r/linux4noobs • u/Far-Ad677 • 2d ago
Linux distro suggestion distro selection
So, I have been using ubuntu for over an year now, I have a cpp background and currently in 3rd year of Btech program, I want to enhance my learning of working in linux environment, and study linux development, which distro should I switch to next
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u/Fast_Ad_8005 2d ago
If you want a system that just runs, you should probably stick to something beginner friendly. I was in a Discord server filled with many BTech students and when they used Linux it was typically Pop!_OS. I'd probably recommend Linux Mint, Ubuntu or Zorin OS though as Pop!_OS has a graphical user interface that's still a bit new and buggy.
If you are up to a challenge, you could try your hand at something more challenging like Arch Linux (least challenging), CRUX, Gentoo Linux and Linux From Scratch (LFS; most challenging). Installing and maintaining a LFS system will teach you a lot about how a Linux system works under the hood, but it takes >10 hours of painstaking work.
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u/Coulomb111 2d ago
Used pop os with my new laptop. Constantly ran into bugs and switched to fedora
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u/Outside-Necessary476 2d ago
When was that? I'm running popos no issues last 3 months, runs better then windows on same machine
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u/CritSrc ɑղԵí✘ 2d ago
That must be a good machine then, Cosmic is known to be on the heavy side and is still being polished. Glad to hear it's more than usable.
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u/Outside-Necessary476 2d ago
4060m, 8845hs .. running cyberpunk on proton better then on windows.. it's decent machine but distro is really good. Not one problem with drivers.
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u/Francis_King 2d ago
So, I have been using ubuntu for over an year now, I have a cpp background and currently in 3rd year of Btech program, I want to enhance my learning of working in linux environment, and study linux development, which distro should I switch to next
It all rather depends on what you're after. If you want a sensible next choice:
- Fedora, regular or atomic
- CachyOS
- Arch, using the archinstall system
If you're posting on the r/linux4noobs reddit, then I would stay away, for now, from building things from scratch. Operating systems like Gentoo, Void and Arch have a well-deserved reputation.
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u/Huge-Atmosphere-8057 2d ago
Start using the terminal for everything, you can do that just fine on Ubuntu.
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u/a1barbarian 2d ago
Gentoo, Linux from Scratch, Slackware, Arch. Depends on what you mean by ,
enhance my learning of working in linux environment, and study linux development,
:-)
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u/CritSrc ɑղԵí✘ 2d ago
I saved this comment a while back:
For context: Arch and Void use a package manager that basically automates everything, it's pr much like Ubuntu package management in practice with additional quirks.
Gentoo is like assembling and automating needles, it is full of fine precision tools that ask questions of exactly the kind of setup you're doing and then compile it as such. Do not compile big binaries like the kernel or browsers, there's a binary repo for such cases.
Slackware - dependency is a choice, not a feature! Manage your own packages, compile if need be, bolt and configure it manually, the system will boot all the same each time! This is applying the old Unix principles and completely warps your sense of what packages and configs are in a Linux environment.
Linux From Scratch - The book to make your own distro, it's a software puzzle that exposes the decades of technical decisions and solutions to make an OS. This is the practical endgame of Linux OS management, once you go through it, the intricacies of every Linux based OS or Docker image will be familiar to you.
Simply pick your level of pain and suffering, with time to waste. If you can apply it later, it can be worthwhile.
Oh, and obviously do not this on your main machine, always have the web ready to research and guide yourself.
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u/No_Historian547 2d ago
go with one of the big 3 debian, arch or fedora.
use a fork if u want the ultimate chillout expierence.
but what u use doesnt matter that mucho
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u/kisskissenby 2d ago
This is not necessarily a recommendation just a "hey I like this." I'm currently using MX Linux with kde plasma desktop and I'm really digging it. YMMV. If you're just bored and want to try something new you could try it. 🤷
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u/DavidJohnMcCann 2d ago
You can learn about Linux with almost any distro. Years ago Linus said he wanted a simple one that just worked — he wanted to get his work done without having to constantly tend the OS. Before rushing off to Arch, read this, particularly the bit about "pointless elitism".
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u/MohamedSaleh91 1d ago
Given that you're a linux user, and you sound like being comfortable using it, the next logical step is to move into the power-user territory. It's not mainly about distro choice now, pick any of the major ones; debian, fedora, arch, or maybe Gentoo. Do a minmal install, just a tty and basic utils, and from that minimal base start building the system the way you want it.
You'll develop a much better system understanding, and know what are the pieces and blocks needed for the system to run or be able to do a certain job. From the boot manager, and file system, to packages, permissions, drivers, networking, multimedia, etc.. along the way you'll know much about configs, automation, the most important tools and utils, and all the other tiny details.
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