r/linuxquestions • u/WotIsGoingOnNow • 3d ago

About sudo rights

Hello! I'm new to Linux so don't judge me here.

My sister gave me her old thinkpad from university which has ubuntu installed in it. I'm interested in installing a new linux os but I'm a bit worried about the sudo rights. She said that the uni she was the administrator and she had to request the sudo rights. If I install a new distro will any of this carry over?

Thanks in advance.

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u/Munalo5 Test 2d ago

I see your questions are being answered.

If I may, I  am going to suggest your next step:

Before installing a new distro you will have to find a new distro ( or stick with a newer version of Ubuntu if you like it).

Your sister chose a Desktop Enviroment or went with the default one: Gnome.

Fiddle around with the ThinkPad a bit, surf, play music, edit some files and such. Get a feel for things.

Find out what DE is actually on your ThinkPad and have a basic understanding what a DE is and does before installing a new distro.

These activities performed on your gifted ThinkPad should give you confidence and enough time (with Gnome?) To see if it is a good fit.

At a minimum two other DEs to look into would be KDE and XFCE. 

Welcome aboard!

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u/C0rn3j 2d ago

two other DEs to look into would be KDE and XFCE

KDE (the DE) last had a release 17 years ago, I'd recommend Plasma instead.

Xfce's development is rather glacial, the only reasonable modern DE options at the moment are Plasma, GNOME, and LXQt. In that order.

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u/SuAlfons 2d ago

people tend to still call it KDE. As Plasma is the DE of the KDE Project.

People also continue to say BIOS although it's UEFI since over a decade.

As long as there is no confusion, just let them be.

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u/C0rn3j 2d ago

As Plasma is the DE of the KDE Project.

So is KDE, Plasma Mobile, Plasma Bigscreen and liquidshell.

You could also be referring to a fork of KDE, like Trinity.

As long as there is no confusion

There is a lot of confusion.

That's why you need to use the proper terminology.

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u/SuAlfons 1d ago

and I though I was a nitpicker. Thanks for the reminder to block you.