Why Linux on a Surface Go?

My Surface Go has been sitting around since 2019. A compact 10-inch tablet with keyboard cover that I bought back then as a quiet secondary device for emails, browsing, journaling, and task tracking. Windows ran on it, it worked, I didn’t think much about it.

Then came Windows 11. I even went through with the upgrade hack — the Pentium Gold 4415Y in the Surface Go is officially unsupported, but with a registry trick it still works. Since then the system has been running, but the topic wouldn’t let me go: How long do I really want to keep going like this?

The real trigger

The answer didn’t come from Microsoft, but from a broader development. The current situation surrounding US tech companies — especially Microsoft — has made me think. If an operating system depends on a company that in turn depends on political decisions in Washington, that’s a risk I don’t want to ignore in the long run.

I’m not alone in this. Save Social and the Chaos Computer Club launched the Digital Independence Day at the end of 2025 — an initiative intended to get people to rethink their digital habits and switch from Big Tech platforms to European, open, and decentralized alternatives. Digital Independence Day takes place on the first Sunday of every month — not as a one-time event, but as a continuous movement. More on this at di.day.

The Surface Go became my test balloon.

Why this specific device?

Because it’s the right device for this experiment — for several reasons.

First, it’s a secondary device. If anything goes wrong, my workflow won’t break. I can experiment in peace, without pressure.

Second, it’s a real challenge. Microsoft built the Surface Go tightly around Windows — touchscreen, pen, IR camera, Type Cover. If Linux supports all of this properly, that’s real proof that the platform has come of age.

Third, it’s exactly the device I want to actually use afterward. Not some random notebook, but a 2-in-1 that I use for journaling, notes, light coding tasks, and reading and writing with the pen.

What I bring to the table

My Linux experience is limited but present. I run several Raspberry Pis with Raspbian, I’m familiar with Debian-based systems, I’ve configured quite a bit on servers, and I’m comfortable with Docker. I barely know the desktop — I tried Kali Linux briefly on the Surface, but wasn’t really satisfied with it.

This means: I know how a terminal works and how to install packages. But when it comes to the desktop experience, I’m more or less starting from scratch.

What I want to achieve

The requirements are clear:

• Full touchscreen operation like on Windows
• Type Cover with keyboard and touchpad
• Surface Pen support
• Windows Hello-like login via facial recognition
• Reasonable performance on the small device
• Daily use: browsing, journaling, drawing, documents, light VS Code work, Obsidian, web apps

That sounds like a long list — and one of these points will turn out to be unsolvable. But more on that in a later part of this series.

How this series is structured

I’m documenting the migration in individual articles, phase by phase:

1. Why Linux on a Surface Go? — this article
2. Installation & first impressions — Ubuntu 24.04 installed, first hardware check
3. The linux-surface kernel — the heart of the whole migration
4. Touch, pen & tablet mode — making the device usable as a 2-in-1
5. Windows Hello — and why it doesn’t work — an honest dead end
6. Setting up apps — Flatpak, VS Code, Obsidian, Office & Mail
7. Bonus: Kando Pie Menu — a touch-friendly launcher
8. Bonus: OneDrive on Linux — Files On-Demand with Rclone
9. Conclusion after a few weeks — how the system feels in daily use

Let’s go.