There are hundreds of Linux distributions out there each varying in their purpose of use and the level of expertise the user needs.
There are tools like DitroWatch to help users narrow down their options, but, still, choosing the right one could be quite a challenge.
What are some of the Linux distros you would recommend to users switching from other OS with no prior knowledge?
Top comments (95)
Most people say Ubuntu-like distros, but personally like Manjaro better even for beginners. Ubuntu might have more resources online, but Manjaro has a better out-of-the-box hardware compatibility. It is easier to maintain software updated with its package manager, while repositories in Ubuntu quickly get old.
I started with Mint and even installed it for some non-techie relatives that wanted to try. Mint is really, really good and It's a perfect choice for beginners, but I firmly believe that Manjaro will provide them with the same or more ease at the beginning while allowing them to use the latest software available.
I don’t think recommending an Arch based or any rolling release distro to a beginner is a good idea. These distros are close to bleeding-edge, and if anything goes wrong with an update, it is not going to be pretty. I agree with the majority of the comments, the way to go to get you started is an Ubuntu based distro, maybe something like Pop!_OS or mint are good sweet spots. Then go for other alternatives once you have some familiarity with the system
Well, If anything goes wrong with an update it's not going to be pretty in any distro. I agree as well with Ubuntu being a great start. I just find that Manjaro, even being Arch based, is not as likely to require driver installation or to give you obsolete software.
Manjaro does a pretty good job. But I agree with both sides here. Rolling release will certainly cause issues for you at some point, but I don't think it's as big a deal as it's made out to be. Manjaro does a good job keeping things stable and I think anyone taking their first steps into Linux should expect their first os to be more of a sacrificial learning os than something they can count on (until they get a feel for troubleshooting).
The idea of recommending a "friendly" distro to get started is precisely avoid the "sacrificial learning" part in the beginning, and let the person expand its horizon with time. You cannot expect a newcomer form another OS to stay if you put it to deal with too much stuff from the beginning. Also, a great deal of people just want to "do stuff", not focus on maintaining the system. I am not saying the Manjaro or other rolling-release distros are bad options; I just would not recommend for a beginner unless it has some technical background (which we should never assume is the case), based in the fact the rolling-release concept is something that is not a thing for a common user in other OSS and you have to understand it from minute 1. In those terms, I do believe recommending distros that have similar approaches (and even appearance) to Windows/Mac is often a better advice. Curiosity will come with time and they can eventually move to more "customizable" distros if they want to.
As an aside note, if we are talking about the first distribution for a technical savvy person who wants to really learn, maybe vanilla Arch will be a way better recommendation. But this kind of "beginners" are a minority and the idea is give advice that applies for the majority.
I'm using rolling release for a year and half now, haven't faced a issue with package update, and about manjaro it's pretty beginner's friendly because they make sure packages are stable unlike rolling release.
anyway the best way to learn is to face errors and fix it yourself or if you're too afraid then you can always go the stable distros.
There have better conjectures on whether holding back packages for a week gives that better stability.
Anyway, my experience with Manjaro was so far so good, and it was a few months too; before I switched to vanilla Arch (and sometimes Xubuntu or Mint).
Yes. First time I tried Manjaro an year ago everything worked out of the box. Then an update broke nvidia graphics driver and WiFi driver. I fixed those issues with an Ethernet connection but it will scare away most new users.
Firstly, I do recommend people start with Arch (not Arch-based), if they dare - it's not wrong; and older kernels do have worse drivers, anyway. Also, ArchWiki is so good, if they ran into any probems.
Also, first issues in Linux probably won't be instability or crashes, but rather WiFi and graphic cards. It's more that they will find manuals and helps and communities or not...
Thanks for the insight 🙏❤
Great insight, thanks for sharing 😉👍
Most user friendly distro is the one you use the most. Newcomers get stuck up in this silly question but the reality is just this simple, pick up one and use it, open browser and google the issue and get to work. Once you learn the basic on one distro, switching to any distro is really easy.
Personally I started with fedora, because I believe
yum (and now dnf)is much better package manager thanapt-get. These days, I use Pop_OS! for gaming, Manjaro for home use, solus for development. My office had ubuntu-lts, I later got permission for elementary os (The policy allowed for ubuntu lts based only) but since I am working from home, I was allowed to modify script on whatever distro I wanted to use.Bunch of shell scripts customization, a lot of internet search, and a lot of dedication, will be needed no matter what distro one choose to use.
Also, since I distro-hop a lot, I prefer gnome desktop everywhere.
True, even though KDE might be very customizable, or the light weight contenters have their merits, nothing could separate me from Gnome 😏
Thanks for the insight 👍😉
Linux Mint.
1.)It is Ubuntu Compatible so anything which works on Ubuntu/Debian works on Mint.
2.)It's based on Ubuntu LTS so it's very stable. 5 years of support is cool
3.)Clem creates forks and maintains software which make sense. Cinnamon & Nemo were created because Upstream GNOME and Files removed features. Likewise Chromium is a native app maintained separately by Mint Team not a snap wrapper like Ubuntu. They didn't bundle Amazon ads when Ubuntu did.
4.)Hardware support. Mint runs on variety of hardware and ships with non-free applications like codecs to make things easier for new users.
Thanks for sharing, I see a lot of love for Mint 💯✨
Hate to jump on the band wagon, but either Ubuntu (or a variation of) or now Deepin. Ubuntu for stability or Deepin for MACOS or even Windows aesthetic familiarity. Ease of use is relative to an individual so I don't see a use in comparing difficulty.
Thanks for sharing 👍😉
Most people who wanna try Linux, does not face technical problem initially but the new UI which they can't able to get used to. and the second one is the software availablity. Almost, all popular linux-based distros are beginners friendly (except fews). So who came from windows, can try linux mint, Kubuntu, ubuntu kyrin etc. And who are from MacOS can try Deepin, elementary os, etc.
But I would recommend using Ubuntu if you can. As it's stable and well documented. And last, try few distro and see which is best for you.
Thanks for sharing 🙏❤
I would recommend every beginner who's switching from Windows OS to start your Linux journey from MINT LINUX which is based on Ubuntu and is a Debian based OS and very smooth and with user friendly interface.
Awesome! Thanks 🙏❤
Manjaro will support your Linux learning from cradle to grave. It's easy out of the box, has the aur for when you're not familiar with building from source, and can let you swap out kernel modules easily. That being said, manjaro will remember and build upon all the little mistakes you make in configurations, and eventually stuff can just start to break.
For this reason I'd like to point out Clear Linux. It won't work as a primary computer for most, but if everything you need happens to be in a flatpak or swupd (or of you don't mind building from source but that's not beginner friendly) it makes for an effortless experience. The stateless design helps prevent the issue of old configs breaking things unnoticed. The containerized apps provides further stability. The automatic updates make life easier and helps Linux feel less like a second tech job. Gnome is user friendly enough, although most windows converts would have an easier time in KDE. Of course the glaring issue of app availability will keep clear os from the limelight, but I was surprised by user friendly it was when I gave it a try. Only technical thing I had to do to my install that I would want a newbie to do is disable the ssh service and socket through systemctl.
Edit: just grab Ubuntu and jump in. Picking distros is not especially important and you'll get the best beginner level advice on Ubuntu. Clear Linux is not going to serve you well if you want to learn about Linux because it's so different from the rest and has a tiny community. It's more of a plug and play distro than one that will help you learn.
Thanks for the insight 🙏❤
You're welcome! Just note my edit: if your looking to learn Linux and use a beginner friendly distro, Clear Linux won't help you with the learning part. The rules in that OS don't work the same as almost any other Linux OS and it will almost certainly hinder your learning if you start there.
This is useful, thanks 😉👍
You're most likely going to run into issues at some point, so I recommend using a distro with a good community. Ubuntu-based operating systems have been good to me for well over a decade. I will specifically recommend giving Pop!_OS a try (also Ubuntu-based). They've been doing great work.
Thanks for the input 🙏❤
At first I ask from wich OS he comes. Then I took a desktop, which looks like the old one. So the change isn't too bad for him.
The distro isn't so interesting for non technical people, so if I will get support, I chose a distro, which I am familiar with...
In this case, debian like OS systems...
First, I would ask why he wanted to use Linux, lol.
But I don't know what to say for people who only expect more free beer.
Thanks for this 🙏❤
In my opinion it's Zorin OS Core, 15 or 16 it doesn't matter (even tho I'd rather recommend the 16 one if you'd like to have the new stuff that really is interesting) it's a really beginner friendly distro with the best things from both Windows and Mac, and even if the installation and some details are Ubuntu based it really stays original and completely different from every Ubuntu based distros, if you have a bit of knowledge when it comes up to Linux distros you can for Manjaro it has a better out-of-the-box hardware compatibility, oh but don't even consider any arch Linux based because it is made for professionals and specifically people with a lot of knowledge in coding.
Thanks for sharing 🙏❤