Georg KrammerAug 15, 2024
Ok, it's finally time to leave Microsoft and switch to #Linux
Windows 3.1 are childhood memories, but I can't stomach it anymore.
Was thinking if something appearently easy and straightforward like #spirallinux with #cinnamon desktop for the switch.
Any #advice out there?
Show threadGeorg Krammer

Thank you @bencardoen @sean_from_oz @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream for the fast and helpful advice, most appreciated! 🙏

Is there any hidden price you pay for just sticking with the distro with the easiest experience of microsoft-to-linux-transistion?
I just want to get further away from the #data and #privacy nightmare that has unfolded.

Aug 16, 2024 at 6:28amWeb
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 19, 2024

@bencardoen @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz

Oh wow there are many #distros out there. I had no idea 😆 I've now tried out #Linuxmint and #Spirallinux
I already see that I will be unable to decide on one distro of #Linux :D

Show threadFábio Costa 🐇🕐🎩☕Aug 19, 2024

@GeorgKrammer @bencardoen @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz if boths are Debian/Ubuntu based, you are at home...

If not, still, you can go easy on migrations if you do a good partitioning on your system.

As a rule of thumb, split you disks on /, /home, /boot/efi (or /efi, or /boot, according your system) and swap (if you use)

Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 19, 2024
@fabiocosta0305
Thanks for the advice! What approximate ratio would you recommend for these 2-3 portitions? I guess /boot/efi just he bare minimum for the OS?
Show threadFábio Costa 🐇🕐🎩☕Aug 19, 2024

@GeorgKrammer

Put /boot/efi at most 1GB
For swap (if you use), you can go with 1.2 to 2x your system RAM
For /, I think 20% from your main disk at most
Remaining space (that could be at least 70% your main disk) go for /home

If you have extra disks, you can split your partitions around it, depending on the kind of disk you have

Show threadBen CardoenAug 19, 2024
@fabiocosta0305 @GeorgKrammer @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz
This is great advice, makes switching distros _very_ easy (though you should try to refrain from switching, it's somewhat addictive).
Re /swap, some distros don't create a swap partition anymore and use zram etc, but for .e.g. programming/heavy compute having a dedicated swap is a lifesaver, otherwise the oom-daemon tends to freeze / kill things, whereas swap gives you a few minutes to intervene
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 20, 2024
@bencardoen
Yeah, I already feel what you mean by it being somewhat addictive :D
Show threadBen CardoenAug 20, 2024
@GeorgKrammer There are advantages to distro hopping as well, as you'd need a solid backup / migration strategy, which in life in general is important (but overlooked) as well. To a large extent knowledge gained using say Debian is applicable using Fedora, or Arch (minus the package manager and minor differences in filesystem layout). The CLI will be largely the same, and desktop envs can be modified to use the same keyboard combos.
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 20, 2024
@bencardoen
The irony of things is that by now I have all of my data packed up on local hard drives again. If I think back 10 years or so, everything was migrating to clouds. And now with everything happening, I find myself going back to old habits.
...like streaming vs torrents...
Show threadBen CardoenAug 20, 2024
@GeorgKrammer Same here, though I try to combine them, for long term storage bitrot becomes a thing. On Linux you can look into BTRFS/ZFS as next gen filesystems as well, though a bit of reading up to understand pro/cons is recommended. For cloud backup I use IDrive, for passwords/keys a combination of Yubikey (superb linux support) and KeyPass derivatives.
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 21, 2024
@bencardoen
So as things turn out, I think I will end up going with #antix for my smaller laptop and I am considering #Nobara for my bigger laptop. So far things look smooth :)
Thank you again for the help!
Show threadBen CardoenAug 21, 2024
@GeorgKrammer Sounds good, I don't have experience with either of those so it'd be interesting if you can share your experience. Also keep an eye out for the recent issue with dual boot microsoft/linux & secure boot if you are dual booting
Show threadCorb_The_LesserAug 16, 2024
@GeorgKrammer @bencardoen . @iamkexo @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz In a practical sense, no, those kind of trade offs aren't there.
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 16, 2024
@Corb_The_Lesser
Thank you for the reassurance!
Show threadBen CardoenAug 16, 2024
@GeorgKrammer @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @readbeanicecream @sean_from_oz You can easily check by running a live image of your top K distro candidates and seeing how your daily workflow would function under them. Tbh, there's not that much difference in day to day use. If you have exotic hardware, that can be a thing, but again, testing a live image easily checks compatibility.
You can always spin up a windows VM for those few apps that somehow don't work, but that's becoming more rare.
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 16, 2024
@bencardoen
That is super handy indeed! As I have a few laptops around, I will just take one and try it out there and then switch the rest.
Show threadreadbeanicecreamAug 16, 2024
@GeorgKrammer @bencardoen @iamkexo @Corb_The_Lesser @sean_from_oz Nope. I ran Linux Mint for years. Still do on a couple machines. My go to now is Debian + Xfce, but that is mainly because I need a low powered appliance.
Show threadGeorg KrammerAug 16, 2024
@readbeanicecream
Very reassuring, thank you!