this post was submitted on 25 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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I have tried Linux as a DD on and off for years but about a year ago I decided to commit to it no matter the cost. First with Mint, then Ubuntu and a few others sprinkled in briefly. Both are "mainstream" "beginner friendly" distros, right? I don't want anything too advanced, right?

Well, ubuntu recently updated and it broke my second monitor (Ubuntu detected it but the monitor had "no signal"). After trying to fix it for a week, I decided to wipe it and reinstall. No luck. I tried a few other distros that had the same issue and I started to wonder if it was a hardware issue but I tried a Windows PC and the monitor worked no problem.

Finally, just to see what would happen I tried a distro very very different than what I'm used to: Fedora (Kinoite). And not only did everything "just work" flawlessly, but it's so much faster and more polished than I ever knew Linux to be!

Credit where it's due, a lot of the polish is due to KDE plasma. I'd never strayed from Gnome because I'm not an expert and people recommend GNOME to Linux newbies because it's "simple" and "customizable" but WOW is KDE SO MUCH SIMPLER AND STILL CUSTOMIZEABLE. Gnome is only "simple" in that it doesn't allow you to do much via the GUI. With Fedora Kinode I think I needed to use the terminal maybe once during setup? With other distros I was constantly needed to use the terminal (yes its helped me learn Linux but that curve is STEEP).

The atomic updates are fantastic too. I have not crashed once in the two weeks of setup whereas before I would have a crash maybe 1-2 times per week.

I am FULLY prepared for the responses demanding to know what I did to make it crash and telling me how I was using it wrong blah blah blah but let me tell you, if you are experienced with Windows but want to learn Linux and getting frustrated by all the "beginner" distros that get recommended, do yourself a favor and try Fedora Kinoite!

edit: i am DYING at the number of "you're using it wrong" comments here. never change people.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Generally Fedora's purpose is to make sure nothing gets into redhat (RHEL) Linux. So if there are breaking changes to things, you'll be getting them.

Historically if people had wanted to learn I'd push them towards Ubuntu because its Debian based, meaning familiar enough to most of what runs the modern internet that I could eventually (I'm not a Linux admin) fix.

These days if you just want to use it I'd pick Linux mint, just since they seem to be orienting towards that way. Arch or SUSE based something if you want to learn more about how the packages you install work together. But the choice in distro honestly feels more like an installer and package manager choice than anything. a distro is just a choice of which thousand things to hide in a trenchcoat.

I just ideologically don't like IBM and would rather hand in my bug reports to the volunteer ecosystem.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Because it can't hibernate? (But then, not sure which distros can.)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I run Bazzite, which is Fedora Atomic, that hibernates just fine. In fact, so far it's the only one that does. Arch and Mint both would never come back from sleep.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That has not been the case anymore for months. We have 3 different Fedora Workstation 40 computers/laptops and 1 Nobara laptop, and they all sleep and hibernate just fine, and wake up just as well.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Ok.

It's not an option out if the box for me on Fedora 40 but maybe it's because I started on 39 and upgraded later.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

On my Fedora KDE install on 40, hibernate is now an available power option. The install has been in upgrade cycles since 35 at this point. I would imagine that barring different DEs showing different power options being a possibility, it is more on detecting hardware compatibility for functional hibernation.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I generally do mention that I like my Fedora KDE, but I'm a little worried about SELinux. I have had two or three run-ins with it, and I think that would be hard to diagnose for a noob.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (15 children)

Is it because Fedora is usually considered bleeding edge?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I quite often recommend the atomic flavors of Fedora to people and have it set up for a few people (my mother for example). I think atomic distributions are perfect for tech unsavory people, because they can't really damage anything and it mimics/reproduces lots of the things they are already used from their phones.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Kinoite shows the future of noob Linux I think, but it's still new and has some rough edges. I installed it on an ARM and couldn't make it wake up from sleep.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I didn't have any problem using Arch Linux which many say is much more newbie unfriendly but I had several problems using Fedora most related to Intel video drivers and I couldn't solve them in any way. The fan of my Intel Nuc started to run on maximum when I opened the browser lol. All drivers were correctly installed

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

I do recommend Fedora. It's what I started on (besides tails) and after a couple years I've moved to FedoraKDE.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Because SE Linux drove me bonkers once and I am petty.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

The installer is garbage in my opinion. But aside from that, the distro is probably fine.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

KDE was far less stable for me compared to Gnome. In the end, my patience with KDE lasted for 1 week.

KDE is more exiting and familiar, but it had no tangible advantage in the end for me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

When I started learning Linux years ago when I studied IT I was actually taught UNIX but the first Linux distro I was exposed to was Red Hat back in school around 2000. Fedora was derived from that and for a while I was more familiar with that. However with the popularity of Debian and Ubuntu, it seems most of the instructions out there are geared around that so I'm now pretty much just sticking with Debian.

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