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Grumpy
Grumpy

Posted on Edited on AI-assisted

I'm learning Linux by building my own distro, and now one runs my Legion Go

#showdev #linux #opensource #beginners

I'm still pretty new to Linux. A few weeks ago I wanted to understand how a Linux system really fits together, so I started with a Linux From Scratch idea. That turned into something more useful: KrelboyneOS, a Debian 13 distro built with live-build for development and security learning. It has an Xfce desktop, a dark teal look, and the tools already set up.

Once that worked, I had a new idea. I own an original Lenovo Legion Go and didn't love running Windows on it. So I made a second distro from the same layout: Krelboyne Go (KrelGo), a Debian 13 gaming OS for the Go.

What KrelGo does

  • Boots to an Xfce desktop in landscape at 144 Hz
  • Steam with Proton, ES-DE as a game frontend, RetroArch with a set of emulator cores
  • The built-in controller works in Steam, ES-DE and RetroArch
  • On-screen keyboard, PipeWire sound, Wi-Fi, internet time sync

It's now installed on my Go in place of Windows. I've played Palworld through Proton and a few emulated games on it.

Things that surprised me (aka what broke)

  • The Go's screen is natively portrait. Linux had to be told to turn it into a 2560x1600 landscape screen at login. The boot menu is still sideways, because it runs before Linux starts.
  • Secure Boot hid the USB port. With Secure Boot on, the Go wouldn't even show the USB or microSD port as a boot device. I had to turn it off.
  • The controller worked in ES-DE but not in games. Debian's RetroArch doesn't ship controller profiles, and switching RetroArch to the SDL2 controller driver fixed it.
  • Windows and Linux disagreed about the clock. The time was five hours off until I added internet time sync.
  • Sound was installed, but the volume icon wasn't. A test before release showed the volume plugin was never added to the panel. Testing in a VM before uploading saved me there.

What I'd love pointers on

  • Legion Go hardware: has anyone got the rear paddles, gyro or rumble working on plain Debian? HHD or InputPlumber? I haven't tested sleep and resume yet either.
  • Maintaining a live-build distro: any tips from people who maintain one, especially on keeping two related distros in sync without copy-paste?
  • General advice for a beginner shipping their first Linux projects in public.

Both are early alphas, so try them live or in a VM first.

Thanks for reading. I'm learning as I go, so feedback is very welcome.

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