What Linux is bets for Ryzen

[ringo]

What is the best-all around Linux that supports Ryzen?

 

For now I was recommended with two:

- Tails

- Ubuntu 17.04

 

 

[21rkosta]

ubuntu is my personal favorite, curiously what would one do with a linux ryzen pc

[pipnina]

AFAIK Ryzen will run best of kernel version 4.11 or higher. Ubuntu 17.04 only ships with 4.10, but I think it should still work fine.

You could use Mint 18.1 (and update the kernel to 4.10 in the update center after installation)

Arch, Gentoo, and probably tumbleweed will probably have 4.11/4.12 in their repos.

 

Are there other parts to the system? e.g. graphics hardware?

[noahdvs]

If you want the latest hardware, use a rolling release distribution. Arch/Antergos/Manjaro (with latest kernel instead of LTS), OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, Gentoo, Void Linux. Arch, Antergos and Manjaro have the best software support out of all of those and Manjaro has the best user experience because it holds packages back for 2 weeks for more testing. Antergos is basically an installer for Arch and Manjaro is based on Arch.

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

Why the fuck were you recommended tails. Slap that person. It's a new CPU so you want the latest kernel. I think it was 4.9 that introduced ryzen optimisations. You can search for ryzen on phoronix for mention of kernel news relating to ryzen.

[ringo]

12 hours ago, 21rkosta said:

ubuntu is my personal favorite, curiously what would one do with a linux ryzen pc

I don`t play games much as before, always wanted to try a linux, if I don`t like it I will return to Windows.

11 hours ago, pipnina said:

AFAIK Ryzen will run best of kernel version 4.11 or higher. Ubuntu 17.04 only ships with 4.10, but I think it should still work fine.

You could use Mint 18.1 (and update the kernel to 4.10 in the update center after installation)

Arch, Gentoo, and probably tumbleweed will probably have 4.11/4.12 in their repos.

 

Are there other parts to the system? e.g. graphics hardware?

GPU is RX 480. Do I need to install on Linux antivirus software, all drivers and programs like on Windows.

10 hours ago, noahdvs said:

If you want the latest hardware, use a rolling release distribution. Arch/Antergos/Manjaro (with latest kernel instead of LTS), OpenSUSE Tumbleweed, Gentoo, Void Linux. Arch, Antergos and Manjaro have the best software support out of all of those and Manjaro has the best user experience because it holds packages back for 2 weeks for more testing. Antergos is basically an installer for Arch and Manjaro is based on Arch.

Manjaro seems good. So Manjaro because it holds packages for two weeks will have best and stable hardware and software optimization, very good security? Does all Linux have the same level of security?

4 hours ago, SCHISCHKA said:

Why the fuck were you recommended tails. Slap that person. It's a new CPU so you want the latest kernel. I think it was 4.9 that introduced ryzen optimisations. You can search for ryzen on phoronix for mention of kernel news relating to ryzen.

Will tails have that kernel in future? On first look I like Tails because it seems to invest lot in security...

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

10 minutes ago, ringo said:

Will tails have that kernel in future? On first look I like Tails because it seems to invest lot in security...

tails is a live cd to allow you to access the internet anonymously, it is not security it is privacy. Maybe in countries where they murder political dissidents you could consider using tails as a matter of personal security. The only security advantage it has is it is a live cd, I dont know if you can install it but you are not suppose to in order to use it how it was designed. Right now it uses kernel 4.9 and there will be a new tails release in a few weeks. Using tails is poor advice for trying out linux because its pretty much just communication apps, and a web browser.

[noahdvs]

3 hours ago, ringo said:

GPU is RX 480. Do I need to install on Linux antivirus software, all drivers and programs like on Windows.

You do not need anti-virus software, especially if you stick to software in your distro's official repositories. This does not mean you should install things willy-nilly, but you shouldn't be fearful either. Just make sure you understand what you are installing and stick to open source software wherever you can.

Almost all drivers come built into the kernel, which is why you should use the latest kernels for the latest hardware. Some hardware will have proprietary drivers though and you may need to install them if something doesn't work out of the box. Lucky for you, AMD has better open source drivers than Nvidia, though Nvidias graphics cards are generally better for gaming if you use the proprietary Nvidia drivers. Most hardware will work out of the box.

Most software you will install will come from the official Arch/Manjaro repository or from the Arch User Repository. You will use Pacman or Octopi to install from those repositories. This is very different from Windows and sometimes confusing, but it's super convenient and easy once you get used to using package managers to manage software from repositories.

Quote

Manjaro seems good. So Manjaro because it holds packages for two weeks will have best and stable hardware and software optimization, very good security? Does all Linux have the same level of security?

Security kind of depends on your needs and point of view. No, not all Linux distros have the same level of security. Arch and its derivatives are less security oriented than other distros, but if you're just concerned about viruses, I've never heard of a Linux user getting infected, except for on purpose. Manjaro will be a bit more stable than Arch or Antergos because of the additional testing.

I personally recommend the KDE edition of Manjaro. KDE is a highly configurable desktop environment with good graphics and lots of features. Once you get used to KDE's Dolphin file manager, you'll hate using Windows' Explorer file manager.

 

If you need something simpler, there's Xfce, which is good, but feels very dated and Gnome, which can be really confusing at first and has few options in comparison to KDE or Xfce.

Edited June 5, 2017 by noahdvs

[ringo]

So you are telling me af far as I understood, I don`t have to install antivirus, no Adugard, no Malverbytes, in fact Linux is almost impposible to caught a virus or ramsomware? Also no install amd relive driver, no installing Amd chipset driver - Ryzen balanced power plan, no keyboard and mouse software (I use roccat tyon - probably optional install if I want). Just install Linux and when it is done I am ready to go, no little tweaking option like in windows?

[pipnina]

1 minute ago, ringo said:

So you are telling me af far as I understood, I don`t have to install antivirus, no Adugard, no Malverbytes, in fact Linux is almost impposible to caught a virus or ramsomware? Also no install amd relive driver, no installing Amd chipset driver - Ryzen balanced power plan, no keyboard and mouse software (I use roccat tyon - probably optional install if I want). Just install Linux and when it is done I am ready to go, no little tweaking option like in windows?

Viruses exist for Linux, but they are so rare there is basically no point in an antivirus. (Antivirus isn't even necessarily necessary on windows, in some ways).

AMD drivers (on modern kernels) should require no installation or configuration.

Power plans do exist in some distros/desktop environments. They vary from distro to distro.

Mouse tweaking in Linux isn't quite as easy as in windows, unfortunately. But arguably more precise. It will involve creating a shell script that runs at login. Here's mine:

#!/bin/sh


xinput --set-prop 11  "Device Accel Constant Deceleration" 4
xinput --set-prop 12 "Device Accel Constant Deceleration" 4
xinput --set-prop 10  "Device Accel Constant Deceleration" 4
xinput --set-prop 9 "Device Accel Constant Deceleration" 4

It's a one-time action, thankfully. I do wish distros had GUI tools for mouse settings

But yeah, with your system it's basically install & go.

[JoostinOnline]

3 minutes ago, ringo said:

So you are telling me af far as I understood, I don`t have to install antivirus, no Adugard, no Malverbytes, in fact Linux is almost impposible to caught a virus or ramsomware? Also no install amd relive driver, no installing Amd chipset driver - Ryzen balanced power plan, no keyboard and mouse software (I use roccat tyon - probably optional install if I want). Just install Linux and when it is done I am ready to go, no little tweaking option like in windows?

Yes, but the driver thing is double-edged.  Linux uses generic drivers that usually work with your hardware, but naturally can't work with everything.  It's always better to have drivers specific for your hardware.

 

On the security thing, while Linux is more secure that Windows because of the way it's coded, you definitely want to get a distro that is well maintained.  Security flaws exist in everything.  Ubuntu is really quick to fix any security issues.  If you want something more Windows-esque, try PCLinux OS.  I suggest burning a few live DVD's (or using Rufus to put them on a flash drive) so you can find a distro you like most.

[ringo]

Ok, thanks. In linux is there an option for hdmi, full dynamic range? I always chamge that in amd driver option, it is must have change option for picture quality.

[pipnina]

Just now, ringo said:

Ok, thanks. In linux is there an option for hdmi, full dynamic range? I always chamge that in amd driver option, it is must have change option for picture quality.

Full dynamic range? is that a colour profile?

[ringo]

Yes, it is located in amd driver option, picture is looking better with that on. That is only neccesery to change if you use hdmi cable.

 

https://pcmonitors.info/articles/correcting-hdmi-colour-on-nvidia-and-amd-gpus/

[pipnina]

Just now, ringo said:

Yes, it is located in amd driver option, picture is looking better with that on. That is only neccesery to change if you use hdmi cable.

Hm, I'm not sure. I don't think Linux AMD drivers (the standard ones anyway) have an options program. I guess the only way for you to find out is to make a bootable USB and try out live mode in a distro. It doesn't override your existing OS unless you hit "install" but will show you roughly what it will look like once installed.

[noahdvs]

4 hours ago, ringo said:

Yes, it is located in amd driver option, picture is looking better with that on. That is only neccesery to change if you use hdmi cable.

 

https://pcmonitors.info/articles/correcting-hdmi-colour-on-nvidia-and-amd-gpus/

Most options are handled outside the driver by an application that controls the settings of the X11 server. For instance, you use xrandr to control your displays instead of an AMD control panel or xinput for your mouse and keyboard. Most desktop environments have GUIs for changing the settings, but you may need to use the terminal or shell scripts to do anything advanced.