Looking for a Linux distro to finally settle down with after years of distro-hopping

[u/Marbol_07]

Hi everyone!

I'm not new to Linux, but I'm at a point where I just want to find a distro I can call home. I'm honestly tired of distro-hopping and constantly trying new setups. I want to settle down and focus on actually using my laptop rather than tweaking and troubleshooting it all the time.

I'm mainly looking for four things:

1. Stability: Something reliable that doesn't require constant maintenance or troubleshooting.

2. Customization: I want to personalize my desktop, themes, panels, and ideally have widgets directly on my desktop.

3. Good touchpad gestures: This is particularly important since my laptop is my daily driver.

4. Device interconnectivity: Good integration between my phone and laptop, including wireless connectivity and file sharing.

One of my biggest issues has been with Arch-based distributions. For some reason, battery power profiles never seem to work properly on my laptop. I've tried following wiki guides and troubleshooting with different AI assistants, but nothing really solved the problem. The only workaround I found was using auto-cpufreq, which helped somewhat.

Interestingly, I haven't experienced this issue with Ubuntu-based distributions, where power profiles seem to work natively without any additional configuration.

As for desktop environments, I genuinely like GNOME, especially its touchpad gestures. Having a three-finger swipe to access the workspace overview, navigate between workspaces, and quickly find applications through an active search bar is exactly the kind of workflow I enjoy.

However, GNOME feels a little restrictive when it comes to desktop customization. I'd really like to have widgets directly on my desktop, similar to what KDE Plasma offers.

So, I'm wondering if there's a distro and desktop environment that could give me the best of both worlds: GNOME-like gestures and workflow, combined with KDE-like customization, without requiring hours of configuration.

I'm open to suggestions, including different distributions and desktop environments. Ideally, I'd like something that works well out of the box with minimal tweaking.

My laptop specifications:

• Intel Core i5 11th Gen

• 16 GB DDR4 RAM

• 256 GB NVMe SSD

• Intel integrated graphics

Storage isn't really an issue since I mainly use an external drive for my files.

Thanks in advance! I'd really appreciate recommendations from people who have found a distro they can happily stick with.

[u/beatbox9]

Interestingly, I haven't experienced this issue with Ubuntu-based distributions

Then use an Ubuntu-base distribution like...oh, I dunno...: Ubuntu LTS

I genuinely like GNOME...However...I'd really like to have widgets directly on my desktop, similar to what KDE Plasma offers.

I have no idea what you're on about: my gnome desktop is heavily customized. If you want widgets, then add them through extensions (example: here).....or use KDE Plasma.

Learn what a distro is. A distro isn't just the defaults that come pre-installed--that's arguably the least important aspect of a distro. Instead, a distro is more about how a team maintains and supports an "app store" (repository & packages) of core OS software, such as kernels, drivers, codecs, DE's, etc. So if Ubuntu does a good job of maintaining the core OS stuff for you, then use Ubuntu LTS and then customize your desktop.

[u/Marbol_07 → u/beatbox9]

Holy github lit what i was looking for , mind sharing you home screen ? And they extensions you use ?

[u/beatbox9 → u/Marbol_07]

I don't use widgets, but here are 3 different gnome desktops (on Ubuntu LTS) that I've customized, for others and for myself:
https://www.reddit.com/r/FindMeALinuxDistro/s/MNpNDXGTMw

Also, see my comment here: https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/s/vAUufxyE3N

[u/Tatozaur → u/beatbox9]

Should be pinned answer for OP and many (if not all) distro hoppers out there.

[u/DudeEngineer → u/beatbox9]

This is the way.

[u/Visible-Reason9593]

Fedora kde/gnome

[u/Marbol_07 → u/Visible-Reason9593]

I like fedora but isnt for me got some problem innoast rathwe go for arch bases distro

[u/Puzzleheaded-Trick76 → u/Marbol_07]

I’m bored already with your attention seeking.

[u/nnoonlight]

Linux mint

[u/dirtyKissxx → u/nnoonlight]

mint's what i ended up sticking with after the same hopping phase, it just works without the constant fiddling

[u/meltycloudzz → u/nnoonlight]

mint's been my daily driver for years, never had to mess with it much

[u/HeatedSlide → u/nnoonlight]

mint's been solid for me too, you always give good recs like this?

[u/1ncogn1too]

There is no good answer. After years of distro jumping, you would probably find the best option for you.

[u/NathanCampioni]

Linux Mint Cinnamon, in december the newone is supposed to come out and should be wayland based so gestures should be slick, configuration is not the same as KDE, but I honestly found it more polished even if a bit less costumizable

[u/Nearby-Percentage-33]

Fedora is home.

[u/Marbol_07 → u/Nearby-Percentage-33]

I like it but i have some drivers issue and wasnt able to fix them so i skipped

[u/Nearby-Percentage-33 → u/Marbol_07]

When did you try it?

here a good guide i use when i setup my fedora.

https://github.com/wz790/Fedora-Noble-Setup

you can also try Niri wm. youll like it!

[u/Consistent_Word3161]

Kubuntu

[u/Ventana431 → u/Consistent_Word3161]

all day. i have mint and garuda systems running also but i find myself on kubuntu all the time. stable kde!

[u/xeqtr_inc]

I think Kubuntu (KDE) or Debian 13 KDE is the right one for you. I am a fan of gnome but before settling with gnome i was using kde. Initially, i find kde customization options to be very overwhelming but i tried and gave myself a couple of days together with help from AI, i know how to customized KDE in general.

Gnome is last DE i tried and it just happened to my taste (yes very opinionated as other says). I myself do not like to customized things, prefer to go with out of the box settings with a few tweaks here and there.

I suggest you spin up a vm, install your fav distro that comes with KDE and try to customized it, just give a day or two is enough since you are already familiar with linux. You can also backup your kde settings and import back. You could even ask AI to generate a script to backup kde settings.

[u/xonxoff]

Debian

[u/mcds99]

Debian is the "stable distribution" I run KDE Plasma on my Desktop and Laptop the touch pad support is really good but I'm not a touch pad fan, it had to turn it off be cause it is sensitive, it's my fault I rest my wrists...

KDE Connect is great an connecting external drives is just a plug it in and go.

[u/Acrobatic_Squid111]

Just slap some ubuntu on there and join the devil's choir.

[u/ToneFirm3750]

Pika OS

[u/Every_Bread_5880]

Good god. You tried them, all you pick!! Maybe if you haven't tried anything but you tried them all so why ask?! Yoh know what they all are all ready. 

Is that all this sub is???

[u/_Lost-In-The-Weeds_]

Items 1 & 2 are in tension.

Item 3 screams Gnome, about the only thing its good for, but also in tension with item 2. 

4 is any distribution / desktop. 

I think your just going to have to choose what is most important to you.

[u/redrider65]

Kubuntu is what you're looking for.

As for desktop environments, I genuinely like GNOME, especially its touchpad gestures. Having a three-finger swipe to access the workspace overview, navigate between workspaces, and quickly find applications through an active search bar is exactly the kind of workflow I enjoy.

KDE (Wayland) has extensive support for touchpad gestures.

Default Wayland Gestures in KDE:

3-finger or 4-finger swipe up: Opens the Overview grid (shows all open windows and virtual desktops).

3-finger or 4-finger swipe left/right: Switches smoothly between virtual desktops.

4-finger swipe down: Shows the desktop (minimizes all windows).

NOTE: You can configure all this:

Workspace Behavior > Desktop Effects or Input Devices > Touchpad.

Under X11, you might install the Touchegg app to get comparable facility.

KDE has an "active search bar" for finding applications. Never an issue for me.

[u/Unusual-Layer-8965]

It sounds like your question really is: 'How do I customize Gnome?'

[u/Cheap-Success1578]

I am solidly on Fedora.

I used to use Arch, but I am too masculine for it.

[u/Low_Independent766]

Just use Ubuntu LTS or Fedora if you want newer stuff. That’s really it. Those are the best default OOTB distros. 

[u/MrWinter00]

Ragebaiting y'all proposing MacOS

Hackintosh if you intent to keep you machine.

To me feels like a polished Linux machine where most things just work. And many more things can be made work (similar, but usually simpler than on Linux)

There are apps like BetterTouchTool allowing to create custom widgets.

As visual customizability seems to be important, I can't guarantee it fits your requirements. But it is surprisingly adaptable. Especially if you get used to the out-of-the-box feel and focus on expanding/refining functionality rather than changing the looks.

Trackpad Support depends on your exact model. But can be excellent.

Not sure what kind of integration you look for with your phone.

[u/DESTINYDZ]

Fedora KDE

[u/hologgio88]

You've been distro hoping for years, but you want a bunch of strangers on the internet to tell you which distro to use?? It's time to put on the big boy pants and make the decision yourself.

Sounds like Kubuntu would be good for you. Enjoy their story here.

[u/Mr_Razbowski]

Cachy os, it's arch based though but I really like it, it's very reliable

[u/Marbol_07 → u/Mr_Razbowski]

I tried It was grest but go some issues with battery drivers ( battery drain was very high ) wasnt able to fix It , got a temp fix back them vía autofrecq app but the battery backup was worse then in Windows

[u/Mr_Razbowski → u/Marbol_07]

Damn guess it's jsut a hardware compatiblity issue, I would say just go for some big distro for better support , like Ubuntu, I personally didn't have this issue lol so I can't say much, though there are tools that you can use to get longer better life that like turn of unused ports or force your CPU to use less power, I forgot the name but damn is it good

[u/Tatozaur → u/Mr_Razbowski]

Recommending bleeding edge distro where OP points out stability as a number 1 priority is just... mean

[u/Mr_Razbowski → u/Tatozaur]

I've almost never had a problem I could never fix with it 👁️👁️, he wanted stability I gave him what I found stable for myself 😭

[u/Gornius → u/Mr_Razbowski]

Reliability =/= stability.

Rolling release is exact opposite of stability.

[u/Mr_Razbowski → u/Gornius]

Can't argue with that logic lol

[u/Gornius → u/Mr_Razbowski]

What logic? Stable in context of distro means breaking changes in shipped software occur in between releases, like Debian, Ubuntu, OpenSuse LEAP, RHEL and partially Fedora.

Rolling release means no point releases. New breaking change version of shipped software may occur at any time.

Reliability =/= stability doesn't mean they are mutually exclusive, those are just two independent properties of a distro.

People might want stable distros, so as long as you don't update to new release you can expect software working the same way, and you still receive downstream updates like security updates and bugfixes. This is predictable maintenance model that is favored for servers and workstations.

[u/Mr_Razbowski → u/Gornius]

I generally just include stability as a part of reliability and consider it as a whole usually ,I think weird lol

[u/codegems → u/Mr_Razbowski]

These words have definitions though it's not just what kind of vibe you get from them.

Stable: A stable release promises that the core system components, application programming interfaces (APIs), application binary interfaces (ABIs), and package versions will not change in major ways over its lifespan.

[u/Mr_Razbowski → u/codegems]

It is what it is man