The backup distro

Other Distributions/OS
#1

I.e. the fallback distro, either when you get bored or you fecked up your main distro :smiley:

I’ve been using Arch for quite a while and I love everything about it, but I have to admit that the one distro I tend to rely on when in need is Ubuntu. There’s a lot to argue about when it comes to Ubuntu, and I know some people have problems with it, but for me it has always delivered. It’s the only distro where all my hardware always works and the things that fail in other distros usually do to. For example, OpenVPN has been messed up in every Gnome 3.38 based distro for me except in Ubuntu. Gmail calendars through Gnome Online accounts usually break straight away in every distro, except for Ubuntu.

The only problem with Ubuntu for me is that it’s so polished that it lacks that bit of soul.
So it remains to be just the fallback

#2

I started out with Ubuntu years ago but never really spent enough time to be as comfortable as I am with arch now, it’s mine.

Ubuntu definitely is a polished setup, they have the manpower and money to really spend the time.

1 Like
#3

Guess it s the main thing there @natemaia

#4

Debian stable ftw!

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#5

lol, yes sir @Head_on_a_Stick

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#6

I keep a Manjaro live image around. If I need to check something like hardware support or configuration, I will boot it up. They have done a great job in terms of improving Linux desktop experience overall, just like what Ubuntu did during its early releases. If I get bored, I would explore something quite different, for example Void. Have to admit, I like Void a lot. As for a solid backup distro, I would pick Debian stable or Slackware.

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#7

I keep a live usb of BunsenLabs or SharpBang around for emergencies, but the ArchLabs usb works just as well for that.

Void is stable enough I don’t worry about the system borking in me.

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#8

I don’t really have one but I’d probably use Archbang or something similar. I don’t usually bother with anything Debian based these days as they aren’t as up to date with packages as Arch based distros are. I do play around with BunsenLabs of course on a regular basis.

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#9

Sigh, such a terribly male comment & attitude! 🤦‍♀

My standby / alternative boot on my Arch tower is atm SolydK. If i had my druthers i’d replace it with SparkyLinux like is my sole boot on laptop, but tbh i am just too lazy these days to bother, given that Arch simply just keeps on working, negating my entire rationale of a few years ago to have a second boot just in case.

#11

I’m happily married and never had a mistress and wouldn’t condone such behaviour.
But yes, it was a bad metaphor and I’ll change it to something that doesn’t make it sound like I have a bad attitude towards women and relationships.

Just wondering though how many women would have seen insult in this if this was a post from a woman talking about a lover in an equally bad metaphor?

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#12

Thank you, i really appreciate your change. I cannot answer your question definitively, all i can tell you is that many of us simply don’t think or talk that way. Breach of trust, & disrespect of others, are just so upsetting.

I forgot to include in my earlier post – i once had other Arch-based distros as my standby/backup boot, but soon realised that was pretty dumb of me because given an anticipated long interval between “needing” to fall back on it, any Arch-based would be so out of date that just catching up its backlog of updates might then create its own slew of problems for me to solve, ie, not actually helping me at all in its whole purpose. So i changed to a Debian-based option instead, knowing that a long time between drinks for it would likely do no harm.

2 Likes
#13

I guess it’s easier to just look at the concept behind a word without emotions when it’s not something that has ever hurt or has been applicable to you. I’m sure alarm bells would have gone off if it ever had. So sorry again for the insensitive comparison. You were right to point it out.

Regarding distros, for me it makes sens to have a Debian-based distro around. Between Arch and Debian and the ground they cover, I can’t immediately find any scenario or problem that couldn’t be solved. No matter how much I like Arch, I think it indeed makes sens to have something Debian, possibly even Red Hat-based, in case you ever need it.

3 Likes
#14

I always use at least two distros, one Arch, the other usually a Debian based one like MX or AntiX, with BL as the desktop. AL is my daily driver. BL is always getting paired up with something lol. That’s what is cool about it, where I can have a backend like MX.

I have tried Fedora, I plan to use it on another machine, along with Nix. I am done distro hopping, AL and BL are pretty much all I need, thankfully.

#15

I have been a die hard Arch fan and test most Arch base OS :innocent: but my fall back OS is Debian Sid which I update daily.
Once in a while, I even take it for a ride. :wink:

1 Like
#16

Second for Archbang, it’s super clean and bare bones, perfect for a custom Arch build with the idea of purposing it for a specific application environment, as well as building a daily driver. I used to install that, and build AL on it from the repos, before I finally figured out how to use the AL installer lulz.

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#17

Bullseye! :grimacing:

#18

Lol, I m on BL with Buster on my end.

#19

I’m eyeing a move from Ubuntu to Debian Sid myself
I’ve been preparing in a VM :slight_smile:

#20

If you go from ubuntu to debian @spaceman , I would suggest debian stable as stated by @Head_on_a_Stick above & install apt-listbugs also as a kind of security against some bugs or crap that can be going on.

Just my 2 cnt here.

#21

Or for anyone interested, SparkyLinux for a sans-hassles Debian Testing outcome. I’ve been amazed [since first evaluating in a VM, then eventually several months ago replacing Lappy’s Manjaro with it] at its combo of stability [wrt reliability] + how up-to-date- its packages are [easily rivalling Arch Stable, to my utter astonishment].

1 Like