UBUNTU without the CONTROVERSIAL choices: try these 5 Linux distros!

Switched to Debian 12. I'm happy.

I want to recomend KDE neon!

Yes it is kde, but its ubuntu based and can customized alot

Graphical package managers scare me because I use CLI 99% of the time and I'm always afraid that the GUI package manager breaks when I use the CLI to install say ZFS drivers.

What I dislike about Ubuntu is Ubuntu, all of it. I could maybe work with it if I keep only the Kernel and init system and then try to switch repositories to Debian Testing.

I ended up switching to Manjaro GNOME.

It turns out that I can’t really understand apt that well. So it makes sense that I would ditch Debian-based distros entirely.

I use Lubuntu with snaps disabled, I used to like elementaryOS a lot but since they also became too flatpak oriented I decided to went back to Ubuntu flavors.

In fairness to ubuntu trying to move away from Gnome was actually probably a good call. Most of the issues ubuntu seems to have stem from Gnome and their its either my way or the highway kind of attitude. I think they should have stuck with the untiy desktop. Or they should ditch Gnome in favor of KDE and just modify it to look like what ubuntu looks like now. Gnome obviously doesn't care about Canonical or the Ubuntu community one bit.

I wish someone Anyone … could tell me why some Distros will identify themselves with their NAME in the boot menu. Many Ubuntu derivatives like Mint and Debian … only say Ubuntu. What a pain this is … if you have several drives and are a compulsive distrohopper!!!

I used to be a big fan of Ubuntu. Used it daily during the Gnome 2.x days, and I did like Unity. I used my PC hooked up to a big TV, and Unity was hands down the best GUI for the TV space.
Ubuntu went down the path of too many changes with point releases that I couldn’t deal with anymore. It’s like the random changes forced upon people with Windows 10 and 11.
These days I use Linux Mint and Manjaro Gnome.
Linux Mint is the best. It just works, and I don’t have to fight my system, like ever.

Some people believe, that the Linux Community is communism. Everybody has to obey their master and every nitwit thinks he is the true master. For those nitwits I have some ancient UK wisdom: Ubuntu, right or wrong my distro!

Linux Mint Cinnamon has served me well and kept me from having to get a new computer. Runs beautifully on an i5 Mac Mini 2012 with 16gb ram

I settled on Mint for simplicity alone. I don't have time to tweak too much: just install and off you go.

Ubuntu is where I started on Linux 3 months after the release of Windows 10. From there I went to Chateau Linux. When that died I went to Peppermint. When that died I went to Mint Mate, and have been there ever sense. I installed Linux Lite for a couple Linux newbies as well, after I found they were somehow still on Windows Vista in the mid 2000s.

I really think there's an overreaction to Ubuntu's choices. Ubuntu is a great distro and Canonical gives important contribution to open source solutions besides being responsible for a huge Linux presence on IoT and servers. A passionate approach to Canonical's decisions avoids seeing things on a balanced manner.

I have Linux Lite in one of my PCs.

The only real shortcoming I see with Ubuntu is its easily visible increase in CPU load. It's getting fat.Otherwise it still is a pretty good OS. I am looking around for a leaner one with a "Maybe I'll quit it" in the back of my mind. I guess Debian would be where I go to. I had it installed on an older machine a while ago where it did really well.

Ubuntu is still great and it just works. Having snap packages isn't a downside. Just don't use it if you don't want. But there are cases where you can't find an app anywhere and it has a snap package.

Love debian!

Vanilla Gnome experience on Fedora and Arch is far better. Though too vanilla for an average Desktop Linux user, keeping Linux away from an average user. Manjaro probably is the closest at solving most of the issues.

by doing that, you still feed the beast.
just stay away from Canonical and Red Hat and all the distros based on their OSes.

Good point about Zorin, because of this video I changed to another distro with an up-to-date LTS.

Great video as always, but do you think we caould calling Debian Testing a release, it isnt a release, i dont even think Debian use those words, its a testing 'state'. Calling it a release confuses people into thinking its a working polished 'release' :)

I tried Debian once, it didn't work out for me as I hoped and showed me that I wasn't ready for the experience of it yet. So I went back to Kubuntu. Worked fine for me so far.

One point: Ubuntu Budgie does include Flatpak by default. As far as I know, it's the only Ubuntu spin that does this, which makes it my personal choice of all the Ubuntu versions.

Puppy on a usb

I've been eyeing KDE Neon -- does this have the same issues mentioned in the video about Ubuntu/Canonical?

There's a bit of misinformation in this video - Zorin is based on 22.04 LTS. Yes, still not the latest and greatest so your point still stands to a degree, but saying its 20.04 is a bit inaccurate considering it's been based on 22.04 since 16.2's release last year. Also, I'm not a Zorin user - just wanted to clear up the inaccuracy.

I wanted to try TUXEDO-- but couldn't get it to boot at all.....BUT Then- that was when I had a download speed here of 4 meg on a good day-- could have gotten corrupted or something-- NOW Ihave fiber optic and 100 meg min .. upand down.. maybe I'll try it again. I've used ZORIN--- it's OK- but just didn't " do it " for me.. and- lastly-- SNAPS IS CRAPS.. so that lets this out for me.

Tried Rhino-- looks too"cartoony"for me-- didn't like it..

I really like the NEW mint-- IF-- I F they would come up with some way to do AUTO-TILING (like the pop shell does for gnome or BISMUTH does on kde)..then it would be PERFECT..

Just want you to know- I LOVE your reviews-- the style makes it so entertaining- and factual without fluff. I LIKE that. I agree with you MOST of the time- but sometimes I piss you off-- (like hating the way the IDIOTS that made gnome call it "G-nome" which IS incorrect by english rules regardless of what they think.. or why.... BUT- all that crap aside-- your reviews are EXCELLENT-- all of them!!! RIGHT now I use DEBAIN BASED NEPTUNE-- love it-- and also SPARKY-- love that too.. both GREAT- FAST, light- and fun.. and based on debian 12.. but with flatpaks so they're UP TO DATE pretty much- close enough- NO ONE needs everything up to the minute NEW-- that's just stupid..

KDE Neon is a terrific distro based on Ubuntu.

I never noticed your Fehu tattoo on your left arm before. Trying to coax a little extra cash into your life? :)

KDE Neon >>>>

"You can always uninstall snap, disable the telemetry..." Last time I tried running Firefox (installed via apt) on Ubuntu, it told me I had to install the Firefox snap. Not sure whether uninstalling snap would fix that.

A little annoying that none of these offer gnome outside of debian. It either requires ubuntu's gnome, or isn't promised to work

Sparky also comes in game edition , rescue edition , minimal CLI as well as minimal GUI edition

It's not an Ubuntu based distro but sparky Linux is debian based you can get most any desktop just install sparky minimal GUI then from app center goto desktops and pick your favorite and you can get most Ubuntu apps (for desktop choose cinnamon , kde, gnome shell, gnome flashback , CDE , i3 , awesome, enlightenment or One of a dozen others.😊

I never see covering of Ubuntu Studio which is prime for the Linux audio community and not bad for those into video editing as well.
May I ask why?

You missed MX Linux. A fair choice to try IMO.

Can any of em be atleast as good looking as windows 7 ffs?

Debian with KDE Plasma + Flatpaks = 💪😈

I still miss the unity desktop

the problem is canonical makes it soooooooo inconvenient to get rid of all the stuff u don't want, 1 cannot live with such an OS. i am making a conscious effort 2 "eject" ubuntu from my life. i find it such a great pity bec i came on board ubuntu bec of watt the software stood for & watt ubuntu means. it seems over the years, it has come to mean anything but "ubuntu."

Ubuntu is a good OS and their desktops a lovely but it the Snaps that spoil it. You cannot remove Snap because it breaks the whole operating system. That's why I use Linux Mint which I an using with the Kubuntu desktop on one laptop and Ubuntu Gnome on another. I have all of the features of Ubuntu as well as the Mint apps but no Snap. Ubuntu should make having Snap optional like Mint does. I don't know why they don't.

I'm glad I jumped ship to Mint long ago. It's insane how Canonical is chasing the Microsoft/Apple model.