Linux for Starters: Your Guide to Linux – Choose a Distro

Linux Links ^ | 7 May 2021 | Steve Emms

[ShadowAce]

This is a series that offers a gentle introduction to Linux for newcomers.

You’ve decided that you want to try Linux but are unsure how to proceed. You are confused by the many hundreds of Linux distributions (distros) available. Which distro should you try?

There is no ‘perfect distribution’ and there isn’t a magical answer to the question. It’s a decision which will depend on your requirements and personal preferences. The best way we can help is to focus on a few key considerations.

Your Hardware

Your hardware is an important factor when choosing a distro.

• Feature rich distros. Their recommended minimum system requirements are around a 2 GHz dual core processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 25GB of hard drive space.
• Lightweight distros uses lower memory and/or has less processor-speed requirements than a more “feature-rich” distro. Even machines with very limited amount of RAM (256MB or 512MB) can still offer a capable desktop environment.
• Niche distros for specialised hardware such as single-board computers (like the Raspberry Pi).

Beginner Friendly

We’re assuming that you have little or no experience of Linux. On this premise, we recommend that you choose a distro that’s beginner friendly. By beginner friendly, we mean distros that help with the following:

• User-friendly custom utilities which reduce the complexity of basic tasks. Things like an intuitive package manager (to install and uninstall software), simple backup and simple security measures are important.
• Provide software that fulfils the requirements of a typical user.
• Offer a simple desktop environment.
• Adopts a “point release” distribution model rather than a “rolling release”. We explain what these terms mean and the advantages of each distribution model on this page.
• Offer good quality official documentation and manuals.
• Has a large user support community. When using anything new, you may need some help. Having a well established community support on web forums or chat channels is an advantage.

Our Recommendations

Assuming you want a feature rich distro we recommend Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and elementary OS for beginners. They are “point release” distros.

Ubuntu is arguably the most popular distro with an official support line and a huge community. Its default desktop is GNOME, renowned for being efficient, stable, and reliable while remaining incredibly user-friendly.

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu. It’s also very easy to use and takes a conservative approach to software updates.

elementary OS offers a gentle learning curve. Its Pantheon desktop environment is superb and wonderfully elegant. Being based on GNOME it pares down complexity without losing functionality.

Editions

Some distros offer different editions (sometimes known as spins and remixes some of which may be unofficial). These editions have different uses such as:

• Desktop – run a graphical desktop environment and software such as a web browser, office suite, email client and more.
• Server – for serving up websites, file shares, and containers.
• Other uses such as cloud computing and Internet of Things.

Point Release Distro v Rolling Release Distro

A point release distro puts out installation images under a regular schedule. Often this can be every 6 or 9 months. Each release is given a unique name. Between these major releases only security patches and updates are released, although specific applications may get more frequent updates such as Firefox, Chrome, and LibreOffice.

Pros of a Point Release Distro:

Stability – this distribution model has the opportunity for more end user testing of each release. Each release uses older, better tested software.

Compatibility – most hardware is supported. It’s fairly uncommon for new hardware not to be supported by the latest distro point release, although there can be issues with specific types of hardware found in laptops.

Convenience – you want to minimise disturbance from updates with less maintenance required. This may be an important factor depending on your skill set.

Upgrades – many point release distros offer an upgrade path from one point release to another without having to wipe the system and reinstall.

Possibility for Long Term Support (LTS) offering a greater period of support for a release. Efforts are made to stabilise the release early by significantly limiting the amount of new features, and avoiding structural changes as far as possible.

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A rolling release distro is continuously updated in all areas, including the kernel, and all software applications such as the desktop environment, multimedia, utilities, and development tools. The distribution of installation images serves only as a starting point for a new system.

Pros of a Rolling Release Distro:

Latest hardware support – this may be an important factor if you have a new computer (particularly laptops) that has specific hardware (such as touchpads, wireless network adapters and graphic display controllers) which are not recognized with older versions of the Linux kernel.

Software – offers the possibility of the most current versions of software. This may include programs which are generally not included in the periodic updates of a “point distro”. The latest versions may offer essential new features you need, fix bugs, improve security, and more.

Upgrade – often this process is painless and incremental although there’s the possibility of more maintenance required given that updates are more frequent.

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In the next article, we will walk you through installing a distro.

[usconservative]

Some of the Linux alternatives are considerably faster than my original Windows programs.

My nearly 10 year old AMD FX-8350 runs Ubuntu 20.04 with the latest Linux 5.12.1 kernel. All the hardware works. I've been running Linux on it for the past 4 years and I'll tell you straight up Linux breathed new life into it. It boots up quickly, I run virtualization on it as a server and then load whatever OS' I want to run for testing & development. I've been very happy with it. Granted, this AMD 8350 has 32gb of memory and an SSD RAID array in it so of course it's going to be as fast as it can be with that processor.

Still, Running Win10 on it wasn't "bad" ... it just wasn't nearly as fast as Linux is.

My daily driver/development machine is an AMD 3700x w/32gb memory, an SSD RAID and Ubuntu 21.04 which is blazingly fast. I run Win10 as a VM on it when I need MS Office apps only. Beyond that, that VM doesn't get spun up.

[usconservative]

I'd like to know where you saw that.

I know how to properly secure & harden my Linux machines and I do not use Chrome, Google or any Google apps on them.

It's one thing to say Google funds any flavor of Linux. It's another thing if you're running Google apps or crapware on it.

[Dr. Sivana]

I didn't remember, but a DuckDuckGo search picked up this article:

https://www.zdnet.com/article/the-truth-about-goobuntu-googles-in-house-desktop-ubuntu-linux/

Yes, that's right. Google doesn't just use Ubuntu and contribute to its development, Google is a paying customer for Canonical's Ubuntu Advantage support program. Chris Kenyon, who is Canonical's VP of Sales and Business Development, and was present for Bushnell's talk confirmed this and added that “Google is not our largest business desktop customer.”

[bobbo666]

A bit misleading. Any distro listed would suffice for any Granny. Just grab a techie grandchild and put them in front of a PC and go for it.
The one b*tch I have about Linux (i.e., I’ve used them as dual boots to my M$ windows) is that many programs/apps come in some weird distribution that works on one distro but not the one over there. Yes, there is a software manager tool on the linux system. But, time and time again it proffers only the latest and greatest version of an application. If I don’t want the L&G I have to search all over creation — and then figure out how to install the bloody thing. Windows apps are simpler. You can get the older versions and every version installs the same: download, click **.exe. It’s as simple as turning on the TV. And, until linux distros are that simple, they will always be “the bridesmaid, never the bride”.

[bobbo666]

Never trust anything said by an Apple fanboi. It’s like letting a commie sit down in your poker game. All they talk about is the dilalectic and how socialism can work if they just do it right. Totally ruins the game. :)

[Darnright]

“Ubuntu. Most compatible, easiest to install & use.”

And dorky version names. Complete with starting wallpaper. I’ve got a groovy gorilla. Didn’t know the critters were so hip!

[usconservative]

Ok, I read that. Google contributes code back to Ubuntu / the Linux Community that they improve on/modify per the Open Source License agreement. That's pretty standard.

That code will eventually make its way into the mainstream Linux code base and be distributed across all distributions. So if you're singling out Ubuntu, you're missing the target.

As for paying for Canonical's Ubuntu Advantage Support program, plenty of large enterprises such as the multi-national bank I work for which has thousands of Ubuntu servers, do so also.

I don't see an issue here. All code submitted back per the open source licensing agreement is reviewed before being included in the code base. So I'm fine with it.

[usconservative]

You can change the startup wallpaper & splash screen anytime you want.

Yeah, I agree on the dorky version names despite my liking almost everything else about Ubuntu (and most other Linux distributions, btw.)

[Dutch Boy]

Linux breathed new life in me when it came to computers. Have been bored with them for years. They became just another tool. Now I have something new to play with and only for my enjoyment.

[Montana_Sam]

Have to use Windows for my work (building out automated software test systems), and the Microsoft stack in a development environment is still as problematic today as it was over 20 years ago.
IMHO, people who use a computer mainly for the basics - email, browsing, shopping, light games - won’t experience anything traumatically different from Windows 7. Windows 10 is a rabid and ferocious beast, with its unbridled updates.
That’s my experience, YMMV.
Peace

[Openurmind]

Coolest thing about the Ubuntu, Mint, and Elementary is the software management tools hooked to the Ubuntu software repository. Loaded with tons of Apps for everything.

[Pollard]

I remember the good ole days trying to find a windows program for free. Hello malware.

All those programs in the software repositories are safe. In fact even the ones you find out about on the web where you have to add the repository seem to be safe. Why? because they are still open source and if they had malware or a virus, the community would slam them and likely get the repository shut down.

[Openurmind]

Absolutely... And Mint Cinnamon comes out of the box as the most comfortable and most like Win 7 for a new linux user. I have tried about ten different Distros and went back to the Mint Cinnamon. It comes with all the apps boxed that I ended up having to download and install anyhow with others because I needed them.

[butlerweave]

Make sure the Linux you pick has XFCE ,it will look like Windows and not scare you to death ,LOL

[Openurmind]

Yep... Absolutely. Takes a lot of worry out of it because they are reviewed so thoroughly. And the Software Manager or Synaptic GUI tools do several really cool things. They make it easy to install or uninstall the programs. It autolists the most popular and best rated for dependability as the top option down to the least liked at the bottom. You can read reviews or add your own comments (bugs and Etc.) to the reviews right from your desktop in the tool, No website or browser needed. And the best thing that Windows does not do is pre-check your system for any additional dependencies the app might need that you do not have and go fetch these also and add them to the app download and install as one operation. :)

So you personally become part of that repository review process as it is crowd sourced. :)

[ShadowAce]

I like xfce. Ran that for years.

The nice thing about Linux, though, is that you can install any DE (Desktop Environment) on just about any distro, using just one command.

[Openurmind]

What I found is that the biggest deal in comparing these to windows is having the panel located across the bottom rather than the side or the top, and some of the ugly Icons. Some come boxed with it at the bottom and clean icons, most of the others can be changed as you like to the bottom and the icons can be changed. But the panel location has the biggest impact when it comes out of the box... :)

[Pollard]

Another cool thing is that they share so many libraries. Install what should be a hefty program and it might only download several hundred kb and you can see it as it installs with Synaptic or via the terminal. You’ll see “somefile already latest” for a lot of pieces.

I did an update this morning. No restart required as usual. Even on the rare occasion that it needs to restart, it’s almost as fat as a normal restart. Wife uses Win10 because the Hallmark movie app is Win only. Kids use Win10 because all their online peers do, plus some games are Win only. They all have dual boot but ... I just shake my head when I walk by and see Win10 updating. 20 minutes, sometimes as much as an hour, multiple restarts. How retarded.

I do have two programs I use that are Win only. I run Win7 Pro which ihmo, was the last decent one. My Win is not allowed on the connect to a network or internet and updates are completely turned off. Runs like the day I installed it. Win7 Pro/Kubuntu is my dual boot.

[Openurmind]

Yep, absolutely. Dual boot is the way to do it if you just absolutely have to have a couple certain Windows programs you can’t live without. It works very well. And you can still access and manipulate your windows partitions/folders/files even when booted in the Linux. Just drag and drop or copy and paste them over into the Linux folders if you need them in there also for some reason, internet sharing, program file sharing etc. :)

[R1b]

Exactly.

I started Grandma out on Linux Mint a few years ago and it was good. She liked it better than Windows.

But then she got an iPad from the Grandkids and it was all over. Now they ALL have iPads and see each other and talk daily by just touching a few ‘buttons’. There is no turning back.