this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Looking for a distribution that I could replicate from one computer to another (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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Hi everyone,

I’ve been a happy user of Fedora Workstation since Fedora 36 on my Surface Go 1.

I really enjoy Gnome and everything is set up the way I want to.

Since I was really happy with my setup I just wanted to be able to replicate it easily through Clonezilla so that I could port it on any future computer I’d get.

Sadly, even with the help of really helpful and knowledgeable users on Lemmy, it hasn’t worked (https://sh.itjust.works/post/25963065).

So now I’m left wondering if there could be a distribution that I’d enjoy and which would be easy to deploy on another computer as I’d hate to have to configure everything on every computer I’d get.

I love Gnome but I wouldn’t be against trying something else if necessary.

What distribution could meet my needs?

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[–] that_leaflet@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Personally, I use Fedora Silverblue and use bash scripts for reproducibility. To set up a new system, all I need to to is install, reboot, run my bash script, reboot, and my system is 90% configured. With bash scripts, I am able to reproduce more of my system than I could when I used NixOS.

A lot of people recommend Nix, but the thing about Nix is that you're only declaring how the system is configured. Not your home folder. You need to rely on third party tools for that.

Bash scripts can configure system and home folder. They can also be used on any distro, whereas a Nix configuration file only works on NixOS.

Though the worst part about any new install is just signing back into everything, especially an annoyance when you have proper 2FA setup. Bash scripts or Nix can't solve that unless you migrate data over.

[–] Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

What is a bash script? Is it something I'd have to write mysel using the terminal? Sorry but my skills are quite limited for now.

[–] that_leaflet@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yes, it's something you write yourself. Bash is the language you use when you use the terminal. A bash script is just many lines of bash commands.

A bash script could be as simple as

dnf install package1 package2 package3
dnf remove package4 package5 package6

This script automates installing some packages and removing some packages. The bash script I use does a lot more, such as running commands to configure Gnome how I like it.

If you're not comfortable with the terminal, I would definitely recommend staying away from NixOS. To declaratively/reproducibly set up the system, it uses a language called Nix that is a fair bit more complicated than bash. It's also just very different from traditional Linux systems like Fedora or Ubuntu.