What is the best distribution to begin with Linux ?

[BearDroidGames]

Hello,

I want to get an Linux distrib on a old computer to learn how to use it, but I really don't know what distrib to choose. I heard about Ubuntu, a good choice for beginner or maybe Debian... What do you think ?

 

[sidward35]

Hello,

I want to get an Linux distrib on a old computer to learn how to use it, but I really don't know what distrib to choose. I heard about Ubuntu, a good choice for beginner or maybe Debian... What do you think ?

What are you computer specs? That would help narrow down your options, since there are so many different distributions of Linux.

Some popular ones are:
Ubuntu
Fedora
Debian
Puppy Linux
Linux Mint (my personal favorite)

 

[Dngrsone]

If the machine is significantly older, then a smaller-footprint distribution like Puppy would be the way to go.

If it's only 'last year's' model, then I'd recommend Mint

Sent from my SPH-L720T using Tapatalk

 

[BearDroidGames]

I read about Puppy, I think I will try this one. Thanks!

 

[johnny_is_here]

ubuntu, with no doubt

 

[thetestspecimen]

I now use Linux as my main operating system. My recommendation would be to go with Fedora or Ubuntu.

Personally I use Fedora on a day to day basis. Fedora is typically much more up to date in terms of kernel and software. People generally say this means it will be more unstable, but I have not found this to be the case at all. I actually had more problems with Ubuntu.

The main advantage of Ubuntu (especially at the moment), is that they have LTS (Long Term Support) versions, and the latest Ubuntu version is an LTS version. This basically means you will have updates and support guaranteed for at least 5 years before needing to upgrade to a new version.

You can also check out my articles on why I think Linux is the way to go for most people here. Also if you do decide to go with Fedora I have a list of software and installs I use here.

 

[rick_from_reno_nv]

BearDroid, I have advice: "TestSpecimen" has a good comment with Fedora being fully up-do-date. But there is a better one, for being both current and having a great community. Take a good look at arch - https://www.archlinux.org/. It's both lightweight and a "rolling release" distribution. Fedora, in contrast, goes through "Releases" and pulls Support on old "Versions" pretty rapidly.

I personally use OpenSuse "Tumbleweed" - another rolling release. But it's less popular than arch, also more complex and "heavy" in technical ways. The Arch community is way bigger, and a bit more "more friendly" with less experienced users. I prefer both of these over Fedora.

 

[Lee_Bo]

Which one is the best to start with? It really depends on who you talk you. There are literally hundreds of Linux versions out there, all with their own fan base that will tell you theirs is the best one.

IMHO, two of the best ones to try and start out with are going to be Ubuntu and Linux Mint. You can see the minimum specs from the links. I'd go with Ubuntu for their long term support and Linux Mint since it more resembles the Windows desktop, which for some people is an easier transition.

But I say try as many as you can and decide for yourself. DistroWatch (https://distrowatch.com/) is going to a great source for Linux downloads.

Hope this helps.

 

[spantch101]

Ubuntu or mint. as they require the smallest learning curves coming from a Windows system with comparable package manager

 

[PackersOwner1]

Anything but Ubuntu! That includes [A-Z]buntu and all other variants, and Debian. There used to be lots of great, easy-to-use Linux distributions before Canonical got its hooks into Linux and began corrupting it with bad habits like sudo. Debian is little more than a monument to the character flaws of RMS, the worst possible distro to build on.

If your goal is to learn Linux, then you need to start with a system that lets you see the Linux. Installing a soft and gooey distro may look "just like Windows" but at the cost of exposing you to any Linux at all. I started with Slackware in 1995, and if I had to do it over, I'd start with Slackware again. Just uncheck the "x" and "xap" package groups, so you don't get distracted by the X Window System and many big, bloated window managers and desktop environments--they are not Linux. If you spend all day pointing and clicking in a WIMP, you'll never find Linux. Install Slackware without X. Read the boot messages. Discover your computer's hardware through the messages and commands like `lsmod'. Read the Slackbook. Try to build a Linux kernel specifically for your computer. Try again until you've mastered it. That's Linux.

Grub is not Linux, and it's a bit porky to use as a bootloader to learn Linux with, however it's likely to be the only bootloader you get to use these days. LILO was nice and simple...it's a shame that Linux has been defaced by so much cruft. You'll need to learn Grub to be able to learn Linux, sadly. The BASH shell and GNU utilities are not actually Linux either, but come with most every Linux distro, so you'll want to learn them. Just take care to bite off only as much as you can chew and swallow in one setting. There's a lot to digest, a lifetime's worth of learning from soup to nuts.