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for my Linux folks: what distribution(s) do you recommend for a n00b???
2936 sats \ 44 comments \ @bitdern 9 Sep 2023 tech
i am currently running ZorinOS on a relatively cheap Dell. It's decent enough, but there are some quirks that i'm not too keen on...
i'm not the most skilled with Linux, but have a decent working understanding of command line stuff.
some options i have heard of:
  • Pop OS
  • Ubuntu
  • elementary OS
  • MX Linux
  • Linux Mint
would love any and all feedback!
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1404 sats \ 6 replies \ @0330830bf9 9 Sep 2023
Ubuntu for no other reason than it'll be the easiest to get help / find fixes for, this makes it the most sustainable as a daily driver.
I would argue for the Kubuntu spin however. I think it's a much nicer default interface, particularly for newer users trying things on.
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34 sats \ 2 replies \ @m00ninite 9 Sep 2023
I'd argue PopOS because it's based on Ubuntu, so you can still Google answers for "Ubuntu" and it will work fine. I've found pop to be generally cleaner and easier to use than Ubuntu.
Bonus, if you buy a system76 laptop or desktop, they'll give you (very good, knowledgeable) PopOS support for free. Seriously, their support is fantastic.
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @nullcount 9 Sep 2023
With Ubuntu, you can easily find dozens of troubleshooting articles. With PopOS, you wont have to troubleshoot in the first place!
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @m00ninite 10 Sep 2023
Precisely! I've def found pop to be less janky than Ubuntu overall
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20 sats \ 2 replies \ @bitdern OP 9 Sep 2023
much obliged! haven't heard of Kubuntu, but then again, i am sure there are TONS i haven't heard of lol
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @jk_14 9 Sep 2023
Lubuntu then
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @0330830bf9 9 Sep 2023
EOL AFAIK
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91 sats \ 0 replies \ @chairman_pretense 9 Sep 2023
These days Fedora has been the best experience. They don't mess about with altering themes and window managers, just give you the latest Gnome / KDE releases and you're golden.
Stock Debian is also great, I'd choose it over Ubuntu which really only exists as a user friendly version of Debian. But the Debian experience has moved on enough that it's not really necessary in my view.
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57 sats \ 2 replies \ @m4 9 Sep 2023
mint
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @scottathan 9 Sep 2023
+1 to this
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @bitdern OP 9 Sep 2023
thank you!
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61 sats \ 0 replies \ @2bithits 9 Sep 2023
Ubuntu
I tried mint a while back & a lot of wallets (like electrum) had to be compiled, which I was not comfortable attempting. Most wallets seem easier to set up on Ubuntu.
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82 sats \ 3 replies \ @orthzar 9 Sep 2023
I always recommend Debian. They have great distro policies (which is rare), so much so that Debian is the foundation for many other distributions (e.g. Ubuntu, which in turn ZorinOS is based on). Unfortunately, most of those derivative distributions do not inherent Debians great policies. They may seem friendlier than Debian, but they make serious compromises in order to appear friendlier. For instance, Linux Mint looks nice, but the devs have, in the past, not taken security seriously. In short, Debian is the gold-standard of Linux distributions.
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10 sats \ 2 replies \ @bitdern OP 9 Sep 2023
very interesting! sounds it might be worth battling through some initial complexities of Debian to get to a more stable (+secure) experience
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @chairman_pretense 9 Sep 2023
There are great setup guides for Debian, as well as a full security / hardening guide. It's a bit more work but very rewarding to learn - and ultimately it's so well documented the experience is more like following a cook book than having to invent or figure things out yourself.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @chaoticalHeavy 9 Sep 2023
If you can't find info on Debian, all the Ubuntu information works for Debian too.
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @scottathan 9 Sep 2023
Linux Mint. It's what made Linux smooth enough for me to get into it like 4 years ago. Never looked back, I still daily drive it on a lot of systems
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41 sats \ 1 reply \ @Radioed1t 9 Sep 2023
I do alot of distro hopping. But I find fedora is is very stable. On my two in one hp laptop. I have run popOS with success too. It is based on Ubuntu.
But do like me I just rsync my home dir to an external drive and install random distros. To find what is good for you.
Also another option is to make one of the distros you want to test as a USB bootable livecd. Then boot and make sure you like the window manager and interface.
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1 sat \ 0 replies \ @bitdern OP 9 Sep 2023
much appreciated, friend. i will look into the rsync process (i have only ever boot-loaded distros).
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20 sats \ 0 replies \ @0xtr 9 Sep 2023
I'd say start with Ubuntu. It usually just works and doesn't need too much configuration
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31 sats \ 0 replies \ @nout 9 Sep 2023
Ubuntu will be the easiest if you are just starting. Another very popular one is Debian, which is cleaner, but the installation has 2-3 confusing steps.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bitcoiner1 9 Sep 2023
I just installed Ubuntu in an old Dell.
Si far so good.
It was my first time doing it. It was quite simple and a very good thing to learn.
The last time I paid someone to do it for me.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @wacher 10 Sep 2023
Pop OS , Even my father, who is not computer literate, can use it. In fact, most things can be done through the browser now, and browser selection is more important. PopOS + firexfox-esr or Brave
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @heytimapple 10 Sep 2023
Actually now that I think of it, any with a decent installer. Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, Elementary..etc
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 9 Sep 2023
Fedora is very solid and simple. The others you list are good as well. Honestly just starting with one is more important than picking the perfect one. It doean't really exist.
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100 sats \ 0 replies \ @RoundaboutStacker 9 Sep 2023
I've been using Ubuntu Mate for years. Easy to use, nice User Interface. It's hard to think about using anything else, of course I am willing to try new things if I see something I like better.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @jsonzeus 10 Sep 2023
Ubuntu
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @broadmode 10 Sep 2023
Vanilla OS for noobs and vetarans.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @faradayfedora 10 Sep 2023
If you are coming from Windows Kubuntu is a very solid choice.
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0 sats \ 5 replies \ @john_doe 10 Sep 2023
On the computer of my wife I have installed Archlinux and there is no problem so far. More than the distribution, the most important for beginner is the environment. I have found Gnome-shell works better for them. The rest is how easy is to install packages not included in the main repositories. And from this point of view Arch Linux has AUR packages, Ubuntu has PPAs. Additionally even with gnome-shell I would advise you setup the file manager to use the single-click option like with KDE!
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0 sats \ 4 replies \ @john_doe 10 Sep 2023
Sorry, I should have added the name of the distribution based on Archlinux I was referring to is Manjaro
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0 sats \ 3 replies \ @ryu 10 Sep 2023
From experience, updating GRUB always breaks Arch or any Arch derivative to the point of necessitating OS reinstalling.
Use anything but GRUB for your bootloader if you decide to use Arch; if you decide to take the risk anyway, never fucking update GRUB.
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0 sats \ 2 replies \ @john_doe 11 Sep 2023
I have used Archlinux since 2014 non-stop and never had such problem, sorry. Almost 10 years without problem (besides the switch to Systemd from initd, but not related to GRUB). So on the contrary I would recommend anyone using Arch or a derivative to always update GRUB and all packages in general without paying too much attention.
Do you use the word update in a different way than package update? If not I am sorry but I think you messed up something on your side.
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10 sats \ 1 reply \ @ryu 11 Sep 2023
I alternated between using yay and standard pacman commands to update any AUR and non-AUR packages on Artix up and until the last update completely wiped my OS from my SSD.
GRUB on Arch/Artix has been nothing but terrible for me each time I've had to update it, hence my less than stellar opinions on it. Also doesn't help there are better, more modern bootloaders out there.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @john_doe 11 Sep 2023
According to the page of Artix, it is init based, not systemd. Hence Artix is different from the typical Archlinux distribution which is systemd based. Anyway, good to know init based distro may not be stable. I recommend Manjaro because the OP is a beginner. Never had a problem with Archlinux besides the switch from init to systemd around 2016 (and thr problem I had was because of me not Archlinux, I was busy with work and blindly updated without reading the news). Installed Manjaro on the computer of my wife, friends, and mine I use for work, no issue at all.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @heytimapple 10 Sep 2023
Linux Mint or Fedora
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @blockdyor 9 Sep 2023
If you're a Mac enthusiast, I recommend starting with elementary OS. I personally run my Bitcoin Node using Umbrel on Elementary OS, and it operates smoothly without being resource-intensive.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @jinformatique 9 Sep 2023
I would recommend KDE Neon, it's been stable since years and rock solid. It's based on latest Ubuntu LTS but with the Plasma desktop that looks like Windows 10. And when you first install it, it's pretty empty (you just have the bare minimum apps: Firefox, Okular, VLC, …) From there you can choose what programs you want to install (Discover Software Centre) You get all the KDE apps up to date. It's a bit different from Kubuntu were you are always 6 months behind in terms of release.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ealvar26 9 Sep 2023
Ubuntu and Mint are both really good IMO.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @BITC0IN 9 Sep 2023
Ubuntu
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @NothingNewUnderTheSun 9 Sep 2023
Popos
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @0377d676f1 9 Sep 2023 freebie
Linux Mint is my go-to distro for personal use. For nodes headless Debian is best.
0 sats \ 0 replies \ @03a50f9540 9 Sep 2023 freebie
Everyone saying Ubuntu is right. But after that if you get an itch to try out Arch, EndeavourOS is a very easy way to get started in that world.