[NTLUG:Discuss] Distribution Alternative to Ubuntu

[David Eddleman]

I would also recommend Devuan. They've pushed back against age verification
unlike Debian. Mint is also another good suggestion but it's more built for
beginners like Ubuntu (tries to be). If you're more of a power user you may
not like it, or you may like it because it just works well.

I've also been meaning to try out Omarchy which is Arch-based. It + Devuan
are on my short list for next OSes for a new machine. Maybe OpenMandriva.

On Thu, Apr 23, 2026 at 5:49 PM Leroy Tennison <leroy.tennison at verizon.net>
wrote:

>  Thanks for the reply Steve, I'm (still) downloading the Devuan desktop
> DVD.  Supposedly I just upgraded to 1Gbit Internet with AT&T fiber but both
> ends have to be fast - I'm about 2 hours out of finishing a 15-20 hour
> download (if I'm lucky).
> To answer your questions:
> Dislike of Ubuntu: snap, systemd, future implementation of age
> verification.
> KDE importance: I'm not getting younger and having to invest lot's of time
> learning things I'm not really interested in doesn't appeal to me (like
> having to learn about alternate SMS/MMS message apps on my Android after
> Samsung dropped support of theirs).  I'm not saying KDE is the best, it's
> just I have a lot invested in it.
> I'm not looking for a high level of user friendliness but, again, don't
> want a learning curve about secondary things.
> Fortunately hardware isn't Linux hostile.
> Opinion of:   systemd: mixed - has some nice thnigs but major irritations
> as well   init: what I started with - I guess neutral   Others: no knowledge
> Prefer a package manager but have used snap and tried to use flatpak - not
> opposed to them other than snap.
> My Linux machine is a productivity desktop other than running KVM so I can
> spin up VMs to "play with new software and configuration" on.
> Based on this, any additional thoughts?
>     On Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 07:52:47 PM GMT, Steve Litt <
> slitt at troubleshooters.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:18:49 +0000 (UTC)
> Leroy Tennison <leroy.tennison at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> > Part of the last meeting discussed alternatives to Ubuntu.  Right now
> > I'm running Kubuntu 24.04 LTS (Ubuntu with the KDE desktop).  I would
> > like to test something as similar as possible (definitely stay within
> > the Debian realm).  Mint doesn't automatically support KDE (although
> > it can be installed), I'm downloading Devuan right now.  Are there
> > other suggestions based on what I'm looking for?  Thanks for your
> > help.
>
> Devuan is certainly a fine choice. It has a very nice, intelligent and
> helpful community. With the small amount of information you've given, I
> recommend Devuan.
>
> Some additional info might refine things:
>
> * Why don't you like Ubuntu anymore?
>
> * Why is it so important to have KDE automatically supported, as
>   opposed to installing it after OS installation?
>
> * What level of "user friendliness" (also called "training wheels") do
>   you want, and how will that change as you continue using Linux?
>
> * Do you have any weird or linux-hostile hardware, such as Nvidia video
>   or Broadcom wifi?
>
> * What's your opinion of systemd? Sysvinit? Runit? S6? OpenRC?
>
> * Do you prefer installing via package manager, or do you prefer things
>   like snaps, flatpak, appimage, etc. Did you know that snaps restricts
>   you to systems using systemd for init?
>
> * What kinds of things do you do with your Linux machine?
>
> A little bit about myself: I started with Red Hat 5.0 in 1998, then
> experimented with Caldera and Corel Linux in the remainder of the 20th
> century. When I switched my business to Linux in 2001 I used Mandrake,
> which I used until the mid 00's. When Mandrake (renamed Mandriva)
> became a little too glitchy, I switched to Ubuntu. In 2014 I became
> exasperated with Ubuntu's user-friendliness (I call it training
> wheels), which seemed to get in my way at every turn, so I switched to
> Debian. Six months later Debian decided to change their init system
> from sysvinit to systemd, so I switched to Void Linux, which inits with
> runit. I've been with Void Linux since early 2015, and love its lack of
> training wheels. I can MacGyver Void Linux any way I want.
>
> Today my user interface/workflow is mostly home grown using programs
> and shellscripts of my own, such that I can easily switch to any
> non-systemd distro or BSD and effortlessly keep my same workflow. Why
> not systemd? Because as a practical matter, all the other init systems
> are easily swapped out for the others, but as a practical matter if your
> computer uses systemd, you're stuck with it, and it interferes with my
> ability to modify the way my machine works.
>
> Although I've used Void Linux for 11 years now, I don't necessarily
> recommend it for you, because it's at the other end of the training
> wheels spectrum from Ubuntu; bearing more resemblance in that regard to
> Gentoo, Slackware and Linux From Scratch. I think Void is something you
> work toward, not something you jump into.
>
> My wife, a 30 year veteran of Windows and MS-DOS before it, has
> requested that I convert her old, win11 intolerant laptop to Linux
> because of the mess created by Microsoft's demand for a Microsoft
> account. She wants to try it out to see if she might like Linux better.
> I'm giving her Devuan, with either an LXDE or XFCE desktop environment,
> and my home-grown UMENU2 menu system, which she really likes because I
> once made something similar for MS-DOS. I'm also going to make her a
> program launcher using fzf. With dozens of distros to choose between, I
> chose Devuan because of their great community, making me confident I
> can get help. When you've completed your download, I suggest you join
> the Devuan email list.
>
> HTH,
>
> SteveT
>
> Steve Litt
> Featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful
> Technologist http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques
>
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