A. The cooler but less table Distros tend to make it a lot easier to choose a kernel you like in the grub so you don't have this issue in the first place. which leads to...
Maybe I'll get cool some day... Ok, I mostly want things to work automatically without any problems, a semi-n00b on Linux but working on it!! Switching from Ubuntu to Debian next time I install Linux (still n00by but less bloat already running Debian on all servers instead of Ubuntu).
B. Whenever possible, use a mainline LTS Kernel, or use a distro that has fixed point releases with an older but maintained kernel. 6.12 is the last LTS at the moment. Mint uses 6.8 but backports hardware drivers and security fixes.
Important to always remeber: In Linux, new does not mean good or stable. New means beta test 2.0.
Yes, I am not sure if I had explicitly enabled unstable kernels or if that is default in Ubuntu anyway I have just gone back farther to 6.8 which seems to be what Ubuntu stable linux kernel is right now.
or use a distro that has fixed point releases with an older but maintained kernel.
I though I was. Ubuntu 24 stable, but maybe I picked som dumb option in install or later. Anyway I think it's solved now.
More or less the exact commands I ran:
# Install stable kernel!!!
sudo apt update
sudo apt install linux-generic linux-headers-generic
# 2. Reboot to test stable kernel works then pick stable kernel in GRUB boot menu
sudo reboot
# 3. Remove unstable meta-packages
sudo apt remove linux-generic-hwe-24.04 linux-headers-generic-hwe-24.04 linux-image-generic-hwe-24.04
sudo apt autoremove
# 4. Install nvidia DKMS to build modules for stable kernel
sudo apt install nvidia-dkms-570
# 5. Then clean up/remove unused unstable kernels etc but I dont remember exactly which commands I used
# 6. Reboot again
sudo reboot
prolly ran sudo update-grub at some point after removing old kernels, though that might be automatic and not even needed.
Ubuntu base, by default, is a rolling release. Their LTS release is what you want if you want stability. If you go to their download page, you'll see the ISO listed as the LTS release. Alternatively, I'd recommend Linux Mint because it works way better than Ubuntu does for a lot of reasons but uses the same base. Another good distro which might be a good fit for you is Fedora. It uses newer packages, but prioritizes stability. It also has a bit of a learning curve which will help ease you into the more complex linux concepts.
I almost never recommend base Ubuntu anymore. They haven't been good in like 15 years.
Thanks for your tips!
Fedora. It uses newer packages, but prioritizes stability. It also has a bit of a learning curve which will help ease you into the more complex linux concepts.
Good point. I might look at it. Do you know how it is in terms of bloatedness? Say I want one distro everywhere is Fedora good for servers too you think? I mean I guess there is only one way to truly find out and that is to test it.
Bloat is subjective. Fedora will be less bloated than Ubuntu, but will be more bloated than something you self install in Arch. But bloat isn't a bad thing in all cases either.
Desktop and Server use cases tend to have different expectations. Servers tend to prioritize base bones and unflinching stability. Desktop tends to want features and hardware compatability. There's a reason Debian is used for servers but Arch is used for desktop.
Fedora doesn't pop up much for servers because of it's 6 month release cycle. But another Red Hat distro, like Rocky or Alma would be a good fit for a server because of their extended release cycles and focus on stability above anything else.
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