this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2026
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I just used NixOS daily for maybe a month? I really love how it's designed, but I had to give up because there were just so many small fixes I had to do and I found myself banging my head against the wall when I couldn't build something that depended on python-tk. You will see this criticism around a lot, but the documentation just isn't there yet. If you try to search for a fix, the packages have changed how they're configured since a solution was posted or they depend on a Nix flake which 50% of searches say not to use because it's experimental and 50% are all in on flakes.
I have since moved back to Arch, but I've started to use the nix package manager for some cases since you can on-demand non-permanently install a package.
Almost the same story here, I ran nixOS on my laptop and was over my head instantly, but kept treading water for almost a year before I got tired of the quirks and went back to arch. Much as on desktop; it just works and works well.
Since bouncing off I've found myself using the nix package manager for my Steam Deck, allowing it to serve as the "laptop" now. It just so happens that Valve recently added a persistent /nix folder to steamOS and so I'm declaratively back at it again. Thankfully the syntax is now starting to stick.