Arch, btw
Kubuntu
Fedora easily. It has everything I want out of a Linux distro and more, its what I recommend to people for both beginners and more advanced users, because it just has so much to like about it. I’ve considered and have been tempted to go down the Arch route, but I just don’t think its worth it for me when Fedora is so damn good, and I can easily tweak or configure anything I dislike about it, that’s the beauty of Linux.
NixOS. Drink the cool aid
Still want to try it, but am also scared it’ll take a while to figure out the whole config language
The cool aid is definitely a commitment. The language, overall, is pretty interesting but… Was there something in that cool aid? Good a nice tang to it …
I already have so many commitments, not sure if I even have the time, although it will surely be worth it in the end
I’m a full-time Arch person (btw) but I can feel the call of NixOS more and more. It’s only a matter of time I think.
I previously used Arch. Hard to beat! The declarative aspect of NixOS got me in the end. Arch was really flexible tho.
Also, the Arch wiki is still the best reference. :)
POP!_OS:
- Constant maintnence by System76 (under a solid Ubuntu base)
- Ships latest Mesa, firmware, and Linux kernel only a week or so after latest stable
- flathub built in and the Pop shop is more stable and useful than gnome-software (but nowhere close to Linux Mint unfortunately)
- The COSMIC desktop is really pleasant to use and GNOME 42 still rocks! System76 also have a plan for wayland mapped out with cosmic-epoch (Mint devs far behind on this one)
GNU Guix:
- A transactional package manager that can be installed ontop of POP!_OS.
- Hacking on Guix allows me to get the latest packages of things I’m interested in without compromising my base system. Why distro hop when you can use Guix?
Flatpak/Flathub:
- Get latest stable versions of user applications.
- It’s flathub, what more is there to say?
POP!_OS + GNU Guix + Flathub = the most complete GNU/Linux one can get.
Interesting setup, I can definitely see myself giving that a go as a nice middle ground between traditional distros and full-on NixOS/Guix.
Debian. Stable and works for what I need.
I love gentoo, and here’s why:
- incredible flexibility in package versions. I can install multiple versions of a package, or install an old version of a package without incompatibility issues
- can mix between rolling release (arch-like) and fixed / stable releases (fedora-like) on the individual package level
- can very easily create packages not in the repos and treat them as first class
- super easy to add and manage patches
- global management of compile flags and options
- packages in portage are not only programs. You can let portage manage other things, such as users or configurations
- support for less common architectures or setups, like using musl, arm, clang, etc.
I wanted to try Gentoo for a while. But I could never find a bootable ISO for it. And that’s basically the only way I know how to install a distro.
You can actually use ISOs from most other distros to install it. I think the wiki even mentions it
A bootable ISO for the installation media / Live CD? Or you mean the final install product?
Yes. Installation. With all the other Linux distributions I have installed, there is a bootable CD with an installer of some kind.
- Slackware
- Debian
- Ubuntu
- Mint
- Arch (though the install process with that one is admittedly more complicated. Also, because I have a very hard time grasping what the use cases are for anything outside of a “default” Linux system, it felt like I was using a very expensive arc furnace to toast myself a sandwich.)
- Manjaro
- OpenSUSE
- MX Linux (my current favorite)
Actually, come to think of it, my problem with Arch is also my problem with Gentoo: I don’t know what the use cases are.
In fact basically, I like Linux, but I also don’t know what Linux is for. I use it for Web browsing, occasional attempts at writing code (I’m bad at that. I have no idea what the proper process is for finding code that already does the things I want done, and I’m pretty sure that’s 90% of programming), I use it for taking markdown notes and mind mapping. And that’s honestly about it.
I could do all of that with Windows, technically speaking. It would just clutter my system, and I would not get to choose my own desktop environment. And I wouldn’t have access to the Debian repositories. And where it’s effortless reinstalling Debian based systems, Windows installation can be a pain.
So the way I use it, Linux is just a sleeker, more lightweight, more visually customizable Windows that I can run on older hardware and fill to the brim with random software packages acquired through Debian’s humongous library of verified programs without worrying about messing up my OS because ultimately, I can easily reinstall the whole system in a matter of 40 minutes.
To someone who uses a computer the way I do, it almost can’t be anything more than that.
I’m pretty sure that’s the real reason I don’t use Gentoo.
Gentoo’s install process is manual by design. If you don’t like the install process, then gentoo may not be for you, because want to use those skills while you use it day to day too.
There is bootable ISO installation media. One that is TTY-based, like Arch’s, and there’s one they added a couple years ago that has GUI based with KDE. You’ll still have to follow the hand book while you install, so it’s still manual. But if you wanted a graphical experience in the bootable ISO then that’s the one.
Debian. It’s FOSS.
I can have a 100% FOSS system. Everything else includes non-free stuff by default.
Linux Mint & ArchLinux
Currently using Manjaro.
Many many years ago when I first started using Linux I tried Ubuntu. It was easy enough for me to learn enough to be able to get stuff done. Dabbled in mint for a while, don’t remember why I switched back to Ubuntu.
Not a huge fan of the snap packs and the entire 2022 I had a string of problems with dependencies being out of date on different computers (company server, my own desktop). So I snapped and semi randomly picked a non Ubuntuoid dist that would let me get back to getting stuff done the same afternoon.
The company server and the CFD computer at work still run Ubuntu. They work for now.
It has been Fedora since Fedora 9… But after the latest movies from Red Hat I’m no longer so sure. Currently running OpenSUSE Tumbleweed
NixOS! Definitely not for beginners, and also definitely not for people who are used to the arch way and want something similar.
It’s a declarative OS, versus most Linux distros which are imperative:
- Declarative: You define exactly what is what, such as what packages should be on your system, your configs, etc.
- imperative: you modify those stuff yourself after initialization (installing).
So, instead of having to install KDE and change my display manager to use it, I just add this line to my configuration file:
services.xserver.plasma5.enable = true;If something wrong happens, I just change the config file to its old version. I can also share this config, and then the other person can run
nixos-rebuildto get my exact system configuration.Absolutely agree, it’s a very steep learning curve but once it clicks it’s hard to go back to the old. It’s good on the desktop but I started running it on my server recently and I can’t stress how nice it is to just see everything in one place, especially with nix flakes. It’s been difficult with some stuff like running firefish (formerly calckey) but it’s hard to come by services that don’t have good support
I really want to give NixOS a try when I have some time to learn. I’ve been on Arch for a couple years now, and I’m ready for a change. Lol.
Any places you recommend going to learn how to get started in addition to the official docs?
Opensuse Tumbleweed
Ubuntu for Desktop. Alpine for Server.
Mint, with cinnamon.
It works for me, on everything I have, with zero issues. The only thing that annoys me is I can’t get waydroid working right so far.
Greetings, fellow Mint peasant. We may not be as cool as the Arch bros, but our stuff just works. I use Mint because I don’t want to spend my time fiddling about with my OS. It does what it’s supposed to do and doesn’t get in the way. One day when I i was bored I did an Arch install in a VM just for fun. But getting that to an actual working state is a lot of hassle. For my daily driver I’ll stick with Mint.
