Fedora

Fedora is a distribution designed to appeal to both newcomers and experienced users. The desktop version by default comes shipped with Gnome, which most people will likely find to be pleasantly modern. Beyond that, there are other compelling reasons to choose Fedora.

The choice of the “right” distribution can be the subject of surprisingly emotional debates, at least in some circles. Especially for beginners this decision might seem more important than it is for users who already found an established workflow. Among the many excellent alternatives, the best choice is often the one that meets your needs and preferences without you having to put in a lot of effort.

For me, three factors are decisive:

• Support for desktops and window managers: What options are directly supported, and how have they been adapted?
• Access to current or stable software versions: Are the required applications available in the latest or in time-proven versions?
• Customizability vs. usability “out of the box”: Can the system be tailored from the ground up, or do sensible defaults minimize the effort to configure the system?

In all honesty, these were not the considerations for which I originally choose Fedora. When in 2024 I set up my new Framework 13 laptop, the manufacturer explicitly recommended and supported Fedora (among others). The endorsement of reputable companies is of course mostly of symbolic importance, but it seemed like a good enough reason to take a closer look at Fedora in the light of the concerns just outlined.

Other than Gnome, Fedora offers a wide range of popular desktops and window managers through its so-called Spins, including my own personal favorite, Sway. Updates are provided in a principled manner, and in my experience they tend to fall on the nearly fully up to date end of the spectrum. To put it bluntly: more current than Ubuntu but not as bleeding-edge as Arch.

For so-called power users, Arch is practically a badge of honor. I spent several years working with Arco Linux and EndeavourOS, which are excellent platforms for learners – precisely because things do not tend to work out of the box. While this can be frustrating, it provides plenty of opportunities to understand the system at a deeper level. In comparison, Fedora requires much less effort, meaning there’s simply less to do on a day-to-day basis. Naturally, less to do doesn’t mean that you won’t still have to roll up your sleeves when it comes to your own projects.

As is the nature of things, the elaborations and guides may not readily be applied to other distributions.