I need help deciding if my PBP can be updated

[ColoBill]

Pinebook Pros,

I need to update my PBP and want your advice.

Here is my Linux background. I've had Linux as my desktop since about 1992. Softlanding Linux right when it came out and supported X-Windows.  Others came and went over the next 30 years like Slackware, Red Hat, CentOS, Fedora, Mint, Ubuntu.  I'm now back to Debian 12 with the MATE desktop. Before all that it was SunOS (Unix) on my desktop.

I ordered my Pinebook Pro when it was announced and finally received it in 2019.  Then I added Manjaro to my list of Linux desktops.  The PBP is not powerful but has been all I've needed in a laptop.  I do all my primary work on desktops.  I've used my PBP on three continents so far and am headed to another continent in the fall.  I'm trying to decide if I can bring it up-to-dated.  Manjaro doesn't seem to be keeping up.

Questions:

1) Linux Version
  * Is Debian a good option now for PBP?
  * Are there guides for installation?
  * Can I use MATE?

2) Updates
  * Are there firmware updates that I should apply.  It's never been updated.
  * I've never gotten it to suspend or sleep.  Or I've never gotten it to wake back up.  But, I've found that I don't really need that for how I use it.
  * Some of the function keys don't work the way they are advertised but the ones I use work fine.

3) Hardware
  * The left side hinge doesn't open correctly.  It's doesn't really bother me but I might try to fix that when/if I re-build the whole thing.  Are that any good pages showing the proper way to crack into the case?
 
Thanks!

Bill

[Dendrocalamus64]

https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php/Switching_Branches
Switch to Manjaro ARM Testing. Stable is stuck, Testing still gets regular updates. Last one was just a few days ago. The only issue I've encountered (apart from a certain bad systemd default option) is that gnumeric is out of date; it needs to be rebuilt against the new version of libxml2.

You can also use megi's kernel if you want a very recent kernel, or support for external monitor via USB-C.
https://xff.cz/kernels/

Using the above software, suspend & resume works fine, including automatically with lid closing.

Something between those also fixed the crashing issues I had. Playing videos used to eventually cause a freeze, now my uptime is 113 days.

The only firmware update I find by searching is to improve the trackpad:
https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/Pinebook_Pro#Firmware

You can get a new palm case with the hinges for $22 + shipping.
https://pine64.com/product/pinebook-pro-...-keyboard/

Pinebook_Pro_Troubleshooting_Guide#Pinebook_Pro_will_not_sleep_with_lid_closed

Pinebook_Pro#Disassembly_and_Reassembly

[KC9UDX]

If you liked SunOS, you'd really like NetBSD. NetBSD runs really well on the Pinebook Pro. I've been using that on mine exclusively since early 2020. Mind you the video acceleration doesn't work yet. I can stream HD video albeit not perfectly. You can run it directly on micro-SD card without disturbing your current installation if you like.

[Timothy324]

Bill, you have an impressive Linux background and have been very successful with the Pinebook Pro over the years. Debian 12 with MATE is a great choice for PBPs today – lightweight, stable and better supported than Manjaro. You should update the firmware, especially Tow-Boot and the keyboard/trackpad, to improve performance. The sleep/wake issue is still common but not a problem if you don’t need it. If you want to fix the hinge, check out the detailed disassembly guide on the Pine64 wiki.

[ColoBill]

Thank you all for the help.  Now I have some clues as to where to begin and where to proceed.