SpiralLinux

Reader supplied reviews for SpiralLinux Average rating 8.7 from 32 review(s) What are your thoughts on SpiralLinux? Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system. Our FAQ page has tips on writing a good mini-review. Version: -- 12.23092611.220925 Rating:    -- 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 out of 10 Your review (minimum 250 words): Past reviews - sort by: DateVotes Version: 12.230926 Rating: 9 Date: 2023-09-29 Votes: 1 I have used Spiral Linux on a recent Ryzen based micro computer which supplements my main rig and have used it for some months now, advancing to the new version from the 11.22095 prior and initial version. I had wanted to see how well the advance of the system worked before writing of the experience. The system is really not so much a distribution as an unauthorized spin of Debian Linux and the most problematic finding that I had was that the specific version of Spiral Linux is nowhere to be easily understood from the easy documentation available off the GUI or from the Terminal. The system is really a true Debian system with only some framework of utilization that characterizes it as Spiral Linux and the software nowhere shows any clear element foreign to its legacy. As to the packages installed, I have chosen the conservative Debian model which I have implemented, not needing the most new versions, but the adjustment of Spiral Linux really does not press for a conservative take if one goes to its Synaptic Package Manager and looks to the Settings tab and the Repositories whih are available. It is clearly possible to move to the SID repository of the Debian packages and one can clearly move to a more aggressively bleeding edge experience through the Spiral Linux framework with a simple click or two. I have taken the less aggressive option of using the proposed upgrades before they have become incorporated into the main repository load and have seen no problems with that much less aggressive approach. Nothing in the Debian function is at all difficult. Perhaps in the Bookworm Debian now altered the need for Spiral Linux is less clear, but having a simpler interface which requires a bit less tinkering to get it workable to the end is still a plus. Everything I have used in the system has worked and the access to both installation and update of both standard .deb and of Flatpak applications works about as well as one could imagine they might. Debian Bookworm has done away with os-prober and that makes it likely to be a bit more difficult to use the vanilla Debian on a dual boot system without dpkg-reconfigure being run to account for the nature of a grub reversion adjustment. I have not seen this as a problem with Spiral Linux, although I could not guarantee that others would be so lucky. Debian has made itself more handy without the spin, but it is yet not always the most facile of Linux entry systems and does demand a bit of care and extra attention to details not to be seen in systems left easy for the novice. I am not exactly a novice, but I am far from a true maven of the Linux distribution panoply that I desire to go through all of the work without some help from others who have paved the way for me. Was this review helpful? Yes No Version: 11.220925 Rating: 9 Date: 2023-09-23 Votes: 5 As others have said, Spiral Linux is an enhanced version of Debian. That's not a bad thing, though. Before version 12, Debian had some issues playing nice with the installer. Spiral takes care of that for you. Also, it has flatpak included by default, which will be a delight for some users. It's usually the first thing I remove from my setup. Generally speaking, Spiral is made with the beginner in mind, who wants something reliable, extremely stable that can be installed and simply just works. It's a great addition to the Debian family and if Ubuntu at some point bites the dust, a great alternative Someone without any Linux experience will be happy with this, if they can live with packages being old after a few months post release. Was this review helpful? Yes No Version: 11.220925 Rating: 9 Date: 2023-07-27 Votes: 8 This "distro" is a preconfigured Debian. It does this excellently. Its true pitch is offering tweaks for what the average user would want in a way that survives a 'death of the author' situation. It is one of the friendliest distributions to install and use without terminal wizardry. Debian has its way of doing things so you should first assess the big points of Debian, which I summarize as an old, crusty, yet rock solid underlay that's not going anywhere. You will not be using cutting edge software - but then, Spiral offers usable flatpaks by default, an adequate solution for most people to get current software. For typical uses this is just about perfect. I recommend this as a peaceful answer for people looking for a setup that just works and who aren't concerned with the latest and greatest. Many desktops are offered, you'll want to look into their strengths and weaknesses if you aren't familiar. Be advised that the debian core makes these desktops a little obsolete compared to more 'hip' distros. However SL based on debian 12 offers a very solid version of KDE Plasma. Plasma and Cinnamon are my top picks for fully-featured desktops for windows migrants and general feature completeness. For weaker hardware: XFCE, Mate and LXQT can serve you better, the difference is largely taste. Look into the desktops before picking. But in rough order these are my choices if you are feeling option overload. Be advised that you may need to play with the first start boot option on newer hardware in case the normal boot option for installing does not play nicely. I've had this experience installing SL specifically on a more recent laptop. Was this review helpful? Yes No See all 32 reader reviews of SpiralLinux...