Hey folks,

I’ve been using Linux on and off for over a year now—not a total newbie, but still learning. I know the basics and usually rely on GPT or forums when I hit a wall. I’ve tried a bunch of distros so far: Kali, Debian, Pop!_OS, KDE Neon, Kubuntu… and currently running Fedora KDE.

Fedora is solid, but I keep finding myself tempted to try something new. Maybe I get bored easily—or maybe I just haven’t found the one yet. That’s why I’m asking for your help.

Here’s what I’m really looking for:

🔹 Large and fast app repository – I want access to a wide range of apps, updated quickly, without weird dependency issues.

🔹 Great UI/UX – KDE is my current favorite. I love how modern and smooth it feels, and I want something that builds on that experience.

🔹 Stability without being outdated – I don’t mind rolling release if it’s reliable. Crashes and breakages are a dealbreaker.

🔹 Good extras – Whether it’s unique tools, deep customization options, or just thoughtful polish, I love a distro with a “complete” feel.

🔹 Active community/support – Docs, forums, or anything that helps when things go wrong.

I’d love your suggestions—especially if you’ve been in the same place: bouncing between distros, loving KDE, and still chasing that “perfect” setup.

What would you recommend and why? Any underrated KDE-based distro I should check out? Or maybe something mainstream but deeply customizable and stable?

Appreciate your thoughts!

Also, if you can, please share some of the best (and free) resources to really learn and master Linux. I’m still learning and only know some basics, but I want to go deeper and really understand how things work under the hood. Even if I don’t feel super advanced yet 😅, I’m curious and willing to grow.

Thanks a ton in advance!

  • thenose@lemmy.world
    5·
    2 days ago

    Many might not like or bored with this answer but NixOS. It has more fresh packages than AUR. You can pin your version if you want or you can do what i did: i have most of my packages on stabile(which is super reliable and mostly fast to catch up) but I’ve defined that i want some from the unstable channel which is basically the cutting edge. Yes there are a few things missing when it comes to desktop apps but can use flatpack for those. On top of that you can program the whole OS to your liking and it won’t build if you fckup or you can roll back on boot if you don’t like what you’ve done. I’ve installed nixos to make my penguin friend shutup and now it’s my safe space really.