I'm Done with Ubuntu

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Ubuntu Upgrades and Stability

  • Many commenters echo the OP: desktop upgrades (including LTS→LTS) have repeatedly broken systems—networking, RAID, boot, or whole installs.
  • Others report smooth multi-version upgrades (even from 14.04→current) and suggest problems often correlate with complex setups or non‑LTS releases.
  • Several now avoid in‑place upgrades entirely, preferring periodic clean installs across all OSes.

Snaps and Ubuntu “Enshittification”

  • Snaps are a central grievance: slow startup (notably Firefox), odd filesystem sandboxes breaking apps, home-directory clutter, and Ubuntu silently replacing .deb packages with snaps.
  • People resent having to maintain PPAs, pinning rules, and manual “snapectomy” scripts just to keep deb-based workflows.
  • Some see telemetry incidents (e.g., past Amazon search integration, ubuntu‑pro auto-install) and mounting “security” features as loss of user control and trust.

Alternatives: Fedora, Debian, Arch & Others

  • Fedora is the most commonly cited refuge: modern kernels, good hardware support, smooth upgrades, no snaps, first‑class Flatpak. Some warn about NVIDIA pain, smaller repos, fast release cadence, or specific hardware bugs.
  • Debian is framed as “Ubuntu without the BS”: stable, predictable, huge .deb ecosystem. Many ex‑Ubuntu users moved servers and desktops there; testing/unstable or backports address old‑kernel issues.
  • Arch, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, NixOS, OpenSUSE (esp. Tumbleweed), Mint, Pop!_OS, Slackware, Linux Mint Debian Edition, Bazzite, and image-based Fedora spins are all mentioned as viable paths, depending on appetite for rolling vs stability.

Gaming and Desktop UX

  • Experiences diverge: some say Linux gaming (with Steam/Proton) is now fine or even superior to Windows for many titles; others still dual‑boot or stick to Windows for VR, anti‑cheat, or vendor launchers.
  • GNOME’s defaults (no minimize/maximize, workflow changes) and Unity’s history split opinion; many users simply swap DEs (KDE, MATE, i3, tiling WMs).

LTS, Security, and Philosophy

  • Several argue LTS on desktops leads to outdated kernels and missing features; others value exactly that conservatism.
  • There’s tension between “no updates, no breakage” nostalgia (even running Windows 7) and the strong counterpoint that unpatched systems are serious security risks.
  • Broader frustration emerges around constantly shifting “cool” distros and the effort required to keep Linux desktops both modern and reliable.