Perhaps it is because I have used Linux for quite a long time now, and it did not always work so well, but I still smile when I plug my laptop (Debian, Gnome, Wayland) into a Thunderbolt dock via USB-C shaped connector, and its display appears on multiple 4K monitors within a couple of seconds.
I unplug it, and it comes back to the laptop screen.
Screen rotation on my laptop works flawlessly.
Thank you - genuinely - to everyone who has worked on making this happen so seamlessly.
My 2026 Linux experience:
External display: just works
Screen rotation: just works
Webcam (internal, external): just works
Audio (internal, external, Bluetooth): just works
Bluetooth: just works
Wi-Fi: just works
Ethernet: just works
WWAN (integrated cellular modem): just works
Printing: just works
This is with a ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6.
Neither cutting edge nor ancient - a £350ish-secondhand-on-eBay machine.
@neil
Great to hear that!
In general I experience the same. BT #bluetooth pairing with headset und 'driverless' printing brought issues in current stable #Debian trixi but seems mostly due to (non-)confirmance of manufactures i.e. Kyocera networked Sprinter.
What Sprinter do you use?
> What Sprinter do you use?
I print rarely (I aim to be paperless), but:
* Brother QL-710 label printer (via USB)
* Brother MFC L2750DW (via network)
I've also used a small Samsung laser via USB.
#justworks has been my experience with #Debian 13 trixie too a dualboot with #win11 on a #lenovo #thinkpad X13 Yoga mit Touch/Bildrotation, i7 und iRIS GPU.
windOS insisted on long update-n-reboot cycles, Microsoft account online registration at least for 1st user. Debian on separat partition contibuted flawless Grub UEFI bootloader setup and up-to-date competitive ecosystem with LibreOffice in a fraction of the setup time for windOS on less than a quarter of its disc space.
Neil Brown
Liegerat
Oliv'