Tech

My Linux Journey

As a user of Linux off and on for about 10 years, I wanted to share my experiences with various Linux distros (types of Linux). Linux comes in so many flavors / configurations that it's hard for a beginner to know where to start. After traversing some of the landscape, I have a few suggestions.

Early Days - Virtual Machines (VMs)

I started using Linux in earnest about 10 years ago. It began when I needed an operating system for virtual machines in Hyper-V (Windows), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Parallels (Mac). I started reaching for Linux when I realized it was easier to use and manage than Windows Server.

CentOS was my goto distro initially since it was based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, one of the primary commercial Linux distros. Unfortunately, CentOS is no longer supported and other Red Hat based distros have risen in its place like Rocky Linux.

Since my next experience with Linux VMs was on AWS, I elected to try Ubuntu. Ubuntu seemed to be widely supported on AWS and is one of the most popular Linux distros. While Ubuntu is fine, on AWS I preferred AWS Linux. AWS Linux had its origins in CentOS / Red Hat but is now more independently built. It comes with "batteries included" specifically tailored for AWS.

My most recent experience was running a Debian VM in Parallels on a MacBook Pro. Ubuntu is based on Debian, so Debian is the true base distro. I found Debian easy to use and had no issues.

Because these were all virtual machine setups, I often did not have a Linux desktop. The user interface (UI) was a terminal prompt. I would connect to the machines with SSH and execute commands "remotely" via a terminal. At first blush it seemed odd, but it works surprisingly well and eliminating the desktop saves resources on the virtual machine.

Recommendation: For server / VM based Linux, I would choose AWS Linux if on AWS or Debian otherwise.

Desktops on Obsolete Hardware

I have a few older machines (10+ years) that are no longer eligible to run the current version of the factory installed operating system.

2015 Thinkpad P50s
Intel Core i7-6600U @ 3.4 GHz
NVIDIA Quadro K620M / Quadro M500M
24 GB RAM
Not upgradable to Windows 11

2015 MacBook Pro
Intel Core i5-5257U @ 2.7 GHz
Integrated Iris Graphics 6100
8 GB RAM
Not upgradable to current macOS Tahoe

Rather than throw these machines in the trash bin, I decided to convert them to Linux laptops instead. One thing to keep in mind - Linux desktops (GUI) can be separate from the underlying base Linux. Popular base Linux distros include Debian / Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, NixOS, and openSUSE. I have only tried the first 4 bases. Popular Linux desktops include GNOME, KDE Plasma, XFCE, and Cinnamon.

I tried a few distros which I will discuss below. I did not review the most popular derivative distro, Linux Mint, because I had tried it already many years ago and wanted to look at other distros. You many want to give Linux Mint a spin, though my initial trial did not have me wanting to come back to it.

Zorin OS This derivative distro, like elementary OS, is designed to be a "gateway" Linux flavor for users coming from Windows or macOS. These create unified experiences by using their own modified desktops and features on top of Ubuntu. For example, Zorin has built in OneDrive compatibility that shows OneDrive directly in the Zorin File Manager, just like Windows. For most people who only want to breathe new life into an existing machine, Zorin or elemenatry are excellent choices.

Unfortunately, I found that not all hardware is compatible with Ubuntu. I tried 2 different Ubuntu flavors on my Thinkpad and could not get the sleep feature to work correctly after hours of configuration changes. Particularly for older hardware, keep in mind that your base distro might choose you!

Fedora with KDE Plasma This base distro, like CentOS, also comes primarily from Red Hat. It is the upstream distro from Red Hat Enterprise Linux and is the testing ground for new features. As such, Fedora is updated frequently and has major releases every 6 months. Fedora combines the mix of stability and cutting edge.

Fedora can be used with many different desktops. I chose KDE Plasma desktop for my first setup because it is feature rich and quite popular. While I enjoyed using KDE Plasma, over time it felt almost too busy and made me appreciate Zorin's more straightforward approach.

I also had trouble updating Snap (an "app store") and my Snap applications. I think this was user error as I should have been using Flatpak (another "app store"). Yet another reminder that Linux is not as user friendly as Windows or macOS. Fortunately, GenAI searches are very helpful with troubleshooting Linux issues.

KDE neon This derivative distro uses the KDE Plasma desktop with Ubuntu and is made by the KDE team. If you want KDE with Ubuntu, this is the distro to choose.

Omarchy This derivative distro is created by DHH, the creator of Ruby on Rails and co-owner of 37signals (Basecamp). It takes Arch Linux and adds an opinionated mix of preloaded software, keyboard shortcuts, and window tiling. If you are keyboard warrior, which I was 10 years ago, this might be the way. I still have this installed on my Thinkpad and there are many aspects that I love. One downside, though, is the sheer amount of preloaded software and that the GUI can change on a whim. For example, my screen saver and computer lock timeout timing got changed with an operating system "update".

If you like the idea of unrefined but configurable Linux along with rolling OS releases, Arch is for you. That said, I might cherry pick the best of DHH's Omarchy config and build your own Arch setup. Note that is much easier said than done.

Pop!_os This distro uses the Cosmic desktop with Ubuntu. Pop!_os was created by system76, a manufacturer building Linux desktops and laptops. Naturally, they wanted their own flavor of Linux to preinstall and devised Pop!_os. I found this distro when I was testing my Thinkpad sleep problem and learned that yes, it was Ubuntu causing my problems.

I absolutely love the Cosmic desktop. It is a new clean desktop like Zorin but it can be used with a variety of base distros. My current MacBook setup is Cosmic on Fedora, which I have been using for 1 month and is the machine I used to write this post.

Recommendation: For laptops running Linux, I would choose Pop!_os or Cosmic + Fedora. If you want something that just works out of the box without thought, Zorin or elementary OS are a good choices. If you are looking to have some fun and learn about Arch, Omarchy is a great place to start.

Don't Give Up on Old Hardware

If messing around with computers sounds like fun, I highly recommend Linux. It's probably the contrarian in me, but I really enjoy my Linux devices. I don't think I will ever use Windows again on a new machine - the only real reason to use Windows now is if desktop Excel is a daily driver for you. MacOS is still appealing because Mac hardware and silicon is excellent, though Intel is finally catching up. If you have an old machine lying around that you can test on and "break", don't throw it away, try Linux. You might just get hooked.