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138 lines
7.9 KiB
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[#]: subject: "EuroLinux Desktop Review: A Worthy Alternative to Ubuntu LTS?"
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[#]: via: "https://www.debugpoint.com/eurolinux-desktop-review/"
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[#]: author: "Arindam https://www.debugpoint.com/author/admin1/"
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[#]: collector: "lkxed"
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[#]: translator: " "
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[#]: reviewer: " "
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[#]: publisher: " "
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[#]: url: " "
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EuroLinux Desktop Review: A Worthy Alternative to Ubuntu LTS?
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======
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A detailed review of EuroLinux Desktop – a desktop Linux OS from the EuroLinux team.
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EuroLinux is a Polish company which has been developing open-source server OS and solutions for almost a decade, mostly in the Europe market. The company is also known for its Linux server operating system (OS) based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
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A couple of weeks back, the company introduced a desktop operating system based on RHEL – “EuroLinux Desktop”.
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Since few distros are available based on RHEL, I thought of giving it a spin and finding out how it is designed, its performance, etc. Moreover, the team markets the distro as *“combines the look and functionality of Windows® and macOS® with the reliability and security of a server-based Enterprise Linux distribution”.*
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EuroLinux desktop is free to download and install. However, you can buy the support if you are a small business owner or have other commercial needs.
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Let’s find out how it looks.
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### EuroLinux Desktop Review
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#### Installation and ISO Size
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The ISO of the EuroLinux desktop is whooping 7GB+ (version 9.0). The reason is that ISO pre-loads all the necessary packages and applications in the ISO for offline installation. It also serves the target users, institutions, and schools which may not have an active internet connection.
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EuroLinux uses the standard Anaconda installer used by most RHEL-based distros. The installation steps are simple and remain basic.
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While testing no major problems in the installation, which took around 7 to 8 minutes of total time.
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#### The first look
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![EuroLinux Desktop 9.0][1]
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Since the EuroLinux desktop is based on RHEL, it follows the RHEL release cycle. The current version which I am reviewing is version 9.0, based on RHEL 9.0 – which features a standard GNOME desktop.
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Since RHEL is a little conservative regarding the latest package adoption for its critical servers and workstations use cases, you get the GNOME 40 with Linux Kernel 5.14 in the EuroLinux Desktop 9.0.
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So, at first look, you experience a nice and clean GNOME 40 desktop with some additional customization.
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The customizations on stock GNOME comes via pre-installed and enabled extensions.
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The dash to Panel and Desktop Icons are the two major ones. Dash to Panel gives you a bottom transparent panel with a customized tray. The tray includes the Calendar, date/time, indicators (battery, network and night mode) and quick settings.
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![Installed extensions by default][2]
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At the extreme left, the application menu launches the full-screen app view of the GNOME desktop.
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The default theme is Adwaita, and the only change you can experience is the Papirus icon theme.
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#### Applications, necessary functionalities
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Essential applications are pre-loaded. At least those are necessary for a basic functioning system.
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For example, the LibreOffice suite is fully installed. The Firefox ESR is the default web browser – which is a good choice considering the long-term support of more than five years.
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In addition, a text editor, image viewer, screenshot tool, and video player are all included in the default installation.
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There is little distinction on how to install the Software in EuroLinux. EuroLinux has its repo pre-configured from its servers. This is obvious, considering its creator is an organization.
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So, by default, you get the following repos.
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The Software app works as it should. You can easily search, install or uninstall any application using its GUI.
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![Software repos][3]
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#### Performance
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The performance is excellent, thanks to the RHEL base. In an idle state, GNOME Shell uses most of the system resources, including CPU and RAM. It clocks 7 to 14% CPU with 1.6GB of RAM.
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EuroLinux 9.0 uses 7.3 GB disk space for a default installation.
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If I compare this performance to [Ubuntu 22.04 LTS][4], it is indeed a very little higher (1.4 GB and 6% CPU) at idle.
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I believe this tiny variance is due to GNOME 42’s recent performance improvements in mutter and Shell.
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![EuroLinux performance at idle][5]
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#### Comparison with Ubuntu LTS, Rocky and AlmaLinux
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Fundamentally there are differences in how Ubuntu and RedHat-based distros are derived, i.e. Debian vs Fedora. And the package management system.
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At a high level, you get the same years of support and security updates in both distros. In fact, EuroLinux provides more extended support until one version retires.
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If you compare the distro from the fundamental usage standpoint, you may not know much of a difference at the surface. The only noticeable difference is the GNOME and Kernel versions. Ubuntu LTS versions are a little faster to adopt the latest GNOME and Kernel versions than RedHat (or EuroLinux).
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The other difference is that the package manager is dnf in EuroLinux and apt in Ubuntu.
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However, two other RHEL-based distros are available today (the most popular ones). They are Alma Linux and Rocky Linux. Both of them are precisely identical to EuroLinux except for the underlying software sources.
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But both are relatively new in the field (born after the [CentOS event][6]) two/three years back. Whereas, EuroLinux (as a server) has been in the field for nearly a decade.
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Also, the Rocky Linux is probably the only advantage of all, which is truly a community-driven project. And Alma Linux is actually a product from CloudLinux Inc & EuroLinux is from EuroLinux Sp. z o.o.
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So, if you want a true community-based Ubuntu-LTS alternative, then perhaps Rocky Linux is the one.
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### Should you use it for a daily driver?
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I believe you can safely use this for your daily use.
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Remember that you may not get the latest and greatest shiny GNOME & mainline Kernel right away. But hey, older packages are “proven” to work.
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If you need a stable desktop your average use for 5+ years without worrying about sudden crashing, boot problems, grub problems, slowness, etc. – then it’s ideal for you.
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Also, it’s perfect for you if you don’t like how Ubuntu is heading – forcing snap, other aspects and want to switch to a stable distro.
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The only trade-off now is the latest GNOME 43 vs the older GNOME 40. And you can always install the latest mainline kernel if you are an advanced user.
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### Wrapping Up
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After my day-long test, it performed exactly what was expected. No crashes or any weird errors. The distro looks and performs at par with a professional Linux operating system. You can safely install it on your Laptops and desktops for day-to-day usage. Technically you can not use the actual RedHat Linux without registration and a license. Hence, this distro could be ideal who wants Ubuntu-LTS-like stability for 5+ years besides Rocky Linux.
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Give it a try from the [official website][7].
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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via: https://www.debugpoint.com/eurolinux-desktop-review/
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作者：[Arindam][a]
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选题：[lkxed][b]
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译者：[译者ID](https://github.com/译者ID)
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校对：[校对者ID](https://github.com/校对者ID)
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本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出
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[a]: https://www.debugpoint.com/author/admin1/
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[b]: https://github.com/lkxed
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[1]: https://www.debugpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/EuroLinux-Desktop-9.0.jpg
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[2]: https://www.debugpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Installed-extensions-by-default.jpg
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[3]: https://www.debugpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Software-repos.jpg
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[4]: https://www.debugpoint.com/ubuntu-22-04-review/
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[5]: https://www.debugpoint.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/EuroLinux-performance-at-idle.jpg
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[6]: https://www.debugpoint.com/centos-stream-announcement/
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[7]: https://en.euro-linux.com/eurolinux/desktop/
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