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--- notes:distro_comparisons [2020/09/05 07:18] – Sean Rhone
+++ notes:distro_comparisons [2024/01/02 07:13] – Sean Rhone
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== Notes ======
-  * The following list contains various distros (and Windows), along with what I like and don't like about them
+  * The following list contains various operating systems and my opinions
-  * This is my experiences below; YMMV
+  * These are my experiences below; YMMV
+  * Any other distro or OS not mentioned was either not tested, or isn't worth using
 ====== Fedora Workstation ======
@@ Line 8: / Line 9: @@
 ===== Good =====
-  * Secure (SELinux, up-to-date packages)
+  * SELinux
-  * GNOME
+  * Vanilla GNOME
-  * Anaconda (installer allows me to set software RAID0 easily with GUI and allows for root/boot XFS filesystem)
+  * Allows XFS and F2FS root partitions
 ===== Bad =====
-  * SELinux is annoying on servers
+  * SELinux on servers (annoying and fragile)
-  * Randomly has long boot times seemingly because of Corsair USB devices
+  * RPM Fusion (shoddy behavior with mesa-freeworld VA-API ordeal)
+  * GNOME (appindicator has been broken for years; it's either use GNOME on Fedora or some other DE not good enough for official presentation)
+  * Wayland (absolute train-wreck for gaming, but being pushed anyway without regard)
 ===== Conclusions =====
-  * Works nicely
+  * RHEL/CentOS is mostly relevant in US business and thus makes Fedora a good choice to be familiar with for a Linux sysadmin
+  * GNOME works but is not optimal
 ====== openSUSE Tumbleweed ======
@@ Line 25: / Line 29: @@
 ===== Good =====
-  * Rolling
+  * Rolling-release
-  * GNOME
+  * Vanilla GNOME and Xfce
-  * Installer (allows for root/boot XFS filesystem)
+  * Allows XFS root partition
-  * AppArmor isn't annoying
+  * Various Wine packages (standard, staging, standard with nine, staging with nine)
-  * Wine packages (standard, staging, standard with nine, staging with nine)
   * Yast is nice for configuring the network on servers
+  * LiveUSBs automatically have persistence even when ''dd'''d directly to flash drives
+  * Has ''steam'', ''intel-media-driver'', and other packages of interest that Fedora doesn't have in default repos
 ===== Bad =====
-  * Keybase is awkward to install ((it's either use the officially-supported command-line version, or use the official repo without proper signing; :!: TODO: is this still the case?))
+  * None
-  * PackageKit is super annoying (it doesn't honor trying to gracefully quit it)
-  * Repo priority and vendor changes is strange
+===== Unsure =====
-  * GNOME comes with a lot of unnecessary software
+  * AppArmor (it's not annoying, but it's not obvious what all it protects)
 ===== Conclusions =====
-  * TODO
+  * Xfce LiveUSB is a great sysadmin tool!
 ====== Ubuntu ======
@@ Line 47: / Line 53: @@
 ===== Good =====
-  * Good package selection
+  * All packages ever wanted exist in default repos
-  * Plenty of repos (PPAs)
+  * The largest support for Linux apps; if it exists it likely supports Ubuntu
-  * Bleeding-edge graphics stack available (oibaf or padokaPPA)
+  * oibaf PPA for graphics
-  * Different kernel options available (xanmod, liquorix, official mainline packages)
+  * Liquorix and xanmod kernels
-  * Minimal Install option
+  * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Unicode_chart_Egyptian_Hieroglyphs|Loads theses fonts fine]]
 ===== Bad =====
-  * Doesn't boot at all on a Ryzen 2700X system, even with the 20.04 LTS
+  * GNOME
-===== Conclusions =====
+===== Unsure =====
-  * TODO
-====== Xubuntu ======
-===== Good =====
-  * Lightweight
-  * Color schemes are nice
-===== Bad =====
-  * Bad HiDPI support
+  * Snaps (they work, I prefer them over Flatpak, but don't like the concept as a whole)
 ===== Conclusions =====
-  * Meh
+  * Ubuntu is the best distro for desktop Linux in 2023
-====== Ubuntu MATE ======
+====== macOS ======
 ===== Good =====
-  * Lightweight
+  * Message sync between iPhone and macOS
+  * UI scaling (it somehow scales a lower res to a higher res while maintaining crisp text, and being compatible with programs not expecting this)
+  * Better performance with windowed applications with eGPU on internal screen
+  * Hackintosh builds are neat!
 ===== Bad =====
-  * Default color scheme is meh (could just change it, but whatever)
+  * eGPU needs 3rd-party software on <del>outdated</del> "unsupported" Macs (automate-eGPU)
-  * The panels have varying degrees of problems when switching the compositor (Compiz causes weird stuff)
+  * Creating custom resolutions needs 3rd-party program (SwitchResX, which is paid)
+  * Some games have significantly lower performance
+  * Limited hardware diagnostic apps, and most are paid
+  * :!: 2023/12: Can not under any circumstance get a recovery ISO or Online Recovery working on a mid-2010 MacBook Pro; Apple offers no guidance or proper tools to get their own OS working on their own hardware unless you're on Apple Silicon
 ===== Conclusions =====
-  * Meh
+  * Lacks the hard-grit of Linux and performance for games on Windows, but makes up for it being the best visually :p
+  * Might be interesting if using Apple's ecosystem
-====== Arch Linux ======
+====== Windows 10 ======
 ===== Good =====
-  * Rolling (enough anyway)
+  * Best performance, by far, undeniably, no matter the GPU vendor for anything with graphics ((Linux fanboys are pushing obvious inferiority to a concerning degree; I've tested a NVIDIA RTX 3060, AMD RX 6600 XT, and Intel UHD 630 and confirm this in 2023))
-  * Can use F2FS
+  * The most reputable memory testing programs are Windows-only
+  * Best VR (virtual reality) support
+  * No hardware oddities (stuff just works and works as-expected, notably more-so than Linux)
+  * WSL makes Linux barely appealing on desktop
 ===== Bad =====
-  * Behind openSUSE TW with some packages (took em forever to get GNOME 3.24 and other popular software, which is weird for a distro highly praised for being rolling)
+  * Some drivers are an absolute nightmare to source, but Windows Update does pretty well //most// of the time
-  * Installations are tedious (I reinstall frequently; doing everything manually "The Arch Way" is hassle)
-  * Mandatory access controls are a PITA to install and maintain if using the NVIDIA proprietary driver (not a problem on other distros)
-===== Conclusions =====
+===== Unsure =====
-  * Arch is a ton of hassle with no real benefits over openSUSE TW
+  * WU forces an Alps touchpad driver that constantly polls the mouse pointer even when it isn't used, and has a service that eats CPU while doing it; WU does not offer an option to deny it, <del>but Device ID restrictions save the day</del> (disabling the Alps HID service works better)
-  * Not worth using
+  * CRU developer claims an Intel driver bug causes issues ([[https://www.monitortests.com/forum/Thread-Custom-Resolution-Utility-CRU?pid=15053#pid15053|post]]), and naturally Intel isn't going to rush to release a driver to fix a 3rd-party tool, unofficial behavior, and on legacy hardware
-====== Solus ======
-===== Good =====
-  * Rolling (mostly)
-  * Lightweight (Budgie does the opposite of what GNOME does for compositing)
-  * Incredibly fast start and shutdown
-===== Bad =====
-  * Xorg took forever to upgrade to 1.19 (they claimed problems with 1.19, but every other mainstream distro used it just fine for months)
-  * Keybase isn't installable (no package for it, and compiling it is out of the question)
-  * Wine isn't Staging (they claim Staging is problematic; Staging has more fixes than regular Wine, and Solus is too picky to package both)
 ===== Conclusions =====
-  * It's usable, but package update periods are unreliable, and overall packaging policies are awkward
+  * It just-works, and consistently
-  * Not worth using
+  * The best option by-far for gaming and VR
-====== macOS ======
+====== Windows 11 ======
 ===== Good =====
-  * Message sync between iPhone and macOS
+  * Latest-and-greatest
-  * 30-bit color at 4K@60Hz
-  * UI scaling (it somehow scales a lower res to a higher res while maintaining crisp text, and being compatible with programs not expecting this)
-  * Better performance with windowed applications with eGPU on internal screen
-  * Screen recording built-in
-  *
 ===== Bad =====
-  * eGPU needs 3rd-party software on "unsupported" Macs (automate-eGPU)
+  * Can't hide clock in Taskbar
-  * Creating custom resolutions needs 3rd-party program (SwitchResX, which costs money)
+  * Oculus in early 2023 still had inconsistent performance with Blade & Sorcery running at like 50 FPS
-  * Some games being bundled in Crossover/Wine instead of native
+  * Insider editions are notably slower real-world even on NVMe
-  * No deep hardware diagnostics (temp monitor, CPU and/or GPU frequency)
+  * :!: Could not (mid-2023) disable Windows Defender nor its real-time scan permanently even with NSudo; it randomly re-enables
-  *
 ===== Conclusions =====
-  * Terrible OS; only bearable for quick gaming sessions and iTunes
+  * Non-insider may be viable for a general Windows install
-====== Windows ======
-===== Good =====
-  * Good graphics support (namely with Optimus)
-  * Good for BIOS modding
-===== Bad =====
-  * Microsoft spyware
-  * Windows Update (can't disable automatic updates without breaking WU)
-  * Deep settings are cryptic and require a lot of research on registry keys
-  * 3rd-party software needs to be manually updated with user-intervention
-  * Drivers also need to be manually updated (WU will download ancient years-old drivers if I allow it to handle drivers by itself)
-  * Intel SST drivers (Audio Controller and OED) are a total pain to get right
-  * Initial set-up takes a long time
-  * Windows 7 is a mess with updates and basically unusable without babysitting each individual update
-  * Little-to-no official documentation on various services and scheduled tasks; disabling some may work fine, or may cause random issues down the road
-===== Conclusions =====
-  * Terrible OS; only bearable for quick gaming sessions and iTunes