A lot of folks would recommend Ubuntu as a start but it’s very bloated af so starting on Linux Mint or Zorin/Elementary OS (if you want a windows/macos experience in your distro) would be a great start imo
this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2024
102 points (85.9% liked)
Linux
54425 readers
605 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
Pop os or Mint
EndeavorOs, imagine arch, but as easy to install as Ubuntu, but everything just works
Fedora
except with nvidia. gets stuck on black screen and did not understand the instructions i found in the interwebs.
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(3 replies)
Do live images not exist anymore? Pick a distro, burn an iso to a USB drive and boot it. See if you like it.
You're just going to get a bunch of personal preferences with such an open ended question.
load more comments
(3 replies)
LMDE
Nobara if you want to game or do AV editing. I'm a semi-noob and I did not like Mint.
load more comments
(5 replies)
It depends of your definition of "hassle".
I have 2 screens, I like to have the same panel on each screen, so when I use one in fullscreen, I can use the other one. So far, the only Desktop Environment that can give me that without too much difficulties, is KDE (even if I had to do it manually).
If you have the same use, maybe Kubuntu is a great choice. Tuxedo OS would be the same as Kubuntu, but you don't have to change the priority of the package manager, because the snaps are already disabled. ( they got another load of malicious softwares in the snapstore recently, and some snap might not be as good as .deb or flatpak).
If not, Linux Mint is an out of the box distribution. If your hardware is the most recent one, they have a "edge iso".
Bazzite. It's made for gaming, but it just works, 0% hassle. I used to love doing lots of stuff with the terminal in arch, but since I switched I haven't opened the teminal once.
Mint, it just works.
If you want an elaborated answer you will have to share the hardware you want to install it on.
If you need secure boot on current (like intel gen 10+), Fedora Workstation. If you don't need secure boot, Linux Mint.
Fedora has the easiest way to make secure boot just work, it will even dual boot fine on the same disk although you should still backup the m$ partition if you actually need it. Fedora can do secure boot even with Nvidia.
Ubuntu can do some of the secure boot stuff like Fedora does, and there is the advantage of the stable kernel if you have Nvidia.
Note that "stable" as a label has nothing to do with its intuitive meaning like alpha/beta/testing/crashing etc. It is a term for servers and people that want to run very specific setups that will not require human intervention on embedded devices and servers. If you want to game or use the latest sw "stable" might be a pain. However, if what you are running is not kept up to date with the latest packages and libraries, a stable release may be the only way to run your stuff.
Overall these are the biggest factors on current hardware; secure boot yes/no, and up-to-date software needs yes/no.
Linux Mint works fine with secure boot
Which of these would you suggest: Debian, Ubuntu, Pop!_OS or Linux Mint?
My all-time favourite is Kubuntu.
Installation and use is as easy as it gets.
I'd go with Mint. They have thought out 99% of the things a user might ask for in a DE, along some basic admin configuration stuff you might need. It's the best out of the box distro.
Mint is easy mode, but has no secure boot shim implemented. It makes gaming accessible.
Pop is made for System76 and does some stuff funny IMO, and is like Mint with no secure boot if you are not running 76's proprietary bootloader on their hardware
Ubuntu is easy but has its quirks (most are fixed by Mint which is based on Debian/Ubuntu)
Debian is hard mode and is an advanced distro. There are a ton of tools that are unique to Debian. It is used mostly for people running their own servers and custom purpose machines from home or work. It is also the primary distro for hacking hardware and reverse engineering stuff that has no other way to create Linux kernel support.
Every distro has some things that they are specialized for. You can do almost anything with any of them, but it will depend on your skill level. Something to keep in mind here is that Linux is not a consumerism branding contest. We are not choosing our frivolous teams. This is the place where everyone can learn. While beginners and users are welcome, you will find many aspects of Linux are the study and thesis projects for many computer science students. All levels are present here. This is why so many options exist.
Debian is hard mode and is an advanced distro. There are a ton of tools that are unique to Debian. It is used mostly for people running their own servers and custom purpose machines from home or work. It is also the primary distro for hacking hardware and reverse engineering stuff that has no other way to create Linux kernel support.
While I get it I don't agree with the first part. If you install Debian out of the box with GNOME it will work out just fine for the majority of people, usually it will work out better than Mint, Arch and whatnot because it is a finished and very reliable OS, not something targeted for experimentation.
load more comments
(3 replies)
load more comments
(1 replies)
Pop os
Linux Mint. Always.
@pastermil @PoliticallyIncorrect
I second this. It's powerful enough, new enough, stable enough, and simple enough for me to prefer it over all others I have tried.
This is subjective though, but I would recommend trying it even if it's not your final choice
Linux Mint definitely
If you use CJK input methods, I would suggest Fedora which it has the simplest way to add a input
For what it's worth, Q4OS was easy to set up and has been my daily driver since late 2018.
this is why I read through threads like this. looks cool.
That's a nice OS! Never heard of it before, but it looks like it delivers exactly what ir promises.
load more comments
(1 replies)
load more comments
(3 replies)
Pop_OS or Linux Mint. Both just work. The Atomic idea is nice, but still too soon for complete beginners or the lazy (not a pejorative).