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in reply to It's FOSS

Arch, what else? I didn't understand your question!
in reply to It's FOSS

Depending on the destination. General one, popOS! is one of my favourites for this year.
in reply to It's FOSS

mainstream distributions as Ubuntu, Opensuse or Fedora for three reasons:

1. Software is quite up-to-date

2. Guaranteed online support due to its larger user base.

3. Security. Something that is often forgotten when it comes to recommendations.

For very basic users, I would never recommend the installation by themselves but by someone with the necessary knowledge.

This entry was edited (1 month ago)
in reply to It's FOSS

Depends.
For Newbies, my (not very well researched) suggestion is still Mint.
My own usage is Fedora. Next projects will be based on Debian.
in reply to It's FOSS

openSUSE, Ubuntu, Mint would be my recommendations for new users. I also discovered Alma Linux OS which looks great too.
in reply to It's FOSS

Mint, which is now Debian based, arch based Garuda KDE as it is straight forward install.
in reply to It's FOSS

Arch
… I know I know.
But, breaking your system is a nice way to learn new things!
in reply to It's FOSS

Imma go with Ubuntu or Fedora or Manjaro (easiest way to learn linux).
in reply to It's FOSS

The first step I think is Linux Mint, after that Fedora KDE. Linux Mint as a starter I find it to be closest kind of experience to Win even if I use and adore Fedora KDE.

That being said I feel that for a newcomer the initial consideration should be the desktop environment, in the end there are so many amazing distributions out there but the first contact is the way the distribution looks like and how close it comes to windows in that regard.

in reply to Waitwut

@waitwut What they are already comfortable with makes the transition easy. 🙌
in reply to It's FOSS

Debian... wait, you mean there are other distros?
in reply to It's FOSS

Debian variants, Fedora, or Mint, Debian having install files make it easier for non-tech users who want to get things outside the store, Fedora is very secure/stable, Mint is just very easy to use in general for Windows users especially.
in reply to It's FOSS

In my opinion the best entry point to Linux in 2025 is #fedora
in reply to It's FOSS

Successfully installed and recommended this year: Universal Blue Atomic Releases based on Fedora

Flatpak and brew all the way, always up to date and indestructable

#KDE > #aurora > https://getaurora.dev/
#gnome > #bluefin > https://projectbluefin.io/

in reply to It's FOSS

not gonna recommend yet, but just yesterday I switched to Ubuntu and deleted windows for good. So far it's really good, but there's a mix-up between snaps, apts and flatpaks :kerbal:
This entry was edited (1 month ago)
in reply to It's FOSS

Mint for my grandma. (or Chrome OS flex)
Nobara/Garuda for my gamer nephew.
Cachyos for devs friends.
in reply to It's FOSS

#Fedora #GNOME #Wayland - which is the default Fedora desktop.

Very clean, non-distracting and easy to use.

in reply to It's FOSS

ZorinOS, It's what got me back into Linux after a couple of years. Now running Arch, but Zorin is great for beginners, or Fedora since I've always had amazing luck with Fedora.
in reply to It's FOSS

fedora atomic. KDE for those coming from windows. I think SteamOS is a great example of how an immutable system can give stability where users just want a system to work.
in reply to It's FOSS

Raspberry Pi OS. That way if you decide to try out a Raspberry Pi, it's an extension of what you already know.
in reply to It's FOSS

Linux from Scratch.

But if you mean the other kind of beginner, who wants to use Linux, not fully understand it: #Fedora.

Fedora has such a lovely, helpful community, which is also always thankful for bug reports and contributions. It is not only easy to use but a showcase for an inclusive Open Source community.

And for those, who boot their PC only for their yearly tax return: Linux Mint. Looks ugly and is borning. But sometimes that's what people need.

in reply to It's FOSS

I've got a few distros for beginners I recommend:
- Tuxedo OS
- Bazzite, Aurora, and Bluefin
- Pop!_OS (but not until 24.04 or whatever the first version with COSMIC is called is released)
- Linux Mint (but only the Cinnamon version and only for some users because of some issues with Cinnamon and the software store)

I don't recommend for beginners:
- Ubuntu or any of their official flavors
- Zorin OS
- Manjaro
- Anything Arch based
- Any distro without a graphical package manager

in reply to It's FOSS

But what DE? That may be the more important question.
in reply to It's FOSS

Linux mint for normal use, bazzite if they are gamers.
in reply to It's FOSS

I started my Linux journey around 15y ago with Ubuntu and it would still be my advice to newcomers. It has a huge community, dozens of tutorials and questions answered for any issue you could possibly imagine. I have used Fedora for a while and felt the difference regarding community support. So I'd recommend vanilla Ubuntu Gnome for a start.
in reply to It's FOSS

Linux Mint Debian Edition LMDE
Sauber, Stabil, FOSS

#LMDE #FOSS

https://www.linuxmint.com/download_lmde.php

This entry was edited (1 month ago)
in reply to It's FOSS

openSUSE only because of Yast2 system configurator that is perfect for beginners. I know Ubuntu system tools . It is a mix with Gnome setting tools . And editing files without checks instead of grafic tools still required. Mixes are not optimal for beginners who need unique surfaces and full covered settings. I'm not a beginner. But Yast2 is for both beginners and experts the best.
in reply to It's FOSS

As others have suggested #Mint.

I have been a Windows user for many years but am a recent #Linux newcomer. Now retired I have been investigating various distros that a) I can understand and use without too much of a learning curve and b) will run on my ancient laptop reasonably speedily.

I have tried a number of lightweight distros to try to improve performance but they just leave me confused. #Mint does what I want and it's easy to navigate.

in reply to It's FOSS

Mind you, following suggestions from others, I'm about to give #Zorin a try.
in reply to It's FOSS

Just tried #Zorin and decided against as it's a bit of a resource hog. My old laptop was struggling. I also found the interface a bit basic. Good to explore other distros though.
in reply to It's FOSS

Ultramarine Linux (KDE Plasma). - It just works.

For a newbie, it already includes your drives, firmware, media codecs, and repositories. No matter if you are using Nvidia, Amd, or Intel, your GPU works upon install - In that regard it is easier than Windows.

You can install, remove, or update apps through the store. You can also upgrade your whole OS through the store - It is integrated like Windows Update, and notifies you when it has updates. You can download a 3rd party setup file (Rpm) and double-click to install, just like you would a Windows setup file. Control Panel (settings) are all point and click too.

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