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  3. Atomic Linux Distros: What Barriers Stand Between You and Making the Switch?

Atomic Linux Distros: What Barriers Stand Between You and Making the Switch?

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  • H [email protected]

    Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

    Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

    These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

    So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

    Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

    The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

    The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

    I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

    So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

    Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

    So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

    A This user is from outside of this forum
    A This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote on last edited by
    #18

    Near as I can tell they're primarily aimed at desktop users who want to treat their computer like a smartphone.

    I do software development and need a ton of tools installed that aren't just "flatpaks". IntelliJ, Pycharm, sdkman, pyenv, Oracle libraries and binaries, databases, etc. The last time I tried this I ran into a bunch of issues. And for what gain? Basically zero.

    P 1 Reply Last reply
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    • H [email protected]

      Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

      Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

      These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

      So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

      Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

      The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

      The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

      I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

      So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

      Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

      So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

      shimitar@downonthestreet.euS This user is from outside of this forum
      shimitar@downonthestreet.euS This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote on last edited by
      #19

      Doesn't solve any problem I have. Why switch?

      Also, interesting concept the immutable one, but just... Why?

      1 Reply Last reply
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      • silentjohn@lemmy.mlS [email protected]

        oops I bricked my system

        I honestly can't think of a single time I've done this in the 20 years I've been using linux.

        what’s keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro

        I dunno, it just seems like the latest fad. Debian/Arch work just fine.

        A This user is from outside of this forum
        A This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote on last edited by
        #20

        The whole "I bricked my system" thing is just ridiculous.

        D 1 Reply Last reply
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        • T [email protected]

          Lack of interest. It doesn't solve any problems that I have.

          A This user is from outside of this forum
          A This user is from outside of this forum
          [email protected]
          wrote on last edited by
          #21

          But just think about all the problems you're not having that you could be solving!

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • silentjohn@lemmy.mlS [email protected]

            oops I bricked my system

            I honestly can't think of a single time I've done this in the 20 years I've been using linux.

            what’s keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro

            I dunno, it just seems like the latest fad. Debian/Arch work just fine.

            T This user is from outside of this forum
            T This user is from outside of this forum
            [email protected]
            wrote on last edited by
            #22

            I agree. I have become more amenable to things like Flatpak or Podman/Docker to keep the base system from being cluttered up with weird dependencies, but for the most part it doesn't seem like there's a huge upside to going full atomic if you're already comfortable.

            silentjohn@lemmy.mlS 1 Reply Last reply
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            • H [email protected]

              Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

              Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

              These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

              So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

              Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

              The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

              The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

              I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

              So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

              Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

              So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

              P This user is from outside of this forum
              P This user is from outside of this forum
              [email protected]
              wrote on last edited by
              #23

              I'm currently testing fedora (upgrading from mint) and since I'm fairly new I don't want to venture into the fairly unknown territory that is Immutable atm.

              Plus, I using a VPN, its crucial for my work, and I already see there are some issues with it because it has to be layered and blá bla bla.

              Basically I'm just giving Atomic distros one or 2 years more so that the technology matures, software developers start taking it seriously enough to work around them, and for guides to start coming out.

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              • A [email protected]

                The whole "I bricked my system" thing is just ridiculous.

                D This user is from outside of this forum
                D This user is from outside of this forum
                [email protected]
                wrote on last edited by
                #24

                It actually happened to me today on Arch.

                I the system, including the kernel, everything went smoothly with no errors or warnings, I rebooted, and it said the ZSTD image created by mkinitcpio was corrupt and it failed to boot.

                I booted the arch install iso, chrooted into my installation and reinstalled the linux package, rebooted, and it worked again.

                I have no explanation, this is on a perfectly working laptop with a high end SSD, no errors in memtest, not overclocked, and I've been using this Arch install for over a year.

                The chances of the package being corrupt when I downloaded it and the hash still being correct are astronomically low, the chances of a cosmic ray hitting the RAM at just the right time are probably just as low, the fact that mkinitcpio doesn't verify the images that it creates is shocking, the whole thing would have been avoided on an immutable distro with A/B partitions.

                R W 2 Replies Last reply
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                • H [email protected]

                  Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

                  Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

                  These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

                  So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

                  Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

                  The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

                  The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

                  I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

                  So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

                  Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

                  So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

                  ludrol@szmer.infoL This user is from outside of this forum
                  ludrol@szmer.infoL This user is from outside of this forum
                  [email protected]
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #25

                  I have already switched after arch out of nowhere disabled ipv4. I tried using fedora atomic but the lack of non-free software just didn't work for me (blender + hybrid NVIDIA graphics). I am using bazzite for a week or two and so far so good.

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                  • projectmoonP Offline
                    projectmoonP Offline
                    projectmoon
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #26

                    Tried one of the universal blue images on a Chromebook. It was nice. But it didn't contain the scripts/configs to make the audio work. So that was that!

                    I like the concept, though.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • H [email protected]

                      Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

                      Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

                      These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

                      So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

                      Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

                      The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

                      The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

                      I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

                      So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

                      Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

                      So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

                      paequ2@lemmy.todayP This user is from outside of this forum
                      paequ2@lemmy.todayP This user is from outside of this forum
                      [email protected]
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #27

                      what’s keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro?

                      I tried switching to VanillaOS a month ago. I had a hell of a time getting my niche use-case to work, consisting of using Syncthing to sync my Obsidian notes to a server via Tailscale. Apparently, I had to create a custom VanillaOS image just to install Tailscale? Also, I couldn't get wl-copy to work. Also, docs were out of date and missing.

                      See notes: https://lemmy.today/post/25622342/14849341

                      I like Arch because I have control over the system. At least with VanillaOS (not sure about other immutable distros), it seems like I'm supposed to give up control or fight with the system to let me do what I want.

                      I actually have accidentally bricked my Linux system in the past, but that was a long time ago and I learned from the experience. So it's not a problem I currently have.

                      I still haven't gotten to doing this, but actually, I was thinking the locked down nature of VanillaOS might be fine for my parents. They currently only use their Mac for browsing the web and not much else. Seems like VanillaOS might be a good fit for users that don't have very demanding computing needs.

                      M 1 Reply Last reply
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                      • N [email protected]

                        I have a small testing field. My mother is using Opensuse Aeon and my father in law is using Fedora Silverblue.
                        Since I am their IT support it's fine. I asked what they wanna do on their Laptops and figured it doesn't matter if they use windows, mac or any linux distro. Since I am most comfortable with linux, it is what they are using now. They are happy and I am getting the same amount of questions as before. Had no real trouble since then.

                        paequ2@lemmy.todayP This user is from outside of this forum
                        paequ2@lemmy.todayP This user is from outside of this forum
                        [email protected]
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #28

                        Neat. I've been thinking of doing something similar. My parents currently use a Mac, but they mainly just use the web browser. I was thinking of switching them to VanillaOS at some point.

                        mother is using Opensuse Aeon and my father in law is using Fedora Silverblue

                        How long have they been using those distros? Do you or they have any preferences for Aeon or Silverblue?

                        N 1 Reply Last reply
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                        • M [email protected]

                          Ive been using pop-os for my desktop for years. Ive had no update headaches, roll back issues, or anything else that would compel me to swap distros for one that made these things better.

                          So to answer your question:

                          None of the above are compelling features that justify the work to switch.

                          freebooter69@lemmy.caF This user is from outside of this forum
                          freebooter69@lemmy.caF This user is from outside of this forum
                          [email protected]
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #29

                          Pop_OS! is a decent OS, been using it for a few years on my living room PC. On my gaming rig i been using Bazzite which i like where it's going, love kde, but i can't get surround sound working and for the life of me can't figure out how to fix it. Might move on to another distribution, but we'll see.

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                          • deltawingdragon@sh.itjust.worksD [email protected]

                            Most of the ones out there are weird, anti-configurable systems like mobile phone OS.

                            The only ones that really seem like "the future" in my eyes are Nix and Guix.

                            And I'm not going to use those because I already have a good setup with my conventional distro (Debian). Anything less than absolute perfection will not get me to switch.

                            Nix is imperfect because it uses systemd. Guix is imperfect because it has a smaller selection of packages, and a more difficult configuration system.

                            paequ2@lemmy.todayP This user is from outside of this forum
                            paequ2@lemmy.todayP This user is from outside of this forum
                            [email protected]
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #30

                            anti-configurable systems

                            Yep! This has been my experience too. Once you want to do something that the devs didn't build, then you have to fight the OS.

                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • H [email protected]

                              Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

                              Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

                              These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

                              So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

                              Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

                              The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

                              The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

                              I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

                              So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

                              Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

                              So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

                              V This user is from outside of this forum
                              V This user is from outside of this forum
                              [email protected]
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #31

                              The biggest thing for me is that a lot of them don't officially support dual-booting on one disk, e.g. Kinoite. I like to have multiple distros installed so I have a fall-back. I love using Tumbleweed for gaming, but I'd love to use an atomic distro for my development work. But I don't want to use one in an unsupported way, as that defeats the point in my eyes.

                              1 Reply Last reply
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                              • silentjohn@lemmy.mlS [email protected]

                                oops I bricked my system

                                I honestly can't think of a single time I've done this in the 20 years I've been using linux.

                                what’s keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro

                                I dunno, it just seems like the latest fad. Debian/Arch work just fine.

                                kirk@startrek.websiteK This user is from outside of this forum
                                kirk@startrek.websiteK This user is from outside of this forum
                                [email protected]
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #32

                                idk I've gotten mine into a state i couldnt fix more times than I can count. Immuteable distros have been a game changer for me and if I'm being honest I think they're going to be the biggest thing for mainstream adoption in Linux's entire history.

                                silentjohn@lemmy.mlS A R B 4 Replies Last reply
                                1
                                0
                                • H [email protected]

                                  Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

                                  Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

                                  These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

                                  So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

                                  Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

                                  The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

                                  The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

                                  I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

                                  So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

                                  Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

                                  So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

                                  kirk@startrek.websiteK This user is from outside of this forum
                                  kirk@startrek.websiteK This user is from outside of this forum
                                  [email protected]
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #33

                                  Immuteability is what enabled me to finally switch over full time. I don't think a lot of geeks yet realize how huge they are going to be for wider-spread adoption.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  0
                                  • H [email protected]

                                    Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

                                    Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

                                    These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

                                    So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

                                    Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

                                    The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

                                    The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

                                    I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

                                    So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

                                    Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

                                    So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

                                    D This user is from outside of this forum
                                    D This user is from outside of this forum
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                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #34

                                    Because it took me a few years to create my perfect Fedora workstation installation.

                                    If one days it becomes bricked, I’d probably switch to an immitable distribution, but I’m sticking with workstation as long as it works.

                                    Also there is no real upside to switching for me.

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                                    • H [email protected]

                                      Look, I've only been a Linux user for a couple of years, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we're not afraid to tinker. Most of us came from Windows or macOS at some point, ditching the mainstream for better control, privacy, or just to escape the corporate BS. We're the people who choose the harder path when we think it's worth it.

                                      Which is why I find it so damn interesting that atomic distros haven't caught on more. The landscape is incredibly diverse now - from gaming-focused Bazzite to the purely functional philosophy of Guix System. These distros couldn't be more different in their approaches, but they all share this core atomic DNA.

                                      These systems offer some seriously compelling stuff - updates that either work 100% or roll back automatically, no more "oops I bricked my system" moments, better security through immutability, and way fewer update headaches.

                                      So what gives? Why aren't more of us jumping on board? From my conversations and personal experience, I think it boils down to a few things:

                                      Our current setups already work fine. Let's be honest - when you've spent years perfecting your Arch or Debian setup, the thought of learning a whole new paradigm feels exhausting. Why fix what isn't broken, right?

                                      The learning curve seems steep. Yes, you can do pretty much everything on atomic distros that you can on traditional ones, but the how is different. Instead of apt install whatever and editing config files directly, you're suddenly dealing with containers, layering, or declarative configs. It's not necessarily harder, just... different.

                                      The docs can be sparse. Traditional distros have decades of guides, forum posts, and StackExchange answers. Atomic systems? Not nearly as much. When something breaks at 2am, knowing there's a million Google results for your error message is comforting.

                                      I've been thinking about this because Linux has overcome similar hurdles before. Remember when gaming on Linux was basically impossible? Now we have the Steam Deck running an immutable SteamOS (of all things!) and my non-Linux friends are buying them without even realizing they're using Linux. It just works.

                                      So I'm genuinely curious - what's keeping YOU from switching to an atomic distro? Is it specific software you need? Concerns about customization? Just can't be bothered to learn new tricks?

                                      Your answers might actually help developers focus on the right pain points. The atomic approach makes so much sense on paper that I'm convinced it's the future - we just need to figure out what's stopping people from making the jump today.

                                      So what would it actually take to get you to switch? I'm all ears.

                                      mangopenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zoneM This user is from outside of this forum
                                      mangopenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zoneM This user is from outside of this forum
                                      [email protected]
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #35

                                      For me it's too much time investment, I don't want to tinker with my OS. The fact that it's so common to screw up a system that atomic distros are becoming much more popular is a good example, I want an OS that doesn't get screwed up in the first place.

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                                      • paequ2@lemmy.todayP [email protected]

                                        Neat. I've been thinking of doing something similar. My parents currently use a Mac, but they mainly just use the web browser. I was thinking of switching them to VanillaOS at some point.

                                        mother is using Opensuse Aeon and my father in law is using Fedora Silverblue

                                        How long have they been using those distros? Do you or they have any preferences for Aeon or Silverblue?

                                        N This user is from outside of this forum
                                        N This user is from outside of this forum
                                        [email protected]
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #36

                                        As long as it works and they can do their stuff, which is minimal, they don't care. In fact they couldn't say what they are using if you would ask them. They would probably just say Linux.
                                        This is in my opinion the best use case for immutable distros.
                                        While setting it up Silverblue was easier, as in the setup after installation had more software installed and there is no mandatory encryption setup. Aeon feels fresh and there is absolutely no bloat, but it is still RC at the moment.

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                                        • kirk@startrek.websiteK [email protected]

                                          idk I've gotten mine into a state i couldnt fix more times than I can count. Immuteable distros have been a game changer for me and if I'm being honest I think they're going to be the biggest thing for mainstream adoption in Linux's entire history.

                                          silentjohn@lemmy.mlS This user is from outside of this forum
                                          silentjohn@lemmy.mlS This user is from outside of this forum
                                          [email protected]
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #37

                                          I'm curious what you're doing to your system that bricks it so often that would be considered a risk for a normal every-day normie user?

                                          thorned_rose@sh.itjust.worksT kirk@startrek.websiteK 2 Replies Last reply
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