EndeavourOS best Linux distribution 2021

EndeavourOS – fast, stable and beautiful

I am always on the lookout for the best Linux distribution. EndeavourOS ranks high on distrowatch.org but somehow I have never really checked it out because Ubuntu gets the job done. My favorite Ubuntu feature is the ease of setting up a local network to share files between the workstations. Equally important is the huge amount of tutorials which are as important as the distribution because everyone needs to look something up once in a while.

A few days ago, I’ve installed Arch on a new(er) computer and noticed the speed boost. My start-up times got cut in half and all the apps (see list below) load almost instantly. Part of the speed increase could have been caused by the fact that Arch Linux was a fresh install but as everyone knows, when it comes to speed, Arch Linux rules.

Why I chose EndeavourOS

To make a long story short, I need an operating system that I can install on all of my computers and re-install in a snap if necessary. Installing Linux has become easy and because I always take notes, advanced setups and tweaks usually take just minutes. EndeavourOS fits my needs perfectly. It is easy and quick to install and like Ubuntu, has an established user base which has a reputation for being extremely helpful. That’s all I need.

EndeavourOS passed all the tests

First, I installed EndeavourOS on an old MSI laptop that is no longer used for production. After the install finished, I rebooted and configured MSIKLM which is a script by Gitnix and enables the backlit keyboard on my MSI laptop.

EndeavourOS managed this task without issues so I kept it and moved on to the next computer which mostly deals with emails and some limited web browsing.

Booting off of an Ventoy USB stick, EndeavourOS installed without issues on an Dell Optiplex. After installing Thunderbird, I restored all previous email accounts from a backup.
Because I work a lot with graphics, the look of the UI matters to me. Here is a list of the first tweaks I perform on all of my machines:

• Wallpaper
  I make my own and although the default is nice, it’s a bit bright for my old eyes.
• Gnome extensions
  Then I install Dash to Panel, User Themes and Compiz window effect.
  * I was pleased to see that EndeavourOS does not come with pre-installed extensions that I don’t use. Two thumbs up.

Dash to Panel – how to fix missing dashboard app icons

First problem. Right now, the Dash to Panel extension breaks the Show Applications view as all of the app icons are missing. Thankfully, there is an easy fix found at:

https://github.com/home-sweet-gnome/dash-to-panel/issues/1437#issuecomment-902875910

The above github link helped me to download overview.js which I placed inside:
~/.local/share/gnome-shell/extensions/dash-to-panel@jderose9.github.com/overview.js

Upon a fresh log in (no need to reboot), the issue was fixed and I continued to install EndeavourOS on my main web design workstation which is a Dell Precision 3440 computer.

There too, the install went without any issues and after tweaking the look, I continued with installing the following software which I use for work:

• Firefox and Chromium
  Because of Word Press and Drupal, most of my web design work is now done in the browser.
• Thunderbird
  The spam filters, configuration and easy backups make Thunderbird the best of the best when it comes to email.
• Atom
  I am on the process of switching from Codium (vscodium) to Atom. If the Atom editor turns out to be sufficient for writing Python scripts and the parts of web design which Firefox is not ideal for then I will stick with it. If not then I go back to Codium.
  Update! Atom is amazing and I am sure that I will continue using it in conjunction with Jupyter Notebook (Anaconda).
• Gimp
  Web design requires constant image manipulation and Gimp is my go-to tool for the job. I love the image compression feature and ease of use. Gimp is the only program that is installed on all of my computers.
• LibreOffice
  Until I started to learn Python, I had little use for an office suit except when I was working on E books. Now I constantly use the spreadsheet to write and read data for various Python data analysis applications.

Graphics workstation

My most powerful workstation is only used for graphics design and sits next to a 3D printer. Unlike the other computers, the graphics workstation has an NVIDIA GFX card which is needed for working with Blender, FreeCAD, Cura, Gimp, OBS Studio and Shotcut. So far, every program runs great and speedier than ever.
*I will do some more testing on the weekend and update if something unexpected happens.

Music production

Lately, I am spending a lot of time writing Python code which means that music is being neglected. The only thing I want to mention is that the Steinberg UR22 mkII and Behringer U-PHORIA UMC404HD audio interfaces do not pop when I shut down the system. Hopefully sometime soon I find time to install Reaper again. Linux has a few options for digital audio recording but Reaper works well with my Yamaha Genos and over the years I have learned not to fix stuff that is not broken.

Conclusion

Distro hopping is a passion many of us have. Because of the work I do, I don’t get to try a lot of different distributions but once something goes wrong, I tend to start looking elsewhere. “Something” did go wrong with my previous distribution and I am glad to have come across EndeavourOS.

If you are not 100% happy with your current Linux distribution then check out EndeavourOS. I wish that I had done so sooner.
Thank you for reading. Please comment if you have questions or suggestions regarding this topic.