coming from macbook pros and building windows pcs here, new linux user. I assembled my framework 13 pro, everything seemed to fit together nicely, and on my PC using Balena I flashed an install drive for Ubuntu. When I power up the framework laptop, and select try/install Ubuntu, the wheel just spins. When I hit escape it shows this:
Try downloading and try to boot a couple of other Linux distros to see whether you can boot any of them up.
If you can’t boot any of the other Linux distros up, then you may have a hardware problem.
If you can boot one or more of the other Linux distros, try installing the ones that will boot up.
Try using Fedora 44 KDE, Linux Mint, and MX-Linux.
If one or more of them work, download a fresh copy of Ubuntu or Kubuntu and see if you can install it.
If you have another USB flash drive or an SSD and a USB to SSD adapter, try using it just in case there’s something wrong with the first USB flash drive you used.
If this is Ubuntu 26.04 I had issues on 2 different computers with the install, it usually has to do with how the drivers load on the installer, you normally have to boot into a safe graphics mode to complete the installer if it hangs. This will use very basic drivers during the install and once it installs and loads it should pull the correct drivers. Of the 3 computers I installed 26.04 2 of them I had to do this. You can also try installing 24.04 and upgrading, but the safe graphics worked for me. But the read out on this screen makes me think it may be USB related, I would try another port, or if you have a USB-C SSD could try booting from that and bypassing the expansion card port, check the bios level and update it there is one available. Still waiting on my FW13pro AMD kit to come in as I am in Batch 10.
If you just put it together, go into the BIOS and check that the date and time are not too far off, has not to be accurate to the minute but also not 2001 or something.
I tried safe mode, no luck, same error. I’m using USB A and both keys are maybe 8 years old, wonder if that could be it, although they were both working beforehand. Next I’ll try 24.04. Thanks!
Hmm, could be secure boot in the BIOS. I don’t know why it would affect Ubuntu and not Mint though. Would you take some pictures of your secure boot screen and paste them here?
FWIW I would stick with Mint; it uses Ubuntu and Debian downstream anyway.
I’m glad to hear that Linux Mint works well on your Framework 13 Pro. That suggests that your Framework is working properly. Linux Mint is not one of the two officially supported distros but Linux Mint is an excellent distro, is supported by the Framework community and there is an install guide for it on the Framework website:
I use openSUSE Slowroll which works quite well on Framework computers but I would also recommend Linux Mint over Ubuntu for a number of reasons. I prefer the Debian based version of Linux Mint (LMDB) but it may have an older Debian kernel which may not have the latest support for Framework hardware unless you update the kernel. Fedora KDE is another good distro and is also officially supported. MX-Linux also works well on Framework computers. You might want to try the KDE version of Ubuntu, Kubuntu to see if it works. But if you want to run Ubuntu, you can contact Framework support to see what they suggest.
Glad to hear you got it, I have my main work desktop and my wife’s desktop on 26.04, both do double duty for playing games as well. I do not miss windows one bit, and I have found that my workflow is much more efficient than before. Because of the development work I do the consistency of work when I am on the road is what motivated me to move from my Macnbook Pro M1 for a FW13pro. I did have issues with hers and had to do safemode on the install, but both run Nvidia GPUs, so that it likely why.
