia graphics card. At first, I noticed weird white or greish lines on my screen. After about half a year of debugging and discussions with my teacher, we decided to send it for repair. The same screen issue kept occurring, and they finally replaced my computer after I had it fixed five times. However, when I received my new computer, there was still a weird refresh issue on my screen; it resembled the flickering of old CRT televisions refreshing.

After a lot more research, I discovered that my compositor was the issue. I came to this conclusion by testing two different desktop environments: XFCE and i3. One day, I realized the screen flickering didn’t happen on XFCE, so I started comparing the two environments, eventually leading me to identify the compositor problem.

Another issue I encountered with my original Linux install on my old laptop was that I couldn’t use my microphone for some reason. However, after I figured out how Linux audio works and configured PipeWire properly, I was able to get it working. One of the best moments of my experience with Linux was when I realized I wasn’t utilizing my hardware's full potential. I struggled with configuring when to use my integrated graphics and when to use my Nvidia GPU. So, I decided to install and use the proprietary Nvidia graphics drivers, which allowed me to double my battery life while both GPUs were on and almost triple my battery life when the Nvidia GPU was off.

Aside from that, I also created some libraries for Node.js built specifically for Linux. For example, I developed a library that allowed Node.js to control Bluetooth on Linux. Later, I found out that others had created similar libraries, but unlike my code, they had external dependencies; I used only core Node.js modules. The similar part was that they also used a Linux command line tool called bluetoothctl. Another library I created for Node.js specific to Linux was for audio routing, enabling me to connect and disconnect audio nodes and view the connections of existing audio nodes. I created this library because I could not find a similar library that did such a thing.

In my earlier days, I would create scripts to help set up my coding environment or make running commands quicker. This helped me build my familiarity with Linux. I also used Linux to create kiosk-like interfaces for a school exhibition, using Electron. I had to configure about six Linux laptops to work with it. On those laptops, I fixed any problems and ensured that the same Electron setup would work across all devices. During that time, I was also in charge of managing those devices.

Now, I run Arch Linux on my main laptop and don't really have any Linux issues. Personally, I think that it is quite stable now, especially now that I use the LTS Kernel. I have also figured out how to get fan curves, Asus specific features, and RGB working on my laptop with Asusctl via the ROG Control Center GUI. I currently also control my GPU setup via the package supergfxctl