Hey everyone! I'm planning to switch back to Linux as my main desktop OS after about 12 years away from it. I'm a bit lost and could use your guidance!
Here's a quick rundown of my background:
1. I used Ubuntu extensively from around 2005 to 2013, going from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3 since Unity wasn't my thing.
2. After that, I moved to Windows 8.1 and then Windows 10 because of work, but I still use WSL and manage various Linux devices, so I haven't completely lost touch with the command line.
Now, with my current machine being a Windows 10 setup for work that I can't upgrade to 11, I'm ready to dive back into Linux. I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the changes—like Snap, Flatpak, and how Canonical is moving forward—as well as the current state of distros and desktop environments.
Here's what I have:
- A 2017 PC with AMD Ryzen 8 cores, 32 GB RAM, and 1 TB SSD.
- I'm not a gamer but have an NVIDIA 1660 Ti.
- I need a reliable workstation focused on development, running VMs, and other productive tasks. I prefer something easy to maintain for everyday use, along with strong privacy for my data.
I have a bunch of specific questions: 1) How similar is modern Gnome to Gnome 3? 2) What's the general expectation around using Snaps/Flatpak versus APT? 3) Are there still big support differences between AMD and NVIDIA graphics? 4) Any issues with 4K@60hz DisplayPort? 5) Is full disk encryption on Linux as seamless as Bitlocker on Windows? 6) Is there a reliable OneDrive alternative on Linux? 7) How's RDP support these days? 8) How does MTP support work? 9) Do pre-built options exist beyond System76?
Thanks for any tips or advice!
5 Answers
About OEM Linux support, focus mainly on the WiFi adapter specs when purchasing a new machine. Typically, other hardware support is pretty solid these days. For GPU support, AMD's open-source drivers are now really good, while NVIDIA still has a solid but proprietary driver—avoid them unless you specifically need CUDA!
There are definitely advancements in remote access protocols! Nowadays, many services are leveraging video codecs for better performance over RDP or VNC. I’d recommend checking out RustDesk; it's gaining some traction and might be a good option for your needs!
Regarding Debian, it’s actually pretty modern now! Debian 13 was just released, so it’s keeping up with software updates. For newer software, you might want to check out the backports repository—it can help out a lot without breaking the stable experience!
As for MTP, it should mostly work out-of-the-box on many distros, allowing your phone to show up like a normal drive in the file manager. Personally, I find using KDE Connect for file transfers much simpler and often faster through WiFi.
When it comes to 4K@60 hz with DisplayPort, it should work fine as long as your graphics card and drivers are solid. Just ensure any KVM switch you use is good; if it's a budget KVM, you might face some issues with it recognizing your monitor, so do some checking before you buy!
Related Questions
How To Get Your Domain Unblocked From Facebook
How To Find A String In a Directory of Files Using Linux