Not too long ago, I wrote about my experiences using Linux on a tablet and how I came away unimpressed. While it worked okay, I just found it more frustrating than fun most of the time, and I couldn't recommend it over sticking with Windows 11. A lot of readers took issue with that, and one of the comments asked if I had tried Endless OS, which I admittedly hadn't.
In fact, I hadn't heard of Endless OS before, but I was certainly curious, so I went ahead and installed it on the same tablet as before. The verdict? It's certainly an improvement, and for once, I might actually see myself using it, even if there aren't actually that many differences.
It's GNOME
With one notable change
Endless OS isn't a revolutionary experience for tablet users, but it is a solid one, which is mostly thanks to the fact that it uses the GNOME desktop environment. As I had already mentioned in my previous article on this, GNOME is one of the better options for touch support, whether that's on top of something like Arch Linux or using Ubuntu, which I'd say was the best experience I had.
This really isn't far from that. The UI for Endless OS consists of the typical GNOME desktop with just a couple of built-in GNOME extensions that change a couple of things, but frankly change them for the better. These changes include running app indicators along the top of the screen, giving you another way to see your running apps, but perhaps most importantly, they change how your app list is displayed.
By simply making it so that you see your app list — along with the search bar — over your desktop background whenever you close or minimize all your open apps, Endless OS makes it a lot easier to get started launching your apps in tablet mode. The app list looks pretty much like it does on a typical GNOME setup, but the background isn't darkened, so it looks a lot more vibrant, and the app list is always available without needing a lot of complicated gestures. When apps are open, you can access the app list by tapping the respective icon on the dock.
That's about it, though, so there really isn't a ton going on here that makes the experience that much better. You can't customize touch gestures, and there aren't a ton of them in the first place, but they work well. You can swipe down from areas such as the clock to see notifications or the battery icon to see your system menu, which is typical for GNOME.
Endless OS does come with a very large zoom factor by default, at least on my tablet with 2560x1600 resolution. This does make it more suitable for a tablet, but it's a bit too much, and unfortunately, the UI doesn't offer a lot of options. The default is 200%, and I can only step it down to 100%, which makes things a little too small to be used with a tablet.
Accepting I need a new browser
Vivaldi, Linux, and touchscreens don't mix
The biggest problem I had while using Endless OS is still the same as before: my browser. As I always make a point to mention, I use Vivaldi, and typically this is a great browser on any platform. Unfortunately, however, the Linux version is currently broken when it comes to touchscreens. Tapping a text field or the address bar doesn't bring up the virtual keyboard, something that GNOME thankfully addresses by making it possible to summon the keyboard by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. This works well, though I wish this was a button so that this swipe gesture could be used for opening the app list instead. Especially because I can't dismiss the keyboard by swiping down, and there's a button for it instead.
Anyway, that's not the end of the problems with Vivaldi on Linux, because the entire UI stops responding when I try to interact with any pop-up menu. Accessing settings? Vivaldi stops responding to touch. Try to download a file? Interacting with the confirmation dialog also breaks it. It's just unusable, so I went ahead and installed Floorp instead, and that works just fine. I'm surely a minority in this regard, though, so you should be fine.
Using a tablet? Go for FydeOS
Still the best non-Windows experience
Earlier this week, I got to try another operating system I'd never heard of before, called FydeOS. While still Linux-based at its core, FydeOS is actually more closely based on ChromiumOS, and as a result, it's so much better for touch-based devices. FydeOS offers a more adaptable UI that automatically switches between a tablet UI and a more desktop-friendly UI when you plug in a mouse and keyboard, and both modes work excellently for their respective purposes.
FydeOS is also great in how it handles gestures and touch controls. Opening the app launcher is a simple swipe gesture away at all times, and you can also resize apps easily. Tablet mode does limit your ability to resize windows, but you can at least open two side by side and have an extra one float above the main apps, so it's still very usable.
FydeOS also has Android apps that are very easy to set up, so you get experiences that are designed from the ground up to work with touch. And if you want more "serious" apps, you can also set up a Linux development environment that allows you to install all the apps you need. It's a better tablet experience that can serve as a more typical PC in a pinch, which makes it the way to go if you have one of these devices.
Linux still needs to learn
A few things it still needs
At first glance, Linux seems like it works fine on touch devices, and it just takes a bit of getting used to. However, an alternative like FydeOS shows how much more pleasant a touch experience can be. Gestures and swiping are one major area where Linux still needs to improve. Swiping up to see your all apps list is just the easiest way to do it, and something you see on smartphones, Windows, and the aforementioned FydeOS. Swiping between pages should also not require much thinking, but on GNOME, if your finger touches an app icon at the beginning of the swipe, the swipe gesture just won't be recognized.
As I mentioned, the fact that summoning the touch keyboard on GNOME requires swiping up but dismissing it requires tapping a button also feels counterintuitive. You want these actions to feel connected, but they really don't this way.
I also really wish there were more customization for gestures with a system that's as complex as Linux. Gestures for easily switching between apps, or changing computer volume and brightness, or bring up notifications would be great. Considering customization is such a big focus of Linux, that seems like a no-brainer.
When these things improve, I do believe Linux will be a great experience for tablets, but we're not quite there yet. Right now, sticking with Windows 11 or switching to FydeOS are better options.