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If you have gained some Linux skills after using Ubuntu for some time, you may try switching to these distributions to explore the world of Linux distributions further.
Ubuntu is one of the best Linux distributions for beginners. It's an excellent platform for people new to Linux. It is easy to install, has tons of free resources available along with a massive list of applications available for it. https://itsfoss.com/distribution-after-ubuntu/
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Discussion: Which Linux Distribution to Use After Ubuntu?
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< nobse> bleh... last night I had a dream... someone NMU'ed vim...
nightmare
-- in #debian-devel
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday March 24 2018, @08:39AM (3 children)
So does the submitter want a distro that is not easy to install, has few resources available and a restricted list of applications available for it? Just because a distro has all these attributes doesn't mean that you have to use them all. If you don't like the vanilla installation start by installing a basic no-frills server, and then add the bits that you want rather than add all the components that someone else has chosen.
All distros start out essentially the same, with a kernel and the software necessary to run it. Whether you choose, systemd, sysinit or another piece of software is simply a matter of personal choice. I decided that I would give systemd a try. I was amazed. The sky didn't collapse, my world continued with a sunrise each morning and a sunset each evening. OK, it took a few days to get used to it but now it just does the job and I have not experienced any downsides to my choice. It might not work for you, but it does what I want and stays out of my way. So please don't base your arguments on systemd versus sysinit - I can choose either of those and my system keeps on working. And if you wish to repeat that discussion then you can do so without me.
However, by starting with a minimum system and then adding the rest based on my choices, I learned a great deal. I could probably have learned even more had I used LFS, but I wanted my system to be usable in a matter of hours rather than days. I could have used any number of distros as my starting point but, as I enjoy using the MATE desktop environment (but with a much slimmed down list of apps installed upon it) I decided to use a distro that supports that desktop rather than having to compile my own each time there is an update. I have no desire for bling, whizz-bang graphics or the ability to play games that are realistic. I simply want a computer that lets me compute. I edit stories for SN, I write some software, I still use email, I don't stream media, The heaviest workload for my computer is compiling C/C++ and any distro can provide the wherewithal to do that.
Package management is not something that I lose sleep over - debs or rpms are just as easy to use as each other. And while I can see the benefits of compiling your kernel or entire system from scratch, I've never found a reason that justifies me doing that in terms that convince me of the need to do so. My needs are obviously different from those of the writer because he seems to think that whatever he wants to do, he cannot do it with the software that he already has. If his desire is simply to learn, then there is plenty under the hood of any distro to provide sufficient food for thought.
So I am back to my original question - what does the writer want to get from changing distros? Because the chances are he can learn just as much staying with whatever distro takes his fancy. Unless he wants to experiment with a specific piece of code that is not supported by his current distro, then he is probably just as well off sticking with what he has.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 24 2018, @11:54AM (2 children)
What you learn from re-spinning your distro can teach you as much or more than just moving to another distro.
Whether it's changing the init system, stripping out bloat or using a different compiler, it's a test of the flexibility of the tools available and the quality of the packaging effort. In large distros it shows who is breaking the "minimal dependency rule" in order to force an agenda, the tools they are using and therefore the mechanisms you can use to undo them.
Find your damage and route around it, work with others that think the same. It's our way.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Saturday March 24 2018, @12:17PM (1 child)
I agree entirely with the point you make. He could learn more by re-spinning his current distro, or changing the init system etc.
My argument is with the suggestion that changing distros is necessary or even desirable to increase one's understanding of how Linux works. Unless there is something that his current distro will not allow him to do then the change is unnecessary. He would learn more, perhaps, by trying LFS or whatever, but the the statement "I am assuming that you are at least an intermediate level Linux user who is comfortable using the command line. Probably you want to test your Linux skills by using a different distribution." from TFS is misleading. Simply switching to another distro will actually teach someone relatively little.
It is also wise to learn about those parts of the system that you do not like. If you are seeking a job down at the system management level, you need to know how all the different systems work in case that is the one that you are required to work with. At home, ignore systemd as much as you want, but not knowing how it works and being able to use it effectively does reduce your ability to work with those computers that do use it. I'm not suggesting that one is better than another, simply that sometimes you have to work with what you are given and not what you would like.
The major flaw in TFS is that it does not explain what it means by 'increasing one's understanding of how Linux works'. Without knowing what level of knowledge is desired as the end state, it is pointless to suggest a handful of different distros as being able to help reach that state.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 24 2018, @03:09PM
Oooh, I know, I'll test my Windows skills by switching from Windows 7 to Windows 10!