Renard’s Thoughts On POP!_OS

I will begin by saying, “When one has seen the light with Arch Linux, it is hard to go back to using mediocre operating systems.”

However, there are those moments when I briefly step away from my heavenly Arch Linux and plunge deeply into the depths of hell.

And, why is it that a sane Linux user like myself would do such a thing?

I do it with the intention of finding out more about the operating system that I intend on reviewing (And, that requires leaving my comfort zone).

Today, I chose to venture into the world of POP!_OS (And, you can bet your last dollar that I am going to tell you all about it).

A Brief History On POP!_OS

POP!_OS was officially released on Friday the 27th of October, 2017 by the folks over at System76 (Their operating system is based on Ubuntu, by the way).

Another thing that I should point out is that it is GNOME with POP!_OS’s very own COSMIC Shell (And, that gives it its unique look).

System76 made sure that their desktop computers and laptop computers came preinstalled with this popular desktop environment.

POP!_OS Has An Interesting Workflow

In all honesty, GNOME takes a while for you to get accustomed to it.

However, once you have learned your way around the COSMIC Shell, it becomes easy to use.

Some Linux gurus have recommended POP!_OS to newcomers to Linux (I think that those people are crazy).

I will admit that it is okay if your sole intent is to learn how to navigate your way around an operating system differently.

My honest opinion is that the only layout of GNOME that is user-friendly is the one that comes with Zorin OS.

Why?

Because, by default, it comes with a Windows layout (Thus enabling the user to easily navigate the operating system).

Truthfully speaking, I am no newcomer to GNOME, the COSMIC Shell and POP!_OS because I used it in the past (Therefore, revisiting POP!_OS felt like riding a bicycle; which is something that almost no one forgets how to do).

I would like to state for the record that POP!_OS’s workflow is not for everyone (People coming over from Windows are better off using something like Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment).

System76 Has Intentions Of Dropping GNOME In The Future

Yes, it is true. System76 has plans on releasing a future version of POP!_OS that is based on a new desktop environment that is written in Rust.

A lot of Linux developers do not like the direction that the GNOME developers have chosen to go with their desktop environment.

I have heard the complaint, “GNOME does not listen to their users,” for years.

In spite of some Linux distributions wanting to wipe their hands clean of the GNOME desktop environment, GNOME will still strive because there are people who love it a lot (GNOME has their fans, but I am not one of them).

So, in my case, I cannot wait to see System76 finally say, “Goodbye GNOME!”

POP!_OS 21.10 Comes With Improvements

Here is a list of some of the improvements that POP!_OS 21.10 comes with:

• Better support for multi-monitors.
• Filters for search functionality.
• An optimal experience with the Application Library.
• The ability to drag and drop applications into custom folders.
• The ability to scan and find an application or a folder easily.

For the sake of brevity, POP!_OS Linux 21.10: My Review by Jeremy Morgan will let you know what is new with POP!_OS.

Who Is POP!_OS Suited For?

POP!_OS is suited for the following types of people:

• The person who is into engineering.
• The person who is into media production.
• The person who is into general computing.
• The person who simply wants to browse the internet.

POP!_OS has a versatile set of users.

The Bottom Line

POP!_OS is not a bad operating system (However, it is not for me).

Its workflow is a bit odd and it could appear out of sorts for some people.

From experience, I can admit that POP!_OS is a stable operating system (I am surprised by the fact that Linus Sebastian (the creator of Linus Tech Tips) accidentally deleted his entire desktop environment while he was trying to install Steam).

I would also like to point out another fact; which is that there are a lot of people who used POP!_OS without experiencing any sort of major technical issue.

I have also heard about people using POP!_OS as their daily Linux driver (And, many of them claimed that it is the best Linux distribution that they ever used).

At the moment, there is no distribution of Linux that is capable of stealing me away from Arch Linux (Arch Linux cured my distro-hopping).

The only way that I am going to play around with another distribution of Linux is for the sake of reviewing it.

However, you are more than welcome to give POP!_OS a try (People who are interested in using this operating system can find it here).

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