What Linux Distro to Install on my New Laptop?
Last week I ordered my new laptop. :)
No, it didn't arrive yet, but as you can see I am getting anxious, lol.
In the meantime, I discovered why it takes so long for the package to arrive.
I ordered it on Friday evening, that was my mistake. Normally, it should have arrived on Monday or at the latest Tuesday.
What I didn't account for, was that this Monday and Tuesday were not working days in my country. To be fair, I received an SMS and email on Monday morning from the retailer saying the package is ready for delivery. So the retailer was working. But not the couriers, since it will arrive the soonest tomorrow.
That's ok, that gave me time to push a little more on other things during the weekend and at the beginning of this week.
Anyway, today was the time to research more about the operating system to install, since the laptop comes without one (why pay for a Windows license too, right?).
I was pretty much determined I want a Linux distro on the new laptop. For multiple reasons, I'm not going to list them fully here.
In a way, to be in the crypto world and not have at least one machine running Linux on it seems a bit strange. Kind of like influencers who talk about crypto without really being involved in the phenomenon.
Linux kernel brand character, Tux
I will keep Windows on this older laptop for the time being, to make the transition easier and for the rare cases when I might need something that works only on Windows.
So, research time today...
A Little Background
Some 3, maybe 4 years ago I had Ubuntu installed on my desktop. I think it was version 18, but I'm not sure. It didn't last long, not because I didn't want to keep it, but because my desktop PC died of old age, after showing clear signs it couldn't handle the workload for about 6 months or so.
I may have had Ubuntu installed on my PC for about a year, but most likely less than that, before the PC crashed.
It was enough to customize it to make it useful to me. And I don't mean themes and colors and stuff. I mostly disable those things, whenever possible.
At the time I touched the surface of Python (the programming language, not the snake). Mostly poked around, but also created a few kind of useful scripts too, like the one to download all your posts (placed in subdirectories by the main tag or date). Probably the script doesn't work anymore, it was either before the split or right after when I wrote it. I found it! It was pre-split and it definitely doesn't work now exactly as it is (at least not on Hive).
Ubuntu
Anyway... back to Ubuntu. I got used to it, but even minor tasks were a challenge at first and I needed to check out the internet for solutions. Their community is big, and there's often a solution for every problem, but adapting to this way of working with an OS is slow and demanding.
Since version 18, I'm sure Ubuntu evolved some. It is now the most popular OS installed on the laptops I checked out, besides Windows, and not far behind.
Linux Mint
Linux Mint (especially the Cinnamon version), seems to be an Ubuntu variant tweaked for the ease-of-use and with an interface similar to Windows. Maybe with a slightly better performance than Ubuntu too, in some areas, from what I read.
Seems like a preferred Linux option for people coming from Windows.
The requirements are of less importance to me for the new laptop at 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD, that's why I don't think I'd go with a version that has lower requirements, like Xubuntu or Linux Mint Xfce, unless someone gives me a reason like the full versions don't bring anything useful on top (if it's mainly aesthetics add-ons, I'm not interested, I want more performance instead).
On the low-requirements side and also to test a version of Linux Mint, I am installing Linux Mint Xfce on a very weak laptop as I write this post. I want to see if I can revive it, make it usable for the speeds we are used to, and gift it to a family member.
At first impression from what I read about a few Linux distros, I think I would try Linux Mint. This may not be the favorite variant of Linux for long-time Linux users, but it seems like a good (re)start.
Other Option?
In my post, I only talked about these two options, Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Do you think I should start with another one? Why?
I expect to use the laptop mostly for online activities, and Hive stuff initially. Not sure what will change in the future, but I can't plan ahead for routes I'm not sure I'll take or if they'll be available for my configuration.
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Go with Ubuntu.
Why?
I like the feel of it. It is an easy windows replacement.
I went for the latest Ubuntu, but could be tempted by another distro tbh.
What don't you like about it?
I think the newest version is pretty good. Some of the software packages can be fiddly and setting up hardware also, but overall it's a good package. Maybe there are easier and prettier packages.
Ok, thanks. Linux Mint Xfce failed to work on my super old laptop (not this one) so I couldn't have a feel of Linux Mint yet. But I'm receiving the new laptop today, and hopefully, all will go smoothly so I won't waste too much time.
Nice one, I have a few usb sticks with versions ready to go! Have fun with the new Laptop. I was so happy with my upgrade.
Thanks! I will. It arrived and I already installed Mint on it and now I'm installing a few apps I'll need.
I was ubuntu for several years, but then I changed for a company laptop that came with windows x. Ubuntu was a good companion, and will definitely return to it. But I'm not an expert. I don't know what ever else is there in the wild...
Looks like both Ubuntu and Linux Mint have their good share of fans. Since I already have a little experience with Ubuntu (an earlier version), I'm tempted to try Linux Mint this time, after my initial research.
All I run is Linux here and my preference is Linux Mint for my daily desktop. Servers distros vary. I previously used Ubuntu years ago, both server and desktop, but when they chose the Unity interface I bailed. Then the pre-installed Snap support, well.. I preferred the Flatpak & AppImage approach.
And I should also mention, any question like "Which programming language should I learn / use?" or "Which operating system should I install?" is always a very personal choice. Most popular sometimes takes all the fun out of learning as you feel pressure to do things how the masses do it. Heck, I'll probably switch to a BSD flavor here shortly, just to discover new ideas, a new community and the allure of it's licensing.
Just like vacations, some of the most treasured moments may be found in the most unlikely of places.
Enjoy your new rig !!
A second opinion could also reveal some interesting benefits or pitfalls you didn't take into consideration when you made your initial research.
I appreciate your feedback!
What are the things that Linux can bring?
Sunt curious de cum o sa mearga linux si ce aplicatii poti instala pe el(brave, wallets, etc). Din cate stiu poti sa le rulezi in paralel si sa alezi pe care sa il booteze.
Preinstalat este Firefox pe Linux. Nu stiu daca alte browsere cunoscute merg pe Linux, dar eu sunt familiar si cu Firefox. Da, poti sa pui mai multe sisteme de operare si sa alegi de pe care sa boot-ezi. Dar OS-ul primar trebuie sa fie Linux, si dupa aia trebuie instalat Windows, pt. ca Windows-ul nu suporta sa imparta. Dar daca nu stie... :)
My company uses Fedora, but also promoted Linux Mint across all departments, I personally had Ubuntu in my workstation.
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Thanks for sharing the options.
Yay for going the Linux route! I actually got my new laptop in large part because I missed working with Linux, and specifically Arch Linux (this is being written from one of three Arch installations that I have)! I've used Linux almost exclusiviely since 2011, and once I dipped my toes in the Free and Open Source Software and Hardware (FOSSH) world, there was no going back for me! I was on Ubuntu for six years, and then when I gave Arch a try, I fell in love, and have been a die-hard Arch Linux-lover ever since! For your purposes there are a fair number which could work: Ubuntu, Mint, Manjaro (based on Arch but easier for the beginner), EndeavourOS, or MX Linux are all good. I wish you immense success with whichever iteration of Linux that you choose! 😁🙏💚✨🤙
Thanks for your feedback! Arch Linux must be a cool distro for you. I'm glad you found something you love. Too advanced for me at the beginning, so I'll probably stick to one of the beginner-friendly ones for now.
Certainly, and I definitely understand! Ubuntu or Mint are the ones I usually recommend to people just getting into Linux, though distros like Manjaro and EndeavorOS are a happy medium, as they are based on Arch, but have graphical installers and pre-configured graphical desktop environments. I look forward to reading about what you choose and your experiences! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
I chose Linux Mint because I wanted to minimize the learning curve at this time. Thanks again for presenting different options. I may take one of them in the future, who knows?
Cool! Mint is a very good starting point! Certainly, my pleasure! Linux has a funny way of growing on you once you realize what's possible and what you can do with it! Have fun! 😁 🙏 💚 ✨ 🤙
Get Linux because you seem to know more about it. You might decide to do more programming @gadrian.
Good luck on your decision.
Barb 😊
!BBH
!CTP
!ALIVE
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It's certainly going to be Linux. Will see about programming, I'm more of a tourist in this domain than a professional nowadays.
I would say Ubuntu because it's safer to go with something you are used to. I haven't used many distro but I would just go for something that I have used before.
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Yeah, but it wasn't easy to get it to where I needed it. It's true, then I needed lots of programming packages installed or updated, which won't be the case now, at least not at the beginning.
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When a person orders anything online, he says that the item will just come to him and he can open it and use it, but it happens that someone goes on vacation or deletes it for some reason. Yes it happened to me too when I ordered the iPhone there was a three day holiday in the middle which caused it to arrive three days later. Hopefully you will receive your laptop soon.
Yep, I just received it and already installed the OS on it. It's cool, quiet, and quick, from the first impressions.
I'm a mint (cinnamon) user at present and pretty happy with it. my laptop isn't brand new as it was donated by a mate who upgraded his, and it just seems to work without too much pfaffing about, which i like. installing additional software is as i'm sure you know super easy - especially if it comes as a deb package, since it is derived from the debian distro, via ubuntu.
i think currently ubuntu and mint are the top two distros, and if i were looking at linux for the first time id definitely go for one or the other, or even both with a dual boot option
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At some point, I was thinking to install both. But in the end, I decided on Linux Mint. Already installed and working nicely.
There are a lot of people who like CENTOS. I haven't really used it to much, but I don't think it is that horrible. I mostly use Ubuntu for everything I do. Another one that has been on my radar for a while is SUSE. They have been around for a long time, even back to the old Novell Netware days. I remember their KDE desktop environment was really beautiful and they had a good GUI for YUM back in the day. I'm talking like 20 years ago, so I can only imagine what it looks like today.
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Thanks for your feedback! I have installed Linux Mint, but more options for the future may be useful. I haven't seen CENTOS in my quick research, but I came across SUSE.
No problem!
If you get tired of Ubuntu and Linux Mint, then try Fedora or OpenSUSE. These are also well-known distributions with large communities. And you can find solutions to most of the problems that will arise with them.
If you have the time and inspiration to learn Linux well, install Arch Linux, pure Debian or Slackware. They require more effort to learn, but will help you better understand how Linux works.