2 devices PC & Server, which Linux?

I need to pick two OSs: one for personal use (Firefox, PyCharm, Obsidian, "Office") and one for a home server (SMB, media-centre, pictures, backups, passwords, syncs, etc).

Both devices are currently running Windows 10, and I have two spare machines I can mess with, so I can slowly migrate.

I was thinking to go for Ubuntu LTS on main PC and Proxmox VE + Ubuntu Server LTS on the server, mainly due to the OS predominances, so I'd have more chances to "Google" myself out of troubles. But I wanted to hear what everyone recommends.

Never used Linux before... so I am not expecting this to be straight forward (especially on the server side), hence the spare machines to give me some headroom.

If there are any former Win users that could also chime-in, I'd appreciate.

Please, do not focus solely on the server... and wish me luck!

https://redd.it/1qbwymu
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PSA: Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" is out! Help offload the mirrors by using Torrents.
https://redd.it/1qbxzkw
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Making Visual Scripting for Bash
https://redd.it/1qbzcjr
@r_linux

I built a GUI alternative to lsof / ss / netstat
https://redd.it/1qc07l0
@r_linux

I made a video on some of the best games you can play on the terminal!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inIoTvqNme0

https://redd.it/1qc1rp9
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Software discovery like freshmeat or freshcode?

Once upon a time, we users had freshmeat.net, a website where we could discover all kinds of software to use in our Linux systems. Freshmeat's run came to an end. Some time after that, freshcode.club was launched with a similar purpose, although it never reached the popularity of freshmeat.

However about 3 months ago, freshcode stopped working and now the website is non-functional.

So, this leaves us with a question: what is the best way to both discover new software and learn about new releases of existing software, for FOSS projects?

I know there's linux-apps.com, which is part of the opendesktop.org umbrella. This could have been the answer, but it is dominated by Android slop apps, and no meaningful FOSS software, with some exceptions which are old stalwarts back from the site was known as kde-apps.org. So it's not useful for this purpose, at least at this time.

So, again, what would be a good resource to learn about new software and new releases?

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I'm boutta Switch
https://redd.it/1qcc77t
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The KDE Plasma 6.6 Beta is now available, giving users a first look at changes scheduled for the February 17 stable release.
https://x.com/linuxiac/status/2011127394954842226?s=20

https://redd.it/1qcd6ao
@r_linux

KDE Plasma 6.6 Beta Released With Plasma Login Manager, Plasma Setup
https://x.com/phoronix/status/2011116502062178574?s=20

https://redd.it/1qce2wf
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KDE Plasma 6.5.5 is now available as the January 2026 bugfix release, delivering fixes across Wayland, KWin, Discover, and core desktop components.
https://x.com/linuxiac/status/2011088973175623967?s=20

https://redd.it/1qcfjdy
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Mouse Tiler v2.0.0 update available! (Probably the fastest manual tiler available)
https://redd.it/1qcfyql
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Auto-CPUFreq 3.0 Released To Help You Extend Laptop Battery Life On Linux
https://www.phoronix.com/news/Auto-CPUFreq-3.0

https://redd.it/1qcfx46
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Alloy ecosystem

Alloy — A collection of applications built in Rust, specifically designed for Hyprland. It supports multiple distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, and Arch. The ecosystem is primarily developed and tested on Arch Linux and its derivatives (such as CachyOS or Artix), ensuring the best possible performance on those platforms.

The ecosystem consists of:

• Spark — A system interface built with Quickshell, designed to provide a smooth and delightful user experience.

• Index — A lightweight, fast, and efficient file browser featuring unique functionalities and customizable keybindings.

• Core — A system monitoring tool with an intuitive and clean interface. It simplifies resource management and allows for easy power profile switching.

• Pulse — A high-performance music and media player that covers all your audio needs. It features seamless transitions, low resource usage, and support for playlists and audiobooks.

• Fuse — An All-In-One (AIO) settings application. It handles appearance management, including color presets, custom hex codes, and integration with Matugen/Pywal. It also manages Bluetooth, WiFi/Ethernet, and more.

• Installer — A straightforward noscript that automates the installation process. It offers full flexibility: you can install the entire ecosystem, just the interface (Spark), or selected individual applications.

I am working on that project, Please provide your opinions or ideas. Would you like if I made a GitHub repo for that?

https://redd.it/1qcm51u
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Intel's Fantastic New Open-Source Demonstrator For AMX-BF16: Over 4x The Performance At 69% The Power
https://www.phoronix.com/review/intel-oidn-amx-fp16

https://redd.it/1qcnhzj
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Linux distro designed to look like Windows hits 2 million downloads since the end of Windows 10 support
https://www.pcguide.com/news/linux-distro-designed-to-look-like-windows-hits-2-million-downloads-since-the-end-of-windows-10-support/

https://redd.it/1qcoc1j
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CtrlAssist v0.4.0: Controller Assist for gaming on Linux
https://github.com/ruffsl/CtrlAssist/releases/tag/v0.4.0

https://redd.it/1qcobu5
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New powerful Linux malware detected targeting critical systems
https://cybernews.com/security/voidlink-highly-customizable-linux-malware-targeting-cloud/

https://redd.it/1qcuejc
@r_linux

Anyone check out PC World's Linux podcast DualBoot Diaries?
https://www.pcworld.com/article/2888221/check-out-pcworlds-new-linux-podcast.html

https://redd.it/1qcydhm
@r_linux

GNOME Mutter 50 Alpha Released With X11 Backend Removed
https://www.phoronix.com/news/GNOME-Mutter-Shell-50-Alpha

https://redd.it/1qd09uz
@r_linux

Updating from Windows 10 to 11 has taken me 10x the time than to install Arch. And I am not even done yet. Now I actually believe that 2026 is the year of the Linux desktop.

I have been a linux advocate since I was 13 but I still need windows for a few pieces of software for work. In the past few weeks I have been running into more and more problems with newer pieces of software. Combined with the security implications of win 10 I decided to update. And let me tell you, anybody that says that linux is complicated has never had to delve into the windows update process as deep as I have today.

My first instalation of arch linux including installing hyprland, all the software I use, setting up some keyboard shortcuts and some basic graphical stuff has taken me about an hour. Today I have spent almost 12 hours trying to update my windows 10 computer to windows 11 and I have yet to get over 71% in the instalation before I get an error. It is always a different error and I always get a few percent further before it crashes and gives me another rabbit hole to go down thru. If this is the experience maintaining a Windows PC then I can with clear conscience say that linux is more user friendly and stable (even on a rolling release like Arch) than Windows.

How is a normal user supposed to navigate random forums trying to find solutions for everchanging errors and once he manages to find a solution another error 5% down the line crashes his hopes and dreams of actually being able to control his computer.

2026 Is the year of the Linux desktop. I usually do not say souch definitive statements and try to look at computing in context of use. There has been an instance where I actually recomended someone a Mac despite the plethora of moral problems I have with them. But the current state of the PC world made me a believer. Windows is a rotting corpse being kept alive by a sacrifice of the souls of a thousand tech support workers every day.

Ps. Dont worry I will spend another day striping win 11 of every single spy feature I can find. I need it to run like four pieces of software and nothing else. I will gut it to the core and leave only the bones I need to do my work.

What are your update horror stories? Both windows and Linux.

https://redd.it/1qd2nx6
@r_linux

GRUB 2.14 released
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/grub-devel/2026-01/msg00029.html

https://redd.it/1qd2292
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