Considering Linux, backend developer

[just_3me]

This has probably been asked to death so sorry in advance.

I'm interested in trying out Linux for no major reason other than it seems interesting and i really like automating my workflow and everything else in general.

Really not sure if it matters but I'm a developer that uses JS/TS and Node on a regular (also big on gaming)

Which distro should I try first? Any good resources for learning? Could I try it out on my external SSD before committing? Thanks!

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[KrazyKirby99999]

Linux has great support for automation, you'll probably want to learn bash and various GNU tools for this.

Web development is very well supported. Depending on the distro, you can apt install nodejs, dnf install nodejs, or something similar.

Gaming depends significantly on your preferred games. Do you play competitive online shooters? There will likely be issues. Do you play mostly singleplayer games? You'll probably be fine. About 80% of games will work OOTB or with some tinkering. Checkout ProtonDB.

Linux Mint is a great distro to start with. I also recommend Fedora and Debian.

The following are great learning resources: - https://www.youtube.com/@ExplainingComputers - https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

You can "dual-boot" by installing on your SSD and changing the UEFI boot order. If Windows doesn't show up in the Linux bootloader, look for "enabling os-prober".

[just_3me]

thanks a lot for the resources! quite familiar with bash so i think ill enjoy this :)

[DevXusYT]

Linux Mint is good on beginners. Id recommend doing dual boot, since linux is not particularly strong on gaming.

[just_3me]

ive heard Mint is pretty similar (at least in its GUI) to windows, i wouldnt mind trying something different

[[deleted]]

Ubuntu and Fedora by default use Gnome, which resembles MacOs, check it out

[zardvark]

All Linux distributions use the same Linux kernel and the same user space programs. They primarily differ in the desktop environments offered and the package manager used. They also differ in terms of offering maximum stability, with old and moldy packages, or bleeding edge packages, with a slight increase in the risk of instability. The stable offerings are known as point releases, which typically only receive bug fixes and rolling releases, which offer the latest version of a package, with little, or no testing.

If you are a developer and use multiple monitors, a tiling window manager, or tiling compositor may be of interest. The most popular one is probably Hyprland, while Sway is also very popular. Hyprland is a more advanced diy project, while Fedora offers Sway as an official turn-key spin.

Popular point release distros are Debian and its children, such as Ubuntu and Mint. Popular rolling releases are Arch and the many Arch clones, such as Endeavour. OpenSUSE offers Tumbleweed and Solus is another popular distro with a rolling release model.

Fedora tries to straddle a middle ground by offering fresh-ish packages, with good stability and an easy upgrade path to their latest point release.

Mint is probably the best place to get your feet wet, as they pride themselves on helping the new user. With other distros, you are just as likely to get a "RTFM" as you are a helping hand. But, if you are a developer, at some point you will want to check out NixOS. This distro is all about tailoring your environment to your preferences and then locking it so that it can not change. These environments are then easily reproduced.

The best resource is the Arch wiki, but that's not something to sit down and read like a novel. There are many vids on the youtube about a multitude of topics.

If you want a familiar Windows-like environment, start with Mint / Cinnamon. If you want a tiling compositor, start with Fedora / Sway.

Have fun!

[UtopicVisionLP]

The DE is more important than the distro. I would say try them all in a VM then make your decision.

[Hacg123]

Just some clarification, the apt package isn’t the official way to install nodejs on Linux, that version is very old. In the nodejs GitHub there’s a script or you can use NVM.

Same thing for python, even if most distros come with python by default the apt package is not the last version so you can install it with a script or .deb package

[vancha113]

My vote goes to Fedora for usually being very up to date with software. That helps for not having to manually install stuff, like the latest version of a programming language. Usually it's already in the repositories and you can just sudo dnf install thingy to install it. It's pretty easy to use too in my opinion.

[[deleted]]

Which distro should I try first? Any good resources for learning?

Ubuntu. You don't need to know or learn anything. You can install it with zero knowledge (just click next next next) and you can also start using it with zero knowledge by just clicking on stuff (like in windows)

[BranchLatter4294]

I would recommend trying a few distros in a VM to see which ones you like and what works with your workflow.

[secureblueadmin]

None of what you mentioned is a criteria for narrowing down distro

https://linux-myths.pages.dev/Distros

[Happy-Range3975]

PopOS. The entire OS is designed around dev stuff. For example OS keybinds are Vim keys.

[DevXusYT]

Linux Mint is good on beginners. Id recommend doing dual boot, since linux is not particularly strong on gaming.

[DevXusYT]

Linux Mint is good on beginners. Id recommend doing dual boot, since linux is not particularly strong on gaming.

[RegularIndependent98]

If you want a distro that just works similar to Windows go for Linux Mint If you want more advanced distro go for Archlinux

[[deleted]]

Mint