It’s funny because in a lot of contexts I’m pretty anti-comma but here we’ve got a confusing headline that would’ve traditionally included the comma for clarity.
A bit of fishing around turns this up: https://gist.github.com/bakman2/e801f342aaa7cade62d7bd54fd3eabd8 If the sensor/fan controller chip in your laptop is indeed one of the it87 models, you will need either the out-of-tree kernel module recommended on that page, or maybe just a quite recent kernel—the it87 chip on my mobo (completely different model from a completely different manufacturer, though) is supported in-tree as of kernel 6.1. I was using the out-of-tree module during 2018-2022, and it was touchy and required a boot param to allow it to load despite an ACPI conflict (that might have been fixed, though.)
I use it on my gaming laptop. I've been using Linux in various ways since the nineties and just wanted to install Arch easily while I was brewing coffee, I had it ready to play games from my old Steam SSD within 20min. It installed proprietary NV drivers and keeps them up to date with new versions and kernels without me having to bother with that silliness, likewise for certain multimedia codecs that you have to go look for with other distributions, which is a bother.
However, I had to setup btrfs-assistant+grub-btrfs+btrfsmaintenance scripts myself, I wish it had an install option for that and I'm thinking Garuda might be a better option for this reason as that's configured by default for new users.
It also lacks a GUI app installer, it can be bewildering for newcomers to search for packages with yay and understand pacman/yay stuff. There are ways, like octopi to remedy that but it's not there by default.
TLDR: As an experienced user I enjoy it, I didn't have to waste a lot of time and attn to install and it works well.
Unlike Windows Linux has almost all drivers already embedded onto the kernel, meaning that 99% of the time you shouldn’t even have to worry about drivers. There are a couple of exceptions to this, most notably NVIDIA GPUs which do require a proprietary driver to be installed for most usecases, and unfortunately some wireless cards as well.
The command lspci like many suggested here will let you know what your computer detects as being plugged in, which would allow you to ask the better question of “what driver do I need for this wireless card”. But here’s the thing, if it works on Ubuntu 23.04 it’s likely the driver is integrated in the kernel already, so it’s highly likely that any other distro with the same kernel version would work as well, you can check the kernel version running uname -a, and you can also try any bleeding edge distro such as Manjaro (so you have a GUI to check the wifi works) to check that other distro a with the same kernel do support it.
In the unlikely scenario Ubuntu 23 is loading an extra driver you can list all kernel modules using lsmod this should tell you exactly what Ubuntu 23 has loaded for it. Then you could see if a package for that module is available for older Ubuntus.
However I have a possibly dumb question, why not use Ubuntu 23.04 if that one works? Why do you want to downgrade the version?
Thank you for the clarification. I already know that most drivers are loaded with the kernel, and it looks like Ubuntu 23.04 is using a slightly newer kernel than other mainstream distros.
What you do once you’re on the 24.04 LTS release is up to you. By that time, other distros will probably also work out of the box too.
That’s a very good question. It is because I was using Kubuntu 23.04, and I was mostly happy with it, except for one small gripe I was facing related to KDE, and I figured if I try a different distro with KDE, I might actually solve it.
Really liked SUSE back in the 00s. I found .deb and apt never gave me a breakage so I never returned, but I’m sure they have something more sophisticated these days too.
Yast and zypper are pretty cool in their own right.
I left OpenSuse Tumbleweed because I couldn’t get UE5 to run, which is probably more an Nvidia problem than a Suse problem. I had a long history with Debian-based distros but I really enjoyed my time on Tumbleweed otherwise. I just don’t think a rolling distro is a great idea when running Nvidia. The drivers are too finicky.
To be fair, openSUSE broke less for me than Arch with NVIDIA, so I guess credit where it’s due. I recently switched to an AMD GPU and haven’t had a single Tumbleweed breakage since, at least nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a reboot (had some weird wayland rendering glitches).
It makes me less angry than any other OS so far (3-4 years now), so I’ll probably stick around awhile.
Arch and Arch-based distributions (like Manjaro, EndeavourOS, Garuda ecc.) will teach you to do maintenance to your OS to keep it working: they’re powered by bleeding edge packages and those for sure break way more often than other distros.
If you ever get tired of this thing, Debian is the exact opposite side of the spectrum: you have older software in your repositories but that’s very well tested and it will hardly ever break. And if you ever need the latest applications, there’s always Flathub.
This is the peaceful life I chose for myself.
Arch distros still require you to read the release notes before updating. It’s not a hassle free affair, and those who don’t do it are bound to break their system once in a while.
Yes, yes yes. As a person who’s used EndeavorOS for at least 3 years, if it breaks, it’s because I broke something, (like accidentally deleting my DE), not because my apps went to dependency hell.
During the 3 years I spent on Endeavour it happened a couple times that new packages would break something: once with ALSA and once with PipeWire, so mainline packages and not something from the AUR. I managed to get things fixed but they’ve been both busy afternoons.
Small inconveniences aside, I had a really great time with that distribution
Happy birthday! It's a great European distro, and I was happy when I used it back in the day. There is only one little problem with it which can't be fixed.
I used Manjaro on raspberry pi and it worked well however i personally havent used Manjsro in years i still wouldnt use it though because its arch and i prefer simpler distros when i first started using Linux it was Linux Mint, then Kubuntu, then Zorin, then Fedora and now OpenSuSe Tumbleweed im happy with that distro and dont want to change it
Here’s a tl;dr of my Linux learning curve – from 0 (Windows pleb) to hero:
Start with a “user-friendly” distro (Linux Mint, ZorinOS) and get used to its package manager (i.e How to install, uninstall and remove stuff. Also, your best friend.).
Then go for a more “serious” distro like Debian. And from Debian… Arch. Keep at it until you’ve got the most interesting commands (and “whom is whom” regarding video graphics, audio, etc… the “basic” stuff) written on your forehead.
After that, “duckduckgo” about “Minimal linux installation” or “Baremetal linux installation”. Follow the instructions closely and at heart. PS: You are gonna suffer a bit… but that is perfectly fine. Once again, you are gonna have to get used to it and to witness “your own distro” booting up for the first time. Yes, the nerdgasm feels quite great.
At this point, there is nothing “much” to learn other than to add more “depth” to the stuff you learned by “duckduckgo” about “Linux how do I improve my network”, “Linux how to improve performance”, etc until you are used to all that.
Now, you’ve reached the “average user” status and there is nothing “strictly necessary” to learn – so start your own github, send your .dotfiles/scripts in, and go take a break. Congrats, you are now a penguin.
“duckduckgo” is a horrible verb holy moly. We have to give that credit to google, “google it” sounds way way better than “duckduckgo it” “bing it”, “yandex it” etc
I’m not wanting to dive into programming specifically (only dipped my toes in the past for school/work as needed but certainly not experienced) so I’m not interested in maintaining scripts and a GitHub if that is necessary for Arch or what you mentioned as “serious” distros. That’s good information though, thank you!
I think the above comment was a but of a joke but it’s not wrong. You will eventually develop the urge to customize your experience heavily and some scripts and dotfiles (these are just files that hold your configurations for various programs) will be necessary for that. But don’t worry about that right now. Just start small with the suggestion here like Mint or Ubuntu and enjoy. You will get frustrated, you will learn a bunch and you will have a fun time (eventually)
The out of date package problem you’re running into is because Mint is based on the LTS version of Ubuntu. This means that it’s set up for long term service and stability. All well and good if that’s what you’re after.
As to your problem, I’m not big on Endeavor - or any Arch based distro - for folks who are new to Linux. Unless you’re willing to take the time to use Arch itself and set up your system, and learn how it all comes together, you’re better off not using Arch. I know I’ll get shouted down for this, but IMHO, all of the easy install Arch based distros are terrible for people new to linux.
If your biggest issue is that the software versions aren’t as up to date as you’d like, then all you really need to do is switch to a non-LTS. I’d recommend Fedora. I use it myself, and it’s easy to set up, works great out of the box, and is up to date. They come out with a new version twice a year, and upgrades run smoothly.
If you’re really focused on a rolling release, though, I’d suggest looking at OpenSuse Tumbleweed. It’s rolling, super stable, and has a fantastic community. Their Yast tools are famous and really impressive.
Alternately, take the time to install a proper Arch setup. You’ll learn a ton, and find out that all that maintenance stuff you feel like you don’t have time to do isn’t that big a deal, really.
Fedora is ok, idk what it is but I have never had a good experience with Fedora. If you need to install anything outside of the default repos it can be a major pain and while yum is ancient and rock solid, it’s replacement with dnf, is terrible and slow. OpenSuse is also rock solid but I didn’t like the install experience and while yast is good, you’re still limited by the repos. Also OpenSuse is getting rid of, I think it’s called leap or something, which I think tumbleweed uses as a base. It’s unfortunate but I think the best option for most new Linux users is simply the latest Ubuntu. I hate snaps as much as the next guy, but their packages are fairly up to date. Outside of that you have the niche distros like MX and Garuda, but even those are just Debian and Arch. The other option is LMDE by the Linux mint team but idk how often that’s updated.
@Defaced@s20 Fedora with Distrobox and Flatpak and there should be nothing missing.
I like about Fedora that it is very stable and comes with a recent GNOME. In times of distrobox and other container technologies – who cares for the repository?
What do you think flatpak and snaps are? They’re at the very least containerized applications. Why would I install distrobox when I can literally install the same apps without having to screw around with installing a third party tool from a GitHub repo? That just seems like more trouble than it’s worth. Not to mention you have to trust the GitHub author which really is no different than trusting the AUR package maintainer.
Tumbleweed is a snapshot of factory. Leap is based on SLES which is based on Tumbleweed. The next SLES release is likely to be immutable and there will be something like Leap but it could have a different name.
This is good information! I tried to give OpenSuse an honest try, and while I would recommend it over RHEL any day in enterprise environments, I just don’t like it as a daily driver workstation.
The biggest advice I can give is to start with something like, as has been mentioned, Linux Mint, but also, don’t buy into the idea that you eventually need to move to a more “advanced” distro. If Mint, or wherever you wind up, works for you, and you have no compelling reason to switch, then don’t. All Linux is Linux, so to speak, the only things that distinguish distros are packages/package managers, default settings/configurations, and pre-installed programs. There’s nothing preventing you from eventually becoming a power-user on a “noob-friendly” distro, if that’s something you desire in the first place.
Choosing a distro is sort of like driving a car. If you’re not a car person, you probably don’t particularly care what your vehicle’s 0-60 is, or how much torque your engine gets, or something else. You probably just want something that’s comfortable and looks nice.
As you learn about linux, you may become very interested in it, to the degree that you care about things like init systems and package management. In that case, there will be distros that suit your tastes. But if you don’t care, it’s perfectly ok to just something that feels comfortable and looks nice.
The people who are passionate about linux will have the loudest voices, and will make their favorite distro sound really good, because they are passionate. You don’t have to be that passionate, though. And if at some point you do become that passionate, you will likely be motivated to learn all the fine details on your own so you can make an informed decision that suits your own tastes, so you really won’t have to worry about matching someone else’s.
It’s good that people get excited about linux, but under the hood the distros are more alike than they are different. Don’t feel you need to have some specific distro experience to be part of the discussion: just use what you like, and if at some point you become dissatisfied, then consider changing.
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