Hey everyone! I'm looking for recommendations on which Linux distribution to go with. I've got a ThinkPad with an i5-8365u processor and 8GB of RAM. I previously tried Linux Mint for about a week, but ran into several frustrating issues, like my fingerprint sensor not working, and I couldn't adjust the scrolling speed on my touchpad, which made browsing a nightmare. On top of that, I wasn't a fan of how Mint visually looked—too playful for my taste, a bit like Windows XP.
My laptop usage is pretty casual; mainly for general purposes like browsing the web with Brave, using Google Docs for office stuff, listening to Spotify, and sometimes watching documentaries. I occasionally game (just a couple of hours a week) mostly using GeForce Now since my integrated UHD 620 isn't great. In the past, I found Mint didn't support streaming services well, leaving me with low-quality streaming.
I've heard a lot about CachyOS from a friend, and that has me curious. But I've also seen a lot of buzz around Fedora and other distros. I want something that supports the hardware well and is user-friendly, especially with tools like ChatGPT making it easier to solve issues. Any advice on which distro I should go with or what to expect?
3 Answers
I’d recommend trying Ubuntu 24.04.3 for your requirements. It's pretty user-friendly and has great support. Plus, most of your hardware should work without much hassle.
If Mint didn't work out for you, Fedora might be a good alternative. It’s pretty straightforward, but it does tend to include newer software that might be less stable than Ubuntu. Also, you can customize your desktop environment if you find the default look isn't appealing. Just remember that you can switch out desktop environments if the default doesn’t suit your style!
You might want to check out CachyOS! It has solid hardware support and is designed to be user-friendly. But keep in mind that not every driver, especially for niche hardware like touchpads, will be guaranteed to work perfectly across all distros. So, it's good to try a few and see what works best for you!
Thanks for the tip! I definitely want something that looks nice out of the box.