• @TriflingToad
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    -520 days ago

    I don’t understand why people want immutable. I don’t know all that much about Linux but on my Steamdeck it keeps getting in the way anytime I try to do anything

    • @UNY0N
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      1020 days ago

      You certainly have to learn new ways of doing things when you want to tinker, but they are basically UNBREAKABLE, which is my main plus point. I’m busy, I need my PC to be reliable. I don’t want to have to troubleshoot stuff just to keep it up and running.

      If I had more time I would really enjoy the tinkering, but I don’t so I need my distro just work.

    • capital
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      520 days ago

      I personally don’t tinker much with the OS. I want it to stay out of the way and let me do things. In the case of Bazzite, everything I need for gaming is just there and works without me lifting a finger.

      I like the safety and simplicity immutables bring.

      If I’m doing something out of the ordinary, a temporary container usually suffices.

      It’s really made the switch from Windows as a daily driver much easier.

    • @[email protected]
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      fedilink
      020 days ago

      Some people like it, I don’t like and will never mess with it. I do understand why some folks like it. It’s basically for those who want a system that’ll never break to a point where they can’t access their data. I just can’t use it

    • @[email protected]
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      fedilink
      -320 days ago

      Immutable is fantastic in theory. Where it falls apart is having to basically rebuild the whole distro every time you want to make a change. It should be there your base distro is immutable, then any extra changes go on an additional mutable layer but that would be difficult to set up. (You’d need a package manager like Nixos or something.)

      • @dustyData
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        English
        620 days ago

        your base distro is immutable, then any extra changes go on an additional mutable layer

        That is exactly how OsTree and other layering solutions work. Only Nix requires a whole distro rebuild.

        • @[email protected]
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          fedilink
          120 days ago

          And even then with nixos-rebuild switch you won’t really notice that you’re “rebuilding” anything

        • @[email protected]
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          fedilink
          -220 days ago

          It isn’t, though. Package layering modifies the install itself. See: https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora-silverblue/getting-started/#_flatpak_command_line

          The big problem with the way ostree works is that installing things has side effects. Every item you install with ostree makes all future items slower to install, including regular os updates. This is a significant flaw in the way they designed it and really makes immutable oses less attractive.

          • @dustyData
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            119 days ago

            It’s not a flaw. Ostree is a last resort, you should be using containerized software. Layering a package should only be done when strictly necessary and not as the regular way to manage packages. If you need an overtly customized system, you use Nix or universal blue to design your new system declaratively and create your custom image.

            • @[email protected]
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              fedilink
              018 days ago

              That is a flaw. Flatpak is great where it works but Flatpak doesn’t solve all problems, neither does any one solution except os level modification. It can be a last resort by it should be a last resort that works. The layering system could be put together such that you don’t get side effects of installing packages like that. It might be tough to fix but that doesn’t make it not a flaw.

              • @dustyData
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                017 days ago

                Please remember that no one is taking anything away from you. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to use it. Traditional package managing isn’t going away any time soon. You are safe. Others can have their preferred tech, and you don’t have to like it. It’s ok to have different tastes.