Begin your journey with Linux today.
Begin your journey with Linux today.
I take the whole month off university and have no job right now, so I’m planning to learn Linux. I’ve been using different Windows versions since age four, which makes it a bit confusing. I’m unsure which Linux distribution to start with—maybe the Physics and Astro lab uses Ubuntu. I also want to improve my Python skills along the way. Thanks for your help, everyone trying to get into the Linux world!
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS offers a solid experience for users. For someone accustomed to macOS, navigating the interface felt fairly smooth. Mint provides a more intuitive feel for Windows users from a visual perspective. It’s worth noting that many people are used to Windows’ UI and often overlook its shortcomings, so they tend to accept it as standard.
For beginners, Mint, Ubuntu Mate, Elementary or Zorin are good options. Start by installing and testing them. A helpful note: on Linux, you can install software via command line using sudo apt install <program> without needing to search online. If unsure of the program name, use apt search followed by the name.
For beginners I suggest OPENSUSE Leap or Mageia customized for your desktop. Cinnamon Mind is a well-liked option, though I personally prefer it less. Use Etcher.io to generate the USB drive.
Ubuntu or Mint is perfect for beginners. Other options might cause frustration. For my Machine Intelligence projects, I stick with Ubuntu 14.04LTS (and sometimes 16.04LTS), as it feels more stable compared to the updates in 18...
Others claim alternatives like Ubuntu or Mint are beyond beginners' reach, suggesting the issue lies with the setup process. Of course, I wouldn't suggest Gentoo or Slackware, as Fedora might feel a little overwhelming.
I began with Mint 18 mainly because of the cinnamon desktop, though I don’t see much advantage compared to KDE Neon, Kubuntu, or standard Ubuntu. In fact, it feels inferior since upgrading between major versions isn’t supported and pure Ubuntu is straightforward. Mint is a Frankensteined Debian and should be avoided. For a solid starting point, consider Ubuntu or Kubuntu. The first feels unfamiliar but manageable, while the second resembles what you know but requires some tweaking to suit your preferences. I recommend testing these distros in a virtual machine—VirtualBox works well—to evaluate them before committing. VMs may lag, but they offer a secure sandbox for experimentation. Regarding gaming, Linux performance is improving rapidly; Proton has only been available for a few months but already supports half of Steam’s titles.
Hi. Avid Linux user here. If this is your first adventure into Linux, I would highly recommend using Ubuntu. With Ubuntu, there are several versions available, but I would recommend trying the default 18.04 LTS as your first distro. The desktop environment (GNOME 3) is great, and there is a fairly strong portfolio of software support. I personally use Pop_OS by System 76, which is an Ubuntu 18.10 derivative.