I'd like to switch to Linux by 2026. I'm comfortable on the commandline, but not an expert. I'd like something that is relatively easy to use and stable. I do enjoy tinkering and will hopefully learn more about Linux, but for now, I'm mostly interested in making the transition as easy as possible?<p>I build websites and simple web apps so I don't need anything super powerful.<p>Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Assuming you're in the US, System76[0] and Framework[1] both make laptops that support Linux as a first-class OS.<p>I tried both and ended up preferring Framework. I especially like that they're repairable.<p>I bought the DIY version of Framework worried I'd hate building it, but it was super easy to put together. You're only putting together a few pieces, not the entire laptop. It ended up being one of the best unboxing experiences of my life.<p>[0] <a href="https://system76.com/" rel="nofollow">https://system76.com/</a><p>[1] <a href="https://frame.work/" rel="nofollow">https://frame.work/</a>
If you want to learn more, don't make the transition easy. Get a second laptop that is Linux-compatible and get a difficult distribution. It will force you to learn more faster. Linux From Scratch is the most hardcore (and, imho, fun!) way to deep-dive. I'm not familiar with the newer, more expert-level distros but I'm sure others can give suggestions.<p>If you don't want to learn more and just want a "working computer", use either Ubuntu or Fedora, as they have the most support. If you use Ubuntu you'll want to use Kubuntu or one of its derivatives as the default Ubuntu desktop is one of the most unusable and featureless things I've ever used.<p>Laptop wise, look up distributions' officially supported laptop lists, and laptop vendors' laptops that officially support linux. Lenovo and I think Dell have some officially supported Linux laptops. Then there's a smattering of vendors who sell laptops with Linux as the only OS. Any of these will save you lots of headaches; an incompatible laptop can leave you struggling for weeks to get it to work, if it'll work at all. Generally stay away from brand-new gear as it's the most likely to use something that doesn't yet have good Linux support, or may require the newest Linux software which isn't supported on slightly older stable Linux distro releases. Finally, always look up reviews of that laptop with Linux, as you may find quirks like poor performance, overheating, battery issues, wifi/bluetooth connectivity issues, non-working keys, and more.<p>I recently got a ThinkPad T14s Gen4 and it works very well with Ubuntu 24.04. You need to check the generation of the laptop, though, as the internals change and may make it not compatible anymore. In general I would suggest buying a laptop which you can return within 30 days, as you may find you either don't like the laptop itself, or its Linux support is too quirky.
As for distro, if you want something that works out-of-the-box, with modern desktop features, I'd give Linux Mint (Cinnamon Edition) a try.
Personally, I enjoy tinkering and learning, so I set up Arch with Wayland on my laptop. I wouldn't consider it super stable, but I've had surprisingly few issues. There is a learning curve, but it's certainly do-able.<p>For laptop: I got myself a Framework 13 with Intel 13th gen. I am very happy with the machine and with the Linux support. So, definitely have a look at that.
I don't know why I never see anyone recommend it, but plain fedora with the default gnome is pretty great. In terms of design and usability, it's solid. You can't customize every little thing, so compared to other setups it's not as flexible in that way. But if you want something that is stable and boring so you can get to the stuff you actually have to do, fedora is a decent choice.
Another vote for Linux Mint. It's very easy to use and has a good blend of recent software and stability.<p>As long as you don't pick a brand new CPU/chipset the hardware support is nearly flawless as long as the laptop isn't from an overly proprietary manufacturer.<p>I do like performance, and a 2-in-1 form factor, so I went with an MSI Summit. They have cheaper models without discrete GPUs in a smaller form factor.
Echoing mainline Debian + DE of your choice. Switched away from Ubuntu a few years ago and never looked back. If I remember correctly, the Debian setup allows you to specify GNOME, KDE, or Cinnamon.<p>EDIT: Forgot to mention I'm running this on an Acer Swift 3 flawlessly.
NixOS is something to consider. It is easy to use if all you need is packaged inside NixPkgs (which is enormous). A bonus point is stability. You can upgrade without fear, including changes that would be pretty risky in other distros. You can always roll back to previous system states, unless you have garbage-collected them to save space.<p>It's also great that everything is declarative. You can define your entire setup in a few LOC. There's a bit of a learning curve for harder things, but IMHO you can get going in an afternoon. On the contrary, if you need to package your own software or install things that have messy build processes, it's probably not worth the effort.
Pick an image-based distro. I personally use Atomic Fedora Sway but there are many others in this vein.<p>The point is that out-of-box you get the ability to not only rollback to a previously working state of your distro, but also to run container images you build yourself on your computer. You can boot container images now with bootc.<p>This makes managing a Linux distro super easy, and rolling back experimental changes or package issues even easier.<p>Because you have to make the assumption that something will go wrong, sooner or later, you will have to use the commandline to troubleshoot and workaround issues. Unfortunately this is the case in every OS.<p>That's why a simple rollback process is the best gift to ordinary users.
I have been using Ubuntu on a Asus Zenbooks for almost a decade now. Guess it's a recommendation.<p>GNOME on the latest LTS Ubuntu (24.04) has a pretty cool Android-like panel for basic settings (wifi/bluetooth/vpn/brightness) and only requires a handful of tweaks.
There's dozens of distros of Linux, and they're all pretty good. (A handy skill to develop would be getting comfortable with installing and trying news ones -- because then you don't have to feel stuck.)<p>I've heard Linux Mint is an easy choice for beginners hoping to get comfortable and familiar with Linux.
Framework laptops are great, and would be my first choice if I were looking for a new work computer. I've previously run Dell XPS13, Lenovo Thinkpad.<p>There's no shortage of good distro choices. I've run Mint for ten years on my primary device and trialed a host of others on my secondary laptops. I'd be happy long term with Debian, Fedora, perhaps Arch. I could cope with Ubuntu, at least for as long as it took to overwrite it with Mint.
I stopped distro hopping after switching to Arch (with Sway WM), now my same installation is hopping across laptops instead.<p>It might not be friendly for new Linux users but I feel in control using it and keep it maintained and clean easily.<p>I usually recommend Vanilla OS for non-tech savvy people, in case you're looking for something that just works. It will probably become limiting for you after a while since you like tinkering.
Distro: Fedora (default Gnome)<p>Laptop: LG Gram 16"<p>There are several variations of the laptop with spec differences, the main thing you want is Intel CPU with integrated graphics.<p>Great screen (16:10 ratio), great battery life (80Wh), dual NVMe slots (if you care about bit rot).<p>Last, but not least, very, very light.
Checkout <a href="https://omakub.org" rel="nofollow">https://omakub.org</a> (web dev focused setup script for Ubuntu) and <a href="https://frame.work" rel="nofollow">https://frame.work</a>
Arch on a Thinkpad is pretty good.<p>Ironically, arch has been a better "stable" distro for me than Debian, which I used for years previously.<p>The problem with the stable distros, when used as a desktop, is you inevitably get into a situation where you need a newer version of something, but the whole stack of libraries the system provides isn't compatible. It leads to a "frankendebian" situation which is much worse than just dealing with a binary rolling distro where the latest version of anything you want is a pacman paru install away.
I don't have them (yet), but take a look at the xmg evo 14 or 15 (<a href="https://www.xmg.gg/en/xmg-evo-14-m24/" rel="nofollow">https://www.xmg.gg/en/xmg-evo-14-m24/</a>). New Versions with amd strix point coming end of february or march I think.<p>As opposed to other popular recommendations here they don't sound like jet engines, have a meager 5 hours of battery life or praise you for changing the world with your purchase.<p>Personally I'd go with debian testing
I’ve had multiple Thinkpad X1 carbon laptops with whatever the most recent Ubuntu LTS version. The hardware is well supported by Ubuntu, however I have experienced a few bugs with Gnome and the keyboards on newer X1 carbons are not as reliable. Since much of what people do these days is in a web browser, the difference between operating systems is not as meaningful these days.
Arch linux (migth be a hurdle to install but worth learning if you want to take the time) and any thinkpad t,p,x series.<p>Wpuld suggest kde as desktop.
I have used Manjaro with i3wm (a tiling window manager) on a number of different Thinkpads and it's generally been pretty trouble free, and a lot of fun sometimes! Currently have an AMD T14s.<p>Fwiw I tried Ubuntu desktop a few times before settling on Manjaro/Arch about 4 years and and it never clicked for me (though I'll happily use Ubuntu servers).
For me distro is NixOS, since Guix System is unfortunately not much focused on desktop.<p>For laptops... Well... If you REALLY need one, because 90% of the time you just need a desktop, Lenovo Thinkpads, Dell Precisions are the least crappy I knows.
I guess a follow up question might be: what laptop would you recommend to go with the recommended distro?<p>I'd be curious to see what y'all recommend. Are there non-Mac laptops that sorta feel like Mac laptops and are of similar (or even superior) quality?
what's your motivation for the switch?<p>if you want to liberate yourself from corp controlled OS (like me), avoid Ubuntu and probably also Fedora.<p>I'd recommend to try out EndeavourOS (= Arch in easy mode). Then, once you are familiar with pacman and yay, try vanilla Arch (which is no more problem with archinstall). you won't regret it. I have installed arch on my kids gaming PC and they work like a charm. KDE is fantastic (I love it because it is snappy).
I would highly recommend Fedora, but not the default Workstation installation. You can try out the default, but I recommend either the KDE spin, or the Xfce one. These are desktop environments and the default one (Gnome) I don't consider user friendly (didn't even support desktop shortcuts at some point). KDE is also full-featured, while Xfce is a bit lighter in feature-set.<p>For Laptops I'd have a hard time highly recommending anything. The thinkpad I have works great and heard great things about Thinkpads in general. The frame.work looks like a good suggestion on paper (which I'm also considering to buy) but based on their forums, thermals, noise and AMD firmware bugs are still too prevalent for my taste (including slow uefi firmware updates).<p>There are a couple of Linux tailored laptop sellers in Europe. Products look nice, but imo make the same mistake of throwing top of the line CPUs in thin laptops, then people wonder why their testis are toasty.