Setting up a dual boot workstation and need a suggestion for a Linux Distro.

[trainergames]

I am wanting to setup a dual boot workstation from parts i have, i already have the system put together and am now working Installing Windows.

 

But i don't know which linux distro to install.

 

The planned uses for this system is music creation, video editing and maybe some photo editing.

 

one big thing is i want an easy way to install programs, because i tried unbuntu around 10 years ago, and the stuff i was trying to use it for wanted me to install via the terminal, and i kept having problems with getting it to work.

 

The workstation is: 

I7 930

16GB DDR3

GTX 680

 

 

If you need any more info please let me know, and thank you for all the help.

[Slottr]

4 minutes ago, trainergames said:

wanted me to install via the terminal, and i kept having problems with getting it to work.

It's getting more user friendly, much more from what I understand it was a fair while back.

But if you don't want to learn any terminal stuff, then maybe Linux isn't the type of OS you're looking for.

 

Maybe a Hackintosh?

[SpaceGhostC2C]

Technically, you can turn every distro into everything, but it sound like you are looking for the one providing the shortest path to using the software you need (which sounds like a perfect description of what "choosing an OS" should mean to 99.9% of people ).

 

In most popular distros, you can usually find tons of easy-to-install software through the package manager they come with. Hence, one way to do it would be to check availability of the software you want at the respective software managers. It's very easy once you are in the OS, but I don't know if there's anywhere on the web where to check the list of programs available. You can always use a USB stick to live boot each distro and test a) hardware compatibility with your devices, b) list of readily available programs for your use case.

 

According to LTT, PopOS is supposed to make it very easy for gaming stuff, but last time I tried it it seemed pretty barren compared to Mint in terms of other software available.

If you are willing to take a few more steps, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will tell you how to change the software manager or even the underlying package manager, so I guess hardware compatibility should still come first.

(having said that, I did stick to Mint despite its many quirks with my wifi, and to some extend sound too. So I guess not even I listen to me )

[TheGlenlivet]

Get virtualbox and try out any distro you want. 

Most have a software updater and download GUI that is very user friendly these days.

[Keyseven]

As a Computer Engineering student, I frequently have discussions, what the best possible distro for person X is. I personally work with two distros, Debian runs on my laptop and Pop OS on my tower at home.

I went for Pop OS, as LTT showed that it is quite easy to play some games from time to time, but I also wanted to have some kind of linux to utilize the more hardware power of my tower for projects or school exercises.

I tried not using the command line interface after I installed Pop os, but kept coming back to it as it is sometimes just easier and I am now comfortable with it.

 

As I am only doing school stuff on my laptop, I went with Debian, as it is to my knowledge the most stable one. Apart from small "oh I updated to a newer debian version, I have to remove/install some weird lib again", I had zero problems with it.

 

For both distros, I have gnome as my desktop environment. I tried i3 and other, but sometimes I like to have a GUI.

 

With both distros, I am very happy. I can game on my tower, but also get work done. I hope this helps for you. Otherwise just use a virtualbox and try out the distros yourself :)

 

[trainergames]

1 hour ago, Slottr said:

It's getting more user friendly, much more from what I understand it was a fair while back.

But if you don't want to learn any terminal stuff, then maybe Linux isn't the type of OS you're looking for.

 

Maybe a Hackintosh?

 

I have been thinking of doing that also and doing a triple boot but am unsure,  I don't mind learning the terminal stuff, that is part of why i am building this system is too learn, i just want to be able to learn it on my own time, and not be stuck having to use it just to get the system up and running with some programs i want to try...

 

57 minutes ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Technically, you can turn every distro into everything, but it sound like you are looking for the one providing the shortest path to using the software you need (which sounds like a perfect description of what "choosing an OS" should mean to 99.9% of people ).

 

In most popular distros, you can usually find tons of easy-to-install software through the package manager they come with. Hence, one way to do it would be to check availability of the software you want at the respective software managers. It's very easy once you are in the OS, but I don't know if there's anywhere on the web where to check the list of programs available. You can always use a USB stick to live boot each distro and test a) hardware compatibility with your devices, b) list of readily available programs for your use case.

 

According to LTT, PopOS is supposed to make it very easy for gaming stuff, but last time I tried it it seemed pretty barren compared to Mint in terms of other software available.

If you are willing to take a few more steps, I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will tell you how to change the software manager or even the underlying package manager, so I guess hardware compatibility should still come first.

(having said that, I did stick to Mint despite its many quirks with my wifi, and to some extend sound too. So I guess not even I listen to me )

 

33 minutes ago, Keyseven said:

As a Computer Engineering student, I frequently have discussions, what the best possible distro for person X is. I personally work with two distros, Debian runs on my laptop and Pop OS on my tower at home.

I went for Pop OS, as LTT showed that it is quite easy to play some games from time to time, but I also wanted to have some kind of linux to utilize the more hardware power of my tower for projects or school exercises.

I tried not using the command line interface after I installed Pop os, but kept coming back to it as it is sometimes just easier and I am now comfortable with it.

 

As I am only doing school stuff on my laptop, I went with Debian, as it is to my knowledge the most stable one. Apart from small "oh I updated to a newer debian version, I have to remove/install some weird lib again", I had zero problems with it.

 

For both distros, I have gnome as my desktop environment. I tried i3 and other, but sometimes I like to have a GUI.

 

With both distros, I am very happy. I can game on my tower, but also get work done. I hope this helps for you. Otherwise just use a virtualbox and try out the distros yourself

 

I will get an installer for Pop OS and try it out.

[Sauron]

1 hour ago, trainergames said:

because i tried unbuntu around 10 years ago, and the stuff i was trying to use it for wanted me to install via the terminal

You're out of luck, that's just how it works for Linux. If it's not in the main repos you need to use the terminal. It's a pretty simple process though, once you learn the basics you'll love it.

[trainergames]

16 minutes ago, Sauron said:

You're out of luck, that's just how it works for Linux. If it's not in the main repos you need to use the terminal. It's a pretty simple process though, once you learn the basics you'll love it.

I don't mind learning the terminal stuff, that is part of why i am building this system is too learn, i just want to be able to learn it on my own time, and not be stuck having to use it just to get the system up and running with some programs i want to try...

[Crowley004]

I would recommend www.distrotest.net. It will let you test a lot of different types of distros without having to install anything. if anything, you can find what desktop environment you prefer. Being its all server based, it lags a bit.

[Sauron]

12 hours ago, trainergames said:

I don't mind learning the terminal stuff, that is part of why i am building this system is too learn, i just want to be able to learn it on my own time, and not be stuck having to use it just to get the system up and running with some programs i want to try...

Installing programs through the command line is extremely straight forward, believe me, it only takes half an hour or so to get the hang of it.

[vorticalbox]

On 12/3/2019 at 9:46 PM, SpaceGhostC2C said:

According to LTT, PopOS is supposed to make it very easy for gaming stuff, but last time I tried it it seemed pretty barren compared to Mint in terms of other software available.

I use popos at work, it's basically Ubuntu with a tweaked gnome and a few custom drivers for their laptops.

 

It has access to all Ubuntu repositories and the snap store.

[SpaceGhostC2C]

14 hours ago, vorticalbox said:

It has access to all Ubuntu repositories and the snap store.

Well, I haven't checked Ubuntu, so maybe it would seem barren too I just know that I couldn't find in PopOS' store quite a few programs I installed in Mint through the software manager.

[vorticalbox]

59 minutes ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

Well, I haven't checked Ubuntu, so maybe it would seem barren too I just know that I couldn't find in PopOS' store quite a few programs I installed in Mint through the software manager.

I use my  laptop for nodejs development so I basically only need vscode, node, docker and I'm sorted

You

 can always add the ppa of the app you want and install it that way.

 

[SpaceGhostC2C]

10 minutes ago, vorticalbox said:

 

You can always add the ppa of the app you want and install it that way.

 

Sure, and I have to resort to that (and other less clean methods ) for some programs. My comment was just aimed at OP's intended experience - it seems to me he'll be best served by any distribution whose "store" has the programs he wants.

 

(also to avoid issues like Intel changing their PPAs after you install their software, prompting odd error messages at update time until you figure out why, and where's the new one... )