Topic of the Day

For over two years, I have mainly watched Linux-related videos on YouTube. Many creators share mature and well-informed perspectives on using Linux, such as:

• Use whatever gets the job done.
• Don’t hesitate to use Linux.
• Linux is highly usable today.
• If you need Windows or macOS for your work, use them.
• If you don’t require bleeding-edge software, stay on a stable branch.

The “Dark Side” of Linux

The next section discusses Mattscreative, a YouTube creator with good intentions but often misleading and overly biased opinions. At this point in his video, he criticizes distributions like Mint and Ubuntu for not including the latest Nvidia drivers, claiming that any instability is the fault of the distro maintainers. He praises “stable” distros like PikaOS, suggesting they are superior because they communicate with their users through Discord channels.

Not Everyone Needs Bleeding-Edge Software

This is true. If you want the latest tools, drivers, and applications, Linux provides a path for that. However, for the vast majority of users, this isn’t necessary. For example, I run three different devices daily: one workstation and an X220, both running NixOS unstable, and a ThinkPad X12 with Fedora and GNOME. I haven’t gone completely bleeding-edge because I need my devices to be reliable. It’s also wise to have a fallback device if something breaks. Currently, my X12 is the most stable, and I still do some tinkering on it—just not as much.

Problems, Bugs, and Issues Are Often Upstream

When an issue is upstream, there isn’t much you can do besides being patient or reverting to an older version. Although these bugs are often fixed quickly, if you rely on the affected software, it can be frustrating to repeatedly refresh repositories and try temporary fixes that might not even work for you. When this happens, it’s usually not the developers’ fault. It's fair to criticize distro maintainers if major bugs remain unfixed for months while new issues are accumulating. Otherwise, please be understanding.

Suggesting Unusual Methods for Running Software on Linux

Unfortunately, Mattscreative frequently publishes videos on running software on Linux that was never designed for this platform. Technically, it’s possible to run Photoshop, Affinity Photo, and similar applications, but in practice, these solutions often break during installation or after updates. If you need certain software on Linux, avoid cluttering your main OS with Wine dependencies. Instead, run a Windows VM if your hardware allows—it’s sufficient for most photo editing tasks. Otherwise, use the software natively with a dual-boot or separate drive.

I Am a Masochist

I learned all of this the hard way. I broke my setup by chasing bleeding-edge software and dealt with the resulting quirks. Do yourself a favor: make your own decisions, form your own opinions, and don’t just follow advice from someone else online because it worked for them.

Why do I still run bleeding-edge? Because I’m a “masochist”—just kidding. I simply enjoy tinkering when time allows; otherwise, I might go weeks without updating anything.

With that said: Happy hacking!