Linux enthusiast may say that this year is the year of Linux, but I think it may not happen this year. However, almost all Linux distributions seem to be heading in the right direction with recent introduction of various methods of protecting user's operating system either by implementation of technologies such as immutable operating system, atomic updates etc. Most of the issues usually faced by everyday user have also been mostly resolved such as lack of video games, alternative applications etc. So, I think this may be the time when you may want to consider using a Linux distribution as your daily driver after ditching Microsoft Windows entirely.
Why I stopped using Linux before?
I started using Linux in the year 2012. It was the first time I learned about an operating system alternative to Microsoft Windows. The first Linux distribution I used was Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. Although, I liked Ubuntu for providing unique desktop experience, I realized that Ubuntu cannot do many tasks that I had wished it would do for me. The second famous Linux distribution at that time was Fedora. Although, I found it much more stable than Ubuntu, it did not work nicely with my graphics card. Ubuntu allowed me to install FGLRX drivers of my AMD graphics card pretty easily compared to Fedora. I also tried some rolling releases to know difference between fixed, semi-rolling and rolling releases. Even then, the performance of FGLRX drivers were not as good as AMD graphics card drivers for Microsoft Windows. Furthermore, Linux had very small catalogue of native games. I tried really hard to stick to my Ubuntu installation. However, there were only small number of native Linux games which I really liked e.g. Xonotic, Half Life series etc. Since, I spend most of my time playing games on my computer and I was unable to make full use of my system by playing famous games of that time such as Grand Theft Auto 5, Hitman series, Assassin's Creed series etc. Therefore, I decided to switch back to Microsoft Windows.
When I tried BSD
Most open-source enthusiast may also know about existence of all BSD variants, the most famous of which is FreeBSD. I thought that if I cannot do anything that I like on my main computer, then I may as well try something even more hardware i.e. BSD. FreeBSD is the most user-friendly operating system out of all BSD variants. But it is still not as friendly as the most user-friendly Linux distribution. However, there was this one operating system called TrueOS (previously PC-BSD) based on FreeBSD, which was not only easy to install but also easy to use. The only difficult thing an everyday user may find about TrueOS was ability to connect to the internet. Once, it is connected, you can do all the simple tasks you may perform on your everyday computer such as installing software from application store called AppCafe, browsing internet through your favorite internet browser, changing system settings through Control Center etc. I installed TrueOS on my laptop and kept it around for a while before ditching it for another Linux distribution. I must say that TrueOS had potential to not only be the most stable open-source operating system but also easy to use with adoption of Lumina desktop environment. However, TrueOS was growing slowly (probably because of lack of adoption by the community), which is why this operating system was later discontinued. Linux was getting a lot more love compared to FreeBSD, which resulted in fewer changes to the operating system. Besides, most of its applications and hardware stack was backported from Linux. So, it was better to use a Linux distribution instead.
Why I started using Linux again?
AMD released AMDGPU, an open-source driver for their graphics card. This driver supported my graphics card, but I was skeptical about it at first, so I kept an eye on its development. I would often go back and forth between Microsoft Windows and any Linux distribution. When Valve announced that their Steam client will be able to run most of Microsoft Windows games through Proton, I was so happy that I switched to Linux again. Since then, I have tried many Linux distributions and I have found some to be more useful than the others. The short list of my top 5 favorite Linux distributions is as under:
- Deepin Linux (Elegant yet powerful and also stable)
- KDE Neon (The best of KDE Plasma Desktop)
- Zorin OS (Beautiful yet powerful on both new and old hardware)
- Linux Mint (Easy to understand and also stable)
- Manjaro Linux (Rolling release operating system)
The above-mentioned Linux distributions are my favorite. Others may have their own favorites. Now, I will discuss in detail about why these Linux distributions are my favorite.
1) Deepin Linux
Deepin Linux is a Linux distribution based on Debian stable branch. It comes with its in-house desktop environment called Deepin Desktop Environment (or DDE for short). This desktop environment is (in my opinion) the most beautiful desktop environment out of the box. Deepin Linux may be targeted on chinese userbase, but it is also available in other languages, so anyone can use it. Some people may avoid using Deepin Linux because it's originated from China. Since, Deeping Desktop Environment is open-source, you can install it in other Linux distributions. Alternatively, you can also install UbuntuDDE.
Features:
The biggest feature of Deepin Linux is its own desktop environment. If you are looking for an eye-candy desktop experience, then Deepin Linux is your best choice. It is eye-catching as well as easy to use operating system. I will create a blog post on Deepin Linux to expand on this. Since, Deepin Linux is based on stable branch of Debian, it is probably going to be very stable compared to most Linux distributions.
Advantages:
- Beautiful and elegant desktop experience.
- Easy to install and use.
- Designed for end user.
- Stable because of Debian.
Disadvantages:
- Some people may not trust this Linux distribution because of its origin.
- Downloading applications from App Store may be slower compared to other Linux distributions.
- Not very customizable.
- Applications from App Store may be outdated because of Debian base.
- No Wayland support.
2) KDE Neon
Features:
Advantages:
- Based on Ubuntu so underlying system will be very stable.
- You will get all the updated applications of KDE.
- KDE Plasma Desktop also gets frequently updated.
- Easily connect your smartphone with your computer with KDE Connect.
Disadvantages:
- You may encounter bugs in KDE Plasma Desktop and KDE applications.
- This semi-rolling Linux distribution may frequently push a lot of updates.
3) Zorin OS
Features:
Advantages:
- Zorin Core for powerful computers and Zorin Lite for less powerful computers.
- Different desktop layouts for easy adoption.
- Based on Ubuntu so underlying system will be very stable.
- Easily connect your smartphone with your computer with Zorin Connect.
- Easily install Microsoft Windows applications on Zorin OS.
Disadvantage:
- Since, the core version comes with Gnome desktop, it may consume more system resources than any other desktop environment.
- No Wayland support.
4) Linux Mint
Features:
Advantages:
- Since, it is based on Ubuntu, it is very stable.
- Microsoft Windows like desktop layout helps adopt Linux Mint easily.
- Timeshift application to restore your operating system.
- Create web apps easily.
- Warpinator to send and receive files from your smartphone.
- Linux Mint XFCE for old hardware.
Disadvantages:
- Cinnamon desktop may look a bit old or outdated in some places.
- Software may be a little bit outdated unless you are using Flatpak.
5) Manjaro Linux
Features
Your applications will be frequently updated so you can have the latest software. Manjaro comes with many desktop environments. You can either download an ISO file with officially supported desktop environment or you can download an ISO file with many other desktop environments released by community maintainers.
Advantages:
- Your applications will always be latest.
- You have access to AUR in case you were unable to find an application in Manjaro's official repositories.
- You can switch between different Linux kernel versions easily.
Disadvantages:
- Your system may break because Manjaro is still a rolling release Linux distribution.
- Community driven ISO files with unofficial desktop environments may not be as good as ISO files with officially supported desktop environments.
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