this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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And I am not. They stuck with old tech stack and do much of pointless drama. But wish them luck, they has their niche and are quite popular.
Out of curiosity, since I switched from Windows to Mint recently so I'm not married to it just yet - what would be your recommended distro for Windows users that uses a better/newer tech stack? Mint worked out of the box for me, but if love to try other distros too if they're better.
For the most part there are two things that are important when choosing a distro the "stack" (kernel, drivers, security patches) and "packages" (how often your software gets updated)
For something like Linux Mint which is based on Ubuntu LTS, it does major updates of the "stack" every 4 years with just security updates in the meantime. This means that newer hardware may not work fully due to lack of the latest drivers (and even then it's edge cases), but you are getting a very stable base. The packages may also not be the very latest versions. Something like flatpaks can be a healthy compromise where you are getting the latest package updates, but you still have a rock solid stack.
Something like Arch would update it's stack far more often but could potentially not boot with a newer kernel with your hardware eg more risky. Fedora is something that would be a newer stack than Ubuntu LTS but also newer packages. Wouldn't be as new as Arch but would also be more stable as a daily driver.
To add to this, I found that Bazzite was a great middle ground for me, and it worked out of the box for everyday needs as well as gaming, even with my Nvidia card.
I am just now dipping my toes into the Linux desktop life with a Bazzite dual boot. I'm very impressed so far. The Steam Deck finally won me over on the Idea of switching.