Linux Distro Hopping
Written on Jun 5, 2026
Distro (short for "distribution") hopping only applies to Linux. It describes the process of switching Linux distributions until the "right one" is found, if that even happens. Windows is a single distribution of an operating system, as is macOS.
Several operating systems are derived from BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), but they are not regarded as full distributions. Many Linux distributions support multiple desktop environments and window managers.
Distro hopping is such a thing that there are forums dedicated to it, such as the Reddit subreddit titled "DistroHopping". As that forum states, distro hopping is for people who can't make a decision.
While I'll test Linux distributions on occasion, what I'm really testing are desktop environments. Most of the Linux underpinnings are the same, regardless of distribution. I dislike distro hopping, which is change for the sake of change.
KDE Plasma
When I want to see the latest (or almost the latest) version of KDE Plasma, I have to fire up something I'm not used to using, like EndeavourOS. It's a distribution based on Arch Linux. KDE neon, the distribution maintained by the KDE organization, always has the latest version of Plasma.
The user edition seems to work well enough, and it's based on Ubuntu. I'm waiting for the first stable release of KDE Linux, also maintained by the KDE organization, which is based on Arch Linux. KDE Neon may not survive the transition.
Kubuntu is an Ubuntu "flavor" (called a "spin" in other distributions) with the KDE Plasma desktop environment. KDE Plasma is also available on other distributions and more than I care to name. Kubuntu is too much trouble for me to install when I want to remove Snap support.
Xfce
While I've never used Xfce for anything, I've tested it several times. I've even changed the theming with "Twister UI" by the folks at Twister OS a couple of times. It's one of the oldest desktop environments and the one with the least amount of changes over the years.
I've considered switching over to the Xfce edition of Linux Mint, from Cinnamon, and I want to see what the Xfce team does with a complete Wayland implementation.
Other Desktop Environments
Over the last few years, I've tested more desktop environments than I care to remember. These are the other ones I have the most experience with in testing sessions:
- Budgie
- COSMIC
- GNOME
- LXDE
- LXQt
- MATE
I like Budgie and COSMIC, but COSMIC's new and still needs work. The Cinnamon edition of Linux Mint features the desktop environment I prefer over anything else, and I don't think that's ever going to change.
Virtual Machines
I do most of my testing with virtual machines. When a distribution won't install that way, I'll either install it on an external drive or I'll install it in another partition. I tend to put off testing on those that won't work with virtual machines.
Although I don't need Windows 11 for anything, I tend to test it a couple of times a year. I enjoy seeing what kind of bloat Microsoft has added and how to remove it. Microsoft updates seem to defeat new workarounds purposely.
I'll probably never stop testing distributions and desktop environments. Since I'll probably never switch to any of them, I wouldn't call it distro hopping in any way.
Image by Boby Pogy from Pixabay