this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2024
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Linux admin with 20 years experience, looking for "beginner" distro [Solved, the real beginner distro was the Debian I've used along the way] (lemmy.world)
submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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I'm over tinkering with my OS. So I'm looking for a distro that "just works" out of the box for my laptop. Also I want to test an "easy" distro I can install for my grandpa.
I don't care for immutability, declarative config, being fully FOSS or having the newest stuff. I don't want snaps, or a software center that relies on them. So no Ubuntu.

What I do want (ideally out of the box):
Important:

  • as few annoying visible bugs and crashes as possible (looking at you, Ubuntu)
  • Wayland support
  • good package selection, so no independent fringe distro
  • fluid YouTube videos, streaming, pre-installed codecs

Less important:

  • ideally with Gnome
  • encrypting the hard drive from within the GUI installer
  • nice font rendering (used to be a problem, but I guess not anymore)
  • installing Steam with a button press
  • pre-installed sane-airprint and sane-airscan (automatic setup of my networked printer-scanner-combo)

You get the idea. The usual stuff (low-end gaming, browsing, streaming, printing, scanning) should just work. I don't have any hardware that poses a problem.
From what I've read, Mint doesn't yet support Wayland and doesn't ship with video codecs anymore. (Or am I wrong?)
What are the other options? Is Zorin king of the block now? Is Manjaro good now?

Thanks for any and all input.

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[–] wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works 39 points 5 months ago (1 children)

What's wrong with Debian?

[–] KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world 61 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Hmm, now that I think about it...not a whole lot. I've been running it stripped down to the bones for so long I just got used to it being like that, but by default it does tick all the boxes.
I may have over-thought this one.

[–] kbal@fedia.io 14 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah Debian meets all those requirements except that I don't know about sane.

[–] KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

That does work.

[–] czardestructo@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

I've gone rogue at work and formated my windows laptop with Debian which I'm also extremely comfortable in with stripped down servers. Running Wayland and using Microsoft teams and tools via the edge browser (mandated) has been absolutely pleasant. There are still initial headaches initially setting everything up and getting the drivers to work and thunderbolt docks to work but now its awsome. Best part is the 10 second shut down time when I run between meetings.