I’m Kayla. I run Linux on my own gear. And yeah, I’ve done it on a bunch of Acer laptops. Some days it’s smooth. Some days I stare at the screen and sip cold coffee. But it works. And when it works, it’s great.
Here’s what I’ve used and what actually happened. Need a broader view beyond my gear? Check out the in-depth reports on Desktop Linux Reviews — they’ll give you a feel for how other laptops stack up. They’ve even published a granular breakdown of Acer laptops running Linux that mirrors my own experience, and you can skim it for extra context in their dedicated Acer guide.
My Acer Swift 3 (SF314-42) with Ubuntu
This is the slim Ryzen one. Mine has a 4500U chip and 8 GB RAM. I installed Ubuntu 22.04 first, then later moved to 24.04.
- Setup: I had to set a BIOS “Supervisor Password,” then mark the Ubuntu boot file as trusted. In BIOS, I went to Security, picked “Select an UEFI file as trusted,” found EFI/ubuntu/shimx64.efi, and marked it. If I didn’t, it wouldn’t boot with Secure Boot on. Classic Acer thing.
- Touchpad and keys: The touchpad felt smooth. Two-finger scroll was fine. Brightness keys worked right away. The keyboard backlight had just a couple levels. That’s okay for late nights.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Both worked right after install. No hacks. That felt rare and nice.
- Sleep and fans: Sleep worked on 5.15+ kernels. Before that, it woke up a bit slow. Fans stayed quiet for daily stuff. When I compiled code, they spun up fast, then calmed down.
- Battery: On Windows, I got near 10 hours, screen low, light work. On Ubuntu, I saw about 7 to 8 hours. I added TLP and shaved off some drain. Maybe 30–40 more minutes on a good day.
- Fingerprint: Mine is a Goodix reader. It didn’t work back then. I tried fprintd. No dice. I just used a PIN.
If you’re curious about running Debian instead of Ubuntu, there’s a step-by-step community guide that walks through BIOS tweaks, driver choices, and fixes on this very model—check out this detailed discussion on installing Debian on the Acer Swift 3 SF314-42.
You know what? This was my best “grab and go” Acer with Linux. Light, quiet, no drama.
My Acer Aspire 5 (A515-54) with Fedora
This is an older Intel model. Plain, cheap, tough. I like gear that doesn’t baby me.
- Setup: Fedora 39 installed easy. But the Wi-Fi didn’t. It had a Realtek card (RTL8821CE). Fedora didn’t ship the driver. So I used my phone as USB tether for internet. Then I installed the rtl8821ce driver (akmod on Fedora). Reboot. Wi-Fi came alive and stayed stable.
- Video and ports: HDMI worked out of the box. External monitor was fine on Wayland, but once it flickered. I switched to Xorg for a week and it stopped. Then Wayland was fine again after updates.
- Sound and camera: Speakers were okay. Not loud, but clear. The mic worked on calls. I used it for a tiny podcast test. Not studio clear, but passable.
- Keys: F2 opens BIOS. F12 brings the boot menu. I keep that in muscle memory now.
- Battery: 6 to 7 hours on light work with power-profiles-daemon. On Fedora, I kept power saving balanced. It felt steady.
For anyone who hits the same “no Wi-Fi” wall, a concise Fedora Discussion post spells out the driver dance step by step—see this thread on installing Wi-Fi drivers for the Acer Aspire 5 (AMD).
This one made me work a bit for Wi-Fi. After that, it felt like an old friend. Not fancy. Just does the job.
My Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-55) with Pop!_OS
This is my game box. Intel CPU. NVIDIA GPU (GTX 1660 Ti). Thicker. Loud fans. Big energy.
- Setup: Pop!_OS 22.04 installed the NVIDIA driver right away. I used Hybrid Graphics when on battery and NVIDIA for games. The switch was easy in the settings.
- Games: Rocket League ran at 120 fps on medium-high. Hades was smooth. I tried The Witcher 3 with Proton and stayed near 60–70 fps on high, 1080p. That felt wild for a laptop.
- Heat and fan noise: It gets loud while gaming. That’s normal for this model. I used a cheap stand to lift the back. Dropped a couple degrees. Not magic, but it helped.
- Battery: 3 to 4 hours on light use. 1 to 2 hours gaming. This isn’t a bus laptop. It’s a desk laptop.
- Keyboard lights: I kept a solid color set in BIOS. Linux tools for fancy zones weren’t stable for me. I gave up and just played.
- Little thing: The trackpad was okay. I used a mouse for games anyway.
It’s not subtle. But if you like Steam, it’s a blast.
Stuff that worked, and stuff that bugged me
Good things:
- Most Acer touchpads and brightness keys worked out of the box.
- HDMI and USB-C video were solid on all three.
- Pop!_OS made NVIDIA painless. Ubuntu did fine too.
Tricky bits:
- Realtek Wi-Fi on some Aspire models needed extra drivers.
- Fingerprint readers were hit or miss. Mine didn’t work on the Swift 3.
- Battery life on Linux ran 10–25% lower than Windows on the same machine.
- On some Acers, you must set a BIOS password and “trust” the Linux boot file. It’s weird, but it’s normal for Acer.
My tiny fixes that helped
- Power tools: I used TLP on Ubuntu and powertop to trim battery drain. On Fedora, I stuck with power-profiles-daemon and tuned a few services off.
- Kernel matters: Newer kernels fixed sleep and touch issues on the Swift 3. If something’s flaky, a kernel update can save the day.
- Keep a USB-C dongle: Great for quick HDMI or wired Ethernet when Wi-Fi acts up.
- Phone tether: Saved me on the Aspire 5 when I needed to pull Wi-Fi drivers.
- BIOS notes: F2 for BIOS, F12 for boot menu. Set a Supervisor Password once, then “Select an UEFI file as trusted” for shimx64.efi. After that, it boots fine with Secure Boot.
- Cloud-first alternative: When I wanted a no-install option, I played with FydeOS and wrote down exactly what worked — you can see the steps I followed in this walkthrough.
While I’m tweaking kernels late at night, I often keep a chat window open for company. LGBTQ readers who’d like a welcoming place to share distro tips or just unwind should check out Instant Chat’s lesbian room — it’s a no-signup space where you can instantly meet like-minded women and enjoy real-time conversation anytime you need a break from the terminal.
If you ever find yourself in Minnesota for a regional open-source meetup and want a laid-back way to explore the local nightlife once the conference badges come off, the community classifieds at One Night Affair’s St. Cloud listings can point you toward up-to-date events and friendly venues, helping you make the most of your off-hours without endless searching.
Who should try this?
- Students and writers: The Swift 3 with Ubuntu felt light and easy. Long battery, quiet, no fuss.
- Budget folks: An Aspire 5 with Fedora or Ubuntu is a stable daily driver, once the Wi-Fi is sorted.
- Gamers: The Nitro 5 with Pop!_OS worked great. It’s loud, but it plays.
- Chromebook tinkerers: If you’re experimenting on a Chromebook, here’s a practical rundown of which Linux distros slide in smoothly through Crostini.
If you want perfect fingerprint support or fancy RGB tools, you may get annoyed. If you want simple, fast, and safe, it’s pretty great.
Would I do it again?
Yes. I still run Linux on my Acers. The Swift 3 rides in my bag. The Aspire 5 sits on my desk for Zoom and notes. The Nitro 5 handles Steam nights. I’ve bumped into quirks, sure. But I know the moves now.
And when something breaks, I make tea, hum a tune, and fix it. It’s almost a hobby. Weird, right? But it works for me.