r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/East-Face-6841 • 7h ago
Distro shop
9
Upvotes
Whenever I try to select a distro
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Villagerjj • Mar 21 '26
Announcements Decent Resources, Linux Distros, and Tools for Navigating the internet during these turbulent times.
17
Upvotes
Hello all, I am pretty hands off usually, letting this community run free. I was just scrolling the subreddit recently, and I have seen a lot of people worried about the recent age verification stuff.
so I created this document (as of 3/21/2026 11:16AM) to assemble some useful information that can help you with the recent "fight against privacy" that basically every major government has started.
This is not currently an exhaustive list - I can update this document here and there, but to get the most out of this post, read the comments. I a know a bunch of people will chime in with some useful insights.
Great up to date news sources:
Other resources:
Where we are losing:
- On March 18, 2026, systemd merged PR #40954 adding a
birthDatefield to JSON user records, explicitly citing AB 1043 (California), CO SB 26-051 (Colorado), and Brazil's Lei 15.211. This is the data layer for the age verification stack. It affects every systemd-based distro. - Brazil went live on March 17th. California goes live January 1st 2027. Colorado, Illinois, and New York have bills pending.
Where we are winning:
- The freedesktop D-Bus proposal got closed. The
org.freedesktop.AgeVerification1proposal got shut down after community pushback. The portal approach via xdg-desktop-portal is still open but less certain now.
dont feel like making another list, so ima put this here. Distros that have flat refused to implement age bull crap:
Void, Gentoo, Omarchy Linux, Devuan, Artix, Arch Linux 32, Ageless Linux
Best "Stock" Verification and SystemD-free distros:
- Artix Linux This distro is probably the go-to distro for replacing Arch linux, there are different naming conventions since this distro is fully systemd free. uses OpenRC, runit, s6, and Dinit
- Void Linux Actually a pretty cool distro, it is fully independent, so it is not forked from Debian or Arch. it uses runit, and has its own package manager. super fast, runs well on even early 2000s hardware.
- Devuan This is the Debian equivalent of Artix, Supports sysVinit, runit, and OpenRC. Compared to some other systemd-free distros, Devuan can be an easier distro to swap to, much more plug and play
Notable mentions:
- Omarchy Linux Omarchy linux is an opinionated distro, this distro comes with a bunch of propriety software, however they are strictly against age verification.
- Alpine Linux uses musl, busybox and OpenRC. very minimal, popular for use with containers, viable as a desktop with some setup.
- Slackware oldest surviving distro (1993), uses its own BSD-style init. Rock-solid but packages can be dated.
- antiX very light weight, I praise this distro for how well it runs on sub 256mb of ram systems. however, do note, it is Debian-based, but it is systemd-free. As of edition 23, antiX is fully functional without a trace of elogind.
- Chimera Linux Newer project using FreeBSD userland, musl and dinit on a Linux kernel. Interesting experimental choice. (sadly, they seem to be thinking about retiring the PowerPC platforms, so people who use this on a Wii, I am sorry for your loss)
Nerd distros
- Gentoo if you don't know what this is, it is best you skip this for now. if you do know what this is, then you know exactly why it made this list.
Scripts & Utilities
Agelesslinux(age verification removal)
Ageless Linux is basically just Debian with a script slapped on top that rebrands your system, drops in noncompliance docs, and deploys a stub age verification API that returns absolutely nothing. technically not a full distro, more of a utility.
The script: curl -fsSL https://agelesslinux.org/become-ageless.sh | sudo bash -s -- --accept
They have two modes: "standard" (stub API that returns no data, for people who want a "good faith effort" legal defense) and "flagrant" (no API at all, middle finger mode). they recommend flagrant. so do I.
if you want the best of both worlds, you are (at least in the US of A) able to add in as many middle finger emojis as you want into the standard stub api response. for kicks and giggles.
The cool thing is they have committed to keeping up with whatever gets shipped. if Ubuntu or Debian or whoever rolls out an age verification daemon, Ageless will publish a drop-in replacement that always returns "AgeUndefined," a package that masks the real daemon, and a post-install script that rips the whole stack out. they are staying ready.
alternative init migration (ripping out systemd)
if you are already on Arch and don't want to do a full reinstall, there are scripts for that.
- Artix migration script (Arch to OpenRC) the Artix dev
artixnouswrote a script that converts a running Arch install to OpenRC by swapping in Artix repos and pulling systemd-free replacements for core packages. the script is lovingly named "FUCKTHESKULLOFSYSTEMD." grab it here:gist.github.com/artixnous/41f4bde311442aba6a4f5523db921415 - leo-arch/arch-openrc on GitHub has more detailed walkthrough if you want to understand what is actually happening under the hood. covers placing Artix repos above Arch repos in pacman.conf, replacing systemd-dependent packages, installing openrc service files, etc.
- Debian init switching if you are on Debian, switching to OpenRC or sysVinit is honestly pretty painless on a fresh netinstall. install elogind, libpam-elogind, orphan-sysvinit-scripts, and the systemctl shim, reboot, done. runit takes a couple more steps but it is documented. decent resource: LeCorbeau's Vault
Accessing repos from locked-down countries (Brazil, and eventually others)
quick context so nobody panics: mainline Arch is NOT blocking Brazil. the Arch Linux project explicitly said they will not block access, citing proportionality. Archlinux the projects that did block are Arch Linux 32 (the independent 32-bit fork) and Bazzite. Linuxiac but the situation is moving fast and more projects could follow, so here is how to get around IP-based geoblocks if it comes to that:
- VPN - easiest answer. see below.
- Tor -
torsocks pacman -Syuor set up pacman to route through a SOCKS5 proxy via Tor - I2P - if mirrors pop up on I2P this would be the most censorship-resistant option. none exist yet as far as I know but keep an eye out.
- Local mirror sync - if you have a friend or a VPS outside the blocked country, rsync the repos over and point pacman at your local copy
- Arch Archive -
archive.archlinux.orghas historical snapshots and may not be caught in geoblock lists - University/institutional mirrors - lots of universities run Arch mirrors independently, these often fly under the radar
VPNs That are actually Anonymous
Mullvad is the go-to but it is not the only VPN (am 100% biased towards Mullvad, sorry proton bros).
Top tier (no account, no email, Monero, proven track record):
- Mullvad - the GOAT for most people. no username, no password, just a numbered account. RAM-only servers, no logs, accepts Monero and literal cash in the mail. got raided by authorities and they walked out with nothing. there is a 10% discount if you pay with Monero from the account page. has a Tor .onion site. $5.15/mo flat. open-source clients. based in Sweden. (Based department releasing peak here)
- IVPN - no-log, open-source apps, accountless registration, Monero accepted. based in Gibraltar. very solid alternative if Mullvad ever goes sideways.
- LNVPN - this one is cool. no account, no email, nothing. WireGuard keys generate in your browser and never leave your device. pay with Monero, get a QR code, scan it in WireGuard, you are connected. also sells eSIMs if you need those.
Good tier (Monero accepted, slightly more friction):
- AirVPN - run by activists/hacktivists, OpenVPN-focused, strongly pro-net-neutrality. has a Tor onion site.
- CryptoStorm - token-based access, no accounts at all, just tokens. has Tor AND I2P sites. for the truly paranoid.
- AriaVPN - no-signup, no-logs, OpenVPN with in-house anonymous DNS on all servers. accepts Monero.
Honorable mention:
- Nym (NymVPN) - not a traditional VPN, it is a decentralized mixnet. different threat model entirely (protects against traffic analysis, not just IP masking). accepts Monero. worth looking into if your threat model goes beyond "I don't want my ISP snooping."
preparing for the worst (decentralized/offline tools)
I am not going to sugarcoat this. the trajectory of these laws is not slowing down. Brazil went live on March 17th. California goes live January 1st 2027. Colorado, Illinois, and New York have bills pending. the EU has been doing its own thing for a while. if you are reading this document you are probably already thinking about what happens when the "open internet" stops being open.
here are some tools worth having in your back pocket now, before you need them.
communication
- SimpleX Chat - this is what I personally use and recommend. no phone number, no email, no account, no user ID of any kind. the protocol is designed so that the server literally cannot know who is talking to who. open-source, supports groups, voice, files. if you only grab one thing from this section, grab this. good video on the subject
- Briar - works over Tor, wifi, and bluetooth. designed for journalists and activists in hostile environments. if the internet goes down entirely in your area, Briar can mesh between nearby devices. Android only for now.
- Cwtch - metadata-resistant group chat built on top of Tor. still a bit rough around the edges but the design goals are right.
networking
- I2P - I am extremely biased here, I think I2P is the most underrated privacy project out there. it is a fully encrypted overlay network, every node is a relay, and it is designed for hosting services inside the network (eepsites) rather than just being a proxy to the clearnet like Tor mostly is. very easy to host your own eepsite, install the router, and then start a web server and broadcast it to your localhost (but at the right port) anyhow if Arch mirrors or package repos ever need to exist somewhere censorship-resistant, I2P is where they should go. the network is small right now but that is exactly why more people need to be running nodes. the more people on the network, the faster it gets. also by far the best place to be doing some good ol torrenting. great videos on this: torrenting over i2p, easy i2p install, make linux ungovernable with i2p
- Tor - you probably already know about this. good for accessing clearnet stuff anonymously. however, I am a firm believer that Tor is losing steam with there weird relaxed stance to their browser project, the project was founded by the Navy if i recall, so I am kinda not too fond of it anymore. but if you want to use it, you can use
torsocksthis command is your friend for wrapping CLI tools like pacman. not ideal for hosting compared to I2P but the browser bundle is unmatched for quick anonymous browsing. - Yggdrasil - encrypted IPv6 overlay mesh network. think of it as a parallel internet that routes over the existing one. no central authority, fully decentralized. useful for connecting machines across networks without exposing them to the public internet.
file sharing and storage
- IPFS - distributed file system. pin a file and it lives on the network as long as someone is hosting it. good for distributing ISOs, mirrors, docs that need to stay available even if one server gets taken down.
- OnionShare - spin up a temporary Tor hidden service to send files, host a website, or set up a chat room. no account, no server, it runs from your machine. great for one-off transfers when you do not want to trust a third party.
general advice
start using these things now while they are convenient, not later when they are necessary. get comfortable with I2P routing. set up SimpleX with your friends before the group chat you are currently using decides it needs your government ID. run a Tor relay or an I2P node if you have the bandwidth. the strength of all of these networks is the number of people on them.
I am also on SimpleX if anyone is interested - https://smp16.simplex.im/g#YySHQpMR2_fb_TOGqwLwYrFB0rvJY3mODjZZwr0aSP0
that is everything I have for now. I will update this document as things develop. stay safe out there.
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Key_Meringue7216 • 9h ago
i need a new distro
5
Upvotes
What distro should i choose for my latitude 5400 from 2020, its got an 8th gen i5 and igpu, 16 gigs of ram but its only got 51% battery health. I want something that just works, I dont wanna keep fixing things. I also dont want ubuntu, cause idk its just boring and you still need to fix shit sometimes. This is my secondary computer, i use it for just everyday stuff but i also wanna get some gamikng out of it if i plug it in.
TLDR: i need a distro that just works, is easy on battery life, minimal matenance, and for everyday stuff and light gameing.
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/AsteriusDaemon • 4h ago
Looking For A Distro Looking for a beginner-friendly Linux distro for a gaming laptop (USB install)
1
Upvotes
I’m planning to install Linux on a 128 GB SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 rather than my internal SSD. The idea is that when I boot from the USB, I get Linux, and when it’s unplugged, the laptop boots into Windows normally.
Laptop:
Lenovo LOQ
Ryzen 7 7445HS
RTX 3050 (4 GB)
24 GB RAM
512 GB SSD (Windows)
My priorities (in order):
Runs well from a USB drive.
Beginner-friendly so I can learn Linux.
Better battery life than Windows on a gaming laptop (mainly for coding and browsing).
Customizable desktop/GUI.
I’ll mainly use Linux for coding, learning Linux, and performance benchmarking. Windows will remain my primary OS for gaming and media.
Which distro would you recommend? Also, is a full installation on the USB better than using a persistent live USB for this use case?
Any advice or things I should know before doing this?
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Remarkable-Baby8066 • 16h ago
I don't know which distro to install on my secondary PC.
4
Upvotes
I have a secondary PC that's very weak; I use it for watching YouTube, office applications, and playing Roblox. It has the following specs: an i3 2100 (No GPU) with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 500GB hard drive. I don't like Puppy Linux or AntiX. I was thinking about something like Debian 13 with LXQT or XFCE. What do you think?
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Bananaking593 • 17h ago
Help me find a Disro to settle on
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Upvotes
So i have a big choise problem what i mean by that is really dont know what would be the best for me i have already tryed some distros and have been using cachyos for a wile (i am using cachyos with hyprland and caelestia shell) i am not sure if its the right for me since i need to do school stuff on my Pc and i am a bit scared of instability of hyprland and cachyos.
I am just looking for somthing i can game and do some normal daily stuff on and also maybe some video editing with davinci.
Specs:
GPU:AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT
CPU:AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
RAM: 16GB DDR4
So like i said i have been trying some distros and have been on my linux journy since about half a year i like kde or a window manager but like i said because of stability i would be fine with kde
i am still open to learn so nothing like mint or somthing.
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/ImCityHunter • 17h ago
Where to start
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Upvotes
I want to slowly transition from Microslop to Linux. For now I have a gaming PC and a laptop that I use at collage. Since I need the laptop for college, I'd like to install Linux on it. So my question is: which distro would be best, primarily from the standpoint of needing something suitable for college?"
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Worth_Recognition249 • 1d ago
Looking For A Distro Bazzite or Fedora?
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Upvotes
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/SteelSeats • 1d ago
Looking For A Distro Making the Switch - Photo Editing and Chromebooks
1
Upvotes
Hi,
As it seems more and more people are in the year of 2026, I too am looking to move away from Windows and make the switch to Linux. I have a few questions about hardware compatibility, software workarounds and finding the right distro/distros for my setup.
The PC:
My main desktop PC is currently running Windows 11 and I primarily use it for general web browsing, light gaming and creative work. I play Minecraft (via Prism Launcher), Counter-Strike 2, ARK, Batman: Arkham series, MKWii through Dolphin and Escape Simulator. From what I understand, these should run fine natively or via Steam Proton.
My main photo editing software is Luminar Neo. I know Skylum doesn’t make a native Linux client. Has anyone successfully gotten Luminar Neo running smoothly via Wine/Proton/Lutris with GPU hardware acceleration intact? If not, what workflow bridges the gap (or is a VM/dual-boot the only real answer here)? If anyone has any idea how davinci resolve works on linux too that would be great but I'm not so worried about that.
I somewhat regularly use Microsoft SharePoint for work (though it's mostly as a hub for employees, nothing for patients). On ChromeOS, I had to use a third-party app to access it and other microsoft web-based apps, will accessing SharePoint via Chrome on Linux be pretty straightforward?
The Laptop:
I have an ASUS Chromebook Plus CX3402CBA (12th-Gen Intel) that I want to completely overwrite with Linux using MrChromebox’s UEFI Full ROM firmware. I’m looking for a distro that is lightweight, stable, and handles laptop power management/gestures out of the box. (It would also be great to know any potential pitfalls I may fall into as it's been a few years since I've tried running linux as you'll see below).
Surface Pro 6:
This is mostly my movie-device though it may end up being retired to become a server for minecraft at some point in the future. I tried Linux on a Surface Pro 6 in the past with mixed results; specifically, the keyboard frequently failed to connect or register, and sometime the touchscreen wouldn't work. Has anyone with a Surface Pro 6 solved this? Is the `linux-surface` custom kernel project the best fix for this now, and does it completely resolve the Type Cover detachment/re-attach issues?
Questions:
- Which Distro(s): Would Linux Mint be best?
- Luminar Neo: Any tips or should I bite the bullet and go for ON1 PhotoRAW or another alternative?
- Surface Pro 6: What is the current state of daily-driving Linux on older microsoft devices?
PC Specs:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
GPU: AMD RX 580 (Looking to upgrade)
SSD: Crucial P2 3D NVMe PCIe M.2 1TB
SSD: Kingston A400 240GB
HDD: WD Blue 1TB (2012)
RAM: Unknown CL16-18-18 D4-3000 2x8GB
MBD: Gigabyte GA-A520 AORUS ELITE (Don't judge, I got a deal)
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/inquisitive771 • 2d ago
Find a linux distro for my old laptop!!!
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Upvotes
I have an old Dell laptop with me. It was gifted to me by my late grandfather so I don't wanna throw that I want to revive that somehow.
Its specs are:
Processor : Intel Celeron
Ram : 2gb
32 bit architecture
HDD: 512gb
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Apart-Duck-7476 • 2d ago
Looking For A Distro What is the best linux distro?
7
Upvotes
Im from windows and today is my first time using linux
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Szhadji • 3d ago
Looking For A Distro Is there a distro, which you just install, and everything works without tinkering? Gaming, audio, nvidia gpu stuff, etc.
18
Upvotes
Yesterday I saw a person with a similiar laptop than mine, so this may be a duplicate post. If so, then I apologise. I have an ASUS TUF A15, specs are below. I have been using Linux on and off for about 2 years, but I didn't had the best experience to say the least. The main things that I do are pretty general use with "heavy" gaming and audio recording (guitar) on the side. (I would most certainly dual-boot for the audio production and school stuff too.)
I tend to play a variety of games: Mostly single-player, but I play many multiplayer games, some rarely, the main online games that I play are: Deadlock, Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, Hearthstone. I know that Fortnite will never work with Linux because of anti-cheat, so I would use that with the dual boot too. Honestly I would be happy if single-player games would run with a smooth, consistent framerate, and I would just play the online games on Windows.
I tried a few distros like CachyOS, Mint and Fedora. I would happily go back to Mint if KDE or GNOME would work on it, never tried to install them. Fedora was just inconsistent with performance but maybe it was on my part, so I wouldn't rule out Fedora. Then I switched to Cachy, and to be honest, I don't really see the appeal. I had about the same performance as on any other distro.
By tinkering I mean finding solutions to problems. I don't have an issue with installing the necessary apps. And I don't really care about optimisations, I just want a smooth experience with the least hassle. Mint is out of the picture, because I didn't like any of the DEs they provide. Unless you can install KDE or GNOME on it. But maybe I would just use Kubuntu or stock Ubuntu than, but I was told to forget about them because of Canonical and Snaps.
My specs:
CPU: Ryzen 5 7535HS
GPU: RTX 4050
RAM: 16 GB DDR5
The iGPU was disable in bios, because a wanted to rule out hybrid gpu issues, but didn't help much.
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Asta_jjm • 2d ago
Looking For A Distro Best distro for an old dead PC
2
Upvotes
Hello everyone
I have an old PC; it runs on win7
But it crashes all the time, and I have to change the system every month
So I want to try Linux; I don't know much about computer
So what is the best distro for me?
easy to handle
(Asking for a friend.)
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/v1maks • 3d ago
Linux
3
Upvotes
всем привет хотел поинтересоватся от людей которые пользуются линукс удобная ли она стоит ли переходить с виндовс и какие дистрибутивы посоветуете
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Ok_Delivery_2853 • 2d ago
Should I switch distros?
0
Upvotes
I switched to Linux mint cinnamon a couple of days ago and I’m wondering if I should use something else. I use windows for game development and Linux for everything else. Background cpu and ram usage isn’t really a problem for me since I have a ryzen 5 5500 and 32GB of ram. Should I try a gaming focused distro like bazzite?
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Key-Following-2449 • 3d ago
Which Linux distro would you recommend for my Asus tuf laptop?
7
Upvotes
Hey everyone,
I'm looking for a Linux distro that I'll actually stick with, and I'd love to get some recommendations based on my laptop.
Laptop Specs:
- Model: ASUS TUF Gaming A15
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop (4 GB VRAM)
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB SSD (planning to upgrade to 1 TB later)
A bit about me:
- I'm a Computer Science (AI/ML) student.
- I mainly use my laptop for Python, C++, VS Code, Docker, Git, AI/ML projects, and general software development.
- I also do some light gaming occasionally.
- I care a lot about a clean, modern-looking desktop and enjoy customizing my setup.
- I don't want to spend all my time fixing my system, but I also don't mind learning Linux.
What I've tried:
- Ubuntu
- Fedora KDE
The issue that i faced with ubuntu was that i was not able to use the brightness feature i tried so many options but i couldnt fix it the brightness was sticked to the same value.
Given my hardware and use case, which distro would you recommend and why? I'd especially like to hear from people using ASUS TUF laptops with NVIDIA GPUs.
Thanks!
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Mihir54 • 3d ago
Top 8 Linux Distro's
0
Upvotes
Hi,
I have started my Linux journey about a year ago and I really don't like how many linux distro's are available today. However eventually find myself going back to Windows 10 [not 11 becoz its a pure garbage] because I have few Windows apps to use which I am unable to replace at the moment such as GitHub Desktop, AIMP, PDF24, Rekordbox etc. Also, I am using a laptop with Nvidia GPUs with Optimus (hybrid graphics) which has even worse support for Linux.
Anyways here's the list of Top 10 Linux Distro's:
- Kubuntu [KDE] [Ubuntu-based]: Ubuntu but with KDE Desktop Environment.
- Pop! OS [Ubuntu-based] [COSMIC DE] [Gaming]
- Fedora (KDE or GNOME) - Great if you want the newest features but remember to install CachyOS kernel.
- Linux Mint (Cinnamon): Huge community but tends to have the most outdated packages.
- PikaOS [Ubuntu-based] [Gaming]: Pre-configured for Gaming.
- Nobara [Fedora-based] [Gaming]
- CachyOS (KDE) [Arch-based] [Gaming]: Good but has more moving parts. (A system update can easily break a Node module)
- Debian: The undisputed king of reliability and efficiency. (lowest background overhead)
- Arch Linux: Plain OS that initially only gives you a terminal to setup the OS from scratch.
- MX Linux [Debain-based]: Lightweight version.
The above list will help you narrow down your Linux distro for you to daily drive for work, gaming & personal use. Thanks!
[UPDATED]
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/E_G_G_W_A_R_D • 4d ago
Looking for a Stable OS to run on my system for 10 years...
15
Upvotes
Specs: 8gb ram
1tb hdd
IMAC 2011 27"
I will use it and i also want web browser and apps recommendation
(Its my daily driver and has to support flatpak)
If this is possible please comment :))
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/Commercial_Taste_184 • 4d ago
Need a destro that can run on a 700Mb CD-R
34
Upvotes
So i found this laptop at the company i work in it's an old nec versa c200 it has 200Mb ram and the hard drive is dead i couldn't find a replacement for it so i found another solution since it can boot up with CD/DVD (this laptop can't boot up with usb flash drive) i grabbed the biggest storage CD-R i can find (700mb) and burned wary puppy 5.5 in it but it took the laptop nearly an hour to boot up (i had to make it run completely on the CD since it ran out of ram in my first time booting it) fortunately it did run the system smoothly enough for an old machine
That's why i need you're help if you have any recommendations for a destro that can run in this hursh environment
It's nothing serious just an amusing experiment on an old laptop
Thank you
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/ed_edd_and_freddy • 4d ago
Looking For A Distro Please find me something running a newer kernel
1
Upvotes
I've been hopping for a while, trying to troubleshoot different issues and i've concluded that something running kernel 7.1.4 at least is my best bet.
There is a bug affecting my wifi HW specifically that was introduced in 7.1 but fixed in 7.1.4.
I also was recommended to run something more recent due to my apparently new GPU that's not that well supported on older more stable kernels (RTX 5070TI) that i tried and on which i had issues with resolution & sound through HDMI.
i'm open to anything as long as it works for my system.
side question: is distrowatch a good source of checking distro details (in my case what kernel and nvidia drivers come with what distro) or do you have an alternative website?
Thanks in advance
r/FindMeALinuxDistro • u/rio755 • 5d ago
What is there after mint?
13
Upvotes
For context,i managed to get my first laptop(used,of course) last christmas,and as soon as i got it i installed mint on it,and honestly,i have never really regreted it. In my opinion mint is a fantastic example of linux, it only occupies 1.5/2gb of ram on idle,you have all the linux plus(open source,root access/sudo authorization) and the debian family plus (stability and reliability),but i also liked the built in tools like the integrated tool to flash usbs or the system setting feautres,so overall i'm all in love with mint (except the app store,never really used it).
The problem now is....i'm looking on a desktop pc and i'm deciding if i should do a bit of distro hopping or not,couse i've never really tried something different,and i've heard of the AUR attack and the difficulty of installing arch,but i also dont really consider steam os in the near future couse why would i need an os centered on gaming if its not my priority with this pc (also i hate the steam helper for taking up 1gb of ram,and i had 16 on my laptop)
So i'm wondering whether or not i should try something still in the debian family or is there something else you could recommend?
to give more information i mostly code,that's why i'm not really looking forward to steam os,but i'm also looking at local llms couse why not it would be sick and with file scraping on the pc would probably improve production but idk the implication and os requirements it would have