Many distributions were tried, yet each came with issues and lacked key functionalities.
Many distributions were tried, yet each came with issues and lacked key functionalities.
I've been evaluating Mint, Zorin, Kubuntu, Ubuntu, and Fedora inside a VM to identify which one might work best on a real machine. Each has its own quirks—some have bugs, others behave differently—but not all the same problems. On my setup, I allocated four cores (AMD 7600, 32GB RAM) and a single monitor. My goal is to pick a Linux that:
- Supports fractional display scaling (like 125%) and multi-monitor capability
- Includes sound functionality out of the box
- Feels more like Windows than Mac-like interfaces
- Is stable enough for testing updates without crashes
- Has been reliable on my old 7700K with 16GB RAM
Mint offers sound but doesn’t support fractional scaling, despite having that option. Zorin lacks both sound and scaling. Kubuntu has scaling but no audio. Ubuntu provides scaling but not the full sound experience. Fedora and KDE offer scaling but sound issues and slow updates.
I also checked Fedora Plasma, but I didn’t like its UI. I noticed the Ubuntu Display settings screenshot matches Mint and Zorin visually. Since those two have scaling but sound problems, it seems the issue might be tied to being in a VM.
My assumption is that most of these distros struggle with sound on VM, requiring workarounds. I’m hoping for a more stable option—something with both features and good performance. W11 on my old PC ran smoothly, and it supports fractional scaling plus sound. It’s also fast, which is important for testing updates.
Out of the five I tried, only two actually handled scaling well. Could it be that I’m missing a codec package or setting? I’m still trying to figure this out while keeping my expectations realistic.
When fractional scaling isn't visible in GNOME (such as ZorinOS, Ubuntu, or Fedora Workstation), enable it by running the provided command. Afterward, log out and back in; the setting should activate. For audio-related issues, a Live Installer is preferable to verify hardware support rather than using a VM. A Live Installer functions as a desktop environment on the installation media, allowing you to test features before committing to a full install.
Try various desktop environments such as KDE, Gnome, Xfce, Mate, etc., and decide whether to use X11 or Wayland for your display server. If you're not sure about these concepts, check them out. You can install any desktop environment with any display server on most Linux distributions available. Most come with official or community-created images to simplify the process. Your aim is to verify performance with real hardware, as the final goal is to install it on your old PC. Set up Ventoy on a USB drive, load your Linux live images, connect it to your old computer, and boot from USB to test functionality.
I tried this on Zorin and Ubunto, but nothing changed after a restart. The checkmark exists, yet it doesn’t function (only shows 100% and 200%). In Ubuntu, turning off fractional scaling gives 100%, 200%, 300%, and 400%. If it’s enabled, you get only 100% and 200%: it seems the issue is still there. After restarting my PC, I managed to force Fedora to apply the 5GB updates, but the stuttering sound persisted. I’m sure it can be fixed...
From the Fedora Gnome versus KDE tests, I prefer Gnome. Xfce or Mate don’t seem suitable across all distros, and Wayland appears to be the newer standard. So, Fedora KDE might fit my needs (once it’s stable). I’m okay with more frequent updates. As a beginner, I didn’t want to build my own distro right away and add desktop environments on top of them. Getting sound works is still a challenge. For now, I stick with the available versions. I’m testing in a VM first to check if I can install the required VMware for work. I also like having my desk setup for browsing while Linux runs in the VM (with two 43" monitors). Overall, it’s a bit more involved than just using a USB stick and a VM, especially with sound issues. I’m still figuring out which features are essential. I didn’t realize fractional scaling was a unique capability. I began with Mint and managed to install my remote software, but now I might have to skip it because of the lack of fractional scaling. Once I get sound working on Fedora, I’ll also need to test VMware on that machine. This process takes longer than simply inserting a USB drive.
Most distributions don’t offer every Desktop Environment as an .iso file, but after setup you can usually add most if not all of them. This varies by system and often depends on how the distro was built. Many distros are essentially variations of one another, sharing different default environments. Along with pre-installed software and other underlying differences, some distributions have at least ten variations of Ubuntu. If you need specific features, you may have to look them up or use app stores to find alternatives.
I believe I can adjust to various appearances and arrangements. It's great to know I can modify this later. I'm exploring ways to fix the Fedora audio issues and see if the Mint fractional scaling problem can be addressed. Perhaps I'll try these on a real machine with an active session. The positive part is I've already identified some possibilities. Other aspects I need to verify include whether my remote work software functions, if I can share folders between a different W11 PC and this one, and if I can generally configure it for my needs. I also noticed another peculiar behavior that hasn't been linked to VM settings. In certain Linux VM setups, copying and pasting between Windows and the Linux environment in the VM works, but not always. This is frustrating when trying to troubleshoot multiple VM installations while researching on Windows.
This typically involves using virtual machine tools on the host system. Certain setups come pre-installed, while others require you to add them yourself. What VM software are you running (VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V, etc.)?
Switched from Ubuntu 24.04 to Debian 13.0 completely reinstalling everything—cloned NVMe to SSD, installed on NVMe, mounted SSD as read-only, then reinstalled software and data. DE runs KDE and functions nearly like Windows, though it depends on what you need. You’re also dual booting Linux with Windows 10; this setup uses real hardware, but you have access to many VMs via KVM, VirtualBox, and VMware Workstation, including a KVM with Windows 11.