Finally making the transition from Windows to a Linux. I’m pretty sure it’s been asked several times but which Linux OS would you recommend a beginner to use? I’ve seen Ubuntu and Mint as a good start. Not looking to do much. Game here and there (not too worried about Linux compatibility), streaming, editing videos. If I break any rules. I’m sorry.
Aurora, it’s the desktop version of massively popular Bazzite (which targets gaming). That means you’ll find tons of up to date tutorials online (Bazzite tutorials are usually applicable unless they are about the few features Bazzite and Aurora diverge specifically).
I explicitly advise against Ubuntu and Mint for the reasons I outlined here. Ubuntu and Mint have the added downside that almost none of the guides you’ll find about SteamOS will work: Different desktop, different philosophy.
People need to realize that since the success of Steam Deck the “old classics” of newbie recommendations are out of the window and what helps these users the most is a Linux distribution as close as possible to SteamOS but SteamOS is not available for random PCs, so Bazzite/Aurora are currently the way to go. Personally I like Fedora KDE but I shifted my stance since the linked post and trying out Aurora.
Bazzite is great on desktop, it’s just more gaming focused than Aurora
Bazzite is great on desktop
Absolutely but people not interested in autolaunching Steam and other preinstalled launchers can use Aurora which is just the workstation flavor by the same people.
it doesn’t auto launch anything on desktop
If you are pretty sure this been asked several times, why the fuck do you post this shit again? Real answer, you don’t have the balls to make the change, instead, you are here looking for validation from internet strangers. Just stick to windows or better yet get a mac, is more suited for stupid people like you.
What goes inside your mind to say things like that, to other people. The might or might not have been seeking an advice, but you’re just acting like a buffoon nonetheless, and also a horrible take.
Don’t be a cunt, broski
Gentoo
If you’re not looking to do much you might be better off with one of the immutable variants (silver blue, aurora, bazzite). The upside is things are not supposed to break too much. The downside is if it breaks almost any existing instructions on the internet prior to maybe 2022 will fuck the system up more. Tbh Linux changes so fast that’s true for most variants, but you can reach back to maybe 2018 before you start to hit system-breaking legacy instructions.
Mint isn’t a good choice, but if you want a generally straightforward system that looks like Mac (gnome) or windows (KDE) then fedora is a good choice.
None of these options will be as secure by default as a Mac or windows machine – you will have to do a lot of learning and be generally technically inclined to get there. The immutable OSs will give you a small leg up there, just because you’re running less random shit from the internet as admin/root, but the Linux community hates Intel and Microsoft so much it’s taken a lonnnngggg time to adopt standard security techniques, mostly resting on their laurels from decades past. Will you get viruses? Probably not. But just because nobody broke in doesn’t mean leaving your door unlocked is secure.
So I use zorin and I feel its the best for typical windows users and anyone who just wants to install and get to immediately using thier pc. So basically its the lazy distro. Lot of software out of box including wine with play on linux so right after installation you could run or install windows programs if you wanted to (I would check out linux alternatives first). That being said my personal opinion if someone wants to run games is to dual boot a gaming distro or install a gaming distro and use it as your main one. Further I don’t recommend dual booting windows. If someone wants to keep windows around my sugestion, if they have it, is to install linux on your last older laptop. Anyone who had a machine that did not outright die and upgraded in the last ten years will be pleasantly surprised how well linux runs on older hardware compared to windows on newer. Once you have weaned yourself 100% off windows and realize how useless it is then install on the current laptop. Given if you don’t still have your older one then by all mean dual boot. I initially did that but have reversed the setup and now have linux on my better laptop as I was so annoyed with windows wasting the good one.
It’s hilarious that there were a bunch of articles recently about “omg, so many Zorin downloads!” Then the only person I’ve ever seen even mention it gets downvoted. Makes me think it was just some astro turf campaign.
oh it certainly was some sort of astroturf. Previous to that my comments I felt like I was the only one who would mention it. Seems like the thing with zorin 8 being spammed has had a sorta streisand effect but I still like it. Also someone keeps commenting all the versions cost money so there is a kind of reverse astro turf going as well. Its kinda funny given its an irish company and with the popularity of european things. Its just the way things are.
Mint 100% to start with, install Nvidia drivers if you have an Nvidia graphics card. Install and run a game though Steam or whatever and if all the hardware works and you can get the refresh rate you want you’re good to go.
If not, install Fedora KDE and do the same.
If you still have issues on Fedora make another post here with some hardware details and say what you tried.
Any of the big named distros should be good enough. If you run into a snag, try a different one. Every distro claims to do it the best way. Choice is a great thing. BTW - If you install Arch .🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Valve’s Steam Deck uses it and 🔥🔥🚒🚒🚒🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Go with Mint until you learn more about how Linux filesystems work and then you can go wherever you feel comfortable. Mint just has a really easy install.
What is there to learn about Linux filesystems? How is it different from a Windows filesystem, from the perspective of an average user?
Lesson one: files Lesson two: folders Here’s your diploma.
You will probably come across having to fiddle with rights, which isn’t really a thing on Windows
I use Arch BTW. Haven’t had to fiddle with rights in the last 10 years.
Mint or Fedora. You’ll get tons of responses, and none of them are wrong, because no one can tell you what’s best for you, but those are the most popular choices among newbies, and they are very user friendly and approachable.
The best advice I can give you is try a bunch of different ones and see which one you like best. They’re free and easy to reinstall if you end up liking one over another.
Best of luck and I hope you find one that you truly love. :)
Do you know anyone in real life that has some experience with Linux, and is willing to help you out with it? If yes, use the same distribution (distro, or “OS”) as they do.
If not, as others said, Mint is a good start.
I use KDE neon, I’d never recommend it to my friends though because quirks pop up every now and then and disappear after a couple of weeks.
I’d tell them to use Kubuntu which is just much more stable and is the same thing without quirks.
I considering moving to Hyperland on Arch which I’d recommend even less.
Even then, I think “check nearby people for what they use” shouldn’t be underestimated. Of course you wouldn’t tell them to use Neon itself, but if they’re using Kubuntu you’d probably be abler to help them than if they were to use, say, Mint, right?
My point is, that people underestimate the power of offline help, and having acquaintances who know the system well enough to help you out. And that matters a lot when picking your starting distro.
I will be the black sheep that strongly recommend against Mint. I have had more hardware compatibility problems trying to run Mint than any other distro. This is anecdotal, but consistent enough that I would make bets on it. Secondly, I hate Cinnamon, the default desktop environment. There are better choices.
Instead, I’ll suggest Fedora KDE. It’s rock solid, reliable, and the KDE Plasma desktop is the best currently available whether you leave it stock or customize it.
If you want to try things out, set up a spare thumb drive with Ventoy, which will let you boot to any ISO you copy to it. Most distros have “live” versions that you can boot to from the thumb drive and try out before installing. That said, most linux distros install in 5 minutes, so don’t be afraid to try anything and everything you’re curious about.
Also, avoid Cachy or other Arch based distros for now. They are great, but a far more hands-on. Something for the future, when you are more comfortable with linux in general.
Fedora is a good option. I’m surprised to hear about hardware incompatibilities with Mint, though. Do you have obscure or bleeding-edge hardware?
I’ll +1 the Ventoy suggestion. Lets you try lots of things easily. Try at least Fedora KDE, Ubuntu, and Mint. Go with whichever feels good to you when you try them out.
You don’t really need to be bleeding edge to have some hardware issues or Cinnamon Mint. Their wayland transition is still ongoing so HDR, variable refresh rate, fractional scaling and maybe some bugs for specific hardware might be present. X11 has also seen a lot less love recently after the major distros stopped actively supporting it.
KDE has nailed the Wayland transition so moving to Fedora KDE would have fixed Wayland/X11 bugs.
Quite frankly Linux mint and Cinnamon by extension is X11 software and I dont expect the transition to be completed anytime in the foreseeable future let alone acturally start for users. Even with their incredibly slow adoption of Wayland im shocked they’re going this fast, I thought they would wait another several years. Linux Mint is stable software and they’re significantly less willing to make any changes than even Debian.
(Btw its just testing atm, nothing exists for users yet)
It’s been asked a million times, and it’ll be answered every time, and the answers will mostly be “Mint, Fedora, FedoraKDE, and if you wanna game Bazzite.”
The real advice that gets posted less, regardless of distro:
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Back up your important files to an external drive, often. It’s entirely possible you’ll fuck up an install beyond repair (or beyond what you know how to do at the time) and you end up reinstalling. If you can just put your important files back and be up and running, nothing of value is lost.
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Don’t be scared of the terminal, it’s incredibly useful. Look up a few YT vids like “bash basics” or “linux terminal for beginners” or something and follow along like it’s a class, you’ll soon be comfortable enough to use it when you need it, and you will, and you may come to love it. It’s not as bad as windows cmd! Be careful when using sudo or su, that’s when you could really screw up the system (but mostly it’ll be fine just be careful.
And most importantly, have fun!
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Start with Mint. You can always try something else when you’re more comfortable with Linux.
Mint is popular for beginners. I went with Debian KDE because I wanted something a little more minimalistic and boring. Fedora and OpenSUSE are also good options.
If you want to stick with a Windows-like desktop, pick a KDE distro over GNOME.
If you want to stick with a Windows-like desktop, pick a KDE distro over GNOME.
I like KDE Plasma, too. Thankfully, most desktop distros have it in their repositories, so even if they use GNOME or some other desktop by default, you can install and switch to KDE after the initial OS install. I’m pretty sure this includes Linux Mint.
Switching desktop environments can be tricky, it’s better to do a clean install - especially for dotfiles which can cause bugs, and get the distro spin that you want from the get-go.
I’ve never had logging in with a different desktop environment cause problems. (And I wouldn’t expect to. The desktop session selector on the login screen is there for a reason, after all.) Your comment makes me wonder what desktops you tried that stepped on each other, and what bugs you’re referring to.
In any case, if I had an experience like what you describe, I would simply re-create my user account and its home directory. Going through a whole OS install as you suggest would burn a lot more time with no advantage, which doesn’t seem “better” to me. To each their own, I guess.
Remember as well that your “distro spin” approach is only possible if such a spin exists. Example: If someone wants Linux Mint for its beginner-friendly community support, but also wants to try KDE Plasma, they can. But they’re going to have to install Plasma after the base OS, and switch.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=297558. this is just the first thing that came up, i’m sure there are hundreds of similar bugs. bottom line is when you install two things next to each other that aren’t being actively tested together, you’re bound to run into issues.
My recommendation is that if there are no spin with your favorite DE, you simply do not use that distribution as it’s not being tested against.
Sorry you had bad luck there.
My recommendation is that if there are no spin with your favorite DE, you simply do not use that distribution
I guess that’s one way to be sure, but to me it seems excessively limiting. I have switched desktops on Debian-based distros, and the only tidying up I remember being needed was removal of the old desktop’s packages (to de-clutter my application menus) and a reboot (to launch the new display manager).
My recommendation to a new user would be to try whatever distro/desktop combo is appealing, and if it doesn’t work out, either do some troubleshooting or just move on to another one. It might not be a path as well tread as the distro’s default, but it might work fine. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
as it’s not being tested against.
That’s untrue in at least some cases. Of course, different distros have different policies and people maintaining their desktop packages, so YMMV.
Bazzite for a first try. If you never hit a wall needing to make system tweaks, stick to it in the long term. Otherwise, I’m really liking Fedora. KDE/Gnome is personal choice.
