Rolling Release Best Choice for XP Replacements

[Eggnog]

Update packs on rolling release distros can break a system, especially huge update pack offerings. The last time I checked, LMDE had some pretty large update packs, and there were quite a number of breakage complaints. Maybe they've solved that issue by now. SolydXK may be the least likely to break, given that the devs vet everything before release and, if I recall correctly, their update packs occur a little more often and are a bit smaller, but it will probably happen to someone. And if that someone is coming from XP it will be a terrible experience. I would still recommend an LTS to someone new to Linux or coming from XP specifically. In the alternative, I would probably go with SolydX.

[lykwydchykyn]

But there will be UI changes. Things will break and things will unbreak. For somebody used to XP, the pace of OS changes will be a shock. People coming from XP probably want to learn a system once and then not have it change for five years or longer.

I was mostly making the point that rolling != bleeding edge. Given the technologies chosen, SolydXK's desktops (KDE and XFCE from Debian) aren't likely to change much over the next five years.

But honestly, assuming too much about what "XP users" will or won't want is a bikeshed argument.

[SurfaceUnits]

XP users want icons to click to launch the 3 or 4 programs they run

[LastDino]

XP users want icons to click to launch the 3 or 4 programs they run

Largely false general statement.

[slooksterpsv]

LMDE for beginners - Its Mint, it uses either MATE or Cinnamon (you can install something else if you'd like post-install). Breakage happened with sound for me on this as well.
Manjaro for Intermedia - Based on Arch is great, but breakage will happen - sound keeps breaking on me.
Arch for advanced - It's arch, it takes a bit to set it up, you really need to read the documentation or thoroughly work through it so you can setup your perfect system. Breakage is to be expected.

[SurfaceUnits]

Largely false general statement.

An exact specific statement.

[monkeybrain20122]

I think many of you are making too many assumptions about "beginners". I was a beginner when I switched from XP to Ubuntu 10.04 a few years ago. I DIDN'T want a cheap XP knock off, I wanted my desktop to look beautiful and different, that was achieved in gnome 2 with Compiz and the Cairo dock. I didn't want same old same old, I didn't want to replicate the "Windows experience", I was looking for something different and better.

I think distros that try to replicate Windows' appearence to soften the transition are making a mistakes because that sets up the false expectation for the OS to work like Windows while under the hood it is nothing like that. I would rather tell new users upfront that they are using a different OS and a willingness to learn somehing new is required.

[LastDino]

I think many of you are making too many assumptions about "beginners". I was a beginner when I switched from XP to Ubuntu 10.04 a few years ago. I DIDN'T want a cheap XP knock off, I wanted my desktop to look beautiful and different, that was achieved in gnome 2 with Compiz and the Cairo dock. I didn't want same old same old, I didn't want to replicate the "Windows experience", I was looking for something different and better.

I think distros that try to replicate Windows' appearence to soften the transition are making a mistakes because that sets up the false expectation for the OS to work like Windows while under the hood it is nothing like that. I would rather tell new users upfront that they are using a different OS and a willingness to learn somehing new is required.

+1

Many people think that XP is used because it gives 3 or 4 icons which is all XP users ever want to use.

Lets do the background check: The fact of the matter is (in my gigantic country, at least) that when people go to buy a computer without prior knowledge of it they are only offered Windows. And unless it is big branded store smaller ones often sell cracked version of Windows with custom build machine in hide of the selling licenced version, all that only to charge more money or to save cost of the licenced version in their own pockets. XP costs lot less than Win7 ever since it came out, not a hard choice for poor or hard choice for greedy who are used to tweaking XP licence. Normal users never even notice the difference as we all know how much of a fail ''Microsoft genuine check'' is, it only proves to be hindrance to the people who actually pay for licence. Add to that hardware often lives out few OS releases and it is financially impossible for most people from 3rd world countries to spend $ 150+ on OS with each release and sometimes risk the change in already established base of working environment. That is human nature.

In last decade or so, XP was also most used OS in workplaces and people are naturally prone to use the same OS environment at their home to notch-up their own performance with computer at their work places. Keep in mind that we are talking about the normal users who usually find it difficult to cope up with sudden changes made.

Then came there some people who are half knowledgeable or have some minor exposure to OS like Red-hat and or tried Linux 10 years ago and have established strong biased opinions that Linux = Programmers or server administrators things. While it is certainly not wrong it is certainly not true. But it is definite turn off to people who have no need to know computers that well and don't know the truth beyond the popular opinions.

All in all, phenomenon of people getting stuck with XP can be related to lot of things, but primarily it comes down to ''that is what they were introduced to'', ''that is what they paid heavily and when you pay that much you expect it to be around for considerable time'' & ''that is what they saw everywhere and needed to know the best and for that they needed to use it at home''

Now imagine how picture would've been if Linux was as GUI oriented as it is now when XP came out? What would've been the picture if people actually knew it was available choice when they were first introduced to PC? Or how it was no difficult in learning compared to other counterparts like MS and OS X? AND BEST THING, its free and quite easy to jump to next version! It would've been certainly different.

Commercial software followed the masses as they wanted to make profit by targeting larger user base. They would've taken little different approach if things were different too.


With end of XP and emergence of Win8 (and 8.1) which is as difficult (if not more) to use effectively and learn as it is to shift from XP to Linux, and people finally coming to know benefits of Linux prior to making decisions regarding buying home PC's, things are changing. So, why would you want to drove those users back to things which look like XP? That only makes them think that Linux operate like Windows and that thinking while being true for simple matters it is dreadful in long run. How many times we see people getting turned off because they have no clue what dependencies are and find it tedious to find out when they suddenly need to install something (for a change in course of year or so) which is not easily available or explained? Probably they wont find it as difficult only if they knew what it was or at least came to know about it over period of time rather than just magical appearance of it as some gigantic task, don't you think?

I went on some serious rant and probably went off the topic in process (not that many will bother to read this black text block), but that is what I think after using XP for 7 years or so and finally completely shifting to Ubuntu. I've been using ubuntu for around 8-9 months and I'm glad to know it is not same as Windows XP or as impractical as Win8.

/Just my $ 0.2.

[SurfaceUnits]

People who are switching to Linux because of the end of XP support are not looking for a new experience. They want something that will allow them to do what they did on
X
P.

[monkeybrain20122]

People who are switching to Linux because of the end of XP support are not looking for a new experience. They want something that will allow them to do what they did on
X
P.

Well then chances are such users won't stay, not after they have signed up for UF just to post yet another "Linux sux" thread with 0 bean under their names. I won't even bother with them.