Dell XPS 15 9500 i9

Dell XPS 15 9500 i9: what I thought was the most premium compact linux-capable laptop available. For linux I recommend against purchasing the i9 until wifi driver support is readily evident (presently no linux wifi support). Following are impressions of this machine, configuration possibilities, wifi issue information, and limited distro install information.

Dell XPS 15 9500 i9: first impressions

  • comparing to previously having Dell Precision 5510
  • pros
    • exterior looks sleek and more robust than prior Precision
    • looks like the internal hinge design might have been made more reliable vs. the previously very flimsy internal hinges (very small connections which broke multiple times for me)
    • camera moved to monitor top while retaining thin edges
    • speakers moved to top next to keyboard which seems an intelligent change
  • cons
    • linux wifi incomptaibility in i9 - see below
    • trackpad is huge - very difficult to navigate bios. seems like would be prone to tracking malfunctions with palm resting. in main OS not super annoying yet.
    • opening the baseplate is extremely cumbersome compared to older Precision screw-only based takedown. You need to use pry tools to pop internal tabs. To avoid scratching the computer you need to use softer-than-metal plastics and my pry tools basically got destroyed opening this thing up. This is also far slower than just using a screwdriver (how these were previously opened).
    • keyboard keys absurdly large: there seems no upside to this, only decreased efficiency in space and function
    • no normal usb ports: this is terrible. also bizarre given they include an old-school audio jack but no usb?

Dell and Linux

  • summary: while Dell is extremely far from a flagship linux-supporting enterprise & suffers from customer support IT woes, it does offer some competitive advantages to linux users such as more premium hardware and decent warranties that include home repair
  • “linux support”: while Dell markets itself towards linux users, particularly with the “linux-approved” xps 13 line, linux offerings and support for more premium hardware is lacking or radically expensive
  • it would be trivial to note known linux hardware incompatibilities on Dell product pages (such as the i9 9500 wifi issue)
  • self-repair coverage for technical users: with my Precision I was able to easily perform repairs myself, eschewing a technician coming out and rather having them send me the components in the mail. For technical users, this is far better and easier compared to even e.g. Apple service where you 1) are really at the mercy of whoever is at the “genius bar” (I’ve had both a couple excellent experiences, and multiple terrible ones), 2) often are told for repairs you have to yield login information or your HD will be wiped (you do medical or other confidential work = no-go), 3) cannot repair the devices yourself without warranty voiding (thus usually have to travel, wait, and be without the device for repair time).
  • Dell support - a crapshoot with terrible web implementation
    • initially support pages list email, but you are forced to choose a topic first and then it disappears
    • sometimes Dell website chat is simply and profoundly broken, such as in 9/7/20:
      • chat link is activated on their site, but after filling out all the webform information the window just closes and if re-clicked you get: “We‘re sorry, but chat isn’t available right now. Please choose a different contact option or try again later.” they stated this was related to high volume (and obviously poor web engineering)
    • other times chat works, is helpful, and after the seemingly pan-manufacturer rigamarole of needless questions you can get parts shipped (this is again a great and seemingly unique characteristic for them)

wifi card linux incompatibility

  • i9 version wifi chip is Killer ax500 (Qualcomm) which is (as of 9/8/20) both linux incompatible and soldered to the computer
    • prior iterations had the wireless card easily accessible/replaceable
  • note that on i7 models Dell ships the ax1650 chip (Intel) which is reported to have driver support
  • driver support is reportedly in the works via the ath11k driver for kernel 5.9

distros / versions I have tried - wifi NOT working with these

  • manjaro: stable w default kernel as well as 5.9 kernel, testing with 5.9 kernel
  • fedora 32 stable, also rawhide

kernel & driver tracking

distro support tracking

social media tracking

interim USB wifi

  • due to Dell ridiculously not including standard USB ports, you have to use a double-dongle until internal wifi is supported
  • many USB wifi dongles do not natively support linux (i.e. NOT plug and play)
  • dongle examples that immediately are recognized and work (on fedora rawhide 9/16/20)
  • dongle examples that don’t work
  • factors to consider: native linux support w/o manual driver installation, speed, size, frequency bands, chipsets, manufacturer, reviews by linux users

upgrades

linux distro pre-installation

  • bios configuration
    • disable secure boot (enables USB boot media)
    • storage section: raid -> set to “ahci” (or else an upgraded/added drive won’t be accessible)

distros I have partially tested

  • Qubes - cannot reach installer screen despite following troubleshooting methods (seeming installer code misconfiguration)
  • Ubuntu live - works but no wifi
  • Manjaro
    • as per above no wifi
    • installer bug: installation hang if you elect to install LibreOffice (manjaro forum link)
    • black screen post-install
      • I had this with reboot after stable system upgrade (remitted with retry a few days later, probably due to buggy packages that got in the main repo) & with switching to current draft of experimental 5.9 kernel
    • to switch to testing or unstable:
      • sudo pacman-mirrors --api --set-branch {branch}
      • sudo pacman-mirrors --fasttrack 5 && sudo pacman -Syyu
    • to switch kernels: open the manjaro preferences app -> kernels -> select kernel and the gui will run the update
  • Fedora 32 stable + rawhide
    • as per above no wifi (including on 9/17 with the 5.9 kernel candidate)
    • note - to switch to rawhide do the following (I found the doc page confusing):
      • ensure fully updated: sudo dnf upgrade --refresh
      • install upgrade package: sudo dnf install dnf-plugin-system-upgrade
      • import rawhide rpm gpg key:
        • find highest number key version: ls /etc/pki/rpm-gpg
          • on 9/14/20 this seems to me to be “RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-34-primary”
        • import that key with rpm: sudo rpm --import /etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-34-primary
      • download rawhide update packages: sudo dnf system-upgrade download --refresh --releasever=rawhide
        • note: I got errors re mirror download for fedora-cisco-openh264
      • reboot into upgrade: sudo dnf syustem-upgrade reboot