Linux

@Canadian_Cabinet www.tromjaro.com/ - you can try our distro. Based on Manjaro it has all you need to just use it. Enabled the Chaotic AUR repos, flatpaks, and our repo, thus you can find any linux app via one single place. Click and install. Plus we have a list of some 700 curated apps on our website www.tromjaro.com/apps/ - apps that are trade-free. Meaning no BS, no freemiums, no limitations, purely free apps.

We made TROMjaro back in 2018 and kept it up to date since, plus developed our own tools like a Layout and Theme Switcher. See the homepage to get a more detailed idea about it.

That's all! :)

openSUSE Tumbleweed. Or EndeavorOS if you want to join the Arch side.

I like fedora but I'm really loving opensuse tumbleweed on both my desktop and laptop. I have Nvidia rtx cards and support is just a few mouse clicks post-image. I get better FPS now than I did in Windows 11.

Endeavor OS. Its an excellent arch based system and people REALLY over emphasize how tricky arch is. Its not difficult, its not just for power users, and the rolling release means you have access to updates faster than other distros..this is particularly nice for gaming as you'll also get updates to graphics drivers sooner.

Slackware. It just works. Even current is pretty stable

Linux Mint is my daily driver. I enjoy tinkering, but I also want a distro that doesn't need it when I get home from work and just want a vodka tonic and some memes.

Linux Mint. Works well and it's friendly.

Stick with your distro and try Gnome. Fedora is pretty high up there on the "just works" category.

IF you want Steam, THEN please consider every variant in the official Ubuntu family.

Steam-support told me in their system, iirc in early 2023, that they ONLY support the Ubuntu family ( directly ).

As Linus Torvalds noted, it isn't possible to release software that is going to work on all distros.

Even glibc has been broken by one, in that talk of his, and it wasn't a niche distro, either, iirc.

Pick which subset you CAN afford to support, and do not add to that subset until you're rolling in money, from your linux-customerbase.

( slight sarcasm on the last line, but business is business: destroying-resources costs, and if there is no benefit, it isn't sane to continue doing it. )

Decide which capabilities/functions/apps you NEED, and then don't even consider distros that break your required-set on you.

_ /\ _

So I could recommend a distro, as you asked (which would be Ubuntu) but instead I believe what's better is making the switch... small!

In practice that means safety net and familiarity all around :

• backup your data
• backup your data... and not, that's not a mistake, truly do it, now. Before you try something new, and scary. In fact... don't touch your computer, get another one, a cheap one like a RPi4 or a relatively old laptop that a colleague hasn't used for years.
• copy, don't move, your data to whatever distribution you picked
• ideally have a dedicated hard drive in there for JUST the data, NOT the OS
• play... have fun, truly. Try to use YOUR data, I mean the copy you have now that you don't even care if you lose, and try to use them with the stock software that comes with your distribution, e.g OpenOffice or Blender or Kdenlive, or whatever you are into
• delete it all! Don't be afraid, you can do it, you have copies anyway
• do it, again, again, keep a logbook or wiki or .doc file where you write down what you learn
• rinse and repeat

this way you should find YOUR distribution in no time and you won't be afraid of messing up!

Honestly it's a fun adventure. I've been learning Linux and CLI tools decades ago and I'm still learning to this day so do not assume there is one solution you can find today and move, it's a process, a long one, but a really empowering one IMHO.

Anything except Ubuntu and it's direct downstreams

Fedora for my pick.

MX Linux, Linux Mint, Endeavour OS

These posts are beyond repetitive at this point.

If it's KDE that's causing issues you should just be able to install a second desktop environment and try that out.

Otherwise, Debian stable is good. Can also testing or unstable if you want newer packages. Debian "just works" if you're not on day 1 hardware, don't have Nvidia graphics, and can troubleshoot the occasional issue that any Linux distro will bring.

Debian stable.

I’m sure someone will link you the install media…

Go with EndeavourOS. It won’t “just work”, but it will be the best compromise between confusing abstraction and low level frustrations.

Fedora is good but it abstracts a little too much away, this is great when you understand how software works, but it’s very confusing when you’re new to Linux and programming.

Arch is good, but you won’t be able to hid the ground running, you’d have to sacrifice a weekend to learn.

Go:

0. [Optional] Fedora
1. Endeavour
2. Arch
3. Learning

• Ghost BSD
• Void
• Gentoo

Tinkering with those in that order, after about 6 months, you’ll start to feel at home.

My personal recommendation is Fedora, but the community recommendation will likely be Linux Mint, which is also a perfectly good recommendation. Either of them are "just works" distros. I prefer the update cycle of Fedora, and would certainly want to distance myself from Ubuntu and Ubuntu derivatives (even Mint), and Debian's update cycle is painfully slow. Fedora manages what is seemingly a perfect balance of quick and stable updates.

Fedora comes with Gnome by default, but it has spins for other DEs like KDE Plasma if that's more of your thing (I'll be switching to Plasma when Fedora 40 releases with Plasma 6).

Mint, specifically Debian edition (LMDE), is my current recommendation for new users.

Distros that just work (although YMMV): Fedora, Mint, Ubuntu, Pop!_OS with the default desktop environments. I have been using Ubuntu and Fedora both (on different computers) for over 15 years now they each always get the WiFi and BlueTooth drivers right, neither ever has trouble with audio or video, they really just work, and they both are pretty well up-to-date with the latest stable versions of the biggest Linux apps in their repositories.

I have been thinking of switching my Ubuntu computers over to Mint (Xfce edition, though Cinnamon isn't bad), which uses the same base operating system package set as Ubuntu, but its ownership model is more collective and community-oriented. Fedora is also collectively owned, while Pop!_OS and Ubuntu are owned and operated by for-profit businesses -- that doesn't make them bad, it just might be something to consider.

Also, if you don't mind a shameless plug, I wrote a blog post on how to choose a Linux distro, so feel free to read if it pleases you.