I would prefer something based on Debian, like Ubuntu or PopOS, but I’m open for other suggestions as well, as I’m looking for a distro to daily-drive on my new Framework laptop.

    • wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      1 year ago

      This is the way. Why go through middle man when you can go straight to the source.

      Just remember, stable is for servers, testing is for workstations.

      • 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Stable isnt just “for servers”. I run stable on my laptop as well

        OP said they dont need it for gaming, so you dont need the latest, shiniest things. Stable + backports should be good enough for most people unless you’re doing some really specialized work

        • grean@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Also flatpak may be a convenient way to get the latest and shiniest on Stable.

        • grean@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Also flatpak may be a convenient way to get the latest and shiniest on Stable.

  • VirtualBriefcase@lemmy.fmhy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    1 year ago

    Mint is great, it comes pre loaded with a lot of the basics and has got to be one of the most easy to recommend options out there. If you do go with Mint I would highly recommend adding flatpaks for anything proprietary if you use things like Spotify, Discord, or other similar stuff (you probably will want to make sure that gets updates imminently since those kinds of services usually update quickly and somewhat sporadically). Mint is based on Ubuntu but is without all the Telemetry and forced snaps.

    Alternatively, if you want a more basic install (pros: less bloat, cons: more manual work) Debian itself would work great. It’ll probably eek out a tiny bit more performance and slightly faster security updates than anything downstream. I like manually installing by starting from zero, but I can understand if you want a “plug and play” option and want a Debian derivative instead.

    Ubuntu is also fine. I’m still salty about seeing Amazon ads on my search screen a while back, but in all reality it would work just fine, you can still opt out of the Telemetry, and if you prefer Snaps over Flatpaks then it’d be a good choice to go with. If you don’t know of or care about snaps or flatpaks then in all reality either should work fine for you.

    I’ve never used PopOs. I’m sure it’s fine, though I’ve heard people online complain it’s a bit unstable sometimes as compared to the more established Debian based distros. Can’t say either way though since I haven’t used it.

    Beyond Debian, like some people are saying here too, Fedora is an option. It’s not Debian based and might have a bit of a higher learning curve (both if you’ve never used Linux or if you learned on Debian based Linux). Their packages and device drivers are usually a bit more up to date. That said, as they move more towards Flatpaks instead of traditional package management that benefit is eroding a bit. But if you do find yourself needing more current packages (and can’t solve with flatpaks/snaps), or have a device with drivers too new for Debian and it’s derivatives, then Fedora would be the first place I’d recommend going.

    Last, Manjaro might be an option as well (also not Debian based). Honestly I’ve heard a lot of bad things about it and never used it, but a co-worker likes it so it’s worth a mention. It’d be great if you need really recent drivers, but if you don’t know what you’re doing (so I’ve been told) you probably want to be cautions of the AUR.

    If you have the time I’d recommend firing up a virtual machine and checking anything that sound interesting. Good luck!

  • Luca@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    I know you said you want something Debian-based, but Fedora is my go-to distro for daily driver workstations. Rock solid, has up to date software, and the release upgrade process has never failed me.

    • Alatain@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      1 year ago

      So, I know I could just look this up and get answers off google, but for the sake of conversation, why do you prefer Fedora over something like say, Mint?

      I have bounced around through several distros (Mint, Ubuntu, Arch, Pop, a bit of Slack), and have always found something in each that could draw me in. What does it for you in Fedora?

      • Luca@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Fedora is pretty cutting edge (updating package versions every 6 months), while still being rock solid. The release upgrade is also the most reliable one I’ve had to deal with - I successfully upgraded an ancient install by 10 versions once.

        • Alatain@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Gotcha. For those that are happy with the upgrade process and stability of what they are on though, is there anything that makes it more enticing?

          I may end up giving it a go just to round out my experience with the various flavors and get some real experience with RPM.

          • Luca@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            1 year ago

            Honestly, Linux is Linux. Once you’re comfortable enough, that’s really all that differentiates distros between each other. (Minus weird shit like glibc vs musl, nixOS, etc) It’s just been the closest experience I’ve had to “it just works” when it comes to Linux desktop.

            I should also shout out that Fedora tends to embrace existing standards rather than make their own (cough Cannonical cough Snap). I’m also a big fan of some Fedora projects, particularly Fedora Silverblue

          • winety@dataterm.digital
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            Here are my two eurocents:

            • Fedora Workstation, the main spin of Fedora which uses Gnome, is a very polished experience. I’d use it, if I were a fan of Gnome.
            • Fedora Silverblue is an “immutable desktop”, i.e. the operating system is read-only while all user applications isolated from it via flatpaks. It is supposed to make the system more secure, stable, easier to update etc. It’s a cool idea, but I haven’t tried it myself.

            Other than that? Not much. As you probably know, most distributions feel pretty much the same, Fedora included.

  • Björn Tantau@feddit.de
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    I don’t think distro choice is that important. If you’re already comfortable with something deb based get that.

  • cristo@lemmy.sdf.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    You’ve named three great suggestions. There was a new stable Debian release two days ago. A decade ago, I found Debian stable a bit too stale and testing buggy, but things have changed for the better with flatpak being as ubiquitous as it is.

    Just make sure to get the non-free firmware iso if you think you might need it for something like wifi.

    I find snap on Ubuntu annoying, slow and the cli tool cryptic. I’d probably use PopOS in preference to Ubuntu just because of that.

    Finally, the difference between using a Debian vs Fedora vs Arch derivative isn’t as much as it’s hyped up to be. It’s really the release cycle and QA that matter and that’s personal taste.

  • wxboss@mastodon.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    @Gamer153
    Debian 12 is actually a good option. This latest release has really transformed it into a much more viable option.

    I just recently switched from my favourite distro (Linux Mint), and I have no regrets.

  • closure1170@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I’ve got a shitty old laptop that barely ran on windows. I put Linux Cinnamon (mint) on it, and it runs pretty good now. Maybe less applicable on your new machine tho.

    • emulator3
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I started off with Slackware, and it definitely made me learn a lot.

      • downhomechunk
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        It’s been my daily driver since the late 90s. I’ve never really run anything else.

        • emulator3
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          Right there with you. I definitely remember when the jumped from 4 to 7 and everyone was up in arms about it.

          • downhomechunk
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            1 year ago

            You actually made me question my own history. I think I started with slackware right after that version jump. So maybe my first experience with it was 99 or 00.

            I remember trying mandrake linux for a couple days based on a friend’s recommendation and not really liking it. I don’t even remember how I came to slackware. Maybe IRC or someone from a local bbs?

  • owisco
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    I hate to be /that guy/ but Arch Linux has been the most stable in my experience. The AUR is also great for software not in the normal repos. You can set it up with whatever desktop environment you want, and the wiki/forums have tons of information.

  • illectrility@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Pop!_OS. I use it on my laptop and the track pad gestures are a treat. Also, stability and performance are as expected and the devs are really cool.

  • Bosmic@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Either PopOS or Fedora would be my choice for a no hassle distro. The new Cosmic DE that System76 is making for PopOS looks pretty nice.