LTS vs Rolling Release - Which one is better for Linux Desktop? - Chris Titus Tech
video description
Date: 2022-03-21
Related videos
Comments and reviews: 10
Daniel
Not all rolling release distros are constantly -bleeding edge.- PCLInuxOS is like this; it's built for stability, so new software has been well tested before going on the PCLOS repos. As I've watched your videos, I believe you've never tried PCLInuxOS. When the rolling release model is done right, it's the best best model for desktop Linux, IMO. LTS is best for low maintenance servers. PCLinuxOS is the best implementation of the KDE desktop I've found, and it also comes with MATE, and LXDE desktops, plus community releases with XFCE, Cinnamon, and Trinity (KDE3 fork) desktops. I use PCLOS mainly because it's a highly stable rolling release distro, plus it's highly hardware compatible. That's how I found PCLOS. I had a PC with nVidia graphics and chipset. No Debian based distro had the right drivers to run the chipset (primitive video, and no network as the CPU couldn't talk to the south bridge), PCLOS had the proprietary drivers I needed to make that PC run. I update every seven to ten days, so I always have the latest version, and PCLOS rarely ever breaks. PCLOS does the rolling release model, and the KDE desktop absolutely right.
reply
Not all rolling release distros are constantly -bleeding edge.- PCLInuxOS is like this; it's built for stability, so new software has been well tested before going on the PCLOS repos. As I've watched your videos, I believe you've never tried PCLInuxOS. When the rolling release model is done right, it's the best best model for desktop Linux, IMO. LTS is best for low maintenance servers. PCLinuxOS is the best implementation of the KDE desktop I've found, and it also comes with MATE, and LXDE desktops, plus community releases with XFCE, Cinnamon, and Trinity (KDE3 fork) desktops. I use PCLOS mainly because it's a highly stable rolling release distro, plus it's highly hardware compatible. That's how I found PCLOS. I had a PC with nVidia graphics and chipset. No Debian based distro had the right drivers to run the chipset (primitive video, and no network as the CPU couldn't talk to the south bridge), PCLOS had the proprietary drivers I needed to make that PC run. I update every seven to ten days, so I always have the latest version, and PCLOS rarely ever breaks. PCLOS does the rolling release model, and the KDE desktop absolutely right.
reply
Karlsson
LTS is nice because barely anything in linux is backwards compatible and even less is forwards compatible. There's also absolutely no development coordination in the linux community to get all the packages compatible with each other.
Updates breaks things even on the Long Time Support version, but as you won''t get as many major release upgrades you usually don't have to reinstall, timeshift once a week or feel all paranoid for every update (Although you should always expect something to break at every update in linux if you use it a desktop computer with many apps, hardwares and features).
This is maybe the most difficult thing for new users coming from Windows or Mac, as you can almost always run 15-20 year old software and even hardware drivers without problem in Windows while in linux many of your apps and drivers have to be compatible with your exact versions of your different kernel modules.
reply
LTS is nice because barely anything in linux is backwards compatible and even less is forwards compatible. There's also absolutely no development coordination in the linux community to get all the packages compatible with each other.
Updates breaks things even on the Long Time Support version, but as you won''t get as many major release upgrades you usually don't have to reinstall, timeshift once a week or feel all paranoid for every update (Although you should always expect something to break at every update in linux if you use it a desktop computer with many apps, hardwares and features).
This is maybe the most difficult thing for new users coming from Windows or Mac, as you can almost always run 15-20 year old software and even hardware drivers without problem in Windows while in linux many of your apps and drivers have to be compatible with your exact versions of your different kernel modules.
reply
Micha-
I run Manjaro for 4 years and so far it never broke or at least not beyond repair. I run unstable or testing branch so it happened it had bugged grub update and I downloaded it. Had to boot into live usb, manjaro chroot and do an update once again (with the fix that came 1 hour later). Not a real biggie. So I still have my old installed system, constantly updating, doing some basic maintenance, all is well. Manjaro is super solid and stable for me. Of course, timeshift and backups are a must on the rolling release, even if nothing happens for a so long time.
reply
I run Manjaro for 4 years and so far it never broke or at least not beyond repair. I run unstable or testing branch so it happened it had bugged grub update and I downloaded it. Had to boot into live usb, manjaro chroot and do an update once again (with the fix that came 1 hour later). Not a real biggie. So I still have my old installed system, constantly updating, doing some basic maintenance, all is well. Manjaro is super solid and stable for me. Of course, timeshift and backups are a must on the rolling release, even if nothing happens for a so long time.
reply
Simon
In my experience hardware problems are more prevalent...
So how do you rescue a system with snapshots ? Especially if home is a snapshot ?
I have been upgrading an openSuse system from 10.2 to Leap 15.1 (which has aggressive snapshotting) and regular copying (tar) of home (to another disk) is imperative whilst trying to migrate kmail.
For a 'long' term release Leap seems to have updates almost every day :eek (perhaps it is a tumbleweed for the first few weeks!)
reply
In my experience hardware problems are more prevalent...
So how do you rescue a system with snapshots ? Especially if home is a snapshot ?
I have been upgrading an openSuse system from 10.2 to Leap 15.1 (which has aggressive snapshotting) and regular copying (tar) of home (to another disk) is imperative whilst trying to migrate kmail.
For a 'long' term release Leap seems to have updates almost every day :eek (perhaps it is a tumbleweed for the first few weeks!)
reply
Impossible
All of your videos are aimed at either a totally new user, or someone who's experienced, but how do you manage repositories? Not just add new ones, but update, remove, catch and fix errors, or even rollback to an old version without too much disruption to your system. I'm getting errors when I try to update.
Also what is the easiest way to track and manage the installed software when faced with all the different package management tools (apt, snap, pacman, etc)?
reply
All of your videos are aimed at either a totally new user, or someone who's experienced, but how do you manage repositories? Not just add new ones, but update, remove, catch and fix errors, or even rollback to an old version without too much disruption to your system. I'm getting errors when I try to update.
Also what is the easiest way to track and manage the installed software when faced with all the different package management tools (apt, snap, pacman, etc)?
reply
Michael
I use Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS with PPAs installed so for the software that I want rolling I get rolling and my system has never had an issue like when I used Arch. I liked Solus as a rolling release never had an issue with them either but they arent bleeding edge as Arch. If I went rolling release again I would go Solus but I am happy with Ubuntu and PPAs. I like Arch as a distro and I would recommend it but for my personal use I dont like all the maintenance.
reply
I use Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS with PPAs installed so for the software that I want rolling I get rolling and my system has never had an issue like when I used Arch. I liked Solus as a rolling release never had an issue with them either but they arent bleeding edge as Arch. If I went rolling release again I would go Solus but I am happy with Ubuntu and PPAs. I like Arch as a distro and I would recommend it but for my personal use I dont like all the maintenance.
reply
Niels
I've always preferred Rolling Release for myself on my own desktop (Gentoo). For server operating systems I always use Ubuntu or Debian based LTS releases, as it's better supported server side and there's more users using it, so if something doesn't work, a user likely already bumped into it and then there's compatibility with older software.
reply
I've always preferred Rolling Release for myself on my own desktop (Gentoo). For server operating systems I always use Ubuntu or Debian based LTS releases, as it's better supported server side and there's more users using it, so if something doesn't work, a user likely already bumped into it and then there's compatibility with older software.
reply
Tony
This is purely anecdotal...but I ran Antergos (Arch) for 1 year using the Xfce desktop and only experienced 1 minor breakage issue. Then I ran Antergos with KDE and I had some significant breakage issues in the first 2 months. So maybe breakage has something to do with desktop environment. Can anyone else corroborate?
reply
This is purely anecdotal...but I ran Antergos (Arch) for 1 year using the Xfce desktop and only experienced 1 minor breakage issue. Then I ran Antergos with KDE and I had some significant breakage issues in the first 2 months. So maybe breakage has something to do with desktop environment. Can anyone else corroborate?
reply
Darius
Everytime the world delves into chaos and instability (e.g. WWII), the matrix is on an unstable kernel. When there's divide in regions and peace in others or a mixture of both, it's the rolling release kernel. When temporary peace has been achieved due to necessity by the powers that be, it's the LTS kernel.
reply
Everytime the world delves into chaos and instability (e.g. WWII), the matrix is on an unstable kernel. When there's divide in regions and peace in others or a mixture of both, it's the rolling release kernel. When temporary peace has been achieved due to necessity by the powers that be, it's the LTS kernel.
reply
csreindeer
Both are great ideas. I tend to go middle of the road. Something like fedora where its point release and software is tested, but it's still fairly new and there is an upgrade path.
Different people and use cases call for different things. And that's the beauty of linux
reply
Both are great ideas. I tend to go middle of the road. Something like fedora where its point release and software is tested, but it's still fairly new and there is an upgrade path.
Different people and use cases call for different things. And that's the beauty of linux
reply
Add a review, comment
Other channel videos
