How to Install Pop! OS on a Dell XPS 15

2018-10-25

Pop!_OS on a Dell XPS 15 Desktop background from Unsplash

After installing Kubuntu on my Dell XPS 15 and tinkering a lot to get things working well, I felt like my setup was missing something. KDE feels a bit too customizable at times, and I couldn't find a photo management application I was happy with. I've read some good things about System76's Pop!_OS, so I decided to give it a try.

Unlike the Kubuntu installation, setting up the Dell XPS 15 with Pop!_OS was simple and quick. The scaling with the 4K screen worked automatically, and System76 provides an ISO specifically for machines with NVIDIA cards, so even that worked without any issues.

Installation Steps

Create a Pop!_OS installation USB drive, insert it into the laptop, and reboot.
During the reboot, hold F2 to enter the UEFI settings.
1. Change the boot sequence so that the USB drive is the first priority.
2. Change the SATA operation from RAID to AHCI.
3. Disable Secure Boot.
4. Change Fastboot to "Thorough" in the POST Behavior section.
Save and exit UEFI settings.
Install Pop!_OS using the guided process.

Everything just works!