For: Debian, Ubuntu, Xbuntu, Kubuntu
Where can I find out which defaults are built-in with which Distros?
And which replacements are included that can replace them?
Or will run with them successfully, if downloaded and installed) (especially. which File Managers will install into which Desktops)

DISTRO:
Desktop (Gnome2, KDE, )
File Manager (Dolphin, )
Browser (Firefox, )
Text Editor (Gedit, )
Office Pkg (OO, )
Terminal
Package Manager (Synaptic-graphical apt-get, Netinst, )
Package Library (Mepis, )
Compiler ?
Forum Quality

Ubuntu Forum posters frequently complain that nobody has answered their plea for help.
I am afraid that Ubuntu is a victim of its own success in this respect.

Thanks, Anne

Best you can probably do is distrowatch but I've not searched for many of these things there.

So, Ubuntu, Xbuntu, Kubuntu all have default desktops: Ubuntu is Gnome, Ubuntu is Xfce4 and Kubuntu is KDE. Do some googling on default apps for those desktops. Debian can be anything you want it to be really: out of the box it is vanilla but during the install you choose what you want to install. Package manager for all of these is Debian "apt", including Ubuntu, since they are all based on Debian.

Keep in mind you can install anything anywhere, if it is in your distros repositories.

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It warms my heart that you have decided to stop over thinking things and jump in the pool. However BEFORE you do anything else (including reading more of this reply) copy EVERYTHING you might want to keep onto an external drive.

Now as mentioned by sevendogsbsd distrowatch https://distrowatch.com/ isn't a bad place to look for which distro comes with what. And clicking on the name of the distro will often list the distro's -

1/ home page - the home page may even list what the defaults apps are and the minimium requirements for the distro.

2/ where to find the distro's forums

3/ a link to the download page

4/ a short list of packages, and

5/ how often a distro updates it's base system

On the "front page" down the right side is a list of the 100 most popular distro's.

Looking further (at the top of the page) is a link DW Weekly there is a report of the jurno's installing/use of a distro.

Until your knowledge of Linux is a little bit better I suggest that you stick with the defaults. But, again, as sevendogbsd posted almost everything is replaceable either from the mirror or from source - from source is more complicated.

Anything that comes with the default (the iso), or can be installed from the mirror, should run "out of the box."

Before downloading the distro's iso I suggest you look at the distro's forums to see both how often someone looks for help and the speed of the response. Not only does this tell you how often help is sought, it will also tell you the attitude of the distro's response posters and in reading the threads you may learn something about linux in general.

Before you ask there are several ways of making a linux iso while using windoze. I've used https://www.pendrivelinux.com/ before to create an iso. Other posters may suggest other methods (apps) but I've not used them........ pendrivelinux may restrict your options but once you have linux on your electronic marvel, changing distro's is relatively quick and easy.

P.s. Just to complicate things, as a slackware user I've found the forum, (the forum is part of this site) and wiki, both useful and friendly, so maybe add that to your list of possible first installs.

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The text editor, file manager, and almost everything else is a function of the DE. Any distro can use any DE, but some default to a specific DE. Of the ones you mentioned, Xubuntu comes with Xfce (thus the X), Kubuntu comes with KDE (thus the K) and Ubuntu defaults to Cinnamon, or did. I haven't bothered to try to keep up. Debian can run any DE, and the installation lets you choose any or all. The primary DEs are Gnome, Mate, Cinnamon, KDE, Xfce and LXDE. Each has its own suite of programs, but you can mix and match easily enough. Any file manager, text editor, etc will run under any DE, but may pull in a lot of dependencies. That doesn't really hurt anything other than taking up more disk space. Personally, I run Debian with Xfce, and I detest Gnome. The others are sort of meh for me. But my preferences are mine alone, and it's not so difficult to install different DEs and try them out. Just be careful if you decide to remove one or more, because there can be unexpected side effects relating to dependencies and package manage quirks. The biggest difference between distros is the package management system. I can't even keep up with all of them, but there is at least apt, pacman, yum, rpm, and more. I got started with apt long ago, and I don't want to run a distro that doesn't use it. I'm used to it and don't want to bother to learn another. But if you're just starting out, it's not so hard to try different things. Debian is the base for the majority of distros, and uses apt. Ubuntu takes Debian Unstable, tweaks it until it barely runs, and pushes it out the door every 6 months, ready or not. Then there is a plethora of distros based on Ubuntu. The abundance of choices makes narrowing one's search difficult. Good luck in your quest. It's fun and worth the effort.

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LOL! (literally!) But I have put a toe in the water - I got Ubuntu 20.04 onto a flashdrive! I am now at the point where no matter what method I use, I cannot seem to get my Windows Firefox Profile to replace my Linux Firefox (empty) Profile (even tho they look identical). I'm wondering whether it is because I'm running from a flashdrive and everything is in RAM - but shouldn't it show up in RAM, even if it doesn't survive a shutdown? My main concern is the pair of files with my 500 passwords.

I'm just going to bite the bullet and install it. I've spent today reading about all the first-level directories so I know which ones I want on a separate partition. I'm just not a trial & error kinda gal - before I dive in headfirst, I like to have some idea how shallow the water is.

I hear what you say about Debian, sgosnell, and that was what I was leaning towards, but some told me that Ubuntu was better for a beginner. I don't like Gnome3, but Gnome2 looks okay so far. I've got a feeling I may end up with Debian KDE.

Thank you everybody for the tips and links! I'm done tonight, but I'll try everything in the morning. --Anne
.

Hi,

just to add my 2 yen worth.
That may be true for many beginners, but the measured approach that you seem to be taking makes me think that Debian Stable would suit you very well.

Evo2.

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The password database is a file on the HDD so it will have to be transferred or rebuilt. I would feel really leary of any system that kept a password database in RAM (or anything else remaining in RAM when powered down as well).
I don't know where to find that file nor what the name would be since I don't use firefox on either windows or linux. I suspect someone who uses firefox could guide you, but I cannot.

While running from the live USB you cannot permanently configure the firefox profile (or anything else permanently for that matter). As the name says, it is live, not installed. An installed OS allows you to make permanent changes since it writes to the HDD, not just to memory as happens when booted to the live image.

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Hi,

one more thing: regarding passwords in firefox, the following may be useful:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb...te-edit-logins

Evo2.

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Debian's installer routinely leaves out the firmware. The user has to install it manually. This is a major stumbling block for people new to Linux.

Once installed, Debian is easy to use and a great way to test drive all of the desktop environments.
Ed

It does not include non-free firmware.
Yes people who don't do a bit or research will often be caught out by this.
Probably the easiest workaround if non-free firmware is needed at install time is to use the unofficial installation images.

http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/un...ding-firmware/

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I was referring to the unofficial installation images with the non-free firmware. The firmware may be present on the installation disk, but the installer often won't install it. The Debian developers do not seem to prioritize fixing the installer.
Ed

Interesting, I've not encountered that.
I would still argue that a bigger problem for people installing Debian is when their only network device requires non-free firmware and that firmware is not on the media.
Do you have BTS number or link?

As already stated. When you shut down the electronic marvel everything in RAM does not have what it needs (electricity) to survive.

For Gawds sake have an external copy of this file(s)! And expect to have to manually reinstall everyone of them ....... shakes head ....... 500 passwords ...... 500 sites visited ....... wow! Hope you know which password connects to site.

Linux and shallow water?

Thanks for returning the pleasure of literally laughing out loud.

OMG! Someone is in for a shock.

Oh goodie! I'll have something to read tomorra! ........ Orders the popcorn.

Good luck.

I did not file a bug report for my AMD GPU's firmware. From the forums, missing firmware seems to be a common problem for a variety of hardware.
Ed

I would not let Firefox handle all my passwords. I do use it for websites on which I leave little personal information, but for anything at all sensitive I use a password manager. I like KeePassXC, which is a fork of KeePassX which is fork of KeePass. KeePass is ok, but it's really a Windows program ported through mono, and I'm not a fan of mono. There are a number of password managers which run on Linux, though, so choices are not that limited. I would export the passwords from Firefox as a .csv file, which can be imported into almost all password managers. I've used one version or another of KeePass for years because it also has ports for Android, and it encrypts the password file locally. I sync the encrypted database on Dropbox, so I have my passwords available anywhere, on any device, all with a current version. I do not understand why everyone doesn't use a password manager. I don't even know what most of my passwords are, other than long strings of random characters, and I don't need to. KeePassXC and KeePass2Android remember them for me, and will autofill them if I want. There are other managers that do more or less the same thing, it's just the one I decided to use in the distant past, when Palm went belly up. I had used a password manager on several versions of Palm PDAs, and KeePass made it easy to import those databases. Having 500 passwords is not something to laugh at. Reusing passwords is simply stupid. Egregiously negligent. But it's not that hard to export and import the passwords to a good manager.

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