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> 9) The few times I've gotten family members to try Linux, they called me LESS often for support. Even on laptops! This is so true. All my family members are

> 9) The few times I've gotten family members to try Linux, they called me LESS often for support. Even on laptops! This is so true. All my family members are on Ubuntu, and it just works without any support. For many many years. Sometimes when I visit them I click on update to the next LTS. By the time I have to leave it is updated and runs again for 2 more years.

zozbot234 6y ago
Debian Stable is king when it comes to the "just works" POV. They only release a new stable version after every known update bug has been ironed out, so the process is consistently flawless. Recent versions will even install security updates for you, with no user interaction required.
- rurp 6y ago
  I really wish I had known about Debian Stable when I made the switch to Linux. My first Linux comp was a nightmare because the specific combo of Ubuntu (early 18) and hardware had a myriad of issues. I ended up switching to Ubuntu 16 which worked much better and from what I now know Debian probably would have been even less trouble.
  - p1necone 6y ago
    The big problem with Debian stable as an end user OS though is that all the software on it is really outdated, and as soon as you go trying to run more recent versions of applications on it you run into the same issues you were trying to avoid with stable. Imo it makes a lot of sense as a server OS, but not so much for end user application software.
    - zozbot234 6y ago
      You can use officially-provided backports or flatpaks to run more recent versions, if you really need to. I don't think it's more out-of-date post-release than Ubuntu LTS, which is what the other poster was referencing.
CoolGuySteve 6y ago
Where supporting Ubuntu falls over is when I try and support "power users". There's like an uncanny valley of competence, between completely naive users who just let things run and experienced users who know where the red lines are when using sudo. So far I've seen the following breakages: - completely fuck up apt somehow such that it refuses to update or fix itself - overwrite packages with their own compiled versions - mess with the system installed scripting environments - try and install a new kernel or graphics drivers (usually not even to get something working but because it's "new") and consequently break the boot somehow.
- Andrew_nenakhov 6y ago
  yes, true. But what alternative do we have? If such a power user breaks windows registry in a _really_ bad way, the fastest solution, by far, is to just reinstall anything. And, again, if you are smart about having your /home folders on a separate partition, reinstalling Ubuntu is way faster. So even in this worst case scenario Windows loses.
  - wazzaps 6y ago
    Pop!_OS has a recovery partition with a "reset installation", which keeps the home directory (I believe) but reinstalls everything else
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - zamadatix 6y ago
    The registry has multiple automatic backups to the point you can delete the entire thing and not need to reinstall or use external backups, system recovery boot mode will handle it.

zozbot234 6y ago

Debian Stable is king when it comes to the "just works" POV. They only release a new stable version after every known update bug has been ironed out, so the process is consistently flawless. Recent versions will even install security updates for you, with no user interaction required.

rurp 6y ago
I really wish I had known about Debian Stable when I made the switch to Linux. My first Linux comp was a nightmare because the specific combo of Ubuntu (early 18) and hardware had a myriad of issues. I ended up switching to Ubuntu 16 which worked much better and from what I now know Debian probably would have been even less trouble.
- p1necone 6y ago
  The big problem with Debian stable as an end user OS though is that all the software on it is really outdated, and as soon as you go trying to run more recent versions of applications on it you run into the same issues you were trying to avoid with stable. Imo it makes a lot of sense as a server OS, but not so much for end user application software.
  - zozbot234 6y ago
    You can use officially-provided backports or flatpaks to run more recent versions, if you really need to. I don't think it's more out-of-date post-release than Ubuntu LTS, which is what the other poster was referencing.

CoolGuySteve 6y ago

Where supporting Ubuntu falls over is when I try and support "power users". There's like an uncanny valley of competence, between completely naive users who just let things run and experienced users who know where the red lines are when using sudo. So far I've seen the following breakages: - completely fuck up apt somehow such that it refuses to update or fix itself - overwrite packages with their own compiled versions - mess with the system installed scripting environments - try and install a new kernel or graphics drivers (usually not even to get something working but because it's "new") and consequently break the boot somehow.

Andrew_nenakhov 6y ago
yes, true. But what alternative do we have? If such a power user breaks windows registry in a _really_ bad way, the fastest solution, by far, is to just reinstall anything. And, again, if you are smart about having your /home folders on a separate partition, reinstalling Ubuntu is way faster. So even in this worst case scenario Windows loses.
- wazzaps 6y ago
  Pop!_OS has a recovery partition with a "reset installation", which keeps the home directory (I believe) but reinstalls everything else
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- zamadatix 6y ago
  The registry has multiple automatic backups to the point you can delete the entire thing and not need to reinstall or use external backups, system recovery boot mode will handle it.