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Setting Up openSUSE Tumbleweed on a Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 AMD

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By Manuel Laggner
6 min read
Setting Up openSUSE Tumbleweed on a Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 AMD

openSUSE Tumbleweed is a rolling-release Linux distribution that offers the latest and most up-to-date software packages. With its stability, cutting-edge updates, and powerful package management tools, it’s an excellent choice for users who prefer to have the latest software while maintaining a reliable operating system. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up openSUSE Tumbleweed on a Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4, from preparation to post-installation configuration.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation process, make sure you have the following:

  • A Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 AMD.
  • A USB drive (at least 4GB in size) for the installation media.
  • A working internet connection (for downloading updates and dependencies).
  • A backup of your data (in case something goes wrong during installation).
  • Another computer to download the openSUSE Tumbleweed ISO file and create a bootable USB drive.

Step 1: Download openSUSE Tumbleweed

  1. Go to the official openSUSE website: https://get.opensuse.org/
  2. Select Tumbleweed from the list of available versions.
  3. Download the ISO image for your architecture (x86_64 for most modern systems).

Make sure you choose the correct ISO file. You can opt for the GNOME, KDE, or minimal installation image based on your preferences. For this guide, we’ll assume you’re using the default GNOME desktop environment.

Step 2: Create a Bootable USB Drive

To create a bootable USB drive with the openSUSE Tumbleweed ISO, follow these steps:

On Linux:

  1. Plug in your USB drive.
  2. Open a terminal and find the device name of your USB drive using lsblk or fdisk -l.
  3. Use the dd command to write the ISO to the USB drive. Replace path_to_your_iso with the actual path to the downloaded ISO and /dev/sdX with your USB drive device.
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sudo dd if=path_to_your_iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

Make sure to replace /dev/sdX with the correct device path (e.g., /dev/sdb). Be very careful when using dd, as selecting the wrong device can overwrite important data.

On Windows:

  1. Download Rufus from https://rufus.ie.
  2. Insert your USB drive.
  3. Open Rufus, select the USB drive, and choose the openSUSE Tumbleweed ISO.
  4. Click Start and wait for the process to complete.

On macOS:

  1. Use balenaEtcher from https://www.balena.io/etcher/.
  2. Insert your USB drive and select the ISO file.
  3. Click Flash to create the bootable USB drive.

Once the bootable USB drive is ready, you’re ready to begin the installation process.

Step 3: Boot from the USB Drive

  1. Insert the USB drive into one of the available USB ports on your Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4.
  2. Power on the laptop and press F12 repeatedly during startup to open the boot menu.
  3. Select the USB drive from the boot menu and press Enter.
  4. The system will boot into the openSUSE Tumbleweed live environment.

Step 4: Begin the Installation

Once you are in the live environment, follow these steps to start the installation:

  1. Click on the Install openSUSE icon on the desktop.
  2. The installation wizard will start. Choose your preferred language and keyboard layout, then click Next.

Step 4.1: Configure System

  1. Time Zone: Select your time zone and click Next.
  2. Partitioning: If this is a fresh install, you can choose the Guided Partitioning option. This will automatically partition your drive.
    • For dual-boot setups, use Manual Partitioning to create partitions for both Linux and your other operating system.
    • Choose Btrfs as the filesystem if you’re unsure, as it offers snapshots and rollback capabilities.
  3. System Role: Choose your system role, such as Desktop or Laptop. For a ThinkPad, the default desktop role should suffice.

Step 4.2: Choose Desktop Environment

  1. Select the GNOME desktop environment (or KDE Plasma, depending on your preference) from the list.
  2. Click Next to proceed.

Step 4.3: Network Configuration

  1. Configure your network connection. If you are using Ethernet, the system should automatically detect it.
  2. For Wi-Fi, choose your network and enter the necessary credentials.

Step 4.4: User and Root Password

  1. Set up your root password (administrator password).
  2. Create a user account with your desired username and password.

Step 4.5: Software Selection

  1. Choose additional software packages. For most users, the default selection is sufficient. However, you can opt for extras such as development tools or multimedia codecs, depending on your needs.

Step 4.6: Begin Installation

  1. Review your choices in the summary screen.
  2. Once satisfied, click Install to begin the installation process.
  3. Wait for the installation to complete. This may take some time, depending on your hardware and internet connection speed.

Step 5: Reboot the System

Once the installation is finished, you will be prompted to reboot the system. Remove the USB drive when instructed, and press Enter to reboot into your new openSUSE Tumbleweed system.

Step 6: Post-Installation Configuration

After the system reboots, you can log into your new openSUSE Tumbleweed installation and perform some basic configurations to get everything running smoothly.

Step 6.1: Update the System

Since openSUSE Tumbleweed is a rolling release, the first thing you should do is update all packages to the latest version. Open a terminal and run:

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sudo zypper refresh
sudo zypper update

Step 6.2: Install Additional Drivers

For the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 AMD, the following drivers may be needed:

  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth drivers: openSUSE usually detects these automatically, but if not, you can install them via zypper.

I modified the file /etc/systemd/network/10-intel-wifi.link to get the best possible Wi-Fi performance:

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[Match]
Driver=iwlwifi

[Link]
TCPSegmentationOffload=false
NamePolicy=keep kernel database onboard slot path

Step 6.3: Install Lenovo-Specific Utilities

Lenovo provides a set of utilities to enhance system functionality, like Lenovo Vantage for battery management and other features. You can download and install them from the Lenovo website or GitHub repositories if available.

Step 6.4: Set Up a Backup Solution

It’s essential to set up a backup solution for your data. openSUSE Tumbleweed comes with Timeshift for creating system snapshots, but you can also set up Deja Dup for personal data backups.

Step 6.5: Configure Power Management

Power management tools like TLP can help you extend battery life on laptops. Install TLP via the terminal:

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sudo zypper install tlp

Then start the service:

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sudo systemctl enable tlp
sudo systemctl start tlp

Final words

You’ve now successfully set up openSUSE Tumbleweed on your Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4! This rolling-release distribution offers you the latest software updates and an excellent Linux experience. With a little post-installation configuration, you should have a stable, reliable system optimized for your laptop’s hardware. Enjoy your openSUSE Tumbleweed experience!

Tips:

  • Regularly update your system to stay on top of the latest packages and security fixes.
  • Use Snapper, Timeshift or BorgBackup for easy system backups and rollback.
  • If you run into hardware issues, check openSUSE forums or Lenovo support for assistance.
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This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.