Please make the MiniBook X(n100/n150) Linux-ready

Laptops Minibook X N100/N150/5100
1

Hello CHUWI team,

Please consider making the MiniBook X properly Linux-ready out of the box.

I believe a significant number of MiniBook X users install Linux on this device. It would be great if CHUWI could do a community poll or some research about this.

This is a niche 2-in-1 laptop, and many buyers choose it specifically because they want a small, flexible device and often want the freedom to use Linux.

Main issues that should be improved:

  1. Touchpad jitter under Linux
    Under Windows the touchpad works fine, but under Linux it can be unstable. Existing community fixes are unreliable. Users should not have to replace the touchpad or add shielding tape.
  2. Proper tablet mode support
    Tablet mode should work as well as it does under Windows, without custom scripts or unofficial hacks.
  3. Screen rotation improvements
    It works better on Ubuntu, but there is still room for improvement and better consistency across Linux distributions.
  4. 60 Hz display by default
    Please make 60 Hz the default under Linux without manual tweaks or workarounds.
  5. Lid close / suspend issue
    Sometimes closing the lid does not turn off the screen or suspend the laptop. This should be investigated.

Also, the Wi-Fi antennas are very weak. Even one wall can make video streaming unstable despite the system showing a decent signal. This seems like a hardware issue.

Also, I’d like to mention that Microsoft stopped operating in the country where I live due to sanctions, so they no longer officially provide drivers here, and they likely don’t provide Windows updates either.

Please consider assigning an engineer to improve Linux support, publish official Linux instructions, or contribute fixes upstream where possible.
If the MiniBook X became truly Linux-ready, I believe users would be much happier and sales could improve as well.

Thank you.

1 Like
2

This is a user forum. No one from Chuwi checks on us. You should contact Chuwi support: service@chuwi.com

3

This has already been done.

I just want to vent a little. I understand this laptop is a bit unusual hardware-wise, and some of its issues can only be worked around with user-made hacks. But some problems simply can’t be solved that way — for example, there still isn’t a proper 100% working fix for the touchpad.

Half the job is already done (Windows drivers and software), and that’s clearly a complex task for a qualified engineer, so why not finish the other half too?

On Linux, this laptop has much better touchscreen support and noticeably better battery life. All this constant messing around with solutions that often don’t work, or only work with compromises, just makes the laptop frustrating.

The main issue is that there are no alternatives on the market at all — not a single laptop that’s really comparable in terms of size and weight.

4

Hi, I have installed Linux on my minibook N100 to be independent from Chuwi drivers. And despite the tablet quirks mentioned, it is super stable, easy to upgrade, and works great as a mini laptop.

I prefer a community operating system and drivers for the minibook because there is a far better chance they are maintained over time.

That said, I don’t have good experience with Chuwi’s drivers on the minibook. A Windows update easily disables the features from the proprietary drivers by updating them to the latest, non-Chuwi drivers.

YMMV

5

Kubuntu 26.04 supports the minibook (almost) out of the box as a hybrid laptop/tablet.

You will have to enable automatic screen rotation. You will have to apply Plasma settings to SDDM. You will have to enable the virtual keyboard.

Then everything works, except physical keyboard disablement when in tablet mode. That may be another setting, but I haven’t looked for it.

So now laptop mode and tent mode works fine.

Still no competition for this netbook!

Cheers, Jaap

6

Hey, I know you’re looking for a more official solution, but I spent the last few weeks searching for various tweaks and solutions and also patched a few myself, including fixes for the touchscreen, touchpad and tablet mode / rotation based on analyzing windows drivers.

You can find them all collected in this repo: GitHub - fstanis/chuwi-minibook: Kernel modules, tools and tweaks for getting Linux working optimally on the CHUWI MiniBook laptops. · GitHub

1 Like
7

Hello, very impressive. I have read your document but wonder what will happen during a CachyOS upgrade. I assume settings will survive, but will the patches be lost?

Cheers, Jaap

8

Amazing! But can you please make it more simple even for cachyos users? beginers like us… Like a 1 tap script or similar to this!

9

The patches will survive as well - they all rely on DKMS which means they automatically rebuild when you install a new kernel.

10

You should be able to just follow the guide - most of the steps are just cd into a directory and run sudo make install (or a variant thereof). Feel free to file an issue if something doesn’t work and I’ll do my best to help.

11

Thank you so much.

Cheers, Jaap

12

I really tried my best, but there is no step by step thing about dependencies or even mention to install DKMS and headers. For real adoption it would be nice to have 1 click option ( except modifying the bios)

13

Dude, thanks a lot. I found the link myself and came here just to share it, hah.

On Ubuntu something didn’t work for me, so I didn’t bother troubleshooting and just installed CachyOS + used your repository. Everything I need works perfectly with zero hassle — I’m absolutely thrilled.

If anyone is going to install this OS, try GNOME first. It feels much more pleasant for a touchscreen in my opinion. I didn’t really like KDE for finger/touch control.

Thanks again for your reply and for all the work you’ve done.:heart: