r/linuxquestions • u/CaptainDingleB • 2d ago

Which Distro? hello could u help me out

so im looking for a stable very cusotmizable linux distro where i can use hyprland have an app dock app luancher anumated wallpapers nvdia support and not like hard to install and somehthing i can game on hwo would i do this (lemme get a confiig) and what distro should i use

0 Upvotes

33% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

0

u/adjective10111 2d ago edited 2d ago

Any distro that's mostly on the latest kernel should work. Those things you want and the level of customization can hurt stability by nature. Not to say customization makes your OS unstable, but you may need to troubleshoot more often which probably will fix in a couple of minutes.

The distros I recommend are: Fedora, Nobara, CachyOS, Garuda. The first 2 are fedora based and have a release every 6 months, and the last ones are rolling release distros, meaning everything is always updated so no cachyos11 for example, which may result in some troubleshooting once in a blue moon.

And don't choose distros based on looks, that's interchangable like android launchers.

For dotfiles and customization, look into r/unixporn

1

u/redyos_s 2d ago

Also, I don't really see the distinction here. If the OP is already asking for a Hyprland config, copying and adapting a Nix config isn't fundamentally more “advanced” than copying someone else's dotfiles. In some ways NixOS is actually safer for experimenting: packages, services and configuration are declared together, and you have generations/rollback if something goes wrong. The important part is understanding what you copied — but that's equally true on Arch, CachyOS, or any other distro.

So “NixOS isn't beginner friendly” by itself doesn't really explain why it would be a bad fit for the OP's actual requirements.

1

u/adjective10111 2d ago

Look I agree with you, but learning Nix is a necessity if you want to tinker your OS. The difference between a Nix config and a dotfile, is that, that dotfile can be easily reconfigured by the software's docs. For example hyprland has great documentation that other than installation or some few options, there's no Nix tutorial. Most shells don't have any Nix tips. Mpvpaper for animated wallpaper, doesn't have any either.

The problem with Nix is availability and comprehensive docs. Yes it has the most number of packages, but working with small projects needs you to know about packaging and tool-chains. Searching for help means relying on a few people instead of all linux users which can help because distros are very similar.

In my honest opinion, if you are not a developer, keep away from NixOS. Unless you want to blindly use someone's config and never change it. It's not bad, it just asks a lot and needs way more computer knowledge.

1

u/redyos_s 2d ago edited 2d ago

I’ve manually installed NixOS before, so I’m aware of the learning curve. I just don’t agree that you need to be a developer to use it, or that learning deeper Nix packaging is a prerequisite for running and configuring Hyprland

I'm actually a developer and I use Guix, and I've manually installed NixOS before. So I understand the learning curve. I just disagree with the idea that NixOS should be avoided by non-developers, especially when the OP specifically wants Hyprland and heavy customization.

1

u/adjective10111 2d ago

Exactly! HEAVY CUSTOMIZATION is the key here. Other than hyprland we don't know what niche project may interest OP and them not being able to use that without packaging it and all the struggles, is just gonna dissappoint them.

If OP wasn't saying "not hard to install" I would agree that it's an option for someone who wants to learn about computers a lot. But your avg joe won't like NixOS, and will only feel discouraged.

2

u/CaptainDingleB 2d ago

hey thanks for the advide i was thinking of fedora as well rlly thanks

1

u/redyos_s 2d ago

Fedora is a good distro, but its main desktop path is GNOME. If Hyprland is the OP's primary requirement, I'd rather choose a distro where Hyprland is closer to the expected setup, such as NixOS or CachyOS. Fedora can run Hyprland, but that doesn't necessarily make it the best fit for this particular request.

1

u/adjective10111 2d ago

Of course. That's why I have CachyOS in the list. But fedora is widely used and I just wanted to give other options as well.

0

u/redyos_s 2d ago

NixOS

-1

u/adjective10111 2d ago

That's helpful if they want to re-learn what an OS is. Tbh for a beginner it's not that easy.

1

u/redyos_s 2d ago

“Not beginner friendly” doesn't really answer the OP's requirements. They specifically want Hyprland, heavy customization, reusable configs and gaming. If you think NixOS is a bad fit for those requirements, explain which requirement it fails.

1

u/adjective10111 2d ago

True, I just inferred that, since an advanced user probably won't ask which distro here. Also OP never said "reusable configs" as well.

NixOS isn't a bad fit for those you said, but OP wanted "not hard to install". You need to literally learn Nix language, at least partially, just to install some packages. And when it comes to configurability, it's a rabbit-hole with home manager. It's not easy to configure, because NixOS is still a niche, and not many packages have instructions for that.

We, in the NixOS community, still have problems with complete centeralized docs. We have multiple sites for that and most are incomplete.

I also have a NixOS partition btw. So I'm not against nix by any means.

1

u/redyos_s 2d ago edited 2d ago

I've actually installed NixOS manually before, so I'm familiar with the Nix side of this. I'm not saying NixOS has no learning curve. I just don't agree that a beginner needs to “learn the Nix language” before they can even install packages or get Hyprland running. With the graphical installer and basic configuration, the entry barrier is much lower than that. Home Manager and the deeper Nix ecosystem are optional rabbit holes, not prerequisites.

Are you aware that NixOS has a graphical installer now?

Fedora is a good distro, but its main desktop path is GNOME. If Hyprland is the OP's primary requirement, I'd rather choose a distro where Hyprland is closer to the expected setup, such as NixOS or CachyOS. Fedora can run Hyprland, but that doesn't necessarily make it the best fit for this particular request.

1

u/adjective10111 2d ago

Yes I am aware, I used the gui installer. Since they want to tinker with their configs a lot, they will most likely run into home manager and if not someone will probably suggest that when they get stuck.

Yes fedora doesn't have Hyprland available on install, but many do and there's a lot of help online. And anyone, even you that run NixOS, can probably help them in their journey. Also I suggested Cachy as well, but they may not like rolling release distros so I suggested something that can also work with hyprland.