imho, there are many guides about picking Linux distros, but not enough guides on using distros. I think people are distro hopping because they don't know how to actually solve issues on their distro.
this post was submitted on 28 May 2025
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I used to pick based on the package manager, leading me to apt-based distros. With flatpak now, I don't feel as bothered by non-apt distros.
(And here's my shoutout to openSUSE tumbleweed!)
I find flatpaks really annoying. Even using flatseal to allow perms, I have constant issues. But I'm a noob.
Zypper could use some love, though it isn't bad by any means. But Flatpak does make a huge difference for sure.
Doesn't matter which distro you'll pick. You'll always pick the wrong one when you're just starting
All roads lead to Debian
debian is bestian
I like Debian. There are very few distros I don’t like. But it’s not the right choice for everything.
Nah
Idk, if I were to ever leave Fedora, it surely would be to NixOS
The road continues on to Arch from there.
Debian is becoming more and more viable as a desktop OS in the era of Flatpak and Distrobox. Trixie looks like a really nice release.
arch is for edgelords -- debian sid is where it's at :P
Nah. Arch sits at the table with Ubuntu at this point. It is the domain of gamers and YouTubers. The Edgelords have fled to Void (or even Chimera Linux).
Bookworm was, for me, the first one that installed fine for me. I love the philosophy of Debian but I might also like Arch - the bleeding edge is very attractive and I think I like AUR, however I need to understand how that works some more, before daring to do the jump.
I keep seeing videos of Youtubers quitting Arch. I love Debian and will probably mostly stay with it, but after using a few distros in a VM or flashdrive without systemd, I wish there was a really stable no-systemd distro.
I had the same impression of Bookworm. Debian including non-free firmware made a big difference. Trixie may be a game changer for Debian on the desktop.
You might consider installing Arch in a Distrobox and adding yay to it to get access to the AUR on your current system. I use a MUSL based distro these days but use Distrobox to bring the AUR with me. This would be a way to give you a feel for the AUR without having to quit your current distro of choice cold turkey.
I have considered trying LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) with a an Arch/Distrobox. That would be a base system of Debian Stable (stable), a reasonably up-to-date but not “bleeding edge” desktop (Mint), and the AUR for up-to-the minute versions of every package I can think of if I want them. Maybe I will try it when LMDE 7 launches. Could be good.
Recommending Manjaro for stability seems backwards to me, I have never had a distro break itself with updates as much as Manjaro
It's called trial and error, not enough people nowadays are taught how to fend for themselves against their daily problems. All my computer problems ranging from "how do i get this program to do what i want" to "how do i get my computer to POST again" was solved via trial and error.
@original_reader Install on USB thumb drive and give a test drive, when you like, install on main media.
Not all distros play nice as live distros
@LandedGentry You can partition a thumb drive and install just as if it was a hard drive. I create thumb drives this way mainly for restoration of a system is something gets broken to where it can't boot, kernel corrupted, initramfs, etc.
You’re totally right lol got tunnel vision there
I'm good. But thank you for the tip.
Just posted the video, because I like that she's quite balanced in her views. The subject matter will always trigger a level of controversy, esp. on lemmy. But the advice is pretty solid.
And if Mint isn't the answer, go with Ubuntu. Or Zorin OS. Or PopOS. All of them are "right" and provide excellent beginner experiences for many people.
@original_reader Here I've got a mix of Ubuntu, Debian, Zorin, PopOS, Fedora, Alma, Rocky8, MxLinux, Mint,and Kali, but the primary work horse is Ubuntu.