Ask HN: Which Linux distro provide the easiest transition from Windows in 2022?
I'm finding that Windows aligns less and less with my values over time until now it feels like I'm fighting against Microsoft to avoid advertising and unwanted online account requirements, automated updates that interrupt my work, and blatant violations of my right to privacy on the computing device that I own. I already do all my dev work though WSL and from what I hear most of the Windows apps and games I use should work under Proton or Wine now too. So I'd like to give Linux another shot as my daily driver.
However, I'm not interested in switching from fighting MS to fighting broken drivers and struggling to get things I need to run. I want as seamless a transition as possible where I install a Linux distro on my laptop and it "just works" (within reason), especially with regards to graphics drivers and so on. My laptop has a Nvidia 3070m and I do a lot of graphics work plus some gaming, so that has to work well.
The last time I tried this, I guess about six years ago, the obvious choice was Ubuntu. Is that still the case? Or are there better alternatives these days? I hear Fedora and Arch mentioned quite a bit.
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I've tried the other stuff, returned to Mint 6 years ago and stayed.
[0] https://www.linuxmint.com/] [1] https://old.reddit.com/r/linuxmint/ [2] https://forums.linuxmint.com/ [3] https://distrowatch.com/
Not to mention this is actually Beta channel of insider's build and I expect reboots and updates to be much more often, but it's not.
Pretty standard win11 pro (had win10 pre before with similar behavior).
Taking other complains, but this one not I personally can agree from my experience.
Thinkpads and Macbooks tend to be less troublesome than other brands.
Please note, I said 'less troublesome' not 'seamless.'
Since you've had difficulty troubleshooting Windows drivers, at least you'll have some vaguely relevant experience when you switch to Linux. But be aware there's no equivalent to right clicking and running a program in XP compatibility mode.
As for privacy, Chrome is still Chrome on Linux, logging in with Twitter is still logging in with Twitter, and Github is a Microsoft property.
Good luck.
> Since you've had difficulty troubleshooting Windows drivers
Apologies, I was unclear here. I have (almost) zero driver trouble under Windows. I just have Microsoft troubles. I'm afraid of switching those for driver troubles under Linux.
I do have a good amount of experience with Linux so it's not that I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it. I'm afraid it'll become a massive time sink.
I ran Ubuntu on it for five years until I switched to Windows at the beginning of this year.
It has atypical laptop hardware. Like your machine which is why I mention it.
Things have broken several times under Linux. The touchpad driver was broken for about 9 months when the Alps driver was deprecated. The WiFi once briefly. Nvidia drivers briefly at least twice…or always if I consider Prime support. Same for Hdpi - 4K was one reason I hopped on the particular deal - except that it’s brokenness goes down to the application-library-compile level under X…never mind Wayland.
Note that’s without the compatibility and configuration complexity of WINE or the TTfM of Arch.
And again this is a laptop that had factory Linux available and technical support suitable for enterprise customers, not a gaming laptop.
I don’t have anything against Linux. I just wasn’t gaining anything from dying on Ubuntu Hill.
Because Ubuntu is tailored to people who are asking ‘which Linux.’
And because it has it’s own StackExchange site.