I used Debian for about 2 years as the main operating system, worked with apt package for sometime, now I wanna switch to Fedora in the case of newest updates at most monthly. Needed to ask if any advice you got?, I wanna learn more on my Fedora (Lpic or whatever)…
Welcome to the community @winniethepooh, thanks for joining us! ![]()
Hi @winniethepooh , welcome to the community! I don’t have any specific advice for you—Fedora is a solid distro. Are there any specific areas you’re worried about?
I’m using Ubuntu right now on this my primary machine, but also use Debian almost every day on another box, and have a Fedora install here too.
I happily move my own app configs between boxes; eg. my browser config was taken from this my primary box, to my Debian box, as well as the Fedora box; after all the apps are the same, in my case the versions are usually identical (due to my choice of release!), and the difference between snap packaged here on Ubuntu for some, deb packaged on Debian, and rpm based on Fedora is moot; as the datafiles are for the apps themselves (and thus versions matter more).
I move many of my desktop configurations between the boxes too, as I want the boxes to essentially work the same; I even have the same keyboards on all 3 of my example boxes (that matters to me); though this Ubuntu box has 5 monitors attached, Fedora & Debian boxes have two only, but those two differ in how screens are setup too - so that minor adjustment I make manually [when I move configs] between boxes/OSes.
There are different package managers of course; but that should be obvious.
timing
The HUGE difference to me is that Debian is LTS only for stable, and old-stable & old-old-stable too, meaning the packages can get rather stale… Of course you also have options of testing (or sid) with Debian too; which takes much of the ‘older’ nature of Debian away - you may have noticed I used Debian testing (thus the forky).
My Ubuntu release is stonking (the development release) which is the equivalent of Debian testing anyway, and it’s testing or forky that I use on my Debian - so the package/software versions are almost always identical. I forget what my Fedora is using, as it tends to alternate on the latest stable release OR rawhide; where rawhide would be the equivalent choice to what I use on Debian/Ubuntu.
I’ve used Fedora, OpenSuSE, Debian, and Ubuntu on my primary box; and I’d be happy with any of them.
As I started with Debian; I do find deb (apt etc) package commands easier; but that’s only as I know them having used them for ~30 years. I do like the LTS options though that Debian/Ubuntu offer; whilst Ubuntu offers a non-LTS choice like Fedora has (and Debian does not), Fedora has NO LTS option; with the ~13 months of support often feeling short for me (esp. on secondary boxes/installs).
To me the OS you’re using, esp. on desktop installs, is essentially moot; the difference really is down to timing, where I use development/testing (& rawhide at times on Fedora too!) so my software stays the ~same between distros, and thus my swapping of configs/datafiles is less of an issue (I’ve had issues before where apps were different versions! so I avoid that now by choice!!! as that can ‘trip up’ people switching between distros)
Fedora has no LTS option; where the Debian you were on only had LTS options. That is a the timing difference between them, but they do both offer a testing type option (just called rawhide on Fedora). Older software choice means far less often release-upgrades; something you would have noticed already if you’d started with Fedora.
FYI: My wallpapers have a small watermark I’ve added where the screens are shared between different OSes, as most of the time I just won’t detect which distro is running; at least until I enter an apt command on Fedora/OpenSuSE etc. & thus get an error . I often look for that watermark on my wallpaper before entering package commands to avoid the error - as there really is NO difference (outside of timing we select!) between distros in my view.
( I am limiting my thinking to full distributions (using their own binaries, on not those based on others, as they have differences beyond what I mention. Ubuntu only imports source code from Debian sid creating its own binary packages; that can differ to Ubuntu based (or Debian based like LMDE) systems )
@winniethepooh welcom to the forums! Thats such are wonderful time of exploring and find your preferences and unique standouts with distros. I see you are in great hands.
Also worth reading is this article by @shybry747: Should I stay on Arch or try Fedora? | LinuxBlog.io
Now I know that this is Arch → Fedora and you are Debian → Fedora but many of the thought processes are similar. And the comments/discussion section may be useful as well.
My only question is … are you looking at Fedora because you’ve seen something that is attractive?
- If so, please share what that specific attractant is … so that the Community Members can offer feedback to that specific point.
If it is more a desire to move away from something you are experiencing with Debian, again, please share the specifics of what that is. Members are sure to pipe in with their own experiences/workarounds/solutions, if such are necessary and available.
If neither of those reasons, what is the driver to make the attempt with Fedora?
Welcome to the community @winniethepooh.
I appreciate the advice that the other participants have provided and I tend to agree with them. Go at it in whatever way you prefer and let us know how it turns out, whether you appreciate the current Fedora offerings and if so, which configuration are you (or have you) choosing (chosen)?