I'm a beginner with limited Linux experience, mostly using Raspbian and Ubuntu LTS. I'm planning to run Docker in a VM on my Proxmox server and I'm considering using either Ubuntu or Ubuntu Server. However, I'm open to other suggestions. I'm also curious about the importance of having a GUI for file management since I'm still learning command line basics alongside using Portainer.
2 Answers
I'm a fan of Debian myself. It gives you the option to install different desktop environments, and I personally like KDE. I access my VM via xrdp from Windows or my iPad, which has been useful while I was learning. I've gotten comfortable with SSH and the command line now. For Docker, I think Debian is the way to go since it's super stable without the extra clutter Ubuntu sometimes has.
If you decide to use Ubuntu, just be cautious with the snap version of Docker – it's not great! I'd recommend going for docker-ce instead. Both Ubuntu Server and Debian are solid options. Debian stable might even be better since it has fewer kernel updates, which means fewer reboots. Ubuntu is built on an unstable version of Debian plus some Canonical tweaks, so if you're going for Docker, you might as well choose Debian directly.
If Docker is your main focus, Debian really seems like a good choice. It avoids many issues that come with Ubuntu's bloat.