Hey everyone! I'm currently using Ubuntu and I'm looking to switch my OS since I'm somewhat of a Linux newbie. I'm particularly interested in Arch but I've had some trouble setting up Hyprland and I'm concerned about how it manages system resources. My previous notebook just died, and I plan to repurpose it as a server/cloud drive while primarily using my new notebook. My new machine is a VAIO FE16 with an AMD Ryzen 5-5625U, AMD Radeon graphics, 32GB of RAM (expandable to 64GB), and a 512GB SSD (which can go up to 1TB). I'll primarily be using it for programming (I'm just starting my first semester in Computer Science), maybe a bit of gaming (my desktop is my main gaming machine), and general browsing and school work. I'd really appreciate any tips on how to preserve my new notebook and whether Arch is a good fit for my needs. Sorry if this sounds silly, but I'm not used to notebooks!
1 Answer
In my experience, any distro, including Arch with Hyprland, is generally less resource-hungry than Windows 10. Your notebook specs are pretty solid, so you should be good to go! Arch is a fantastic choice, but it can be tricky if you’re inexperienced, and since you're using it for your CS studies, you might want a more stable LTS distro that won’t change a ton during your studies. Options like Kubuntu LTS, Debian with KDE, or Mint with Cinnamon are great for beginners. Fedora KDE is also solid! I recommend KDE for programming because it’s user-friendly, but ultimately, go for what looks good to you! Also, consider setting up system snapshots with Arch; they'll help you revert changes easily before installing new software or making big modifications.
Mint with Cinnamon has a great interface! I might give that a try too. Thanks for the suggestion!