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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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I just distro hopped after using a distro almost a year. Is it normal? (lemm.ee)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hi, I just want to share / get some opinion.

I started using Linux 2 years back. I was dual booting back then and after a year switched to Linux completely.

I started out using Ubuntu, hated it, installed Manjaro after a week and when pacmac broke the thing within 2 months, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos, read the arch wiki and installed arch. Things were going great except for some Nvidia issues (I am using an Optimus laptop) but utt was running smoothly. Then decided that I want to build a game engine and the nvidia issues were significant. So I read somewhere that Fedora has great nvidia support and I installed it and everything worked. I installed Fedora 39, and it worked. When Fedora 40 came, I upgraded no issues, Fedora 41 came, no issues.

But just a few days back when I had vacation, I decided my system was getting bloated and I didn't manually want to uninstall apps, I decided let's format it. But I thought... Arch might take up less space on my disk(1 have a 512gb nvme, and t 2tb hdd, but I like to put things like games and projects I am working on, on the nvme). So I installed arch and loving the experience. I installed Nvidia-open drm drivers and it just works.

TLDR: Is it normal to distro hop after being using a distro perfectly for so long?

PS: I used archinstall because I didn't want through the lengthy process again. And archinstall works great.

(page 2) 15 comments

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

I distro hopped last year. Proud user of Debian for 15+ years, switched for Void.

Amazing little distro, simple just how I like it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Variety is the spice of life. I've used Slackware, Arch, Gentoo, Fedora, Nix, been on Debian the last few years. Been looking at setting up my own UBlue image. I really like the immutable thing. Do whatever makes you happy..

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I'm interested, What exactly is UBlue? Can you clarify on the immutable thing?

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I like having my stable daily driver (currently PopOS) and a separate drive or partition for a rotating distro that may pose more of a learning curve (NixOS right now). So it doesn't really feel like hopping, more like a stable and a sandbox.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

distro hopping to me is a feature even though I do not do it a lot. Im looking into appimage for my most important things to make it easier in future though. I move very slowly though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I hopped more for different desktop experiences than distro. now I've settled into arch for the last 12+ years

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I did something very similar, spent about a year on fedora ... 33? then discovered "my preferred distro" and never looked back.

Thing is that everyone finds their place with a distro and settles for as long as it suits their needs. Then, you might move on, you might not. Its just an OS, a means to an end. Use what you need, then use something else, no need to go to the doctor for hopping headaches :)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I had literally the same Linux distro-hopping track as you. I hated fedora though, and after one year installed openSUSE and Void Linux on my 2 of 3 systems respectively (3rd system ran Arch the whole way through). Now I'm happy, openSUSE is a great daily driver work laptop (I have it running on ancient shit, but it legit feels super smooth with swayWM), Void is my tinkering and personal programming laptop (broken right now, but I'll fix it soon), and arch is for heavy loads (cough, gaming, cough). Everything works and is efficient (Void has given me ACPI issues, but usually works). I think I'll probably stay like this for a while longer.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I think it's pretty normal. I personally distrohopped every month until I finally settled on Void Linux. I know a lot of people have stopped distrohopping after using Void, but it may not be your cup of tea.

It's perfectly normal, especially if you found something you couldn't do or needed better support for.

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