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Open Source and Free Software

Recursion

(56,582 posts)

3. The main difference is the default desktop

Reply to Aquavit (Original post)

Mon Jun 1, 2015, 09:56 PM

Jun 2015

Basically, you'll either have Unity (ubuntu), Gnome (Fedora/Debian), or Cinnamon/MATE (Mint).

Among the less-popular distributions, I'm a huge fan of Slackware (that's what I run), but if you aren't familiar with it you might start with Salix, which is kind of a "gentle" version.

The other question is "how often do I want stuff to break"? Fedora will break often, Ubuntu and Mint less so, Debian essentially never (assuming you use the "stable" version), and Slackware absolutely never, but the price of less frequent breakage is more obsolete software, so weigh those options for your own use case.

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Highlight:

Best Linux distro for laptops? [View all] Aquavit Jun 2015 OP

Check this list below... L0oniX Jun 2015 #1

Not using this laptop for media Aquavit Jun 2015 #2

The main difference is the default desktop Recursion Jun 2015 #3

Any fans of Elementary OS? Aquavit Jun 2015 #5

Is Elementary the one that uses Enlightenment DR17? Recursion Jun 2015 #6

Elementary uses Gala if I'm not mistaken? Aquavit Jun 2015 #7

I enjoy it when things break, sort of. Aquavit Jun 2015 #8

Linux does not break much any more PowerToThePeople Jun 2015 #9

on this one d_r Jun 2015 #4