I'm considering swapping to Linux after using Windows for my entire life, and I've come across the concept of immutable or atomic distros. I'm particularly interested in Fedora Kinoite due to its safe and compartmentalized environment, but I have a couple of questions.
Firstly, can I install new software on these distros even though they are immutable, or do I need to use containers for everything? Also, I'm curious about driver support for my hardware: I have a GTX 1650, a Canon CanoScan LiDe scanner, an XP-Pen Artist 15.6 Pro, and a Wacom Intuos S. Will these devices have the necessary drivers available, and can I expect them to work smoothly without a lot of tweaking? Thanks for your help!
3 Answers
You can definitely install software on immutable distros, but the official way is to use Flatpak. Flatpak apps are sandboxed, which means they can run separately from your main system, making them a good fit for an immutable setup. Check if your commonly used applications have Flatpak versions or are pre-installed in Kinoite.
If you want to go a step further, you can build software from source, but it won't install system-wide. Instead, you can keep it in your home directory and add it to your PATH, which is kind of like using portable apps.
If you're looking at how to install apps, it's mostly done through rpm-ostree instead of the usual dnf. Flatpaks are great for graphical apps, while you can also try using Homebrew for command-line tools. If you want to play with your setup, consider container-based solutions like podman to create isolated environments.
Yeah, and the idea is to keep your system clean by limiting how much you layer on top—it definitely helps with stability.
Regarding driver support, Fedora's atomic distros, like Kinoite, typically handle hardware well, especially for Wacom devices, which have solid Linux support. For your GTX 1650, you might need NVIDIA drivers, and yes, there are ways to get those set up.
Just to add, you can also check the Universal Blue project if you're looking for a setup that's ready out-of-the-box with NVIDIA drivers.
I tried using some AppImages on an immutable distro, and while some worked fine, many didn't make it. Just something to keep in mind!