New to Linux? Ubuntu Isn’t Your Only Option ( www.howtogeek.com )

Ubuntu's popularity often makes it the default choice for new Linux users. But there are tons of other Linux operating systems that deserve your attention. As such, I've highlighted some Ubuntu alternatives so you can choose based on your needs and requirements—because conformity is boring.

mactan ,

I think DE is more important than distro to new folks

BmeBenji ,

“New to Linux? Where the most daunting thing about switching to it is how many choices you have in configuration? Well, good news! You have more choices than you think!”

M500 ,

To any Linux curious users,

I consider myself to be an intermediate Linux user. I have hosted applications and services on Linux servers in the cloud and use it as my primary operating system. I recommend Linux Mint. If you have an nvidia GPU, then I recommend PopOS as they have a version that has nvidia drivers pre-installed.

When I first started with Linux, I thought that Mint was less capable than other distros as it was the most user friendly. But I learned that you can do anything you want with any Linux distro. It is just that Mint is the least likely to give you trouble with random things.

With that all being said, you will have far fewer issues with Linux than you will with Windows.

Additionally, you can get legit troubleshooting steps for linux that actually work. With Windows it seems that there are 100 ways to possibly fix an issue and they feel like patching a sinking boat.

sibachian ,
@sibachian@lemmy.ml avatar

i've been pushing mint for years because it truly is just that good. everything just works. easy to learn. lots of easy customization available by default for even beginner tinkering. there is no headache or issues with drivers, patches, or software, ever.

but unfortunately (most recent versions) have become more prone to heavy slow downs and the new store in the latest update is utter trash.

panned_cakes , (edited )
@panned_cakes@hexbear.net avatar

I think that's something that people should emphasize to Windows & MacOS/iOS users more, the problems are impossible for you to truly resolve, and the next update could make your program that fixes said problems obsolete, or makes it impossible to control what network traffic your computer sends entirely in order to torrent Windows Updates to other users. Linux has presented me with problems which can be solved in a variety of ways and really helpful troubleshooting resources that have a side benefit of introducing you to cute online groups of people who tend towards anti-corporate politics/incoherent left libertarian at a minimum

BaumGeist ,

Y'all seriously overestimate thr average user:

Debian. It's simple, stable, minimal upkeep, rarely if ever has breaking changes, and all this out of the box.

Someone new doesn't need to be thrown in the deep end for their first foray into linux, they want an experience like windows or mac: simple interface, stable system, some potential for getting their hands dirty but not too much to worry about breaking

TronNerd82 ,
@TronNerd82@lemmy.ml avatar

My personal recommendations for beginner distros:

-OpenSUSE

-Fedora

-EndeavourOS

-KDE Neon

-ElementaryOS

-Zorin OS

-Linux Mint

Or you could just install ordinary Debian, since it's stable and well-supported. Kind of a GOAT among distros, alongside Slackware.

DarkDarkHouse ,
@DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

I don't use it personally, but I think there's a good case for Linux Mint (Debian Edition)

witx ,

imho Debian is far from beginner friendly. They will end up with a laptop without WiFi.

StorageB ,

Why isn't KDE Neon ever recommended? It seems like it would be a solid option.

ShortN0te ,

Manjaro: Reliable and Cutting-Edge Features

Rarly laughed that hard. Reliably is by defenition wrong. Manjaro delays packages a few days in their main compared to Arch this can cause issues and makes them not compatible with the AUR which one of the most advertised and enabled by default feature.

You can read more about other problems here, https://github.com/kruug/manjarno

nooneshere ,

AUR is unsupported on Manjaro. Go back to Arch if you want that without issues

https://wiki.manjaro.org/index.php/Arch_User_Repository

oscardejarjayes ,
@oscardejarjayes@hexbear.net avatar

Manjaro? nah, don't

cypherpunks Mod ,
@cypherpunks@lemmy.ml avatar

Disappointed Cricket Fan meme with Debian and Slackware logos, underneath screenshot of linked article saying that Ubuntu was one of the first Linux-based operating systems

nooneshere ,

Slackware is a garbage distro purely because it doesn't have a functional package manager supporting dependency resolution

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