Which Linux distribution do you prefer?

By Nick H.
in Linux

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Which Linux distribution do you prefer?  

213 members have voted

  1. 1. What is your favourite?


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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
Mentor

Ve7878

Posted
Posted

I'm moving more towards openSUSE from Slackware. It's a huge change of pace as I've gone for Tumbleweed to have the latest packages. I probably won't move back to Slackware until such a time that KDE 5 is included officially. Unfortunately 14.2 is getting up there a bit now and it doesn't play nice with 4K due to being on KDE4. I know that alien releases KDE 5 packages and they do work well but I'd like some official inclusion before I use it on a day to day basis. 

Grand Master

Mindovermaster Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted
5 minutes ago, Vince800 said:

I'm moving more towards openSUSE from Slackware. It's a huge change of pace as I've gone for Tumbleweed to have the latest packages. I probably won't move back to Slackware until such a time that KDE 5 is included officially. Unfortunately 14.2 is getting up there a bit now and it doesn't play nice with 4K due to being on KDE4. I know that alien releases KDE 5 packages and they do work well but I'd like some official inclusion before I use it on a day to day basis. 

Slackware was kind of lacking in ways...

Mentor

Ve7878

Posted
Posted (edited)

Slackware is what you make it I guess. I've been using it on and off for around 16 years and it's usually my go to distro, but lately I just want an OS which I can sort of leave running and not have to mess around with too much. Granted that once Slackware is set up, it very rare for me to have to change anything throughout the whole course of the release but switching to 4K really caused issues with the older software. As I said above, KDE 5 is available through alien but I don't know, I just want something which I can set up and look after its self to an extent. I work with computers all day so I don't really feel like it when I get home too. 

  • 3 weeks later...
Grand Master

ThaCrip

Posted
Posted (edited)

Linux Mint (v19.1 Xfce) ; it's been my primary OS since Jan 2019 on my main PC. although it's installed on some other computers I got to as it runs better on some underpowered laptops than Windows does, especially since Windows 10 is just a bit too taxing on them and Windows 7 support ends Jan 2020. so Linux was pretty much the only real option for me overall. even my old desktop from 2006 has Mint on it as Win10 won't work at all on that on that due to lack of 'nx bit' support on motherboard, so Linux is my only option on that basically.

 

so while I am no expert on Linux, Mint seems to be a pretty safe bet for most people for general use when it comes to a Linux OS you just install and pretty much use (although those on low ram should use the 'vm.swappiness=10' (you can find more online)). like probably the best for something that works well out-of-the-box and is not bloated etc.

 

p.s. I do have a couple issues with it though... 1)if 'vdpau' is enabled in video playback software it's not long before it freezes the system (I can disable the GPU acceleration to work around that issue). 2)within about 5-10 days of system uptime the system will lockup/freeze coming out of the lock screen. NOTE: but recently (less than 24 hours ago) I used the Linux Nvidia driver PPA to get newer drivers, I choose v418.xx instead of the one offered which is v390.xxx, for my Nvidia 1050 Ti 4GB GPU and I am going to be testing those over the upcoming days as I figure if things are stable for a full 14+ days, between the GPU freeze/lock screen issue, chances are the driver update fixed my two issues. if not, I can try a the other drivers in the menu like v410.xx or newest v430.xx I think.

Edited by ThaCrip
  • 3 weeks later...
Grand Master

ThaCrip

Posted
Posted

Well a update to my post above...

 

basically the NVIDIA graphics drivers seem to have fixed the GPU acceleration problem of it freezing the computer but the coming out of lock screen bug remains after the 5-10 days or so of uptime.

 

like when coming out of the lock screen, after entering password and pressing enter on the keyboard, it seems to go to a black screen for a moment and normally where the desktop appears and you resume use like usual, instead it just remains black and the monitor powers off like there is no connection and that's that. I got to press reset button to get things working again.

 

p.s. but I do notice while the GPU accelerated video (vdpau) now seems to basically work, as you can see CPU usage is quite low, I noticed video playback is a bit jerky. like it's largely fine but during movement of the camera you can see the video stutters briefly (like playback is not perfectly smooth as expected (sound playback is okay)) and then is fine for a bit and does it again and keeps on doing this pattern as it does this consistently. I am using SMPlayer v19.5.0. but I noticed if I do Options > Preferences > General > Video and then change 'output driver' from 'vdpau' to 'default' it seems to cure the slight stutter issue I have but then CPU usage increases some even though it still appears to be using the GPU acceleration to some degree as CPU usage is not too high and fastforwarding video etc is still snappy vs if vdpau is completely disabled as I still have 'Performance > Decoding > Hardware Decoding' set to 'vdpau' as if I put that to 'none' then it's totally back on software rendering and CPU usage rises.

Experienced

AussieAnon

Posted
Posted (edited)

I recently installed KDE Neon and I love it.

 

Made by the KDE.org community, based on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS with the most recent vanilla KDE updates.

Stable core, but up-to-date KDE UI & KDE apps.

 

Otherwise, I used to use Kubuntu. I prefer the LTS releases for stability/security, which is why KDE Neon is the perfect pick.

Edited by Simmo3D
  • 2 weeks later...
Grand Master

ThaCrip

Posted
Posted

A update to my post above as far as GPU accelerated x264 video that I mentioned above with the slightly jerky playback... well I found a fix in that instead of using 'vdpau' I just select 'cuda' for hardware decoding and CPU usage seems to float around 5% like I would expect and there is no jerky video playback any more as it works as expected. so at this point the GPU accelerated x264 video playback seems to work perfectly.

 

basically things are now in SMPlayer...

 

1)Options > Preferences > General > Video and then I put 'output driver' from 'vdpau' back to 'default'.

2)then... Performance > Decoding > Hardware Decoding set to 'cuda' instead of 'vdpau'.

 

so hopefully that freezing coming out of the lock screen will eventually be fixed in future releases. but there is something I read online that I plan on trying when the screen freeze happens again as if it works it might be good enough as a temporary work around.

  • 2 months later...
Neowinian

villandra

Posted
Posted

I run Ubuntu.   I just changed from Windows 7.   Five years ago while learning IT, I installed Ubuntu 14.04 on a core duo machine, and learned Linux.   

 

I like Ubuntu because it has the greatest range and ease of installing things on it, and it is by far the best supported.  There are books on how to run Ubuntu, even Ubuntu 18.04, though that's harder.   Most problems can be solved by googling.  That's a lot harder in any other Linux version, and it's also harder to get an answer on a forum, not that that's necessarily easy with Ubuntu.    I also find Ubuntu gnome almost as configurable as I want.  They could do better with color configuration.

 

I last tried Mint five years ago, but I seriously doubt the things I found wrong with it have changed.   Mint is designed with malice aforethought, to work well out of the box, never be changed, never have anything but its own apps installed on it.   The color scheme is sick, just to start with.   Lime green and black - it's worse than Ubuntu's.    If anything at all goes wrong with Mint, the forum tells you to reinstall Mint.  I don't think so!    In other words, for all practical purposes, there is no support.   Even worse, though Mint runs off of Ubuntu, they change how EVERYTHING works under the hood, and there is NO way, in books, online, or in the forum, to discover how stuff is done, so you can't configure or change anything!     OS is the product of arrogant fools, in my opinion.  Completely unworkable!   I've heard some things work better out of the box with Ubuntu, and since Ubuntu still has problems with the video working without going around it, that could be a plus, but not one I find at all worth it!   

What's the difference between KDE based on Kubuntu, and Kubuntu?

Grand Master

BetaguyGZT

Posted
Posted

:no: :/

 

You couldn't be more wrong.

 

First of all, Mint IS Ubuntu with extra software as well as their own user-friendly applications tailor-made FOR the user experience to be easier to deal with.

 

For that matter, their own DE, Cinnamon, is built from the ground up to be a familiar, pleasant experience (as pleasant as possible) so that UI paradigms from the past aren't ignored or wasted. It's constantly, constantly improved for performance and features added by Community request AND there are quite a lot of addons to extend it's functionality.

 

If you don't like Cinnamon (many don't, and that's fine) there's MATE -- the continuation of Gnome 2, but modern. The codebase has been brought up to GTK3+, new features added, and it's MORE used than Cinnamon by almost every Distro out there except Mint itself.

 

Installing software is a breeze on Mint. Same as Ubuntu, and (imo) somewhat more straightforward since Mint comes out of the box WITH Synaptic and Ubuntu does NOT iirc.

 

Drivers can be installed via a SEPARATE Driver Manager application. Ubuntu's is tied into another interface which requires WAY more hassle to get to. Same interface, but Mint's is the standalone version and I believe it's the superior way to go and less confusing to get to.

 

Updates ... don't get me started on how Ubuntu is doing things. Mint simply can not be outdone here. The Update Manager (which will also handle Software Sources, Repository Locations, Update Levels and Kernels) is THE BEST ON ANY PLATFORM. 

 

And where do you think, for one moment, that Mint's XApps can't be changed or for whatever reason would not be able to be unset in Application Preferences?? Did you not check Control Center? It's right there ...

 

And the way you switched tense from Mint to Ubuntu leads me to believe that you weren't just talking about Mint but Ubuntu in general ...

 

While WE (as a Community) will always own the fact that Linux and the Ubuntu-based distros aren't perfect we WILL point out faulty critiques and those who are jumping to conclusions baselessly ... and YOU have gotten my dander in a fluff.

 

Step up correctly or not at all.

Grand Master

adrynalyne

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, villandra said:

I run Ubuntu.   I just changed from Windows 7.   Five years ago while learning IT, I installed Ubuntu 14.04 on a core duo machine, and learned Linux.   

 

I like Ubuntu because it has the greatest range and ease of installing things on it, and it is by far the best supported.  There are books on how to run Ubuntu, even Ubuntu 18.04, though that's harder.   Most problems can be solved by googling.  That's a lot harder in any other Linux version, and it's also harder to get an answer on a forum, not that that's necessarily easy with Ubuntu.    I also find Ubuntu gnome almost as configurable as I want.  They could do better with color configuration.

 

I last tried Mint five years ago, but I seriously doubt the things I found wrong with it have changed.   Mint is designed with malice aforethought, to work well out of the box, never be changed, never have anything but its own apps installed on it.   The color scheme is sick, just to start with.   Lime green and black - it's worse than Ubuntu's.    If anything at all goes wrong with Mint, the forum tells you to reinstall Mint.  I don't think so!    In other words, for all practical purposes, there is no support.   Even worse, though Mint runs off of Ubuntu, they change how EVERYTHING works under the hood, and there is NO way, in books, online, or in the forum, to discover how stuff is done, so you can't configure or change anything!     OS is the product of arrogant fools, in my opinion.  Completely unworkable!   I've heard some things work better out of the box with Ubuntu, and since Ubuntu still has problems with the video working without going around it, that could be a plus, but not one I find at all worth it!   

What's the difference between KDE based on Kubuntu, and Kubuntu?

Maybe in another five years you can revisit this post and reflect how much you learned since posting this. You clearly need more time and experience. 

Grand Master

adrynalyne

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Unobscured Vision said:

Updates ... don't get me started on how Ubuntu is doing things. Mint simply can not be outdone here. The Update Manager (which will also handle Software Sources, Repository Locations, Update Levels and Kernels) is THE BEST ON ANY PLATFORM. 

I’m gonna disagree with you here. 

  • 3 weeks later...
Proficient

tarifa

Posted
Posted

hi there folks

i run mx linux -

it is widespread and listed at the top ranking at distrowatch.

 

in earlier times i used

opensuse and manjaro

i never ever would stick to ubuntu or mint

 

i need a fully fledget linux - like mx , opensuse or manjaro

Grand Master

adrynalyne

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, tarifa said:

hi there folks

i run mx linux -

it is widespread and listed at the top ranking at distrowatch.

 

in earlier times i used

opensuse and manjaro

i never ever would stick to ubuntu or mint

 

i need a fully fledget linux - like mx , opensuse or manjaro

Can you name a non-fully fledged Linux?

  • Mindovermaster
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  • 2 months later...
Grand Master

ThaCrip

Posted
Posted

I have been on Cinnamon version of Linux Mint (currently v19.2) now for a while and it does not have that 5-10 days freezing at lock-screen issue that Xfce does for me. so I just keep Cinnamon on my primary desktop (I don't regret the switch) as I got over a month of uptime (34days+) and it would have kept going short of my manual reboot, so it's safe to say that lock-screen issue is gone on Cinnamon. but I still got Xfce on my old computers with underpowered CPU's.

 

On 9/16/2019 at 1:57 PM, tarifa said:

i never ever would stick to ubuntu or mint

 

I don't see why those are bad because they are simple and work well (especially Mint since it seems to be a lighter version of Ubuntu) out-of-the-box.

 

basically for someone coming over from Windows, Linux Mint is a solid all around option if you ask me. like it's probably the #1 choice or close to it since things will be familiar enough to a average Windows user switching to Linux and is pretty good out-of-the-box and has just enough pre-installed software to cover some basics etc.

Grand Master

+Matthew S. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted
On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 4:08 PM, adrynalyne said:

Can you name a non-fully fledged Linux?

How the hell is Ubuntu not fully fledged Linux? O.o

  • 2 months later...
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