I’m over tinkering with my OS. So I’m looking for a distro that “just works” out of the box for my laptop. Also I want to test an “easy” distro I can install for my grandpa.
I don’t care for immutability, declarative config, being fully FOSS or having the newest stuff. I don’t want snaps, or a software center that relies on them. So no Ubuntu.

What I do want (ideally out of the box):
Important:

  • as few annoying visible bugs and crashes as possible (looking at you, Ubuntu)
  • Wayland support
  • good package selection, so no independent fringe distro
  • fluid YouTube videos, streaming, pre-installed codecs

Less important:

  • ideally with Gnome
  • encrypting the hard drive from within the GUI installer
  • nice font rendering (used to be a problem, but I guess not anymore)
  • installing Steam with a button press
  • pre-installed sane-airprint and sane-airscan (automatic setup of my networked printer-scanner-combo)

You get the idea. The usual stuff (low-end gaming, browsing, streaming, printing, scanning) should just work. I don’t have any hardware that poses a problem.
From what I’ve read, Mint doesn’t yet support Wayland and doesn’t ship with video codecs anymore. (Or am I wrong?)
What are the other options? Is Zorin king of the block now? Is Manjaro good now?

Thanks for any and all input.

  • chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world
    6·
    5 months ago

    Debian ticks all of these boxes.

    Stable release

    Wayland or X Server

    It’s Debian, so literally everything is built for it, except maybe some obscure arch packages

    Has options for any DE you want

    Steam can be installed via Flatpak

    Only thing I’m not sure about is your air print stuff. I’m sure there is a package that a quick apt install would get, though.

    • boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net
      1·
      5 months ago

      Yes Debian and use Flatpak for any app you need with a recent version. You can also use a Distrobox with Fedora or OpenSUSE Tumbleweed or Debian Testing if you need system packages that are more modern.

      I dont know if Debian Testing is rolling, but Distrobox basically doesnt work with release distros if they need to system upgrade via a reboot, like Fedora. So Fedora Rawhide (dont) or Tumbleweed, Arch etc. are best.

  • Bobby Turkalino@lemmy.yachts
    41·
    5 months ago

    I know Gnome is in your less important list, but Wayland is in your important list, so I’ll recommend KDE Neon. It’s Ubuntu without snaps and moronic auto updates, so it really just feels like a more desktop-ready Debian

  • urska@lemmy.ca
    2·
    5 months ago

    Dont go for Mint, Zorin or Manjaro. Old stuff. Keep it to Fedora, Opensuse, Ubuntu or Endeavour.

  • TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml
    1·
    5 months ago

    Debian Testing, if you want some of the new shiny packages. Stable if you want… hardcore stability, like me.

    Former Ubuntu LTS user, switched to Debian Stable after 6 years. It has been almost 1 year with Debian, love it, but sometimes I prefer the ease of Ubuntu (based on Debian Unstable branch). Also a big fan of GNOME and its stability and reliability. No DE comes close.

    Ubuntu LTS or Debian stable/testing branch. Pick your choice.

    I left behind Ubuntu for Debian as I became a better Linux user, and was able to leave behind the convenience and little bit annoyance of Snaps. Snap arguments are mostly overblown, cultist and garbage, so do not pay much heed to them. They are just as bad at performance as the beloved Flatpak system (which means fairly good).