I've been happily using PopOS for a couple of years, mostly unmodified except for a few tweaks like Dash to Panel. It has been stable with just some minor bugs—nothing too annoying. However, the recent update bringing in Cosmic has thrown me for a loop. The new desktop environment looks nice, but it lacks some older features, seems buggy, and my battery life has taken a hit. I'm tired of spending more time fixing issues than actually getting work done. I'm considering switching to another distro while I wait for PopOS to polish things up.
I'm leaning towards trying Mint again but wanted to know what others consider the most reliable 'just works' distros. My usage is mostly web browsing, productivity applications, and occasional CAD file viewing. I also need night light functionality since I'm sensitive to bright screens, and I'm on an AMD ThinkPad. I've only used Ubuntu-based distros before, so any suggestions or opinions on what would suit my needs would be appreciated!
5 Answers
Linux Mint is solid for 'just works.' I’ve found that Mint might be a bit bloated lately, while LMDE feels cleaner and snappier. I’d say give that a shot!
I had great success with MX Linux, especially the XFCE version—it runs beautifully on ThinkPads! Very lightweight and responsive too.
You might want to check out Fedora Workstation or OpenSUSE with GNOME. Both handle night light really well and should provide a smooth experience on your ThinkPad.
Honestly, if Cosmic is the only issue, consider just switching to a different desktop environment instead of switching distros altogether. That way, you keep some familiarity while bypassing the bugs you’re facing.
If you’re specifically looking for night light, you might want to stick to Ubuntu or Mint. They have GNOME and should give you the functionality you need. Just remember, switching from GNOME to Plasma might feel like a big jump!
Yeah, LMDE has been my go-to lately! Super smooth and it just works without the fluff.