Sorry if this isn’t the right place to ask this, I couldn’t find a linux-no-stupid-questions community lol.
I’m migrating again to linux, and working on Linux Mint for now to avoid a huge change due to my upcoming program for school soon where I won’t have extra time to fiddle with things. So I’m trying to get everything set up, and download my most used applications, but I’m trying to figure out - should I be downloading the official software if it’s available, or is it better to find a FOSS alternative instead? I plan to go with the apps that come with it like the libre office instead of Microsoft, obviously, but I was looking at Discord and there is what appears to be an official looking option in the software manager app, and below it a FOSS WebCord option. Or, if this one isn’t the official, I could always go to the discord site and get it from them if they have it available.
Does it matter which option I go with? Is it better to go with official software if possible? Or is it better to go with FOSS for more control/privacy?
As with everything - it depends. Sometimes the FOSS versions are not very good, sometimes they are better than the official. Sometimes they are better for privacy, sometimes they make no real difference at all, sometimes the web version is better. Sometimes there is no FOSS version, sometimes the official one does not support Linux.
You are going to need to go on a case by case bases and decide each time.
It’s a matter of ideology.
This being said I think for you installing “official” apps via flatpak might be the best compromise. You gets apps that don’t need tinkering with and “just work” while those apps are isolated from the rest of your system via flatpak isolation.
If you are going into a period low fiddle time this might be your best bet ^
That makes sense. I still have windows installed as a backup but I’d really like to get through the program with Linux only. I’ve been going through the software manager first and then on to the official apps from their site if there was no options
Yah. I would strongly recommend https://flathub.org versions of “official” apps over ones you download from the developers sites.
For those people who are new to Linux it’s important to know Linux isn’t like windows. Installing applications from debs or rpms that you get from directly from developers’ sites is often the worst way to install them. Native package managers and flatpak are the ways to go.
On Mint go with the apps in the store. This OS is often recommended to beginners for two reasons 1. The familiar interface and 2. Stability.
You’ll have less grief with store apps, and they’re usually foss anyway. Flatpak apps are fine but can collectively get a bit disk and ram hungry. Either version will work fine though
Linux Mint (and I say this as a Linux Mint user) and its store has caused so many issues for users on one project I’m involved with and probably with another too.
Basically we don’t yet support flatpak for a number of reasons and the ‘community’ flatpak option shown in the store comes with a bunch of broken features (if you dont want to get into flatseal etc) as well as a less then obvious way for users to upgrade versions.
For a particular application i would go what they actually support and have as an installation option.
A lot of FOSS alternatives are just as good or better than official, but it’s not as simple as just choosing the FOSS alternative always, as there will always be times where the official is better. Best way to find out is to read the GitHub or app description for why the FOSS alternative exists, and if the project has been around long enough to have the features you want.
Be careful with custom Discord clients as I’ve heard they are against TOS. I don’t think people get banned very often for it but it is something to keep in mind. WebCord is based on the browser version so it MIGHT be fine, but I don’t know enough about it.
I would transition to Linux slowly and use the official apps at first. Try it for a semester to keep things stable and simple, and then next semester you can gradually replace a few apps with FOSS alternatives and evaluate how well they work.
