Liketearsinrain

Experienced Linux users, what are you using?

https://lemmy.ml/post/45247371

Experienced Linux users, what are you using? - Lemmy

If you have been using Linux for +10 years, what are you using now? Been using Linux for over a decade, and last few years Ubuntu (on desktops/laptops), plus Debian on servers, but been looking to switch to something less “Canonical”-y for a long time (since the Amazon search fiasco, pretty much). Appreciate recommendations or just an interesting discussion about people’s experiences, there are no wrong answers.

Mar 31 at 12:08amWeb
Show threadHaquerMar 31

I used a linux desktop for a few years back in 08-09, started on ubuntu then got on the Gentooooooooooo bandwagon. (Went back to Windows after this due to college + games, naturally)

Ever since then, I just use stable LTS versions of either debian or ubuntu for server applications. Recently changed back to Linux on desktop and went with CachyOS, it’s been super solid.

Show threadLiketearsinrainMar 31
I have had a look at CachyOS kernel patches before, I don’t game but seems like they have a good team.
Show threadVikMar 31

You’ve had me realise how long I’ve actually been using Linux for, though not quite at the ten year mark unless you count some very early endeavours with ubuntu.

fully agree with you on Debian as a rock solid server. my “don’t fuck with it, just work” client system for several years now has been fedora workstation, though I’ve only relatively recently switched all of my personal computing over to it (still have several windows installations for work-related testing).

Show thread𝔳𝔢𝔩𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔱𝔦𝔰Mar 31
Manjaro on main, Debian on server, AntiX for low-spec and Devuan for experimenting with making stuff work without systemd. The only reason it isn’t all Debian sid is just because I have to game sometimes
Show threadEndymion_MallornMar 31
The only version I've used for that long is Archbang on a live disk.
Show threadSavvyWolfMar 31
I’ve been using Mint+Home Manager on my main desktop and NixOS on other devices.
Show threadA7thStoneMar 31
Opensuse since back in the SuSE days. I’ve dabbled with other distros and even had a somewhat extended run with Fedora when their Gnome implementation was better, but I’ve always gone back to SuSE. mostly I just like Yast although I find I’ve used it less and less with time spent understanding what it does and how to do that other ways.
Show threadEugeniaMar 31
Linux user since 1998 or 99. Debian-Testing for my desktops, Mint for my laptops. I like things that work well with a GUI (I dislike the terminal, despite being well familiar with it), without bad surprises (Debian-Testing is surprisingly stable).
Show threadBaraCodedMar 31
Now using CachyOS, I recommend Bazzite to newcomers.
Show threadLiketearsinrainMar 31
I recommended bazzite to a newcomer. It went as poorly as you’d expect due to immutability being largely nonsense unless it’s handled like NixOS.
Show threadLuffyMar 31

Fedora

Used linux for 4 years now, I’ll list it and the reason why I switched

  • Ubuntu (snaps, etc)

  • arch (too much setup)

  • opensuse (nvidia drivers don’t get checked for size, broke my GUI many times

  • Gentoo (too much compile time)

  • bazzite (a bit boring)

  • fedora atomic (immutable, can’t get mullvad on it), still use on my htpc

  • mint (cinnamon DE is shit)

  • endeavour (its still arch)

  • fedora regular

Show threadAndrzej3K [none/use name]Mar 31
What’s wrong with Cinnamon? I use it because we share a computer and it was the closest thing to Windows look-wise for non-linuxy family members. Interested to hear what advantages plasma has though!
Show threadLuffyMar 31

I have a multi monitor setup and regularly play helldivers, war thunder, etc on an rtx card on a display with gsync

The games often have stuttering problems and behave generally unexpectedly when in full screen, and mouse capture dosent work, so 50% of the time I had to disable the monitor so it dosent go to the other screen and tab out of the game

Tried on both endeavourOS and mint, so its probably a cinnamon thing

I use it on my backup PC tho and never had a problem with normal applications, its great performance wise

Show threadCaptain AggravatedMar 31
After about a decade on Mint I ended up on Fedora.
Show threadيا ليتني كوري شمالي Mar 31
I use LinuxMint and have been since 2018 or so. I have been using since 2007. Though the first time I tried using it was in 2003 but it didn’t go well for me at the time.
Show threaddrastic133Mar 31

After some years of distrohopping I had a long time on Ubuntu/Debian, but for partly similar reasons I wanted to change. Fedora, I love it. Smooth nice, out of the way, very fine if you want it to stay out if your way.

Could also drop freebsd in here. Surprisingly easy to install as a desktop with something like xfce, you get zfs on root very easily. Though, there probably will be some applications missing.

Anyway, good luck on your next linux adventure 😀

Show threadClocks [She/They]Mar 31

Fedora Atomic for user facing devices.

Fedora Server for servers.

Show threadMonkderVierteMar 31
Artix, thinking about moving to Void or NixOS or something. Maybe even BSD. The more experienced i get, the less blingbling and troubleshooting complex frameworks i want.
Show threadpineappleMar 31
BSD? I do not see the apeal of BSD.
Show threadMonkderVierteMar 31
Well, i do.
Show threadLiketearsinrainMar 31
BSDs are great, the hardware compatibility issues are greatly exaggerated.
Show threadpineappleMar 31
What about software compatibility? Its already not amazing on linux it would be even worse on bsd. I guess that is only an issue for you if its an issue for you.
Show threadZen_ShinobiMar 31
I’ve been on Mint MATE for about 10 or so years. I was on Ubuntu before that.
Show threadAlberatMar 31
what’s the amazon search fiasco?
Show threadAnUnusualRelicMar 31
It was a bit like the Green Card of Canonical. An Earth Shattering Kaboom, that nobody but the nerds noticed.
Show threadIratePirateMar 31
Started out on Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon ten years ago. Looked around, got into other distros and DEs, window managers, file systems, bash scripting and server administration. Yet here I am, still on Linux Mint. It just works extremely well for me, never broke down (unless I broke it) and stayed out of my way to let me focus on my actual work.
Show threadAnUnusualRelicMar 31
Started with Slackware, basically when Slackware came out. Now either OpenSuSE Tumbleweed or Fedora because I can’t be arsed to meddle with my machine for days to make it work. I just want to use it, not tweak it.
Show threadPommes_für_dein_BalgMar 31
Been on Linux for 20 years and I’m on Debian and Arch. Both are very different but equally great systems.
I tried Slackware a couple of times cause it combines the simple design of Arch with the stability of Debian, but it’s a bit too much in both regards.
As for desktop environments, I used to use Gnome on laptops and Plasma on desktops, but I recently stumbled upon Niri with Dank Material Shell and feel like it combines the advantages of both (fast keyboard/touchpad control, fully featured, lots of GUI customization options).
Show threadOhVenus_BabyMar 31

Question to users and distro hoppers. I’ve grown to love Mint used it for years. But sometimes it updates and moves my game folders, loses my saves and I have to hunt in my system and hope I find my precious years long game saves.

Is there such thing as a distro that never changes the structure where truly all my files, system files, games will all be the same over years?

I’ve tried NIX and liked it, I’ve tried LMDE and Stock Mint with Ubuntu bugs yay, I’ve tried base Debian 13, and lastly Fedora kinoite…

Whats a system that updates but doesn’t lose my shit when I just want to game and use my PC? I like having all my files never move, structure of system never change, but having the ability to run steam and heroic games of all types. I’m still back to Stock Mint Ubuntu but dammit if they don’t introduce bugs sometimes. Like suspend / resume audio doesn’t work after sleeping my desktop and back on without restarting.

Show threadkittenzrulz123Mar 31
Ive swapped around but for now im good on Arch, I like the AUR too much and tbh it does what I need (other distros are great and I installed Debian on my families computers but for me I use Arch).
Show threadfxdaveMar 31
I started using Linux in 2016, I stopped distro hopping with arch and I’m using it since 2019. But I’m looking forward to try nix like OSes like guix. I see the value of it, it’s just too much hassle right now. Meanwhile I’m using aconfmgr for tracking my modifications in my system.
Show threadLettuce eat lettuceApr 1

Gaming PC - Nobara (Fedora base with lots of gaming-specifc kernel optimizations baked in.)

Personal laptop - Linux Mint

Business laptop - Linux Mint Debian Edition

Junk/Test laptops - Void

Home lab main hypervisor - XCP-ng (Highly customized Fedora under the hood.)

NAS - TrueNAS (Debian under the hood.)

Virtual servers - Mostly Debian, but a few Alma Linux VMs to get that RHEL experience. Ubuntu Server for my self-hosted gaming servers.

Steam Deck - SteamOS (Valve’s immutable spin of Arch.)

Show threadforestbeastsApr 1

Debian.

It’s pretty great for desktop stuff these days. Basically Ubuntu minus the shit. Any desktop you want, it’s got live installers now (several different ones with different desktops), it’s got nonfree firmware on the disc, they’ve really upped their game.

(And if the recent systemd stuff skeeves you out, you can toss out systemd, even. It’s not for the faint of heart though.)

– Frost

Show threadSlurpingPusApr 1
I’m using Linux.
Show threadmlgApr 1

Fedora

OpenSUSE if you want something non American and not directly related to RedHat

Show threadeldaviApr 1
age verification is a world wide effort and opensuse will embrace it as much as redhat when it becomes law
Show threadChaosApr 1

Debian Trixie headless on my router/server raspberry pi and NixOs on my laptop.

However I’m planning to switch from Nix this summer since one of the maintainers of NixOs is the one which added age verification to systemd, still haven’t decided on which Os I’ll switch to probably Devuan os but may give Alpine a shot since it’s more stable than Arch btw, so I’ll just be ricing and distro hopping this summer until I pick my new favorite again.

Show threadtitanicxApr 1
On my server I run Ubuntu and on my desktop I’m running Linux mint because it just fucking works and I don’t got to mess with shit.
Show threadeldaviApr 1

i used to use debian heavily in the past, but switched to ubuntu because of kkkernel liveeeeeee patching.

now that i have to switch back because of age verification; i find myself wishing that debian has live patching so i can go back to it.

Show threadplcApr 1

Switched from Windows in 2002, did FreeBSD -> Gentoo -> Ubuntu -> Arch. Finally switched to NixOS in 2012 and never looked back.

The builtin isolation meant I never actually got properly acquainted with Docker until I switched jobs and had to use it.

Show threadmyszkaApr 1
Ubuntu for many years, then back to Windows, then Arch for a year and now NixOS for about 1.5 years
Show threadPseudoSpockApr 2
Arch and KDE Neon currently. Started with Slackware 1.0, Yggdrasil, did the old RedHat, SuSE, Mandrake, PCLinuxOS, RHEL, CentOS, and several more. Started back with Slackware and kernel 0.99pl13, I believe.
Show threadScoffingLizardApr 3
Arch but it is a pain in the ass to update. 20 years here. Tried a million distros, but never Slackware or Gentoo for some reason.
Show threadsetVeryLoud(true);Apr 4

GNOME OS

it’s technically not for everyday use, but it has been simple and trouble free for me.

Show threadHaraldvonBlauzahnApr 5

I am using Unix/Linux for over thirty years now, and the older I get, the more I like it simple.

Debian with Arch in a VM, and Guix as extra package manager on top of both for programming projects. I use Debian for stable stuff and Arch for new stuff.

Stumpwm as manual tiling window manager, or i3wm, or Sway if the first is not available. Somtimes GNOME.

Emacs with language server (lsp-mode) for programming. Vim frequently at work for embedded tasks.

Gollum wiki or Zim wiki for knowledge management.

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