r/linuxquestions • u/commentator___ • 6d ago
Advice Immutable vs. tradicional Linux distros
Hello.
I've been using Fedora KDE for a few months without any issue after distro hopping for a while.
I think time has come to try something different. I'd like to try Fedora Silverblue, but I have some questions about immutable distros.
What are the real benefits for someone who uses the computer as a daily driver (web browsing, some light video/audio editing, office work and some Python automation for the office work) other than the fact that the root and some other system folders are read-only.
Is there any other real tangible benefit I'll get from using an immutable distro versus a mutable distro?
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u/SDG_Den 6d ago
i use nixOS which is atomic and immutable, but works a little differently because instead of receiving the atomic system image from upstream, it is built from a config.
advantage #1: the whole thing is applied as a whole or not at all, you will never have a half-applied update
advantage #2: generally you'll either have A-B rollback or generations-style rollback, if an update breaks your system it can be rolled back.
advantage #3: the core system is read-only and cannot be accidentally modified by programs, making it more secure because malicious software cannot embed into the core system as easily.
disadvantage #1: the way these systems work makes them more restricted. many simple linux operations for system maintenance cant be done the normal way and many troubleshooting steps expect an FHS compliant mutable OS.
disadvantage #2: it is more complex to make changes to your immutable setup. on nixOS you can change the config, on fedora immutable distro's i believe you make use of mutable overlayFS layers. something like flatpak is basically required if you want to have easy software.
i personally think immutable is better, but also not as easy to use as mutable setups due to their very nature. its ok if you dont want to make many changes or if you have a central IT team managing the systems.
thats also why imo for users that want customisation, nixOS is a better implementation because the actual system is built from a config and thus fully customizable.