I’m gonna be honest, I never thought I’d mess around with Linux. I’m more of a Windows old-timer. Started with the good ol’ IBM PC-DOS when I was barely a teenager. Then Windows 3.11 came along, and I stuck with it—all the way to today’s stuff (somehow skipped over Windows ME, though). Oh, and I’ve been dabbling with Macs since 2009. Weirdly fun.
Anyway, I somehow got my hands on a Legion Go S gaming device from Lenovo. Thought I’d get brave and try Linux on it. Like, why not, right? Figured it might even help me with a review I’m working on for the Asus ROG Strix G16. You know, two birds, one stone kind of thing.
So here it is—my chaotic adventure. You’ll see, I’m no pro. Just fumbling through as I go.
### Getting KDE Plasma Going on the Legion Go S
Alright, so this gadget boots up with SteamOS by default. Makes sense, since it’s for gaming, right? But I wanted to take it for a spin with KDE Plasma for more ‘serious’ tasks like browsing and writing. Pressed the power button for around… 4 seconds? Yeah, 4 sounds about right. A menu pops up, and boom, you can pick KDE Plasma.
Side note, holding this info suddenly made me remember how I burn toast if I microwave it even a second too long. But whatever.
The device itself only has, like, two USB-C ports? Not the easiest to manage if you wanna do a bunch of stuff at once. But hey, it works. I didn’t even need a mouse or keyboard, technically. Could’ve done everything straight off the device, but trust me, it’s way easier with them.
Oh, ran into a hiccup when I first tried using my old Logitech wireless setup. The receiver was USB-A, and the device only had USB-C ports. Cue panic, right? But no worries—had an adapter lying around. Crisis averted!
And let me tell you, I was actually surprised at how familiar KDE Plasma felt. Dock layout, settings—had me feeling at home in no time. Just goes to show you, sometimes diving in headfirst is the way to go.
### Tackling Apps in KDE Plasma
Already connected to Wi-Fi since I’d set that up with SteamOS. First mission? Get a browser. Pulled up Discover and went for Microsoft Edge. Yeah, I know, Chrome’s cooler, but everything of mine syncs with Edge. Not gonna fight it.
Installation took way longer than I’d like. I have crazy fast internet usually, but this thing crawled. Maybe it was some cosmic penance for all my Microsoft moments. Who knows.
Anyway, once it was finally done, logged in, and BAM—all my stuff was right where I needed it. Reminded me of unpacking after a move, and everything just fits into place. There’s something oddly satisfying about it.
Tried using the 8-inch internal display, but my middle-aged eyes weren’t having it. Ended up bringing in my Espresso Displays 15 Pro. Had some power supply issues at first—screen kept flickering. But once I plugged in some juice, it was smooth sailing. And yes, it meant I could charge the Legion Go S at the same time. Can’t complain there!
Once the basics were set up, I popped into Microsoft Word and got started on the Asus review. Didn’t expect to hit any snags, but then again, never say never, right?
### Why So Complicated, Ports?
So, I wanted to use my FLIR C2 camera for some laptop heat measurements. But guess what? Both USB-C ports were already occupied. Great. Unplugged the keyboard and mouse, used an adapter for the camera. Thankfully, it worked. Small victories.
But then the touchpad decided to throw a fit. Tried using it as a cursor; it just froze everything and rebooted to SteamOS. Persisted anyway—gave it another shot. And again, nope. Decided juggling equipment would be less painful, so unplugged, swapped, and worked around the tiny screen.
Back and forth, back and forth. I was like a human switchboard operator minus the fun wire-plugging sounds.
Funny enough, downloading photos from Google Photos was breezy. Grabbed the shots, edited in GIMP. Not my usual Pixelmator on the Mac, but hey, close enough. Did the job alright.
### Wrapping This… Journey?
To be honest, had no clue how this Linux escapade would go. Curiosity, I guess? Wanted to see just how capable—or not—the Legion Go S really is. Surprise, surprise, almost everything went fine. A few tech hiccups, sure, but nothing that derailed the mission.
KDE Plasma’s not bad for a Linux newbie like me. Worked out unexpected snags, got my ducks in a row. If someone asked if I’d use the Legion Go S for big projects again, I’d say… maybe. But I’d grab a USB-C dock first. And maybe some caffeine.
Ultimately, it’s not built for those hardcore productivity tasks, but if you manage expectations, it holds its ground.
And wow, after all those tech twists, here I am, still standing. Go figure.
