If you have been using Linux for +10 years, what are you using now?
Been using Linux for over a decade, and last few years Ubuntu (on desktops/laptops), plus Debian on servers, but been looking to switch to something less “Canonical”-y for a long time (since the Amazon search fiasco, pretty much).
Appreciate recommendations or just an interesting discussion about people’s experiences, there are no wrong answers.
Edit: Thanks for the lots of interesting answers and discussions. I will try a few of the suggestions in a VM.
My custom Kinoite-based system using ublue-builder. Gets me updates with 0 interference with my daily use, secure boot, tpm based FDE, and I can still install packages during the CI step (although distrobox is the main way to do that).
I’ve been on Linux since my childhood (found it in a tech magazine in 2008), hopped through Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Fedora, and Manjaro until like 2022 when I settled on Fedora KDE, then shifted to their immutable stuff 1-2 years later.
Arch and KDE Neon currently. Started with Slackware 1.0, Yggdrasil, did the old RedHat, SuSE, Mandrake, PCLinuxOS, RHEL, CentOS, and several more. Started back with Slackware and kernel 0.99pl13, I believe.
Been using Linux for about 8 years now. My DE of choice has pretty much always been XFCE. Here’s an overview of the distros I’ve daily driven.
Linux Mint -> Debian -> Arch -> NixOS -> Arch
I tried NixOS for about a year before switching back to Arch recently. There were just too many problems I couldn’t find a solution to, and I realized that the advantages of an immutable OS just aren’t that important to me.
Arch really is a dream to use, and the setup is pretty easy if you use the archinstall script. And most importantly, their wiki is amazing.
NixOS. Started with Yellow Dog Linux in 1998.
I don’t do everything through nix’s derivation system.
Many of my configs are just an outOfStoreSymlink to my configs in the same dotfiles repos. I don’t need every change wrapped in a derivation. Neovim is probably the largest. A few node projects for automations I’m fine using pnpm to manage. Nix still places everything but I can tweek those configs and commit in the same repo without a full blown activation.
Oh hey, my anniversary is coming up.
For base daily driver on desk and lap, just a stable standard beginner friendly distro. I’ve customized it a lot, added custom hotkey scripts here and there, but it’s so close to base that a stranger could use it. VMs for anything specialist, a couple of portable USB distros for presentation/demo/one-purpose OS environments, but for the most part I’ve just kept it simple and clean.
Ubuntu for many years, then back to Windows, then Arch for a year and now NixOS for about 1.5 years
Approaching 20 years full time., basically Ubuntu or Debian with xfce desktop for desktops. I know it’s not what all the cool kids are using or doing but it works. Going back nearly 30 years I was messing around and failing with all sorts of distros
RIP Mandrake my first ever Linux experience that actually worked
I’ve been using Linux for over 20 years. My first distro was Mandrake. I’ve always cime back to that line od distros.
I’m currently using Mageia on my laptop and gaming PC. I can’t think of anything I haven’t been able to run. My daughter uses the gaming PC to game and do school work. It’s a great distro with little headache.
I also Ubuntu Studio for recording music, playing electric drums, music productuon, and also gaming. I also have some hime automation set up on it.
I just found out that https://www.mandrakelinux.org/ is still a thing
Arch since 2018, mint for a few years before that, Ubuntu from 2008-2014
Using Arch for almost a decade now. Started with Ubuntu, fedora, mint but finally landed on arch. But am thinking about switching to gentoo; arch has gone too mainstream that im afraid it might be plagued with “age verification” virus
Debian. I like my computer to work.
Switched from Windows in 2002, did FreeBSD -> Gentoo -> Ubuntu -> Arch. Finally switched to NixOS in 2012 and never looked back.
The builtin isolation meant I never actually got properly acquainted with Docker until I switched jobs and had to use it.
On my server I run Ubuntu and on my desktop I’m running Linux mint because it just fucking works and I don’t got to mess with shit.
i used to use debian heavily in the past, but switched to ubuntu because of kkkernel liveeeeeee patching.
now that i have to switch back because of age verification; i find myself wishing that debian has live patching so i can go back to it.
I’ve been using Linux for more than 20+
First distro: Slackware, then Debian for many years, finally Fedora, since 2014, very happy user.
What I like in Fedora: the 6 months release provides bleeding edge experience without compromising stability.
Debian for work and my home machines that I don’t need to be the latest and greatest (nas, media centee).
Arch on personal, éess implrtant machines
