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Sorry Arch (EndeavourOS), it's not working out any more and hello Fedora

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There comes a time when everyone has to sit and think about what they use on their PC, especially if you're on Linux. For me, Arch Linux (via EndeavourOS) just wasn't working out any more and so I've moved to Fedora.

While I was reasonably happy with Arch Linux, it's just not stable enough for me personally. It's a very subjective thing of course, and highly dependent on what hardware you use — along with how often you update. For me, it just messed things up a bit too often, and last night was the final straw.

I updated either that day, or the day before, and just before a livestream was due to start, my SteelSeries headset no longer worked. No matter what I tried, following guide after guide about PipeWire, nothing helped. Just this weird and very quiet electrical static noise whenever I tried piping audio to it. Eventually it worked again by some downgrading, plus random hotplugging and testing it on a Windows machine for a sanity check and it started somewhat working again. My Microphone was another issue, at the same time it decided to be ridiculously quiet for no apparent reason I could see so there were wider problems. I had enough, I had work to do and after hours of hair-pulling — hello from Fedora.

Fedora's KDE Spin

Thankfully, with the likes of Flathub / Flatpak packages and how far along apps like Discover have come along for installing packages and setting things up, there's not a whole lot to learn. It's been a very long time since I used Fedora, and it was one of my first Linux distributions I tried sticking with back when it was "Fedora Core" and wow — it's always surprising to see how far we've come as a platform for doing anything.

Fedora does come with some of its own issues, like NVIDIA drivers being a nuisance to install, which they definitely should improve. If other distributions can do one-click or one-line installs, I'm sure they could do it too. However, it's just another point towards me swapping to AMD when prices settle, or perhaps Intel when Arc properly launches for desktop. I also need to figure out why Dropbox won't load on startup, some little things like that.

Anyway, are you really a Linux nerd if you don't distro-hop at least once a year? Jokes aside, I look forward to seeing why people keep recommending Fedora nowadays as a stable distribution, let's see how long it takes me to break it.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
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165 comments
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Purple Library Guy Apr 9, 2022
Quoting: pleasereadthemanualI tried to give Fedora a shot last year when my laptop's NIC died, but I couldn't figure out how to get the Wi-Fi driver compiled. I messed around with DNF, Yum, and probably yet another package manager but never ended up getting an internet connection after a few hours. On Arch, it took me about 2 hours to follow a pretty simple guide to getting my Wi-Fi drivers compiled.

I don't think I'll ever be able to use another distribution; Arch is the only one I've been able to figure out.
Hours to do what now? Sometimes I feel like using Mint and using most other distros is more like using a whole different OS. You install it, the stuff works, you start using it. Two hours? To compile a basic thing? Or worse? Gah. I don't have the time (or knowledge) for that nonsense.


Last edited by Purple Library Guy on 9 April 2022 at 7:12 am UTC
cookiEoverdose Apr 9, 2022
Quotelike NVIDIA drivers being a nuisance to install
https://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2015/fedora-nvidia-guide/ helped a lot with issues, never failed me in years of Fedora.


Last edited by cookiEoverdose on 9 April 2022 at 7:28 am UTC
jens Apr 9, 2022
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Quoting: slaapliedje
Quoting: jensCool, I hope Fedora works for you, I’m more than happy with it since several years. Fedora shines with its Gnome integration (which I use), but don’t know how well the KDE integration is set up.
I was amused when I watched a video that was trying to push the idea of not suggesting different distributions, and instead to suggest people use something based on the desktop environment. I sort of agree. If trying to convert someone over, we should ask what the person is looking for. Based on these questions, you suggest the 'best of breed' for the DE, and be sure to ask if they want stability or continuous new features.
For example; if someone wanted simple, out of your face system where you can just launch applications and get work done, I would suggest stock Gnome. If they wanted new features over stability, I would suggest Fedora over Debian.

If they want complete customization, I would probably suggest Suse over Fedora, with KDE. At least it used to be a great KDE distro. Not sure how great it is now.

I kind of miss Xandros, but that might be the Tequila talking...

Yes, I completely follow you. One of the reasons for me for going for Fedora was its Gnome integration (from what I know a lot of Gnome developers use Fedora). It’s also no coincidence that releases of new distribution versions are linked to releases of the desktop environments (at least for Fedora and Ubuntu). So it would indeed a recommendation matrix like:

You love customization and like to play with the desktop itself: go KDE with
OpenSuse or Arch (more stable vs more bleedeing edge)

You love the less is more approach and prefer a desktop that goes out of your way: go Gnome with
Debian or Ubuntu or Fedora (from stable to more bleeding edge)

(I’ve only stated the desktops and distributions I somewhat know, there are of course more)
jens Apr 9, 2022
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Quoting: cookiEoverdose
Quotelike NVIDIA drivers being a nuisance to install
https://www.if-not-true-then-false.com/2015/fedora-nvidia-guide/ helped a lot with issues, never failed me in years of Fedora.

Running the NVIDIA installer as suggested on this site is not suitable for the average user imho. I think it is better to keep your system in sync with the rpm/deb databases by using a package repository like negativo17 or rpm-fusion.
Purple Library Guy Apr 9, 2022
Quoting: jensSo it would indeed a recommendation matrix like:

You love customization and like to play with the desktop itself: go KDE with
OpenSuse or Arch (more stable vs more bleedeing edge)

You love the less is more approach and prefer a desktop that goes out of your way: go Gnome with
Debian or Ubuntu or Fedora (from stable to more bleeding edge)

(I’ve only stated the desktops and distributions I somewhat know, there are of course more)
I'd add in:

You prefer a "traditional" desktop and for things to Just Work, but don't require bleeding edge releases: Go Cinnamon or Mate on Mint.
Kuduzkehpan Apr 9, 2022
i guess i will stick with kde+ubuntu thus deb repos are really large. hardware support is realy good on ubuntu also i feel every ubuntu realese is faster than the first one. and i have so few bug experienced in Ubuntu. Only thing that drives me out of ubuntu is default Gnome-shell desktop basicly i hate it. Also i like to check Deepin linux in some time.
but beyond these i really like to install and test google's Fuscia os on my pc
because it seems some important projects will be supported by Fuscia as default like VULKAN api. and that os will be cross-hardware. One os for all.
Skalamanga Apr 9, 2022
I found arch to be incredibly robust myself, installed using LUKS and BTRFS along with timeshift

For gaming I use a second arch install using QEMU/KVM with GPU passthrough, and a virtual windows install for steamvr and UE4/5 development.

I have the GPU passthrough devices routed back to my arch host system via a black magic HDMI capture card so I can run them all on the same TV and surround system.
scaine Apr 9, 2022
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Quoting: wolfyrionOnce you go with Arch you never go back.... :P

I am using EndeavourOS which is kinda Arch with easy installation...

Is just everything works...
I am even on testing repos on Arch with KDE Unstable , very few issues which most issues are solved within a day.

Well, the article says Arch, but I think it was EndeavourOS that Liam was on before he hopped on to Fedora. Indeed, it was his article about it that convinced me to make the same leap. I've been on Endeavour for about 2 or 3 months now. It's great - really enjoy it, and no breakages, whatsoever.

My only gripe is that LUKS takes about 40 seconds to boot - for some reason they decided to put LUKS on the /boot partition as well as the rest of the system, and then combined that with loads of encryption iterations. I guess it's secure, but goddam, it's ridiculous overkill.

A minor gripe though. The system itself is really just Arch and has all the advantages and disadvantages you'd expect from that.
kaymio Apr 9, 2022
Since 2013 I've been an Arch user and had similar experiences as you did. As I work now full time and couldn't deal with the problems of Arch every weekend, I switched to Manjaro stable about two years ago. One to two times a month there is a big upgrade which rarely breaks something because the Manjaro team is testing most things in advance. Nvidia drivers are well incorporated (though luckily I don't need them anymore) and I still got the AUR, which I wouldn't miss for any PPA, RPM download or install from source!

SteamOS 3.0 is also based on Arch and Valve said in the recent past that it will be a similar experience to Manjaro KDE stable, so why not give this one a try. You know Arch quite well and Fedora differs a lot. E.G. for my home server I switched to openSUSE Tumbleweed (because I hope for a relatively stable rolling experience) and I ran into many bumps that wouldn't have occurred with Arch, because they use the K.I.S.S. principle that openSUSE doesn't want to use. (I couldn't disable SDDM / the display manager, because they got their own program that manages startup things.

With Manjaro you get a much more stable Arch base with a helpful community and the biggest repo that you can ever think of, the AUR!
Liam Dawe Apr 9, 2022
Quoting: scaineWell, the article says Arch, but I think it was EndeavourOS that Liam was on before he hopped on to Fedora. Indeed, it was his article about it that convinced me to make the same leap. I've been on Endeavour for about 2 or 3 months now. It's great - really enjoy it, and no breakages, whatsoever.
Specifically I used the EndeavourOS installer yes, but everything else on EndeavourOS is plain Arch, their extras are very minimal and all Arch updates come as normal.
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