OpenSUSE Tumbleweed

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1. Update:

After installation, perform an update to ensure you’re on the latest version of Tumbleweed.

sudo zypper refresh && sudo zypper dup

While you can update the system using gnome-software or discover, it’s not recommended. These tools can’t reliably handle conflicts or errors, so it’s better to perform updates through the terminal instead.

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2. Zypper Config:

Edit the Zypper config and add the following lines at the end of the file:

sudo nano /etc/zypp/zypp.conf

Add the following lines to the file:

download.max_concurrent_connections = 10

This sets the maximum number of concurrent downloads to 10.

Optional Command: This isn’t really necessary, but you may choose to add it:

solver.onlyRequires = true

This skips all the recommended packages that aren’t strictly required.

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3. System Snapshot:

Before proceeding with other steps, it’s recommended to create a snapshot of the current system. If something breaks, you can quickly load the snapshot to restore the system to its previous state.

sudo su

snapper create -t pre -d "Before Changes"

Make sure to list all snapshots to verify that the snapshot was created:

snapper list

To restore a previous snapshot:

First, list all available snapshots:

snapper list

Now, find the snapshot with the same description you added while creating it, then note the ID for it. The starting number is the ID of the snapshot:

Then run the following command:

snapper rollback <snapshot-number>

Example:
snapper rollback 12

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4. Drivers:

All drivers are included in the kernel, so you generally don’t need to install anything extra like you do on Windows. The only exception is if you have an NVIDIA dGPU, since those drivers aren’t included by default and must be installed manually. Drivers for AMD and Intel GPUs are baked into the kernel, so you typically won’t need to do anything for them.

First, add the repository for the NVIDIA drivers:

sudo zypper install openSUSE-repos-Tumbleweed-NVIDIA && sudo zypper ref

After adding the repo, you will likely get a popup asking if you want to import the GPG key. Accept it and continue.

To keep it short, there are two types of NVIDIA drivers: the open kernel module and the proprietary driver. For GPUs based on the Turing architecture or newer, it’s recommended to use the open kernel module. For Blackwell and newer cards, you must use the open kernel module, as the proprietary driver doesn’t support them.

For Turing, Ampere, Ada Lovelace, and Hopper GPUs, the open kernel module is strongly recommended. For Pascal GPUs, you should use the proprietary driver only, since the newer module isn’t compatible. Performance is essentially the same between both driver types.

The NVIDIA Open Kernel Module and the open-source Nouveau driver are completely different; don’t mix them up.

You can compare your GPU architecture in the chart below:

GPU Generation	Architecture
RTX 50 Series Laptop GPU	Blackwell
RTX 40 Series Laptop GPU	Ada Lovelace
RTX 30 Series Laptop GPU	Ampere
RTX 20 Series Laptop GPU	Turing
GTX 16 Series	Turing
GTX 10 Series	Pascal

4.1. Open Kernel Module:

sudo zypper in nvidia-video-G06 nvidia-gl-G06 nvidia-compute-G06 nvidia-compute-utils-G06

4.2. Proprietary Drivers:

sudo zypper in nvidia-video-G06 nvidia-gl-G06 nvidia-compute-G06 nvidia-compute-utils-G06

After installing the drivers, simply reboot the system and verify that they’re being used by running nvidia-smi.

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5. Asus Software:

The ASUS-specific software for Tumbleweed is hosted on the COPR repository, so you will need to add the COPR repo to download it.

To add the repository, we need to create a .repo file. Simply create a file called asus-linux using the following command:

sudo nano /etc/zypp/repos.d/asus-linux.repo

Then paste the following into the asus-linux.repo file, save it with Ctrl+S , exit with Ctrl+X , and refresh Zypper using zypper ref.

[asus-linux]
name=asus-linux
baseurl=https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/lukenukem/asus-linux/opensuse-tumbleweed-$basearch/
type=rpm-md
skip_if_unavailable=True
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://download.copr.fedorainfracloud.org/results/lukenukem/asus-linux/pubkey.gpg
repo_gpgcheck=0
enabled=1
enabled_metadata=1

Then download the following packages:

sudo zypper in asusctl rog-control-center supergfxctl switcheroo-control 

Then enable the services with:

systemctl enable switcheroo-control supergfxd --now

Ignore the "Asus kernel isn't loaded" message in rog-control-center. It’s safe.

5.1 GPU Switching:

• GNOME users: supergfxctl-gex

• KDE users: Install the supergfxctl-plasmoid:

There is no official Tumbleweed package for supergfxctl-plasmoid, but you can still compile it yourself or install it from an OBS (openSUSE Build Service ), just make sure to verify the packages before installing them.

Set Hybrid GPU mode:

supergfxctl --mode Hybrid

Switching to/from Hybrid mode needs logout. Ultimate mode requires a reboot.

5.2 Fix Hotkeys (Asus Only)

Some hotkeys are BIOS-level and can’t be remapped.

To test remap capability: press the key while adding a shortcut. If nothing registers, it can't be reassigned.

GNOME

Go the following: Settings > Keyboard > View and Customize Shortcuts > Custom Shortcuts

Then, click Add a Shortcut.

Next, enter the command in the Command field. For the shortcut, click Set Shortcut and press the hotkey you want to assign. After that, give your shortcut a name, and finally, click Add. The shortcut should now work normally.

KDE

Go to Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts and click Add New (Command or Script).

Enter the command and assign a name for the hotkey.

Locate the command you just added in the Command section, then click Add under Custom Shortcuts.

Assign the key combination you want, then click Apply.

Commands:

• rog-control-center: Launch GUI

• asusctl aura -n: Toggle Aura lighting

• asusctl profile -n: Change power profile

5.3 Groups:

For asusctl and supergfxctl to work properly, you need to be a member of the wheel and video groups. Run the following command to add yourself:

sudo su
usermod -a -G wheel,video yourusername

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6. Power Managemnt:

Tumbleweed includes tuned by default, but it doesn’t work well with asusctl. It’s recommended to use power-profiles-daemon instead, since it works better and supports the existing Fn+F5 power hotkey.

sudo zypper rm tuned && sudo zypper in power-profiles-daemon

Then enable it with:

sudo systemctl enable power-profiles-daemon --now

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7. Firewall:

A firewall is a security system that monitors, filters, and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic according to predefined security rules. While it isn't mandatory to have a firewall for a workstation, it is highly recommended to set up some form of firewall. Firewalld is the recommended firewall for Tumbleweed.

By default, the firewall should already be installed. If it is not installed, you can install it with the following command:

sudo zypper in firewalld

sudo systemctl enable firewalld --now

Then enable it with the following command:

sudo systemctl enable firewalld

If you need to open a port or a service, you can either use the GUI or the terminal for it. The firewalld package contains a GUI by default, while the Python package adds applet support for firewalld.

To open/close a port or service, you can run the following command:

sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --remove-port=<port>/<optional: protocol>

For Services:

sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --remove-service=<service>

By default, firewalld only saves these changes temporarily until a reboot. If you want to make the changes persistent, use the --permanent flag as such:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --remove-service=<service>

Then reload firewalld to integrate changes into the current runtime:

sudo firewall-cmd --reload

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8. Codecs:

Due to licensing restrictions, Tumbleweed does not ship with proprietary codecs. For most use cases, the built-in codecs should be sufficient. If they are not, you can run the following command to install all proprietary codecs.

sudo zypper in opi 
sudo opi

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9. Optional Stuff:

9.1 Firefox branding:

By default, Firefox comes customized with openSUSE branding, which can be helpful as it adds many resources to your bookmarks. If you prefer the “default” Firefox without these additions, follow the steps below:

sudo zypper rm firefox MozillaFirefox-branding-openSUSE

Then reinstall Firefox with the upstream branding:

sudo zypper in firefox MozillaFirefox-branding-upstream

9.2 Package Kit:

Sometimes when you try to use zypper, you might get a popup saying it is being used by PackageKit and asking if you want to quit PackageKit. This popup is harmless, and zypper will usually become available after a short time. However, if it’s annoying, you can remove PackageKit, but note that doing so will disable the ability to download packages from other repositories (excluding Flatpak) using software stores like GNOME Software or Discover.

sudo zypper rm PackageKit