I’m over tinkering with my OS. So I’m looking for a distro that “just works” out of the box for my laptop. Also I want to test an “easy” distro I can install for my grandpa.
I don’t care for immutability, declarative config, being fully FOSS or having the newest stuff. I don’t want snaps, or a software center that relies on them. So no Ubuntu.

What I do want (ideally out of the box):
Important:

  • as few annoying visible bugs and crashes as possible (looking at you, Ubuntu)
  • Wayland support
  • good package selection, so no independent fringe distro
  • fluid YouTube videos, streaming, pre-installed codecs

Less important:

  • ideally with Gnome
  • encrypting the hard drive from within the GUI installer
  • nice font rendering (used to be a problem, but I guess not anymore)
  • installing Steam with a button press
  • pre-installed sane-airprint and sane-airscan (automatic setup of my networked printer-scanner-combo)

You get the idea. The usual stuff (low-end gaming, browsing, streaming, printing, scanning) should just work. I don’t have any hardware that poses a problem.
From what I’ve read, Mint doesn’t yet support Wayland and doesn’t ship with video codecs anymore. (Or am I wrong?)
What are the other options? Is Zorin king of the block now? Is Manjaro good now?

Thanks for any and all input.

  • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml
    3·
    5 months ago

    Debian Testing, if you want some of the new shiny packages. Stable if you want… hardcore stability, like me.

    Former Ubuntu LTS user, switched to Debian Stable after 6 years. It has been almost 1 year with Debian, love it, but sometimes I prefer the ease of Ubuntu (based on Debian Unstable branch). Also a big fan of GNOME and its stability and reliability. No DE comes close.

    Ubuntu LTS or Debian stable/testing branch. Pick your choice.

    I left behind Ubuntu for Debian as I became a better Linux user, and was able to leave behind the convenience and little bit annoyance of Snaps. Snap arguments are mostly overblown, cultist and garbage, so do not pay much heed to them. They are just as bad at performance as the beloved Flatpak system (which means fairly good).