Hello community!

I come to you for advice. Using an m1 macbook air since 2020, I installed popos on my old 2013 macbook pro and I was quite happy with it but… I bought a steamdeck two weeks ago and exploring its desktop mode made me reconsider some choices. Using distros based on different systems, with different commands, desktop environment, etc. gets a little confusing for someone like me, who doesn’t use linux as my main machine. Do you have any advice for me? From what I understand, steamos is debian-based while popos is ubuntu-based: is that the biggest part of how a distribution works, ie commands, etc.? Good ui/ux is important for me so i should maybe use nitrux or deepin, that are debian-based, or is it a bad idea to choose a less common distro for a amateur like me?

Thanks in advance, I’m a bit lost.

  • DestideEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    The only reason to not use Silver blue is if you use something like a VPN that requires root functions. Most VPN’s will work with network manager or have flatpak clients but there are some like Mullvad that are quite tricky to get sorted.

    • Guenther_Amanita@feddit.de
      3·
      1 year ago

      Yeah. I’ve just started using SB a few days ago AND decided for Mullvad. What a coincidence…

      AFAIK you can just install the rpm via rpm-ostree and reboot. I have to look if this also works with tool- or distrobox.

      Or, if you don’t rely on the client, just set up your connection using the native import function of Gnome/ KDE.

      But for now, Silverblue is great and I don’t feel like it restricts me at all tbh. I just wouldn’t recommend it to newcomers, since you have to find a few workarounds and try other approaches as with Ubuntu for example.

      • DestideEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        rpm-ostree installs the client, but it hasn’t worked for me as the service is blocked, it’s the same with the ovpn/wireguard method using gnome’s network manager. Could be something simple I’m missing with Nix I had to enable it as a service, I haven’t used SB for a fair while now but have recently used micro which had the same issue.

    • aadil@merv.news
      2·
      1 year ago

      I’m using Mullvad on Silverblue right now, through NetworkManager. Just had to import the wireguard config file they provide. No extra app/package needed!

      • DestideEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        Awesome stuff glad to hear it, I love immutable distros for my work machines silver blue definitely being the trend setter