For a normie use of linux / any OS (so web browsing and word processing and other mundane garbage) do the differences between distros matter if the DE you are using is the game?
I fooled around with ubuntu gnome and solus gnome and might try arch with some random DE but from my limited and surface level use, there doesn't seem to be much difference aside from like how packages are installed.
>game
go back to Sup Forums
for a normie os even doesn't matter.
just install xubuntu and it just werks though.
>there doesn't seem to be much difference aside from like how packages are installed.
Correct. That is why they are called distributions.
If you are New to Linux, I won't recommend you Arch, install Antergos instead. It's literally the same, just with Graphical installer.
I didn't say game
I'm running a live boot of antergos right now and was hoping to try it with another DE. The default is just Gnome though which is what led me to ask the question. Is there any point in going from solus gnome to arch gnome?
Install debian with xfce4, you're set for life
just use debian if you're a normie
>install deepin
>surprised by how good it was, everything worked very well
>4 days in
>no updates
>look at --version s of packages
>everything is fucking out of date
Fuckign shit, I'm sad
xfce looks ugly. I'm using budgie right now and like it.
Some times it does, for the packages available right at the start are not the same.
Is kinda the difference between normie-friendly and normie-unfriendly distros, some have already installed a lot for you, like nonfree "codecs" (or whatever you want to think).
Any *buntu is very friendly, but taken to the extreme are distros like Linux Lite and Zorin. Linux Lite has crazy easy configuration tools and Zorin comes with WINE configured to its immediate use.
The most notable difference will be the package manager.
i like solus budgie because it looks good out of the box, also lets you install proprietary drivers and shit with a single button
What would you guys think about Slackware as a first distro, I know it take a good while to resolve dependencies but what does that really mean in practice.
And if Slackware is for sure too hard for a newbie like me what would be something else that delivers on simplicity and stability. Because that's all I really want in an os.
It's fine. most of the time the dependencies might be already installed so no need for checking dependencies in a _lot_ of situations
Also slack builds exist and it's pretty decent. The packages are bleeding edge while being somewhat stable *if you track current*
Now Slackware is no beginner distro, and requires some knowledge of linux to get around. Get the slackware book and an older machine and play around for a while, until you feel comfortable to install it on your main machine.
Do be afraid to broke things on linux. It's good because you will learn the power that is given to you by the system.
>simplicity != simplification
on older versions of linux you could install multiple DEs and pick one on the login screen (choose session)
dunno if it's done anymore, or if you have to run a script to add the DE to the sessions list.
(I think this used to be the norm, until distros became very DE-specific, like the flavors of mint)
Install gwentoo
You can still do this with Light DM, I'm doing that on my current arch build
Slackware gets a lot of love lately.
It makes you do a lot of work that most of modern distros do for you. I think that it can be quite overwhelming in it's rawness for a new user (still a lot easier to maintain than Gentoo). Go with it if you like to know what Unix philosophy really is and aren't afraid to do some legwork.
If in modern distro like openSUSE you just put a command like "zypper (name of a package manager) install firefox". It installs firefox and all the dependencies it needs to work. InbSlackware (by default) you have to go to Slackbuilds - download source of a program - then download the slackbuild - then execute slackbuild to get a slackware package which you than can install by a package manager. If package require certain dependencies - you have to make all this operations to them first.
Choose a decently up to date distro. Look for a package manager you like, an init system you like (some distros offer alternatives to systemd, such as runit or openrc), maybe a community/wiki you like. It helps the most if you know someone personally who uses the distro you're trying so you can just ask them questions when you're in a bind.
I'm really into Void GNU/Linux lately, but some of the initial setup was a bit tricky. Without help from a friend, I probably wouldn't have figured out how to get my networking working for a while. Maybe do a bit of reading on whatever distro you're trying. Keep another machine handy for looking things up.