Ubuntu
Canonical's Debian-based Linux distribution for desktops, servers and cloud.
HN commenters like Ubuntu because it just works, with sane defaults and reliable LTS releases,1234 and as an easy switch from Windows for non-technical users.567 The most common complaint is Canonical's aggressive push of Snap packages,891011 with others reporting updates that break things.12131415
Why people recommend it
Just works · 3
Many say it runs with little setup or fiddling, unlike distros they left.
“Ubuntu just...worked”
“everything just worked on the Linux partition. Things opened quickly, things installed easily”
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“Finally found stability with Ubuntu after a few years, and still use it today”
Escape from Windows · 3
Switchers welcome the absence of Windows and macOS nags, prompts and notifications.
“I switched to Ubuntu on my PC a couple of weekends ago and I still have not adjusted to the peace and quiet”
“she's basically set for life”
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“I've actually taken to installing Ubuntu on the Mac just so I can avoid seeing them.”
Non-technical users · 3
Commenters install it for parents, partners and friends who aren't computer-savvy.
“My mother, my grandmother, and many of my non-computer-savvy friends also use Ubuntu.”
“For something that just works I recommend Fedora or Ubuntu.”
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“IMO Ubuntu is the simplest general-purpose one.”
Stable LTS releases · 3
Users value the release schedule, maturity and LTS-to-LTS reliability.
“I use it because I am very happy with the release schedule and the maturity.”
“it has sane defaults and is reliable”
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“my experience running an Ubuntu LTS in my main computer has been straightforward, easy and as problem-free as one could expect”
Compatibility, community · 3
A large user base makes fixes easy to find, and the Debian base gives good compatibility.
“For me, it's got more up-to-date versions of software than Debian and it's easy to search for solutions to issues as it's got a large user base.”
“the Ubuntu/Debian base is useful for the good compatibility.”
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“Ubuntu is a standard one that you can just start with.”
Old hardware · 3
It keeps aging laptops and Macs usable after their original OS drops support.
“because of distros like Fedora and Ubuntu, I can keep using a 15y old Samsung notebook”
“It was a huge upgrade over her ~2014 macbook air running stock”
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“after 17 years away from Ubuntu as my daily OS, I'm now considering seriously going back to it.”
Caveats and dissent
Snap packages · 3
Forced Snap packages drove several users to Debian or Fedora.
“My main motivation was not be defaulted to snap packages.”
“Ubuntu forcing snap and other non-standard junk on server was the last straw.”
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Breaking updates · 3
Some report frequent breakage after upgrades and issues that need hours of fixing.
“it literally breaks all the bloody time”
“I use Ubuntu daily and not a month passes without a serious issue that no normal user would be able to solve.”
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“my Ubuntu Linux machine has had a lot of trouble with software updates.”
Slow and bloated · 3
Some found it slower and heavier than Debian or lighter distros.
“I couldn't understand why everything was that slow compared to Debian”
“Ubuntu used to be the distro to go do, used to.”
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“It once took ubuntu 18.04 30 minutes to boot on an old dual core intel network box”
Canonical direction · 3
Some distrust Canonical's leadership and feel non-enterprise users are second-class.
“they managed to make me feel like a second-class citizen as a not-enterprise-customer”
“Canonical's recent problems show that its leadership is extremely poor.”
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“I don’t see what value prop Ubuntu even has anymore”
Hardware issues · 2
Users report failures with specific UEFI firmware and early Ryzen support.
“last time I used a system like Ubuntu was last year, where it failed to work with a GIGABYTE BRIX Mini-PC UEFI firmware”
“it literally breaks all the bloody time”
Desktop rough edges · 3
Users cite poor native search, default tiling quirks and remote desktop breaking in 24.04.
“Ubuntu native search is pretty bad too”
“Ubuntu remains my nr. 2 choice, after NixOS”
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“I use ubuntu and the default remote desktop just stopped working since 24”
Often compared with
9 moved from Ubuntu to DebianWindows11 comments mention both
14 moved from Windows to Ubuntu
2 moved from Fedora to Ubuntu
5 moved from Ubuntu to FedoramacOS13 comments mention both
5 moved from macOS to Ubuntu
2 moved from Ubuntu to macOS
2 moved from Ubuntu to NixOS
3 moved from Gentoo to Ubuntu
1 moved from Arch Linux to Ubuntu
1 moved from Ubuntu to Arch Linux
2 moved from Ubuntu to Omarchy
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Upgrade your desktop: Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS is now available 5 mentions
- Ask HN: Why do you use Ubuntu? 5 mentions
- Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux 4 mentions
- I replaced Windows with Linux and everything's going great 4 mentions
- Last rites for Gentoo's Chromium package 3 mentions
- Ubuntu 26.10 (Stonking Stingray) released 3 mentions
Data: ubuntu.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 49
“You tell me 22.04 LT (which is one I use), oh yeah, that's a good one.”
“Xournalpp works ok, Ubuntu 24.04”
“last time I used a system like Ubuntu was last year, where it failed to work with a GIGABYTE BRIX Mini-PC UEFI firmware”
“the longer I use it, the more it makes me wish I was using OpenBSD w/ xfce”
“they just have all this crap that I don't have to tolerate on my gentoo installs.”
“I'd started to err to Ubuntu at some point.”
“Eventually, I switched to Ubuntu and never looked back.”
“I've been using Ubuntu for years and admin a whole bunch of Ubuntu servers for work”
“Ubuntu is fine, and it was the distro that got me into Linux.”
“I don't like Ubuntu.”
“after upgrading our desktops to Ubuntu from Windows 11”
“Nowadays I use ubuntu”
“it has not happened on Ubuntu or Kubuntu since I started using them in 2006”
“the Ubuntu/Debian base is useful for the good compatibility.”
“For me, it's got more up-to-date versions of software than Debian and it's easy to search for solutions to issues as it's got a large user base.”
“Ubuntu just...worked”
“I use it because I am very happy with the release schedule and the maturity.”
“it has sane defaults and is reliable”
“they managed to make me feel like a second-class citizen as a not-enterprise-customer”
“I run Haiku, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Ubuntu, and Pop OS, and all of them go like stink and are daily-drivable”
“I ran ubuntu on it a couple of years until I switched to macos to do ios dev.”
“I used Ubuntu as a daily driver for a while, and then I went back to MacOS and life was so much better.”
“running bhyve as daily driver with Ubuntu for development purposes”
“Ubuntu native search is pretty bad too”
“My main motivation was not be defaulted to snap packages.”
“Soon after I found wifi worked on Ubuntu out of the box and switched to that for years.”
“because of distros like Fedora and Ubuntu, I can keep using a 15y old Samsung notebook”
“Finally found stability with Ubuntu after a few years, and still use it today”
“when I switched from SUSE to Ubuntu in 2004”
“An Ubuntu running a 5070Ti is now my main operating system.”
“Simply because Ubuntu uses apt.”
“Ubuntu as the base minimizes the friction and support needed”
“Ubuntu forcing snap and other non-standard junk on server was the last straw.”
“Ubuntu. Debian. Fedora especiall via Bazzite. Arch via CachyOS.”
“that piece-of-junk Ubuntu”
“people are using Ubuntu because of stability and community”
“I've settled on Ubuntu for a simple life.”
“For something that just works I recommend Fedora or Ubuntu.”
“for servers, I mostly use debian/ubuntu or alpine”
“I don't love Ubuntu, I just hate modern Windows and find my ubuntu for work popos for gaming setup to be better for me.”
“my Ubuntu Linux machine has had a lot of trouble with software updates.”
“until they started pushing snaps very aggressively”
“my experience running an Ubuntu LTS in my main computer has been straightforward, easy and as problem-free as one could expect”
“I switched to Ubuntu on my PC a couple of weekends ago and I still have not adjusted to the peace and quiet”
“she's basically set for life”
“My mother, my grandmother, and many of my non-computer-savvy friends also use Ubuntu.”
“I use ubuntu and the default remote desktop just stopped working since 24”
“I use Ubuntu daily and not a month passes without a serious issue that no normal user would be able to solve.”
“it literally breaks all the bloody time”