There’s some instructions here but basically:
sudo apt install zram-config
append to end of /etc/sysctl.conf:
vm.swappiness = 180
# disable swap readahead (since using zram swap)
vm.page-cluster = 0
Can check these have been applied with
cat /proc/sys/vm/page-clusteror.../swappiness
I also live in Europe
My x1 carbon, with tlp and kubuntu, idling with screen on estimates 20 hours battery life. Haven’t had the patience to test it yet.
If you run iCloud and syncthing on the same machine you can point syncthing at the icloud folder, and you’ve got a way to sync icloud to Linux.
Also there are plenty of Ubuntu-based distros that look different!
I’m basically doing the same, but those “pending update, close the app to avoid disruptions” popups are kind of disrupting.
I just tried this and it was blurry until I logged out and back in!