Mastodawn

Sozou (inactive)

#tech #fediverse Second ask for help about picking a #Linux distro!
I was low-key tired with setting up #Fedora and how I had to install it twice because something was wrong with the EFI.
I think about switching to another distro, but which way?

Here's what I consider for now:
• #LinuxMint - I have used it before so I am a bit familiar with this thing, however I'm not a fan of its aesthetics.
• #Ubuntu - it's on our school computers, but I didn't get to play much with it. It seems aesthetically pleasing, but is it easy to use?
• #PopOS - apparently rumors say it's easy to use and good for games, but again I never used it.
• #Nobara - a fork of Fedora recommended by one of the users on my previous post (sorry I don't remember your nickname, let me know in the replies if you get to see this toot)

Sozou (inactive)Nov 25, 2022

by the way, sorry if I do not respond to everyone and only leave a fav. I'm reading all the feedback you send me my way

Consider these favs a "thank you"!

infinity_rainbow

@souwei I think it's difficult to say how how easy it is to use a certain system.
It looks like you're willing to give it a real try so I'd go with Ubuntu.
I'm using it daily (seperate Windows laptop only for photography). There are some aspects to it which are driving me crazy but I think that almost every with Windows is a gazillion times more annyoing.
The user base is huge and once you've hit a problem you can always search for "ubuntu <whatever>" and get some valuable results. (However, have a look at the dates first 😉)

Sozou (inactive)Nov 25, 2022

@DrArouet I am pretty much used to Windows... so I look for something similar to it. I'm not very tech-illiterate but whenever I think of typing a command it makes my brain fry 😅

infinity_rainbow

@souwei I'm not sure if there is an actual need to type commands (probably in any modern desktop distribution).

It's the first thing that *I* do but there's really no need for it in everyday life, including installing updates etc.

Sozou (inactive)Nov 25, 2022

@DrArouet the only command I know by heart is really apt-get update... hoo was I disappointed to see Fedora doesn't do it this way.

Nebu Nov 25, 2022

There's definitely modern desktop distros where you're expected to type a lot of commands. #ArchLinux is one of them.

I second @DrArouet 's suggestion of #Ubuntu because it's one of the more popular distributions, so if you look up tutorials for #Linux , it's probably going to be geared towards Ubuntu users.

David Martínez Martí Nov 25, 2022

@souwei From what I hear, #PopOS and #LinuxMint are both good ones for #gaming. #LinuxMint might give you a more modular #Debian based distro if you want to play with it.
Don't be fooled by the aesthetics - there's a ton of customization in all #distros

#Ubuntu is a great choice too, easy to use. Not focused on gaming, but it should be fairly easy to get it up and running.

I would recommend to settle with a #Debian based one, and learn how to fix it to your needs. That's #Linux after all.

luetage Nov 25, 2022

@souwei If Fedora was too cumbersome for you, definitely go with Ubuntu. It’s still the most widely used distro and finding info, getting support should be easy.

Sozou (inactive)Nov 25, 2022

@luetage Thanks! will look into it 🐱

Pepper Nov 25, 2022

@souwei my 11 year old daughter runs Ubuntu, it's pretty easy to use. I'm currently on Windows, for shame, and my spouse keeps changing what he uses so who knows.

Hoe Chin 🦋Nov 25, 2022

@souwei
Personally, I would go with Linux Mint. It's pretty reliable (you can always google how to install and change desktop environment if you want).

Ubuntu is also fine but I don't really trust this distro. It has long history of doing someting stupid/controversial every few years.

I never use PopOS but it has pretty good opinions (maybe except LinusTechTips 🤣)

Mint and PopOS are ubuntu based, so all 3 of them are pretty similiar in a way.

I unfortunately know nothing about Nobara.

infinity_rainbow

@souwei I installed Linux Mint on two old Macs which were over ten years old, and it's given them a fresh life. They were slow and often froze, but now they're quick and responsive. So if you are installing on older or low-end hardware, Linux Mint worked great for me.

Regarding the others:
I haven't touched Ubuntu since around 2010, but it was fine and easy to use. A good bonus I'd that there will likely be lots of support and guides online to help you out if you need it.

I gave PopOS a go a couple of years ago, but don't remember much of it. I've also heard it's easy to use and much more user friendly than usual distros.

Sozou (inactive)Nov 25, 2022

@Jessica Hardware isn't an issue for me :P my computer handled Windows+bloat+a demanding game so Linux won't add much to its performance, but I like a breath of something new 😅

infinity_rainbow

@souwei If I was in your position to try out something new, I think I would give PopOS a go as it looks fun 😃 If not, I'd go Ubuntu!

Arthur Dent Nov 25, 2022

@souwei I’ve been using #PopOS for a good 8 months now and I find it suits my style. Definitely great for gaming and it looks great and is very responsive (except for the pop shop but I prefer apt anyway). It’s my first Linux distro after Ubuntu. Have tried Fedora and liked it but Pop just has an extra bit of character that appeals to me. Maybe try it in a VM and see what your mileage is like?

Icho Tolot Nov 25, 2022

@souwei
> however I'm not a fan of its aesthetics.
But you know that you can apply themes to the #Cinnamon DE, don't you?

Personally I don't like global menus and having two panels (menu AND apps panel) limiting my workspace (#Ubuntu with #Gnome DE), so #Cinnamon with themes is just right for me (as is the KDE Plasma DE as configured in #Manjaro)

Sozou (inactive)Nov 25, 2022

@IchoTolot Even with the themes it's just not something up my alley... can't put my finger on the exact reason, just doesn't vibe with me.

Forrest H. Leeson Nov 25, 2022

@souwei The drawback to Friendly Linux is that when something goes wrong with the friendliness, which may be quite complicated friendliness, it's just as hard or harder to fix than if you'd started with something like #Devuan or #Slackware: more difficult up front, but simpler, and what you learn setting it up will make it easier to fix things if they ever do break.

Carlos E. Figueroa Castro Nov 25, 2022

@souwei I started with Fedora, then I moved to Ubuntu (Karmic Koala). I switched to Linux Mint this year after problems with RStudio for some reason. So far, liking it, and no need to relearn terminal commands. Regarding appearance, could try XFCE for more control. I think it depends on what you need in the end (let’s say you need to familiarize with Red Hat, so Fedora would make more sense, for example). I don’t want to spend time tinkering, just concentrate on my work.

☄️~Stardust Diving~🌌Nov 27, 2022

@souwei ubuntu and popOS are both easy to use, but ubuntu has the worst privacy record of all four OSs listed here; maybe give pop a try?

Sozou (inactive)Nov 27, 2022

@violet_cerue i wish there was a way to edit posts... i already settled on ubuntu 😅 the posts are kinda out of date but also dont want to remove them

☄️~Stardust Diving~🌌Nov 27, 2022

@souwei latest version of mastodon should let you edit posts. looks like your instance hasn't updated yet. oh well.

Sozou (inactive)Nov 27, 2022

@violet_cerue i might message the admin about it...