Hey everyone! I'm making the switch back to Linux as my primary desktop OS after almost 12 years away. I used to be a big fan of Ubuntu from around 2005 to 2013, and while I did keep up with the command line through WSL and other Linux-based devices, I'm feeling a bit out of the loop now. I've been using Windows 10 for work but want to return to Linux now that it looks like my only upgrade option for Windows is 11, and that's a no-go for me.
Here's my situation: I've got an AMD Ryzen desktop from 2017 with 32 GB of RAM, a NVIDIA 1660 Ti, and I primarily want a stable machine for development, running VMs, and general productivity. I'm also keen on not tinkering too much once it's set up and ensuring my data privacy.
I have a bunch of specific questions:
1. How similar is modern Gnome to the Gnome 3 I used to enjoy? I liked using virtual desktops and keyboard shortcuts for my projects.
2. What's the deal with Snaps and Flatpaks vs apt? Are apt packages still the go-to?
3. As a non-gamer, do I need to worry about graphics card support with AMD vs NVIDIA?
4. Any known issues with 4K@60hz DisplayPort, especially using KVMs?
5. How do full disk encryption methods compare on Linux? Are they user-friendly?
6. I love OneDrive's syncing. Is there an equivalent for Linux that's not self-hosted?
7. What's the state of RDP now? I remember VNC being sluggish.
8. How's MTP support these days for transferring files from Android?
9. Are there any good pre-built Linux towers beyond System76? How important is OEM support nowadays?
Thanks for anyone who can give me some guidance!
5 Answers
MTP support is better now, and you typically get it out-of-the-box. However, I recommend checking out KDE Connect if you want a more seamless file transfer option over WiFi—much faster than USB for smaller files. For larger transfers, adb push/pull has always done me right when I'm in a bind.
If you’re looking for a syncing solution like OneDrive, check out Syncthing. It's peer-to-peer and doesn’t require a server setup, so it should meet your needs without much hassle. It automatically discovers other devices on the LAN too!
For 4K@60hz, if your GPU and drivers are good, you should be solid. Just make sure your KVM is high quality. A cheaper one might need workarounds to avoid it temporarily dropping the display connection when switching machines.
Debian has really stepped it up with recent releases. They put out a new stable version about every two years, and the latest Debian 13 is very modern. If you want the absolute newest software, look into their backports repo. It gives access to newer packages without disrupting the stable environment, which should help with the slightly dated image you might have from before.
Ubuntu and Red Hat are really pushing Snaps and Flatpaks these days, with some packages on Ubuntu actually being dummy ones that call `snap install`. However, Debian is still firmly in the APT camp, and you can easily install snapd if you want it, but it’s not forced on you like in Ubuntu.
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