This might be a really stupid noob question, but I am looking to move to Linux from Windows/Mac, and am about to install an SSD into my very old test machine for Linux distros.

You might have seen my recent post asking for recommends: it has the hardware specs of my test box, and I’ve updated it with the list of distros I intend to try.

My test box still has a working HDD in it, so no action is required immediately.

But my question is: once I decide on a distro and start moving machines over to Linux, what kind of manual care do I have to put in to maintain my SSD drives, if any?

For each box with a SSD drive and Linux as the OS, do I need to do TRIM manually, do I need to turn it on for a “set and forget” type scenario, or are recent and regularly upgraded distros able to spot a SSD and do the necessary without my intervention?

I guess what I’m really asking is: is SSD TRIM support pretty much standard now across distros, or is it something I need to investigate individually for each distro I install?

I recognize I may just need to ask this again once I settle on a distro, but since I’m trying so many – and may fully install more than one – I thought I’d get a jump on it.

EDITED TO ADD: Many thanks to all who took the time to answer. Now I know exactly what to read up on, and if necessary, look up how to do manually for whatever distro(s) I settle on. I -really- appreciate the help. Thank you!

  • @[email protected]English
    2•9 months ago

    Can’t answer your question since it’s not something I ever thought about but I recently, within the last 2 weeks, started the same thing. I tried Mint and EndeavorOS so far and honestly I probably won’t leave EndeavorOS again. I installed it first. Confused the fuck out of myself because years ago I use Ubuntu so I had that like hard coded in me and couldn’t get my head around arch. After playing with Mint for a week or so I’m back on EndeavorOS and I love it. I really really want to switch my main PC over but I have a Plex server and audio book shelf server running there as well as atleast 1 game that playing on Linux just isn’t possible since Bungie will ban you for running destiny 2 on Linux.

    • @ChunkMcHorkleOPEnglish
      1•9 months ago

      EndeavorOS

      I’ll add that to the list of distros I want to try, I hadn’t seen it before but it does run on minimal hardware. I like that it’s built on Arch because Arch itself is a good OS, but intimidating for a noob, lol. According to Distrowatch.com it’s near the top of their page hits so it must be popular. Thanks for the recommend!

      Bungie will ban you for running destiny 2 on Linux.

      That is so bizarre to me. According to this article, Destiny 2 was already playable on Linux when it was officially ported to Google Stadia, and no one, not even Bungie, can explain why they won’t support it on Linux or Steam Deck, much less ban a player for trying. That’s crazy.

      • @[email protected]English
        2•9 months ago

        would consider myself very much a noob and I’m bumbling my way through it. Just kinda worked my way through it and pretty sure I broke my mint install a bit before hopping to EndeavorOS and will probably break this one before I’m done as well.

        That is so bizarre to me. According to this article, Destiny 2 was already playable on Linux when it was officially ported to Google Stadia, and no one, not even Bungie, can explain why they won’t support it on Linux or Steam Deck, much less ban a player for trying. That’s crazy.

        Yeah I have no idea either. From what I’ve seen online it’s something to do with the anti cheat battleye but that runs on Linux so it’s basically just them telling the Linux community to go pound sand.