The Sundarban
Printed Feb 19, 2026, 9:00 AM EST
Faisal Rasool has been a characteristic author at How-to Geek since early 2024. He brings five years of authentic journey in simplifying technology for his readers on matters luxuriate in cell devices, PCs, and online privateness. He tries to relieve of us glean the most out of their objects and instrument with the least effort.
In his teenage years, he spent hours each day tinkering with Android phones and Linux builds. Faisal started his profession at WhatMobile in 2019 (largely out of his obsession with Android) where he printed over 2,000 recordsdata tales. At demonstrate, he contributes to the recordsdata share over at AndroidHeadlines.
He additionally authored more than 100 characteristic articles for SlashGear, holding Android, iOS, Web, Chromebooks, online privateness/security, and PC hiss.
Faisal is additionally pursuing a Bachelor’s in English literature to invent up his writing chops. He enjoys watercolors, classic video games, inviting movies, and conversations with strangers.
Summary
I tested virtually every mainstream distro under the sun to interchange my workstation OS and to revive used laptops.
I decided I must determine my needs (luxuriate in contemporary interface and stability) sooner than selecting a lengthy-term distro.
In a roundabout scheme, I settled on a custom-made Kubuntu and stopped distro-hopping.
For virtually a year, I used to be once leaping from one Linux distro to the subsequent without ever selecting one for more than per week. Right here’s how I stopped and found the staunch distro for me.
Why I started distro hopping
Prior to I even knew what Linux was once, I’d continually wished one thing diversified out of my desktop working diagram. I cherished how Dwelling windows worked till Dwelling windows 8, and I cherished the watch and in actuality feel of macOS when I tested it, too. But they didn’t in actuality feel luxuriate in they were in actuality mine. I never cherished the stock watch of Dwelling windows (it has continually been my day by day driver), and I staunch couldn’t glean used to the keyboard workflows on Mac.
It all started with customizing Dwelling windows
Since I wasn’t responsive to replacement working systems, my first instinct was once staunch to theme and redesign every bit of the Dwelling windows interface. I tinkered with every form of Dwelling windows customization platforms: Rainmeter, custom-made patched themes, theme packs, and even Stardock’s Object Desktop. I had a host of free time on my hands in those days, so I used to be once reasonably active in Dwelling windows customization communities on DeviantArt, Reddit, and Rainmeter forums.
It never felt sufficient even though. Below a brand new coat of paint it was once continually the identical used, dead Dwelling windows 7 or 10. I staunch could perhaps perhaps never glean it to be conscious and in actuality feel how I wished to. One day, I randomly stumbled upon a YouTube video of how somebody had transformed Ubuntu to be conscious exactly luxuriate in macOS. It captured my consideration straight, and I went down a rabbit gap of Linux and Linux-linked customization.
I tried changing my indispensable workstation
Naturally, I started with Ubuntu. I adopted an tutorial to design my set up watch luxuriate in macOS. I even found a manner to customise the keyboard shortcuts to match my Dwelling windows journey. It was once my first brush with Linux, so I used to be once unruffled studying the basics (easy the technique to set up functions, work the terminal, and so on). Ubuntu’s GNOME desktop ambiance felt restrictive with its customization alternatives, even supposing it had a thousand million buttons and dials to personalize the interface. It was once unruffled miles higher than anything Dwelling windows or macOS could perhaps perhaps provide me. It staunch felt dated, in spite of my attempts.
Credit: fatmawati achmad zaenuri / Shutterstock
I hopped to Traditional OS after that on fable of I cherished the macOS-luxuriate in in actuality feel it had. I didn’t follow it on fable of, but again, the Pantheon desktop ambiance wasn’t customizable sufficient. I tried a bunch more Debian-descended distros after that. Linux Mint, Deepin, Pop!_OS, pure Debian, and diversified flavors of Ubuntu LTS spring to mind staunch now. Arch-essentially essentially based distros were too sophisticated for me, and I had heard they destroy easily. I tried Manjaro, and it was but again user-friendly than other Arch distributions. But by then I had already gotten used to the stability and kit administration of Debian.
I revived some used laptops with Linux
For just a few weeks, I left my workstation by myself (for work causes) and had a host of enjoyable resurrecting some used laptops I had lying around. I mediate I finished up testing virtually every “lightweight” Linux under the sun. I used to be once hopping distros virtually each day. Pup Linux, Peppermint OS, AntiX, MX Linux, Slight Core Linux, Rattling Slight Linux, and Linux Lite spring to mind staunch now.
Credit: Pup Linux
Most of them worked surprisingly successfully on those primitive machines, but I saved running into the identical area: Wi-Fi connectivity. For whatever cause, I couldn’t design the Wi-Fi card drivers work on these Linux distros. They either didn’t detect the card or the signal energy was once ridiculously ragged. Pup Linux did an fabulous job with Wi-Fi on those laptops even though. From my journey, it has the handiest give a boost to for used hardware. Granted, its interface is a little janky, but I infrequently in actuality feel nostalgic about it. I will’t counsel it sufficient for used hardware.
One thing grew to change into certain as I went deeper into this distro rabbit gap: there will not be any perfect distro. I desired to interchange my methodology if I wished to leave Dwelling windows at the help of and switch to Linux in the lengthy bustle.
Understanding what I need
So I reviewed my journey with Linux to this point, and decided what I attain and don’t need out of a distro.
I don’t need an interface that appears to be like to be dated out of the field.
I don’t must fight with hardware compatibility and drivers.
I don’t need the most modern functions or updates to glean my work finished.
