[SOLVED] Debian for dummies: LMDE vs SpiralLinux vs Q4OS

2old4this1 · 10-29-2022, 11:52 PM

I'm trying to convert this household from windows to debian with a minimum of hassle.

What differences exist between LMDE, SpiralLinux and Q4OS?

Which is best suited for office work, school work, web browsing and video games?

boughtonp · 10-30-2022, 07:43 AM

For "minimum of hassle", generally pick something popular/mainstream, which - from those options - means LMDE.

SpiralLinux is a new distro - more of a flavour/blend than a derivative, since it focuses on configuration and doesn't have its own repos - might be worth keeping an eye on, but it's too new to determine stability, and I'm not keen on its reliance on GitHub.

Of course, you could always just use Debian directly and configure it appropriately - from a user's perspective the desktop environment is the biggest factor in usability. Have you trialed different DEs with your household members yet?

How did you come to have those three choices on your shortlist?

edwardp · 10-30-2022, 03:19 PM

I would also suggest installing Debian directly. I am using it with the LXDE desktop, it's fast and easily customizable.

2old4this1 · 10-30-2022, 10:22 PM

I tried out regular debian and found it to be not easy to work with, especially when it came to getting proprietary software, like graphics drivers and codecs, installed in a way that they would actually work.
I also tried out fedora and ubuntu to disastrous effect, as well as a whole slew of ubuntu derivatives (including xubuntu, lubuntu, all flavors of mint, peppermint, zorin, elementary and feren) which all have horrible documentation, even worse support and feel like they are basically just stripped down reskins of ubuntu.
So this led me to conclude that a "debian for dummies" distribution would be best.

I really like the concept of SpiralLinux being simply debian made easy without adding or altering anything.
Q4OS seems to be well-liked and has a unique desktop theme XPQ4 that allows easy ricing to look like a various versions of windows and is purportedly less buggy than other similar projects.
LMDE I included because it's the most famous "debian for dummies", so I wanted to know if and how it differed from the others. But given Mint's truly awful support and disappointing functionality, I am hardly even considering LMDE.
Finally, I am also still eyeing up MX, Lite and Pop for a test drive, though I suspect Pop will suffer from the same problems as the other ubuntu derivatives.

2old4this1 · 11-04-2022, 08:54 PM

I've added a poll which includes Neptune, another "debian for dummies" distribution I've seen recommended. Because LMDE is not a serious contender, I decided not to include it in the poll, I am however still curious about the differences between LMDE and the distributions that are included in the poll. And if you choose to vote for LMDE by writing it in, then please give good reasons why I should reconsider ruling it out.

frankbell · 11-04-2022, 09:11 PM

Debian is the best Debian.

Timothy Miller · 11-04-2022, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2old4this1

feel like they are basically just stripped down reskins of ubuntu.

Well, given that's EXACTLY what they are, they should feel that way.

IMO, as far as the one you just added, you can get the same thing as from Neptune as installing base Debian but choosing KDE as the desktop instead of Gnome. Only it'll be less ugly than Neptune. Neptunes theme is quite ugly IMO.

jailbait · 11-04-2022, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2old4this1

I tried out regular debian and found it to be not easy to work with, especially when it came to getting proprietary software, like graphics drivers and codecs, installed in a way that they would actually work.
I also tried out fedora and ubuntu to disastrous effect, as well as a whole slew of ubuntu derivatives (including xubuntu, lubuntu, all flavors of mint, peppermint, zorin, elementary and feren) which all have horrible documentation, even worse support and feel like they are basically just stripped down reskins of ubuntu.
So this led me to conclude that a "debian for dummies" distribution would be best.

I really like the concept of SpiralLinux being simply debian made easy without adding or altering anything.
Q4OS seems to be well-liked and has a unique desktop theme XPQ4 that allows easy ricing to look like a various versions of windows and is purportedly less buggy than other similar projects.
LMDE I included because it's the most famous "debian for dummies", so I wanted to know if and how it differed from the others. But given Mint's truly awful support and disappointing functionality, I am hardly even considering LMDE.
Finally, I am also still eyeing up MX, Lite and Pop for a test drive, though I suspect Pop will suffer from the same problems as the other ubuntu derivatives.

You are approaching the problem the same way that I first installed Linux in 2000. I would try a distribution, fail to get it working, and go on to another distribution. With each failure I learned more about Linux. The first distribution that I got working happened to be SuSE and so I ran SuSE for several years. I don't think that SuSE was any easier than the other distributions. I succeeded with SuSE because I had worked my way through enough failed installations to finally get one right.

2old4this1 · 11-07-2022, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timothy Miller

IMO, as far as the one you just added, you can get the same thing as from Neptune as installing base Debian but choosing KDE as the desktop instead of Gnome. Only it'll be less ugly than Neptune. Neptunes theme is quite ugly IMO.

The attractive feature of Neptune to me isn't the desktop environment, but rather quality of life features, like the ZevenOS driver manager and Neptune scripts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jailbait

You are approaching the problem the same way that I first installed Linux in 2000. I would try a distribution, fail to get it working, and go on to another distribution. With each failure I learned more about Linux. The first distribution that I got working happened to be SuSE and so I ran SuSE for several years. I don't think that SuSE was any easier than the other distributions. I succeeded with SuSE because I had worked my way through enough failed installations to finally get one right.

Unfortunately, even if I could go through the process of learning Linux by trying out multiple distributions, I can't reasonably expect everyone else to do the same. I need to find one single distribution that largely works for everyone to start with, and then stick with that and iron out the details.

jailbait · 11-07-2022, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2old4this1

Unfortunately, even if I could go through the process of learning Linux by trying out multiple distributions, I can't reasonably expect everyone else to do the same. I need to find one single distribution that largely works for everyone to start with, and then stick with that and iron out the details.

Then I would recommend that you start with Ubuntu.

rokytnji · 11-07-2022, 05:33 PM

This dummy is in here with his new/used chromebook.

Code:

$ inxi -b
System:
  Host: kali Kernel: 5.19.0-kali2-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: Xfce
    v: 4.16.1 Distro: Kali GNU/Linux 2022.3 kali-rolling
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: GOOGLE product: Candy v: 1.0
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: GOOGLE model: Candy v: 1.0 serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: coreboot v: MrChromebox-4.18.1 date: 10/27/2022
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 41.8 Wh (100.0%) condition: 41.8/44.5 Wh (94.1%)
CPU:
  Info: dual core Intel Celeron N2840 [MCP] speed (MHz): avg: 646
    min/max: 500/2582
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Graphics & Display
    driver: i915 v: kernel
  Device-2: Suyin Integrated_Webcam_HD type: USB driver: uvcvideo
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.4 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: crocus gpu: i915 resolution: 1366x768~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.2 Mesa 22.2.0 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics (BYT)
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Wireless 7260 driver: iwlwifi
  Device-2: Intel Bluetooth wireless interface type: USB driver: btusb
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 22.29 GiB used: 6.36 GiB (28.5%)
Info:
  Processes: 168 Uptime: 1h 31m Memory: 3.76 GiB used: 1.82 GiB (48.5%)
  Shell: sh inxi: 3.3.23

1st time buying a netbook without chromeos or windows installed. Price of a 4 gig raspberry pi is what I paid for it.

Oh yeah

Code:

$ cat /etc/issue
Kali GNU/Linux Rolling \n \l

$ cat /etc/debian_version
kali-rolling
$ inxi -r
Repos:
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
    1: deb http://http.kali.org/kali kali-rolling main contrib non-free

It was either this or Ubuntu. Which was I voted none above.

kilgoretrout · 11-08-2022, 06:57 AM

Of the options given and considered I would go with MX Linux if you don't want to configure standard Debian stable.

artytux · 11-08-2022, 08:29 AM

Hello
@2old4this1
I've been using SpiralLinux for a few months now and everything in KDE works out of the box as they say.
No problems.
It's a user-friendly easy to use Debian with the codecs etc.

Regards
artytux

wpeckham · 11-08-2022, 09:35 AM

If you are not going to go direct to Debian testing with Plasma, then I recommend MintDE Linux.

But, seriously, it is hard to get better than Debian. You just have to install the office, school, and play things you need. Debian has more in its repos than nearly any other distribution: more than several others combined!

For a more DARK look than MintDE, you might go all cutting edge with SPARKY Linux. Just be aware it does not use TESTING as much as SID, so it is less stable.

2old4this1 · 11-10-2022, 08:48 AM

We've dropped Q4OS from the list, because there is definitely something shady going on with the developers and its users behave like NXIVM, so it's really up between Spiral and Neptune now. Though the former has my preference, as it's closer to pure Debian, which is what most people have been recommending.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokytnji

.

Kali does look nice for penetration testing or perhaps even for daily-driving by an expert. But I'm rather hesitant to become yet another burden on the Kali community. They seem to be getting such a large influx of less-advanced users that even LQ has posted warnings about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout

Of the options given and considered I would go with MX Linux if you don't want to configure standard Debian stable.

We tried MX and ArtiX, but found them to be disappointing experiences.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpeckham

But, seriously, it is hard to get better than Debian. You just have to install the office, school, and play things you need. Debian has more in its repos than nearly any other distribution: more than several others combined!

I agree, that's why I want access to the Debian repositories. Since Spiral doesn't maintain its own repos or alter the Debian packages at all, we seem to be gravitating towards that (well, I am anyway).