Whats a good Linux distro to dip my toe in with in a laptop running Windows 11? Is there a decent longer form guide to doing it successfully?
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
Maybe it's just me and maybe it's that my experience is quite old, but I would say it is not worth messing with dual boot if that's what you're thinking. It can be a big hassle to get working, and has some chance of screwing up your Windows side during installation.
Instead, buy a new SSD or hard drive and swap it into the place of the old one, then do a clean single-boot Linux install. I prefer Debian MATE which has a Windows-like UI, but again there are lots of choose from. If something goes wrong or if you don't like it, you can swap drives again and be back where you started.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
Can't go wrong with Linux Mint
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
wrote on last edited by [email protected]IDK a guide off the top of my head, but look for a one that allows you to dual boot! Usually distributions have 1st party guides for this.
For instance, I run CachyOS, and their guide would be on their wiki, similar to Arch: https://wiki.cachyos.org/installation/installation_on_root/
Not that I specifically recommend it, depending on what you want. I adore CachyOS, but anything Arch based basically requires a certain “attention level” where you keep an eye on packages that get updated, warnings and errors, wiki instructions, basic knowledge of your hardware like GPU brand/type and such. It’s for if you want to know your computer and system pretty well. If you don’t want to deal with Linux, there are better distributions (like immutable ones) that require less oversight, at the cost of maybe living with certain bugs that get fixed in rapid updates.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
As long as you have the free drive space, any of the major distros (Ubuntu, Fedora, NixOS, Arch) are a good choice.
Personally I like Kubuntu, but at this point, unless you have special requirements they are all variations on a theme.
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Can't go wrong with Linux Mint
Mint is a great choice for windows converts. The UI closely matches what you are used to.
Mint and Ubuntu are both fine and have a huge support base so you'll always find help.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
Fedora.
I guess installing arch via the wiki wouldn't be so bad if you are more techy and want to learn about stuff. The arch wiki is also great for any distro.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
I'm a big fan of PopOS.
Most people advocate for Mint, but when I run Mint, I don't feel like I've made a step forwards in terms of UI. I'm a huge fan of the design choices around PopOS. It just feels much more modern than windows.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
Debian and Mint are super beginner friendly
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I'm a big fan of PopOS.
Most people advocate for Mint, but when I run Mint, I don't feel like I've made a step forwards in terms of UI. I'm a huge fan of the design choices around PopOS. It just feels much more modern than windows.
You want something different. That's cool. Some people want something familiar. That's cool, too.
I think every successful linux journey starts with an enthusiastic user. Whatever the newbie is excited about is a good choice. That's what carries you through solving the tough issues, feeling like you're winning the whole time, and that means different things to different people.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
Linux Mint Debian Edition, and KDE Neon are quite nice. I'd try them out on a usb stick first.
Personally, I don't require Microsoft at home, so I only have android devices, and run Linux on my laptop and rpi5.
I don't know shit about Linux, but found it helpful to stick with Debian based distros, simply to keep a consistent set of commands and syntax.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
I was in your exact spot some months ago. I went with Linux Mint, and I have been thoroughly converted. Feel free to check my post history, there was a lot of great information provided by the Linux community. Good luck and enjoy!!
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I was in your exact spot some months ago. I went with Linux Mint, and I have been thoroughly converted. Feel free to check my post history, there was a lot of great information provided by the Linux community. Good luck and enjoy!!
I believe you
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
wrote on last edited by [email protected]The most important decision as a new Linux user is the desktop environment, the most similar desktop environment to the Windows desktop are KDE Plasma and Cinnamon. This means your best options are:
- Linux Mint (Cinnamon): They are the creators of the Cinnamon desktop environment and will be the default on installation.
- Kubuntu (KDE Plasma): This is Ubuntu's official KDE Plasma flavour, it comes with everything as usual just different desktop.
- Fedora (KDE Edition): Same story as Ubuntu here, only that with Fedora's own packages and environment.
First I would check if the hardware is compatible (99% of the time is). Then I would check what software you need and/or want and check if it is available at these distros, and get familiar on how to install the software packages (either with their respective app stores or in the command line).
There is a lot to learn but with these distros you can just install, forget and simply keep using them for eternity.
The last and more important tip I have is to not to worry about the sea of options out there, you will not be missing anything huge by picking one or the other. Which is how most of new users feel (I did in my time).
Hope you have a great Linux journey mate!
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
Any of the distros branded as beginner-friendly will do. It doesn't really matter. Don't get analysis paralysis.
Choose one and go for it. Use it for one whole week, and ask questions. Then decide if you want to keep it or look for something different.
Note that the desktop you choose is an important choice. I recommend KDE, but you can try different ones. Most major distros offer a variety, so you don't have to install a different distro to get a different desktop.
Experiment and have fun!
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The most important decision as a new Linux user is the desktop environment, the most similar desktop environment to the Windows desktop are KDE Plasma and Cinnamon. This means your best options are:
- Linux Mint (Cinnamon): They are the creators of the Cinnamon desktop environment and will be the default on installation.
- Kubuntu (KDE Plasma): This is Ubuntu's official KDE Plasma flavour, it comes with everything as usual just different desktop.
- Fedora (KDE Edition): Same story as Ubuntu here, only that with Fedora's own packages and environment.
First I would check if the hardware is compatible (99% of the time is). Then I would check what software you need and/or want and check if it is available at these distros, and get familiar on how to install the software packages (either with their respective app stores or in the command line).
There is a lot to learn but with these distros you can just install, forget and simply keep using them for eternity.
The last and more important tip I have is to not to worry about the sea of options out there, you will not be missing anything huge by picking one or the other. Which is how most of new users feel (I did in my time).
Hope you have a great Linux journey mate!
Agree with everything you've said. I would add OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. I tried all the KDE distros you mentioned and OpenSUSE is what really got me using Linux longterm.
Also, I didn't know about this at the time, but now that I look back I wonder if Tuxedo OS would have been the best starting option for me. I wonder why Tuxedo OS hardly gets mentioned.
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Can't go wrong with Linux Mint
Seconding mint. I've heard it referred to as "Ubuntu for people who don't want to admit they're running Ubuntu", but the fact of the matter is that Mint has consistently been, for the last 15 years, the distro that has worked best out of the box on my daily driver laptops.
I use several distros for various purposes, but Mint is my go-to for general purpose everyday use.
Plus if you want to just check it out, the install USB can be used as a live OS without any installing anything to the disk. It probably won't handle GPU drivers and the like, but it should be enough to just get a quick glance at what it's about.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
Fedora, imo, strikes a great balance between modern, cutting edge, and stable. It's typically what I recommend.
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I hate Microsoft and Windows, I want to choose better AND more importantly, see what all this fuss about Linux being awesomest is about
IT guy here, I mostly work with Windows, but have daily driven Linux in the past and am planning on switching back to Linux when Windows 10 goes EOL.
Anyway, here are my thoughts.
Ubuntu - simple to use, but has a history of doing their own thing to the detriment of the user. Currently pushing their own alternative to Flatpaks, Snaps, which is built around centralizing apps around Canonicals servers.
Mint - similar to Ubuntu in terms of use, based on Debian, well known and seemingly working well. Good starting point for everyone.
Fedora Linux - easy to use, more standard Linux than Ubuntu, based on Red Hat, focused more on using the latest tech when compared with Mint and Ubuntu.
Manjaro - for the more experienced users, based on Arch, modern, but a bit more unstable than the other distributions mentioned here.
There are other's but few that I have actual experience with and can be called newbie friendly, so it would be unfair to add distributions I don't have experience with.
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IT guy here, I mostly work with Windows, but have daily driven Linux in the past and am planning on switching back to Linux when Windows 10 goes EOL.
Anyway, here are my thoughts.
Ubuntu - simple to use, but has a history of doing their own thing to the detriment of the user. Currently pushing their own alternative to Flatpaks, Snaps, which is built around centralizing apps around Canonicals servers.
Mint - similar to Ubuntu in terms of use, based on Debian, well known and seemingly working well. Good starting point for everyone.
Fedora Linux - easy to use, more standard Linux than Ubuntu, based on Red Hat, focused more on using the latest tech when compared with Mint and Ubuntu.
Manjaro - for the more experienced users, based on Arch, modern, but a bit more unstable than the other distributions mentioned here.
There are other's but few that I have actual experience with and can be called newbie friendly, so it would be unfair to add distributions I don't have experience with.
What do you think of a PopOS, sort of leaning there just based on statistics
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What do you think of a PopOS, sort of leaning there just based on statistics
It is based on Ubuntu, so I expect it to be easy to use, I don't know if it uses Snaps nor not, if it does, I would avoid it.
