I've recently made the full switch to Linux, moving from Windows 11 to Kubuntu 24.04 LTS on a spare Optiplex 7040, and I've really enjoyed the experience so far—it's way faster and more stable than Windows. However, I've run into a few issues that have me thinking about switching to Linux Mint instead.
1) **Stability**: I've noticed that Kubuntu can be a bit unstable. The Discover Store crashed several times while I was trying to install Bottles, and once, after changing themes, my desktop went completely blank for about a minute. Thankfully, these issues don't seem to happen anymore, but I worry they might come back, especially since I've started using this PC daily and need it to perform reliably.
2) **Community Support**: It feels like Kubuntu's community support isn't as strong as Mint's. The Kubuntu subreddit has about 15k members, while Linux Mint has a much larger community of 140k. I'm concerned that if I run into problems in the future, it might be harder to find help.
3) **Snaps**: I'm also not a fan of snaps and want to remove them completely from my system. While I primarily install from flatpak or .deb files, I'm worried about disrupting anything by removing snaps. Plus, given that snaps are developed by Canonical, I'd rather avoid associated issues like telemetry.
The KDE desktop environment that comes with Kubuntu is pretty great and very customizable, which is something I don't want to lose if I switch to Mint. I did try installing KDE on Mint in a VM before, but that didn't go well. Still, I've heard that Mint is more beginner-friendly, stable out of the box, and has better community support. Should I make the switch, or stick with Kubuntu? Also, would Debian KDE be an easier option for a beginner?
2 Answers
I run Mint with KDE myself and haven't had any major issues, but your experience could vary. If you want to experiment, give it a go in a VM first to see how it feels for you. Who knows, it might just be the thing you’ve been looking for!
Honestly, the decision should boil down to what feels right for you! If you’re already leaning toward Mint, it might be worth trying it out. Mint is quite stable and still based on Ubuntu, so you shouldn't have too many issues. Don't just follow what others say—exploration is key in Linux! You could try various distros and environments to find what clicks for you.
Would you be able to share how you set it up? I'm thinking of trying it out in a VM to test it first.