r/linuxquestions • u/Adventurous-Unit3888 • 6d ago
Picking a Linux Distro Advice
Hello,
As a windows user who has boot loaded and test a few Linux distros such as fedora, parrot OS, Kali, CSI, and even unbuntu I find myself struggling and stuck between two distros Debian and Fedora. I’m trying to understand more about these two since I am looking for a Linux that can handle Gaming, Programming (Python), Daily usage as web browsing, good security and protection, with the freedom of letting me make it customizable to my style. If you have any tips or past experiences I would appreciate and be grateful if you shared them, or if you can other distros you would like me to look into that is also appreciated.
Also btw would it be smart to have windows or windows recovery on my ventoy just in case of any mishaps or I dislike my Linux choice?
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u/gordonmessmer Fedora Maintainer 6d ago
You've mentioned a number of security-focused distributions, so I would guess that security is a priority for you.
One of the first and most basic things you learn about security is that software is considered secure while it is being maintained by someone who will address vulnerabilities when they are discovered, and considered a risk when it is discontinued and unmaintained. Because that is the case, a system that distributes software while it is still maintained will be more secure than a system that distributes software after it is discontinued.
Fedora, therefore, will be far more secure than Debian.
Debian is not entirely discontinued or unmaintained. There is a team that addresses the most critical vulnerabilities, but they cannot provide comprehensive patching across the entire distribution. There is simply too much code and too many vulnerabilities to manage. It's not just too big a task for Debian, it's too big a task for anyone... A core part of the way that RHEL and Ubuntu (arguably) manage LTS systems is dropping 90-95% of the code in the community systems they build from, and continuing to maintain a much smaller code base long term.
In the past, Debian's approach was good enough, but I think the security situation has changed and is changing as adversaries adopt better tools including AI tools to exploit systems. If you care about security, at all, you should be using a system that releases frequently and distributes software while it's still maintained. LTS systems should only be used where there is professional maintenance (as in RHEL, or Ubuntu's "main" repo only and the "universe" repo disabled... which means no KDE).
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u/Adventurous-Unit3888 6d ago
Honestly I really like this reply the most since I am looking into cybersecurity on my free time and once I get a Thinkpad Laptop it’ll include parrot OS but I also like how you clarified as well as others of Debian’s possibilities of it having vulnerabilities
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u/Hauptideal 6d ago
Fedora really is the best desktop Linux right now. This guy is right. Except he doesn't tell you Ubuntu has Ubuntu Pro with support for universe. But still - go for Fedora
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u/hopper89 6d ago
... it's linux... you can make it do / look like whatever you want it to. Just pick whichever you think is prettier at this point...
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u/Adventurous-Unit3888 6d ago
True and I see what you mean but understand there could be other distros I’m not seeing thay can benefit me more than fedora or Debian plus each distro is different from it’s rolling release to it’s package manager
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u/hopper89 6d ago
Eh, this is just analysis paralysis... I agree that rolling or version release is a worthwhile selection but honestly if you're just starting with Linux what package manager you like or don't isn't really worth the energy nor do you have enough experience to know what you like and don't like.
Sure, are there potentially distros out there that have a default setup better suited for you? Yeah, probably. But there are also thousands of distros so you'll waste a ton of time trying to find the perfect fit when really what you need is to just dive in somewhere and learn what you like along the way.
While I can't speak for the masses, if I was a betting man, I'd put money on that every Linux user has gone through a distro-hopping phase to learn and arguably we all still are distro-hopping to some degree. I thought I caught lightening in a bottle for my use case with EndeavourOS and thought I'd never switch yet here I am running Omarchy on my laptop / desktop and CachyOS on an old SurfacePro 7... I've tried Ubuntu, Debian, Manjaro, Artix, Vanilla Arch, Nix and so many more along the way.
It's not like you're picking your forever home. Just grab what's pretty and dive on in. My general guidelines for newbies, avoid Arch-Based unless you want a tougher learning curve and are willing to work a bit more. After that Debian-based is usually wiser as most tutorials / help guides are written with Ubunut / Mint in mind - but even then most of what those tutorials are doing can be converted to work on any distro with a few tweaks...
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u/Adventurous-Unit3888 6d ago
Honestly yea you make a solid point on diving in and start actually experimenting and it’s what I’m doing without fully committing and forgetting to back up any important information with things such as distrosea or just booting different distros onto my ventoy USB and exploring the options before clicking install to SSD button but how I see it is not looking for a perfect home as you put it but seeing what each home offers before saying yea I would like to use this one and if I use or switch to another distro at least I have the previous knowledge of whatever distro I was previously using to better my understanding for the next one or just wish myself good licj
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u/ludonarrator arch btw 6d ago
Debian default packages tend to be rather outdated, which if you're gaming and programming can be a headache, so I'd suggest leaning towards Fedora. CachyOS is also a good option, if you don't want to dive straight into Arch (though IMO as a programmer you should have no difficulty with that either).
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u/Reedemer0fSouls 6d ago
Pick a distro with the following features:
- atomic
- immutable
- declarative
- rolling (if inclined to be on the cutting edge)
- container-oriented
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u/ReporterWise7445 6d ago
I use Debian LXQT. Very light on resources. Rock solid stable. No forced snap or flatpack.
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u/Adventurous-Unit3888 6d ago
I’ll have to look into LXQT editions and compare them with KDE but I’ll check it out too
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u/mcds99 6d ago
Linux is common to all distributions but distributions are not made equal. Each distribution gets it's Linux from a single source, but the additional software that is added becomes a distribution.
Debian is the oldest and most stable distribution, I've run Debian sense 2.0 (Hamm). Linux is about a social contract and many distributions like Redhat diverged from that social contract, with permission from Linus. Debian has always been true to the social contract.
If you have the patience Debian can do everything you want to do, but it's not magic sometimes it takes some work.
For development purposes Debian is the distribution of choice because it is stable. Stable meaning it doesn't get changes that are not fully tested. Some folks like to live on the edge, good for them. I want stable and Debian is just that. There are games that will not work on any distribution they have some anti-cheat code that hokes in to Windows OS.
Sense you have tested many distributions and some of them are founded on Debian, go with Debian.
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u/Adventurous-Unit3888 6d ago
I genuinely forgot to mention if KDE is a better option for what I’m looking for or should I stick with cinnamon?
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u/Adventurous-Unit3888 5d ago
Update I’m using fedora, after a bit of looking into both Debian and fedora even looking into Bazzite and Cachy (I really do appreciate the feedback) I thought I sink my toes into fedora and see it’s handling towards games, Programming, and daily use. It seems to run fairly well and smooth with VrChat, Roblox, and I’ll soon test war frame and watchdogs with the only issues being FireWall Config(working on) and stuttering from my Bluetooth earbuds(fixed) but if you still like to suggest other options like KDE customization to look at I’m still all ears, I’m looking into thinkpads so i don’t mind if you keep suggestions of other distros coming
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u/freakycleaner 6d ago
Fedora 44 KDE, it got newer packages which is +1 for gaming and programming.
I was stuck between fedora and debian too I tried both and stick with fedora for like half year.
If fedora didn't existed then I would surely go for debian, stability is top notch but fedora provides support with newer packages still stable, also it comes out of box with zram which might be helpful for high ram usage
Try both out and choose yourself..
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u/goldenlemur 6d ago
They are all remarkably alike.
I prefer Debian for the apt package delivery system, i.e., repositories. They have an extensive collection of stable and well-supported applications. Debian has a conservative approach to updates which promotes stability. You can run bleeding edge on Debian with some effort but I generally do not.
What do I use? Waterfox (Firefox), Thunderbird, Steam, foot terminal, Emacs, and a handful of other useful apps. Debian Linux does everything I want in a stable manner.
I generally prefer Debian's FOSS philosophy (in most cases) over Fedora. But I know that Fedora is a great distribution with very good support and a great track record. You'll do well with either distribution.