Hey everyone! I'm trying to dive into Linux full-time, but I've ended up distro hopping more than I expected. I'm looking for a stable and up-to-date Linux distro that meets the following criteria:
- Utilizes KDE Plasma 6
- Uses APT for package management
- No snaps (and I'd like to avoid any official Ubuntu flavors)
I tried Mint 22.1, but I found Cinnamon a bit too limiting. I also played around with LMDE6 + KDE, but updating it feels like a never-ending process. Zorin OS is out since it uses Gnome, and Fedora 42 was a struggle for me since I'm more familiar with APT rather than RPM.
Basically, I'm looking for something akin to Mint but with KDE as the default desktop environment. ChatGPT suggested Sparky Linux, but I'm not sure why.
Just so you know, my PC specs are:
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900
- 64GB RAM
- AsRock B850M Pro RS
- Radeon RX6600 (main GPU)
- GeForce GT1030 (for passing to a Windows 11 VM)
- 500GB NVMe for the OS, along with a 2TB NVMe for /home and the VMs.
What recommendations do you all have?
7 Answers
Kubuntu might be your best bet. You can install it and just remove `snapd` using the command `sudo apt purge snapd` and even blacklist it so it doesn’t come back. I've been running Ubuntu without it since 2016—there's no problem at all!
Have you looked into Debian Trixie? It comes with Plasma 6.3.x, and I think you'd be pretty happy with it. Just my two cents, but definitely check it out!
KDE Neon is also a good option if you like KDE's latest versions directly from the source. Might be the perfect blend for you!
You could check out Tuxedo OS! It's based on Ubuntu, runs KDE Plasma, and they’ve eliminated snaps. I've seen it work perfectly on my dad's Dell laptop. Definitely worth a shot!
Fedora is a solid choice if you're looking for something up to date. Just keep in mind, you won't get APT since it's based on RPM. If you're okay with doing a bit of troubleshooting, consider Arch, though it requires reading the wiki. But seriously, if you're following an LLM suggestion to pick a distro, you might want to stick to good old community feedback instead!
Honestly, if you're set on APT and want something stable, you might try Ubuntu non-LTS versions and just uninstall the snaps afterward. It's not ideal, but it's an option. You could also look into Debian Testing, just know it's meant for testing—so it might not be as stable as you'd like.
As someone new to this too, why not just try installing Plasma on Mint? It might be a hassle, but it could work!
Honestly, that could lead to some headaches. Might not be the best route.