edit: Fedora it is then!
He will be running the AMD 9800 X3D w/ RX 9070 XT, B850 motherboard.
I am deciding between either Fedora (probably KDE) and Bazzite (also KDE), but I’m not sure whether an atomic distro would be better/worse for a newbie.
As far as I understand, atomic distros can be easily rolled back after an update, but you are unable to use apt/dnf/etx, you need to use Flatpak, I think. Would that be limiting for the average user? Also, does Bazzite have better driver support for newer AMD hardware compared to Fedora?
Look, I’m not going to study immutable systems for other potential problems just to argue with you. I’m just pointing out that sometimes you can’t predict what will cause a problem for someone and there are other easy to use options out there, so people can make well-informed decisions.
I’m sure Bazzite is great, I liked it well enough while I was using it, but it wasn’t until after I switched to something else that Linux started making sense to me. Bazzite may be harder to break, but for me as a Linux newbie, it wasn’t “better” and it felt weird to use in a way Garuda never did.
There are countless documented issues that are fundamental to non-immutable systems, your example is both not a fundamental issue with a design and has been fixed. It’s not good info.
Whether you like it or not, “I had trouble with that distro but not this other” is always valid info.
whether you like it or not that’s simply false, when the issue has been long resolved it stops being of any real value and actually becomes misleading. If any issues I report are not current I no longer say them unless I’m trying to make a point about the competency of the distro, however, that point wouldn’t be valid in your case because immutables were in their infancy until relatively recently.
if I reported that I had issues with adobe flash player on fedora in 2009 it would not be useful info to anyone now, similarly.
furthermore that’s not even considering if it was caused by hardware or cosmic rays, if the issue cannot be reproduced it’s likely misinformation.
so no, it simply is not the case that all reports are valid or contain useful information for making a decision, in your case it’s quite the opposite.
I think you’re overthinking it.
I think you’re underthinking it.
Clearly.
Overthinking implies an issue with the thought process, can you point to one?
Other than the fact that you are investing way too much time on the opinion of one random person on the Internet…
The easiest thing to point to is that systems are complex. While you are attributing the problem I had to specific programming which may have been changed, the fact is that it could easily be a symptom of a completely different problem. Overlooking common needs? Behind on updates? Accidentally breaking things in the software?
Trying to account for and analyze everything can be a mental trap.
Sometimes you just have to say “ok, that’s a data point” and see if of indicates a trend without getting dragged into the black hole of trying to account for everything and resolve it.
I don’t care if my leaving Bazzite was justified or premature, the important data point is that it doesn’t work for all beginners. Bazzite didn’t feel right to me, it felt awkward and forced in a way Garuda never did.
Pointing out that they may have fixed a problem doesn’t undo the experience I had. Proving they fixed something specific doesn’t undo that problems can and do exist.
I am happy if others love Bazzite, out want great for this beginner.