[GUIDE] Debian 12 on the Framework Laptop (All Framework Laptop 13 models)

Framework Laptop 13 Linux
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This thread manages Debian 12 (Bookworm). This thread is a wiki. Anyone who has the permission to edit the wiki can edit this thread’s first comment.

Known issues or reports

Intel

AMD

Other topics

How to join and report a bug in Debian

See also

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@junaruga deleted our comments to bring the two above closer together.

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@Matt_Hartley All right. Thank you for that. I updated this thread’s first comment.

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Hello,
just a little feedback from Framework 13 AMD Batch 5 with Debian 12 and backport kernel 6.5.3-1~bpo12+1

Almost everything works out the box except some bugs (could be usefull to list it / I spend a lot of time to search all these informations) :

You may also precise somethings specific to AMD (there is a lot of confusion in the threads no precising if what is proposed is intended for intel of AMD) for example :

And, could you precise (not framework related, more linux) that is not possible with newer kernels, to have secure boot AND hibernation, due to kernel lockdown (or need to patch the kernel) ?

Thank you very much !

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Appreciate the contribution.

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Hello, debian trixie/sid installed on a Framework 13 AMD Batch 6.

Using the kernel from the distro package linux-image-6.5.0-4-amd64 (which is kernel 6.5.10) and the amdgpu module from kernel-firmware / Linux Firmware · GitLab I did not experience the white-glitching bug for a few days.

Until today,when I turned to the KDE settings characters settings pane, where the fonts and subpixel hinting can be changed. From there I can reliably reproduce the glitching whenever I change any of the settings. I thought it was worth mentioning since it’s very easy to reproduce.

Edit: setting amdgpu.sg_display=0 fixes it for me.

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Does anyone know if Debian works with the 11th Gen Framework Laptop? Or should I install Linux Mint, which has been verified to work with Framework Laptop?

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Yep. I ran Debian on my Gen 11, until I installed Windows on it and gave it to my wife. Now I run Debian on my Gen 12 Framework.
It’s not perfect out of the box. I needed to upgrade the kernel (probably not needed anymore since Bookworm) and make some tweaks to get the fingerprint reader to work.
Lots of discussion in [GUIDE] Debian 12 on the Framework Laptop (All Framework Laptop 13 models)

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What about the framework 16? Is Debian 12 stable working properly on the FW16?

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You’ll also want to grab the latest Mediatek firmware (especially if using backports kernels):

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That is provided by the firmware-misc-nonfree package

juancnuno@usscerritos:~$ apt-file search BT_RAM_CODE_MT7922_1_1_hdr.bin
firmware-misc-nonfree: /usr/lib/firmware/mediatek/BT_RAM_CODE_MT7922_1_1_hdr.bin
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That’s correct, but the Bookworm package is providing firmware from early 2023 (20230210), while the linked version is from 4/2024. The bundled version would not allow me to connect to WiFi when running a newer kernel (e.g. 6.6.13 from backports) with Framework’s MT7922 adapter.

Note: I’m on FW13 AMD

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Hi everyone,

I wasn’t sure where exactly to post this, but I wanted to share my experiences installing Debian 12 with GNOME
on a Framework Laptop with a 12th Gen Intel i7 mainboard.
I ran into a few issues that cost me several hours to troubleshoot, and hopefully this helps someone else!

Problem 1: Suspend/Resume Would Break the System

After installation, my laptop would go to sleep — but after resuming (opening the lid), the screen would stay black
and the system became unusable.
No keyboard shortcuts worked; I had to force a power-off.

Fix: Install a Newer Kernel Using Backports

What finally solved it for me was installing a newer Linux kernel from Debian Backports.

Here’s exactly what I did:

  1. Edit your /etc/apt/sources.list and add the Backports repository.
    Open it using vim, nano, or your favorite editor:
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Then add this line:

deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports main
  1. Update your package lists:
sudo apt update
  1. Install the backported kernel:
sudo apt install -t bullseye-backports linux-image-amd64

:warning: Important Warning: Wi-Fi Firmware Will Break

Installing the newer kernel will remove the previously working firmware for the Wi-Fi card.
In my case, I have an Intel AX210, and after rebooting, Wi-Fi was completely gone — no network interfaces appeared.

To avoid this, download and install the updated firmware manually before you reboot!

You can get the correct Intel Wi-Fi firmware (iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-77.ucode, iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-83.ucode,
or iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-89.ucode) from Intel’s official Linux firmware repository:

:backhand_index_pointing_right: Making sure you're not a bot!

If you don’t do this beforehand, you’ll have to download the firmware from another machine and transfer it via USB.

Tip:
Manually copy the .ucode files into /lib/firmware/, and then reload the driver with:

sudo cp iwlwifi-ty-a0-gf-a0-89.ucode /lib/firmware/
sudo modprobe -r iwlwifi
sudo modprobe iwlwifi

or just reboot after copying the firmware:

sudo reboot

Summary

Problem Fix
Suspend/Resume Broken Install newer kernel from backports
Wi-Fi Firmware Missing Manually install updated firmware

Heads up, I asked chatgpt to write this after fixing my problems so anyone in need finds it

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You should have put bookworm-backports in place of bullseye-backports.

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As this is a floating thing, it would be good to report what kernel specifically you are using. It is not implicit that all backport kernels are going to work. (IE: regressions or other bugs in the newer kernels)

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Im running the 6.12.12 kernel

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Just a quick follow-up: I’ve switched my mainboard to the AMD AI 300 series and upgraded to Debian Trixie. I’m still encountering some of the same inconsistencies I mentioned in my earlier coment.

At the time, I was running kernel 6.12.x, but I decided to try the experimental kernel release 6.16-rc7. So far, it’s been surprisingly stable. Battery life has improved, and overall this feels like the most stable GNU/Linux experience I’ve had to date.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this path for everyone, but if you’re considering a similar setup, I hope your results are just as positive.