What Linux Operating Systems do you like?

Ice Tea said:
It bugs the hell out of me how Ubuntu keeps installing 500MB to 1GB LibreOffice updates. I don't recall having that with Debian in the past, just small LibreOffice security patches unless things have changed.
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Just the normal stable version of LibreOffice (26.2.3)- not the RC, or beta?
 
Just the normal version , they way i articulated the post wrongly gives the impression that i'm getting it repeatedly.

I just meant that Ubuntu always seems to have large libreoffice updates that i don't recall ever having with Debian.

*edit*

Why does Ubuntu have large LibreOffice updates in comparison to Debian Stable?

  • Debian updates contain only small security patches.
  • Debian binaries change by just a few kilobytes.

  • Ubuntu updates replace the entire LibreOffice suite.
  • Ubuntu packages download hundreds of megabytes of data.
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So it is as i remember.
 
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According to Google AI, Flatpak has smaller incremental updates but i'm not going to try it as i'm going to be moving away from Ubuntu.
 
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I've only used Debian and LMDE. Even though it's been a long time I've never had a great understanding of package management in general, and it was counter-intuitive to me that flatpak or snap would provide smaller updates than native .deb. I made the assumption that your complaint was because of flatpak/snap where I thought they impart large updates even for security fixes.

I have LMDE with LibreOffice from trixie-backports which I understood tracks upstream reasonably closely and was not regularly seeing large updates.

[edit]
As an example, this afternoon:

This seemed a reasonable size for an upgrade from new upstream release, and why I thought your 500-1000 MB updates were flatpak/snap related.

Code: 
$ sudo apt list --upgradeable
libreoffice-base-core/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-calc/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-core/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-draw/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-gnome/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-gtk3/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-help-common/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-help-en-us/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-impress/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-l10n-en-gb/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-l10n-en-za/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-uiconfig-calc/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-uiconfig-draw/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-uiconfig-impress/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-uiconfig-writer/stable-backports,stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 all [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libreoffice-writer/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libuno-cppu3t64/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libuno-cppuhelpergcc3-3t64/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libuno-purpenvhelpergcc3-3t64/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libuno-sal3t64/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
libuno-salhelpergcc3-3t64/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
python3-uno/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
uno-libs-private/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
ure/stable-backports 4:26.2.4.2-1~bpo13+1 amd64 [upgradable from: 4:26.2.3.2-2~bpo13+1]
$
$ sudo apt upgrade
Upgrading:
libreoffice-base-core libreoffice-gnome libreoffice-impress libreoffice-uiconfig-draw libuno-cppu3t64 libuno-salhelpergcc3-3t64
libreoffice-calc libreoffice-gtk3 libreoffice-l10n-en-gb libreoffice-uiconfig-impress libuno-cppuhelpergcc3-3t64 python3-uno
libreoffice-core libreoffice-help-common libreoffice-l10n-en-za libreoffice-uiconfig-writer libuno-purpenvhelpergcc3-3t64 uno-libs-private
libreoffice-draw libreoffice-help-en-us libreoffice-uiconfig-calc libreoffice-writer libuno-sal3t64 ure

Summary:
Upgrading: 24, Installing: 0, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 0
Download size: 68.2 MB
Space needed: 16.4 kB / 843 GB available
 
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I have been using a old mac mini 2011 to test out different distros. After using cachy OS the most and it running great on the mini for over three months, I now have moved all my linux PC's from Mint to Cachy OS Gnome.
Used Mint for well over ten years now, still love it for ease of use and would recommend it for beginners. But I now find Cachy OS better and faster.
 
It would seem you can run Android apps on Catchy OS... I will have to give that a try.

I was thinking about Catchy OS for my Windows tablet but it looks very heavy requiring 50GB for the full experience. My Tablet is a Panasonic CF-20 I can't remember what RAM it has now but its either 4GB or 8GB RAM. It has an i5 Processor I can't remember the storage space but its over 100 GB. I don't really use the tablet so I will have blow the dust of it and charge it up and find out the specs.
 
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Retro6 said:
It would seem you can run Android apps on Catchy OS... I will have to give that a try.

I was thinking about Catchy OS for my Windows tablet but it looks very heavy requiring 50GB for the full experience. My Tablet is a Panasonic CF-20 I can't remember what RAM it has now but its either 4GB or 8GB RAM. It has an i5 Processor I can't remember the storage space but its over 100 GB. I don't really use the tablet so I will have blow the dust of it and charge it up and find out the specs.
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I'm running CachyOS on my new Desktop and Laptop atm. It doesn't include any Android emulator in the gaming packages that I can see.

I know Bazzite does automatically install Waydroid. And you can use Waydroid to play Android apps. Although you can also use that on any Linux distro.
 
Timber said:
I'm running CachyOS on my new Desktop and Laptop atm. It doesn't include any Android emulator in the gaming packages that I can see.

I know Bazzite does automatically install Waydroid. And you can use Waydroid to play Android apps. Although you can also use that on any Linux distro.
Click to expand...
Linux distros are pretty much the same... I'll probably Ubuntu it or I might try Linux Mint, it be a bit lighter and then I can install Waydroid. My goto OS for desktops is Debian 13 but I'm not sure how debain 13 will function on a tablet without adding lots of other stuff plus tweaks but I know from experience that Ubuntu pretty much works out of the box with tablets.
 
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Retro6 said:
Linux distros are pretty much the same... I'll probably Ubuntu it or I might try Linux Mint, it be a bit lighter and then I can install Waydroid. My goto OS for desktops is Debian 13 but I'm not sure how debain 13 will function on a tablet without adding lots of other stuff plus tweaks but I know from experience that Ubuntu pretty much works out of the box with tablets.
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Yes, just when you mentioned Android emulation in the repos I was like; 'is it?' My curiosity was peaked.
 
Ice Tea said:
A standard Debian install is still so bleeping slooooooooooooooooooooooooow compared to anything else.

It's painful in 2026!
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I had no issues installing Debian, its pretty quick and takes more or less about the same time to install as any other Linux OS. Debian 13 I find it pretty quick and super light with the XFCE Desktop environment. I've found it to be the opposite of painful.

I will say the terminal takes some getting used too when installing other things but other than that user error hiccup with sudo commands in the terminal, its perfect for desktops.
 
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Maybe i've been unlucky all these years and got a slow mirror every single time i've done a net install?

Everything else is a 10min install?
 
I downloaded the full ISO version which is just under 4GB but when I install it I have my network cable in and I do a net install as its better for the latest updates while it installs.
 
Ice Tea said:
Maybe i've been unlucky all these years and got a slow mirror every single time i've done a net install?

Everything else is a 10min install?
Click to expand...

I don't think Debian is the fastest to install, it takes longer than CachyOS & Fedora for me.

When I last installed Debian 13 with GNOME on my small Lenovo Duet 3i (painfully slow hardware with 4GB RAM) it was quite slow. I've installed Debian more recently on the servers and that was faster, but equally a headless installation.

I'm not sure I'd call it slow, but definitely not the fastest. Although playing around with recent OS installs; Debian, Bazzite, CachyOS, Arch, Fedora & Steam OS. I think that honour goes to the Steam OS. That recovery image based on 3.8.10 took maybe two minutes to wipe Bazzite and be back up and running in Steam OS Setup. Within five minutes I was playing Brotato. I know it's apples to oranges comparison, but I was impressed compared to my recent Bazzite install.
 
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I've just asked AI and apparently Debian unlike a lot of mainstream distro repeatedly uses Fsync to flush the disk buffer during unpacking which can bottle neck early SSD drives and it just so happens my linux test drive is an old Msata.

Yes, fsync is absolutely crippling your installation speed on that drive. In fact, your specific hardware setup creates a "worst-case scenario" for how fsync interacts with storage.

Because it lacks the multiple parallel memory channels found in modern SSD drives , its raw writing pipeline is inherently narrow.

fsync forces 4KB random writes. On an early-generation mSATA drives, random write performance drops down to a fraction of maximum sequential write speed.
Click to expand...

So the problem is my test hardware rather than the installer.

Use the eatmydata Trick: using eatmydata during an expert installation bypasses fsync entirely.
Click to expand...
This forces Debian to write straight to system RAM and lets your drive handle the data sequentially, dropping installation time down to minutes.
Click to expand...
 
Ice Tea said:
I've just asked AI and apparently Debian unlike a lot of mainstream distro repeatedly uses Fsync to flush the disk buffer during unpacking which can bottle neck early SSD drives and it just so happens my linux test drive is an old Msata.

So the problem is my test hardware rather than the installer.
Click to expand...

So if you've got a M.2 SATA drives, or one of these small eMMC drives that's also going to slow things down.
 
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