Based on what I’ve heard, Fedora and OpenSUSE are the two leaders when it comes to desktop security on Linux.

Why OpenSUSE specifically?

Firstly, my general rule is “upstream or Mint (because screw snaps)”. CachyOS was a decision I made prior to this rule but otherwise I have 6 options (Arch, Debian, Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, and OpenSUSE).

• A rolling release is out of the question, so Arch’s out.
• Ubuntu’s always out.
• Based on what I’ve heard, Fedora and OpenSUSE are the two leaders when it comes to desktop security on Linux. I value security so Mint and Debian are out.
• Fedora tends to adopt new technologies fast, which isn’t really what I want.

So by process of elimination, OpenSUSE it is.

Another part of it is nostalgia. I used it briefly when I was first switching to Linux full-time. I ran into various issues and moved off it. Private internet access wouldn’t install, I didn’t even know what proprietary media codecs were at the time, and tumbleweed had a few bugs that caused me trouble. Despite all that, I’m nostalgic for it partly because of the themes I ended up installing.

Two reasons. Firstly because it’s illegal to have the same distro on two different machines, and secondly because I’ve been meaning to switch back to OpenSUSE for a while (but I ain’t gonna be gaming on OpenSUSE).

IIRC the CachyOS optimizations were basically a rounding error. I’m thinking of just switching my gaming PC to Fedora (and switching my Fedora Laptop to OpenSUSE maybe).

I don’t get it. Why is everyone donating to Omarchy. What are they hoping to get from that?

It’s frustrating that in 2026, Debian doesn’t have a firewall installed by default.

Chromebooks are what everyone’s using in school. Windows is in a state, and if businesses are going to replace it they sure as hell aren’t going to use Linux (too informal) or MacOS (too locked down).

For individual users, something like 90% of internet browsing is on mobile devices so Android and iOS have already won over Windows bigtime.

I don’t really care about timed exclusivity, especially when it’s just downloading a different launcher. Permanent exclusivity, or worse eventual unavailability I do care about though.

I’m really glad for all Valve has done for Linux, but Microsoft is not the monopoly it once was. Chromebooks are the new frontier and Epic is the one taking on the Play Store monopoly.

Add in GOG to the mix with their anti-DRM advocacy and I’m left with a tough choice for who I would rather my 30% store tax to go to.

The XZ Utils thing is a prime example of the risks Linux faces.

Mobile operating systems in general are far more secure than Desktop operating systems. ChromeOS seems to be the most secure desktop option, but given the privacy implications of a Google operating system and the lock-down of Google Play I wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole.

Tried it. Firstly it wouldn’t install. Secondly, the developer lead developer is a very private person and I don’t trust a Linux distro made by someone who is so secretive.

Linux in general is not secure for desktop users. There’s basically never sandboxing, and when there is it’s usually weak, antivirus is rarely used, and developers aren’t vetted as stringently as with paid software. Apparently Fedora and OpenSUSE take these issues more seriously, and SE Linux does somewhat restrict what malicious things a piece of software can do.

It’s a pretty widely held view that Fedora and OpenSUSE are more secure than Debian, Ubuntu, and Arch for desktop users but I’m not really an expert so I’m mostly retroactively justifying what I’ve heard second-hand.

With LUKS the whole “reboot to update” thing is 1000 times as inconvenient. I set it to install updates immediately, and even automatically, but the update process just isn’t going great for me in a bunch of ways.

I’ve recently had some issues with Fedora (KDE). After I install any update it tells me to restart to finish installing. So I restart and it still tells me the same thing. Probably time I distrohop again.

With the usual restriction of “either upstream or Mint, otherwise you’re doing it wrong”. There are 6 options. Ubuntu is obviously out. Arch is not my cup of tea. Fedora is already ruled out. Debian/Mint aren’t as secure as Fedora/OpenSUSE. That leaves me with going back to OpenSUSE Leap.

But the proprietary media codecs on OpenSUSE come from the AUR … looks like I’m out of options.

What does Vulkan video decoding do?

Fedora does good work on security and it doesn’t have snaps. But personally I prefer the stability of Debian (not that I daily drive it).

I’m not trying to defend him

Defend him from what?

Upstream or Mint. Meaning Fedora or Mint, since you ruled out Debian and Arch.

IIRC Linus is self-declared as “woke”. The exact quote is:

I’m a card-carrying atheist, I think a woman’s right to choose is very important, I think that “well regulated militia” means that guns should be carefully licensed and not just randomly given to any moron with a pulse, and I couldn’t care less if you decided to dress up in the “wrong” clothes or decided you’d rather live your life without feeling tied to whatever plumbing you were born with. And dammit, if that all makes me “woke”, then I think anybody who uses that word as a pejorative is a f*cking disgrace to the human race.

That’s well outside the scope of the Linux kernel policies.