I Tried Fedora 40, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Linux Mint 21.3, Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS, and EndeavourOS Galileo
There is no best Linux distro because each has its strengths and weaknesses and a different user base. For me, the winner is…
I have used Linux for a long time but never made it my default environment. After Apple’s value proposition didn’t fit me, I decided to go with a Linux-only environment in 2024 to see if I could really make it happen. I have known the issues for a long time but couldn’t decide to go directly as my default setup without trying.
I Changed My Go-to Linux Distro for the First Time from Year 2006
Good Bye My 20 Years Old Friend: Apple
I will also write about drop-in replacement of Apple services and how I continue my life so you can follow me on this journey. To get notified about the latest articles, subscribe to my newsletter or follow me directly.
1. Package Management and Repositories
Fedora:
Package Manager: DNF
Repositories: Fedora repos, RPM Fusion for additional software
Strengths: Regular updates, strong support for the latest software, and frequent releases. Emphasis on free and open-source software.
Ubuntu:
Package Manager: APT (Advanced Package Tool)
Repositories: Ubuntu repos, PPA (Personal Package Archives), Snaps for additional software
Strengths: Large software repositories, a wide range of PPAs for additional and cutting-edge software, regular updates, and LTS (Long-Term Support) versions for stability.
Mint:
Package Manager: APT
Repositories: It is based on Ubuntu and uses the same repositories and PPAs. It also includes Linux Mint-specific repositories and Flatpaks.
Strengths: Stability and usability, focusing on providing a polished experience. Regular updates and a good selection of software.
Pop!_OS:
Package Manager: APT
Repositories: Based on Ubuntu, with additional Pop!_OS repositories and Flatpaks.
Strengths: Focus on hardware optimization (especially for System76 hardware), regular updates, includes proprietary drivers and software for gaming and development.
EndeavourOS:
Package Manager: Pacman
Repositories: Arch repos, AUR (Arch User Repository), Flatpaks or Snaps (I don’t suggest using both at the same time)
Strengths: Access to cutting-edge software, rolling release model for constant updates, large repository through AUR.
2. Desktop Environments
Fedora:
Default DE: GNOME (Vanilla)
Other DEs: KDE Plasma, Xfce, LXQt, Cinnamon, MATE, etc.
Strengths: The flagship GNOME experience is frequently updated to the latest GNOME versions.
Ubuntu:
Default DE: GNOME (Customized)
Other DEs: KDE Plasma (Kubuntu), Xfce (Xubuntu), LXQt (Lubuntu), MATE (Ubuntu MATE), etc.
Strengths: Versatile, with official flavours offering various desktop environments.
Mint:
Default DE: Cinnamon
Other DEs: MATE, Xfce
Strengths: Polished and user-friendly Cinnamon desktop, emphasizing traditional desktop experience.
Pop!_OS:
Default DE: COSMIC (GNOME-based)
Other DEs: GNOME (Vanilla GNOME available)
Strengths: Optimized GNOME experience with additional features for productivity and workflow improvements.
EndeavourOS:
Default DE: Xfce previously, KDE Plasma now
Other DEs: KDE Plasma/Xfce, GNOME, Budgie, Cinnamon, MATE, i3, etc.
Strengths: Offers a lightweight base system with the option to choose from a wide range of desktop environments during installation.
3. Default Software and Customization
Fedora:
Default Software: GNOME Software Center, LibreOffice, Firefox
Customization: Vanilla GNOME with minor Fedora-specific tweaks. Focus on the upstream GNOME experience.
Ubuntu:
Default Software: GNOME Software Center, LibreOffice, Firefox, Snap Store
Customization: Slightly customized GNOME with Ubuntu-specific tweaks and theming.
Mint:
Default Software: Mint Software Manager, LibreOffice, Firefox, Timeshift
Customization: Highly customized Cinnamon desktop, user-friendly tools, and out-of-the-box experience.
Pop!_OS:
Default Software: Pop!_Shop, LibreOffice, Firefox, System76 power management tools
Customization: GNOME-based COSMIC desktop with Pop!_OS-specific optimizations for performance and productivity.
EndeavourOS:
Default Software: Minimal install, offering a basic setup to which users can add their preferred software
Customization: Highly customizable, minimal bloat, relies on user customization post-installation.
4. System Performance and Resource Usage
Fedora:
Performance: It is slightly heavier due to GNOME but optimized for modern hardware. Regular updates can use more system resources.
Resource Usage: Moderate to high, depending on the desktop environment.
Ubuntu:
Performance: GNOME can be resource-intensive, but Ubuntu has optimizations. LTS versions focus on stability and performance.
Resource Usage: Moderate to high, depending on the desktop environment.
Mint:
Performance: Cinnamon is more resource-intensive than Xfce or MATE, but the overall system is optimized for usability.
Resource Usage: Moderate, with Xfce being the lightest option.
Pop!_OS:
Performance: Optimized for System76 hardware and general performance, with good support for gaming and development.
Resource Usage: Moderate to high, depending on the desktop environment.
EndeavourOS:
Performance: Lightweight base system with user-chosen DEs. Rolling releases can mean more frequent updates.
Resource Usage: Low to moderate, depending on the desktop environment.
5. Support and Community
Fedora:
Support: Official support from Red Hat, extensive documentation, active community.
Community: Strong and active, focusing on contributing to open-source projects.
Ubuntu:
Support: Canonical support, extensive documentation, and a large, active community.
Community: One of the largest Linux communities, with extensive forums and online resources.
Mint:
Support: Community-driven support, forums, and documentation.
Community: Active and friendly, focused on user experience and troubleshooting.
Pop!_OS:
Support: System76 support, good documentation, growing community.
Community: The community is growing, focusing on users of System76 hardware and general Linux users.
EndeavourOS:
Support: Community-driven support, forums, and Arch Wiki.
Community: Active and supportive, leveraging the larger Arch community for additional resources.
Summary
Fedora is ideal for users wanting the latest software and a strong focus on open source. It’s also a good choice for developers.
Ubuntu is user-friendly, widely supported, and suitable for new and experienced users. It offers a wide range of software and community support.
Mint offers a polished, traditional desktop experience focusing on usability and stability, making it great for users transitioning from Windows.
Pop!_OS is optimized for performance, particularly for System76 hardware, and is a good choice for developers and gamers.
EndeavourOS provides a flexible, minimalistic setup with access to the Arch repositories, making it ideal for users who prefer customization and cutting-edge software.
Now, let’s talk about some “not-so-nice” aspects:
Fedora
Frequent updates can give you a headache if you have a limited internet connection.
If you don’t use Flatpak, there is less software availability because of the pure open-source focus.
Proprietary drivers and codecs must be manually added (e.g., RPM Fusion).
It is not as beginner-friendly due to its bleeding-edge nature and the need for manual tweaks.
Limited long-term support (usually only 13 months for each release).
Ubuntu
They are using a customized version of GNOME, so you will not get the latest version until they integrate.
Canonical’s decisions (e.g., including Amazon lens in the past and Snap integration) have been controversial.
PPA usage can sometimes lead to dependency issues and stability problems.
Some bloatware is pre-installed, which might only be needed by some users.
Mint
It is based on Ubuntu and inherits some of its issues (e.g., PPA management). However, they are forcing themselves not to inherit, so there will be improvements in future versions. They were also not so happy with the Ubuntu legacy, so they tried to base it on Debian, but it didn’t go much further — at least now: https://linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php.
It can be slower to adopt newer software and features.
Security updates may lag behind Ubuntu since Mint holds back some updates for stability.
Limited innovation primarily focuses on providing a traditional desktop experience rather than new features.
Pop!_OS
It is still relatively new, so the community and third-party support are smaller than those of Ubuntu or Fedora.
GNOME-based, so it can be resource-heavy. They are now developing a COSMIC desktop fully developed using the Rust programming language, but it has been postponed several times, and we expect to see it around the end of 2024.
It lacks the range of flavours and desktop environment options that Ubuntu offers.
Reliance on System76-specific features might be less beneficial for non-System76 hardware users.
EndeavourOS
Rolling release models can sometimes lead to stability issues, especially it is purely community-based.
It may not be as beginner-friendly as Linux Mint; it requires more manual setup and maintenance.
Documentation is good, but it often refers users to Arch Wiki, which can be complex for new users.
Less polished out-of-the-box experience compared to more user-friendly distributions.
Result
If you read my previous articles, you know I moved away from Ubuntu to Pop_OS first and then Fedora. The reason was Canonical’s decisions about Snap package management. I am not against Snaps, but if I would like to be forced to use what the owner wants, I can easily stay in the Apple environment. For me, Linux is open source… Open source is freedom of choice! I really like Ubuntu, including a modified version of GNOME and a colour palette, but Canonical is against my principle about open source. I hope they will change their mind as they did for Unity desktop in the history.
The first switch from Ubuntu was to Pop_OS, although I don’t have a System76 laptop. The desktop environment experience was great for me and I also liked their customization of GNOME and color palette. They focussed on the new version of the COSMIC desktop environment, which is not GNOME anymore, and they have built from scratch with Rust programming language. Building a new desktop environment is not an easy task, so they don’t focus on the latest developments in the Linux world; for example, Ubuntu released 24.04 LTS, but they didn’t integrate the current version, so they are still on top of Ubuntu 22.04. It lacks in several aspects, especially for me as a software engineer.
Then I switched to Fedora lastly. I didn’t want to make this switch because I wanted to stay in a direct community-driven Linux distro, and I was not so happy with my decisions with Canonical in the past. Although I like how System76 is evolving the Linux experience, their slow development for Linux-based integrations was not in my favour. Fedora’s mainstream is GNOME, and I have some problems with GNOME too — it is not my only problem, but many people complain about their design and functionality decisions. I should not need to install a tweaker (GNOME Tweaks) application to enable the maximize button, define startup applications, etc. I should not need to install an extension application (GNOME Shell Extensions) to allow taskbar icons to reveal a dock other than the super key. These are the basics of any desktop environment, even for the most innovative company like Apple. During this time, I tried KDE Plasma 5, which worked excellently. It is the only desktop environment with proper fractional scaling for 4K monitors.
Will KDE 6.1 Work?
The KDE team decided to release KDE Plasma 6 with Fedora 40, and my nightmare began. First, I lost my desktop (after login, everything is black). They released KDE Plasma 6.1 recently, and I jumped on it. This time, I’ve begun to lose my taskbar after waking up my laptop from every sleep. I was at the presentation, and it was not so nice. I know how to find my way with KRunner, but this bug is unacceptable for any modern desktop environment. So, I switched back to GNOME.
Currently, I am very happy with Fedora but less happy with GNOME.