Sure, let’s give this a whirl:
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Okay, here’s the deal—I’m kinda new to the whole Linux thing. Like, imagine a baby deer stumbling around. I grew up on IBM PC-DOS, then did the Windows shuffle from 3.11 all the way up (except for Windows ME, ’cause who really?). But then Macs got into my life in 2009 with Leopard. So yeah, Linux never really called my name. But then Lenovo tossed me this Legion Go S gaming doodad. I figured, hey, let’s see if Linux can handle my shenanigans while I piece together my review of the Asus ROG Strix G16.
Now, let me paint you a picture—a total Linux outsider just bumbling around, seeing what sticks.
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### Getting Cozy with KDE Plasma on the Legion Go S
Usually, this Legion thing boots into SteamOS. Makes sense, ’cause it’s really about those gaming vibes. But if you want to do the whole serious-business bit, you can flip to KDE Plasma. Hold that power button for four blippin’ seconds, and voila—a menu. Pick desktop mode, and bam, you’re in KDE land.
My mission? Basic stuff like web surfing and word jotting, maybe a little photo magic. But with just two USB-C ports, it was like juggling cats (more on that later). Anyway, I tried hopping around the KDE Plasma scene with an on-screen keyboard. Totally doable, but let’s not kid ourselves—it’s not ideal. For real work, you need the big guns.
Grabbed my trusty Logitech keyboard and mouse from Target (twenty bucks!), slapped in a USB-A to USB-C adapter since, naturally, the Legion’s got those fancier ports. It worked out—mouse clicked, keyboard typed. KDE Plasma suddenly felt like Windows’ cousin I hadn’t met yet. Everything was just… there. Who’d have thought?
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### App Time and Taking Care of Business with KDE Plasma
My Wi-Fi was already up since the SteamOS days. First snag—installing a web browser. Everyone loves Chrome, but I’m an Edge guy. Everything’s synced there, and Edge is like comfort food.
But get this, downloading Edge took eight whole minutes. Painful. I blame my ISP (T-Mobile, if you’re wondering), but who knows? It eventually worked, and I was in—passwords, bookmarks, the works.
Now, this little screen? Not great for someone who’s not 20/20 anymore (raising my hand here). So, I pulled out an Espresso Displays monitor. But, uh-oh, Legion couldn’t power it alone. Had to do a USB-C power magic trick, and bingo—KDE Desktop in glorious 4K.
Typing away in the browser version of Word on this monitor felt just like any other day at the office. Smooth sailing.
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### Here Comes the Fun: Tech Juggling Act
Trying to work my FLIR camera—it checks laptop temps with cool heat pics—introduced chaos. Two USB-C slots plus a need for the Logitech receiver, like a puzzle missing pieces. Flipped the setup, finally got it.
But, and it’s a big one, the touchpad didn’t wanna play nice. Like, hit it and things froze and rebooted to SteamOS. Tried again, same deal. Back to basics; did a USB shuffle again. I’m nothing if not persistent.
After some dancing, downloaded what I needed: laptop heat shots, iPhone pics (thank you, Google Photos). Used GIMP for editing, which is no Pixelmator Pro but, hey, gets the job done.
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### The Wrap-Up: Was It Worth It?
Going into this Linux experiment, I had no clue what’d happen. Just wanted to test it—and, well, it worked. Mostly. Except for the touchpad tantrums. Linux didn’t make a mess of my day; got my work done and kinda dug KDE Plasma.
The handheld mode? Meh, not for me. If you’re serious, invest in a USB-C dock to keep your sanity.
So, yeah. The Legion Go S isn’t the productivity king, but it’s a decent sidekick if you manage your expectations. Just treat it right, and it’ll play ball.
