One of the best Linux distros you’ve never heard of

Discussion in 'all things UNIX' started by Gringo95, Sep 25, 2022.

  1. Gringo95

    Gringo95 Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2009
    Posts:
    216
    There will be plenty of distros the majority won’t have heard of. Some of them are equally as good or better than the mainstream options and this is one of them. Quarkos is produced by the Q4OS team but based on Kubuntu LTS as opposed to Debian Stable. The latest is based on Kubuntu 22.04 LTS but contains the usual Q4 tools for desktop profiles and software installation.

    https://sourceforge.net/projects/quark-os/

    For anyone disliking Snap you can easily get rid of it.

    https://haydenjames.io/remove-snap-ubuntu-22-04-lts/

    You can also upgrade KDE to get the latest configuration options including the floating panel.

    https://9to5linux.com/you-can-now-install-kde-plasma-5-25-on-kubuntu-22-04-lts-heres-how
     
  2. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    "Quarkos" -- it's a sound one often hears from gassy friends.

    But seriously, @Gringo95 -- why do you judge Quarkos to be among the "best"? Did you actually run it? If so, how long & what impressed you? How user friendly is it for my pals who are Windows user contemplating the "move to Linux"?
     
  3. Gringo95

    Gringo95 Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2009
    Posts:
    216
    I’ve had it running for almost a month now on one of my machines a Compaq Presario. As per my original post there is a choice of desktop profiles during install so you can have between basic and the kitchen sink depending on personal preference. There’s also a graphical installer for much of the common software apps which is easier than searching through Muon. Q4OS is a popular choice but some might prefer an Ubuntu base as opposed to Debian, hence Quark uses Kubuntu. Like Q4OS there is also an option for the lightweight Trinity desktop. As with most distros it’s a live media you can run from USB so there’s plenty of opportunity to give it a run to see if it suits.
     
  4. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2002
    Posts:
    8,102
    Location:
    Hawaii
    @Gringo95 -- Good info -- thanks a heap!!! My daughter plans to give it a trial,
     
  5. summerheat

    summerheat Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2015
    Posts:
    2,199
    I'm always sceptical using such small distros where it is difficult to find out who's behind that project (not even on their github site), how big the development team is etc. Recommending them to one's children or to anybody else, for that matter, is not a good idea, IMO.
     
  6. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    This is why I've stuck with Ubuntu for years.
     
  7. summerheat

    summerheat Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2015
    Posts:
    2,199
    Well, there are other respected and well-maintained distros beyond Ubuntu. ;) While that fragmentation is already difficult enough for Linux newbies, those countless more-or-less hobby projects make it even more difficult for them.

    That said, I left Ubuntu years ago as their universe and multiverse repos are not well maintained enough, IMO. But that's another topic discussed earlier in this forum.
     
  8. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    Ubuntu has its problems but I'm pretty happy with it. Regardless of what many claim I think every release since Trusty Tahr has been an improvement in the main. I would recommend Ubuntu as an OS, but I wouldn't recommend any of the 'hobby' distros. Some of them may be very good, but probably won't last or be supported for long.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2022
  9. Gringo95

    Gringo95 Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2009
    Posts:
    216
    If it was easy to predict the futures market then we’d all be rich and in the past some widely backed Linux projects have died so it’s not just the hobby distros at risk. Either way if something is worth keeping it often gets taken over or re-births such as Solus and Mandriva. You could also argue that in today’s economic climate the smaller projects with lower costs are likely to be more reliable. The Q4OS/Quarkos team has been around for in excess of 7 years. What that means for now or the future is anyone’s guess but there’s nothing historical that would prevent me from recommending it, unlike say Netrunner.
     
  10. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    I'm not attacking your favourite distro. It's just that Ubuntu isn't a hobby OS for me and I do the majority of my surfing and general computer workload in Linux. Furthermore Ubuntu is reliable and fulfils my everyday computer use. I don't know enough about Quarkos to recommend it to anyone. I'm sure it's very good. I personally wouldn't recommend anything I had no experience in.
     
  11. Gringo95

    Gringo95 Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2009
    Posts:
    216
    This isn’t my favorite distro at all, just something I felt deserved wider attention than it was getting. Two of what were my favorite distros, Netrunner Core and Kanotix have since suffered from the very thing you highlighted here with Core so out of date it will no longer update from a new install and Kanotix the same despite the latter having been around for 18 years. As of now I’m more inclined to rolling releases so long as they are not Arch based and currently use Tumbleweed although I’ll likely switch to the new OpenMandriva rolling when it’s released.
     
  12. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    Sounds about normal on Planet Linux. TBH I'm surprised Ubuntu has lasted this long. Twenty years ago Linux was 3% of desktop usage. Nothing's changed. Things can still surprise me though. The snap Firefox runs remarkably well, which genuinely impressed me. I may have to take back all those rude and uncomplimentary things I said about Mozilla. lol
     
  13. Gringo95

    Gringo95 Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 7, 2009
    Posts:
    216
    Yeah, I’m guilty of that too, same with the systemd or no systemd debate. With Windows you don’t get any choice but you might argue that’s a good thing. :)
     
  14. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    There's nothing good about Windows lol.
     
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.