Unless its like arch or gentoo does the distro matter that much? Like its mostly just the default settings which you can tweak. I feel like 90% of distrohopping is just wanting to try a new UI which can you just install yourself.
The main difference is package management so rolling release vs LTS vs 6 month cycle.
In practice we really need to stop using dynamic dependencies/package managers for most applications, for desktop usecase its just not a good pattern anymore, honestly I feel its like 99% of the reason the linux desktop never took off, app dev is just a pain. Thankfully stuff like flatpak and appimage exist now
Arch is harder so install to as a recommendation its harder than the others. Though I think the last time I installed it was years ago ik theirs like a graphical installer now??? How the mighty have fallen
I don’t recommend it to first timers, because the install process does get you a good feel of what you’ll be expected to know, but I’ve been running arch for years I’m not doing that manually anymore xD
It used to be a lot more difficult.
On my first Arch install, I had to edit xorg.conf blindly, because the screen didn’t show anything due to an error in xorg.conf.
I can’t express how much I disagree with you and further I can not fucking stand flatpacks and the like. Unless I’m running a server, I don’t want that crap on my box at all.
Why would you want flatpak on a server, server feels like ideal for dynamic dependencies as you have some highly used, static build (Debian 13 or Ubuntu LTS) where problems can be easily tested and fixes distributed out. The dependencies don’t change too much aswell as the usecase for the server stays static. Security features can then be patched in when needed. Desktop usecase all people want is an up to date latest app that works, security rarely matters, and the dependency graph is highly volatile as people constantly update and add new software
So keep the different server processes somewhat isolated without going full VM. If I was admining production boxes for a company, I’d go with VMs. I’m talking about home servers running a couple services, and about desktops at home. Being retired, I haven’t had to really do real sysadmin work for years.
I haven’t had any issues, that I can think of at least, updating my desktop install which is going on about 10 years now. I’ve not been stuck in some type of dependency hell for even longer than that. To each their own, if they work for you, great. I can’t stand the extra layer that flatpaks bring to me. Seems like back in the day they would have been really useful…but thinking about past hard drive space, processor speeds, and internet speeds, maybe not.
Are you confusing flatpaks and other containerization solutions like docker? Flatpaks are specifically for UI applications, and that doesn’t make much sense on a server.
Distro can alter how it behaves on your hardware. I tried every Debian derivative out there on a 2010 laptop. They would fail install or fail boot due to some hardware error, but fedora or opensuse were fine, and weirdly nixos. All those acknowledged the error and worked around it.
Also, not sure if other distros are this easy (because I didn’t experiment) but opensuse let’s you install as many DEs as you like with their pattern selections, and you can flipflop between them at the login screen.
I thought that was a good tool for a beginner just wanting to try out each DE without reinstalling as you change your mind.
Pretty much all the distros I use if I install like kde or hyprland it appears as an option in the login screen. Its a little cluttered since you have overlapping gnome and kde apps but I feel like people distrohop alot when they could just install a new DE
Unless its like arch or gentoo does the distro matter that much? Like its mostly just the default settings which you can tweak. I feel like 90% of distrohopping is just wanting to try a new UI which can you just install yourself.
The main difference is package management so rolling release vs LTS vs 6 month cycle.
In practice we really need to stop using dynamic dependencies/package managers for most applications, for desktop usecase its just not a good pattern anymore, honestly I feel its like 99% of the reason the linux desktop never took off, app dev is just a pain. Thankfully stuff like flatpak and appimage exist now
Comparing Arch and Gentoo is wild. Arch is so much more simple and well documented.
Arch is harder so install to as a recommendation its harder than the others. Though I think the last time I installed it was years ago ik theirs like a graphical installer now??? How the mighty have fallen
But yeah Gentoo is like in a league of its own
There’s no graphical installer officially, no. There are many Arch derivatives with installers though, like CachyOS.
Installing Arch is literally running like 10 commands, and it’s all very well documented.
Now you’re running Arch. Make a user and install a DE, optionally.
It’s even simpler now: Plug in stick, reboot
Select the stick as the boot media
“archinstall”
Configure
Done.
I don’t recommend it to first timers, because the install process does get you a good feel of what you’ll be expected to know, but I’ve been running arch for years I’m not doing that manually anymore xD
I didn’t even know that existed until today
I installed my current system with archinstall, I know I can do it the manual way but it was so easy.
Yeah I feel like people vastly overestimate how difficult it is.
It used to be a lot more difficult.
On my first Arch install, I had to edit xorg.conf blindly, because the screen didn’t show anything due to an error in xorg.conf.
Could you not have switched tty and edited there?
I can’t express how much I disagree with you and further I can not fucking stand flatpacks and the like. Unless I’m running a server, I don’t want that crap on my box at all.
Why would you want flatpak on a server, server feels like ideal for dynamic dependencies as you have some highly used, static build (Debian 13 or Ubuntu LTS) where problems can be easily tested and fixes distributed out. The dependencies don’t change too much aswell as the usecase for the server stays static. Security features can then be patched in when needed. Desktop usecase all people want is an up to date latest app that works, security rarely matters, and the dependency graph is highly volatile as people constantly update and add new software
So keep the different server processes somewhat isolated without going full VM. If I was admining production boxes for a company, I’d go with VMs. I’m talking about home servers running a couple services, and about desktops at home. Being retired, I haven’t had to really do real sysadmin work for years.
I haven’t had any issues, that I can think of at least, updating my desktop install which is going on about 10 years now. I’ve not been stuck in some type of dependency hell for even longer than that. To each their own, if they work for you, great. I can’t stand the extra layer that flatpaks bring to me. Seems like back in the day they would have been really useful…but thinking about past hard drive space, processor speeds, and internet speeds, maybe not.
Are you confusing flatpaks and other containerization solutions like docker? Flatpaks are specifically for UI applications, and that doesn’t make much sense on a server.
Shit, yeah. I’m dumb. I’ve just grouped those together in my mind.
Distro can alter how it behaves on your hardware. I tried every Debian derivative out there on a 2010 laptop. They would fail install or fail boot due to some hardware error, but fedora or opensuse were fine, and weirdly nixos. All those acknowledged the error and worked around it.
Also, not sure if other distros are this easy (because I didn’t experiment) but opensuse let’s you install as many DEs as you like with their pattern selections, and you can flipflop between them at the login screen.
I thought that was a good tool for a beginner just wanting to try out each DE without reinstalling as you change your mind.
Pretty much all the distros I use if I install like kde or hyprland it appears as an option in the login screen. Its a little cluttered since you have overlapping gnome and kde apps but I feel like people distrohop alot when they could just install a new DE