Hey everyone, I'm making the switch back to Linux as my main desktop OS after about 12 years away. Just to give you some background: I used Ubuntu from around 2005 to 2013, going from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3 before I switched to Windows 8.1 and then 10 for work. I still dabble with Linux through WSL and other devices, so I haven't completely lost touch with the command line.
Now, I can't upgrade my Windows 10 machine to 11, and I'm ready to dive back into Linux with a new setup. However, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the new tools like Snaps and Flatpaks, along with the overall direction of Canonical and the current landscape of distros and desktop environments.
My current specs: AMD Ryzen 8-core, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, and two 2TB HDs in RAID 1. I'm not a PC gamer—just have an NVIDIA 1660 Ti.
Here are my requirements:
1. Preferably Debian-based, as I remember Ubuntu being particularly good with newer software, but I think Debian has improved.
2. I need a stable workstation for development, VMs, number crunching, and productivity, without constantly needing to tinker.
3. Data privacy is crucial for me. I create a lot of open source content, so I want to avoid AI or data scraping on my local machine.
I'll image my current setup for safety, but I have specific questions:
1. How similar is modern Gnome to Gnome 3?
2. What's the scoop on using Snaps and Flatpaks compared to APT?
3. Is there a big difference in support between AMD and NVIDIA these days?
4. Any issues with 4K@60hz DP?
5. How does full disk encryption work on Linux nowadays?
6. Is there a OneDrive-like syncing solution on Linux that isn't self-hosted?
7. How's RDP performing these days compared to VNC?
8. What's MTP file transfer support like?
9. Any good pre-built Linux towers aside from System76?
Thanks for reading and any help you can give!
5 Answers
Debian has actually been keeping up pretty well! They release a new stable version every couple of years—most recently, Debian 13 came out about a month ago. If you want newer software, the backports repo might be worth checking out. It doesn't have everything, but it can help with important packages that you don't want to wait for.
Gnome has come a long way! If you liked Gnome 3, you should be comfortable with modern Gnome. It's still very customizable, and they've made plenty of improvements over the years. And about Snaps and Flatpaks—Ubuntu is pushing Snaps heavily, while Red Hat favors Flatpak. APT is still going strong in Debian, but Ubuntu might lean towards integrating more Snaps in future releases.
As for syncing solutions, you might want to check out Syncthing. It allows for peer-to-peer syncing without needing a dedicated server. Activation is pretty straightforward and works quite well for keeping your folders synced across devices, just like OneDrive!
The support landscape has definitely shifted. NVIDIA's proprietary drivers are still solid, but AMD’s open-source drivers have actually become quite reliable and work well with the kernel. If you're not needing CUDA features, I'd lean towards AMD for better future-proofing and compatibility.
Also, if you stick with a reputable tower brand, like Dell or Lenovo, they should have decent Linux support these days—just double-check the WiFi card specs on their site to avoid any surprises.
4K@60hz should work fine, assuming your graphics card and drivers are up to snuff. Just ensure you have a good KVM switch that handles EDID well. Cheaper KVMs can be a touch problematic, but a solid one should work seamlessly, no worries!
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