Changing to Linux involves selecting the operating system during installation or switching from another platform.
Changing to Linux involves selecting the operating system during installation or switching from another platform.
Hello! It's great you're considering Linux for privacy reasons. Since you're new, start with lightweight distributions like Lubuntu or Xubuntu. Look for beginner-friendly tutorials on platforms like YouTube or freeCodeCamp. Your current use—study, web browsing, and casual gaming—is perfect for a stable, user-friendly setup. Let me know if you need more details! P.S. Your needs are definitely relevant.
Explore Pop!_OS, a version of Ubuntu refined for better performance and stability, and straightforward to install via Steam and Proton.
Sup, as @sazrocks said, it's a good place to start with Pop!_OS. It is a quite user friendly and very Linux like distro, with one of the most, if not the most, popular desktop environments Gnome. Pop also has the most 3rd party app support. The most apps are made for Ubuntu and almost all of them work flawlessly on Pop. A very good German produced Linux system is Manjaro. (https://manjaro.org/) It looks a bit more like Windows and could be easier to adopt, if you want to flatten the learning curve. It uses not so common desktop environment by default. It is very light on the hardware and the speed of installing, booting and sleep/wake is just staggering. It doesn't have a great app support, but if you only plan to use it for web and office, it is really good. It also includes an office, that is very similar to MS Office. Called FreeOffice (so choose this at the installation) One of best backed systems out there is Fedora. It is quite heavy all together, but is a very robust system. One problem might be, it doesn't that great app support and You might have to tinker around to make everything work your way, if you need to use some special programs/apps. I my self use Fedora, but it's just because I like to tinker around.
Hello CHA99, besides the distros already discussed, Linux Mint stands out as a strong choice. Since it's built on Ubuntu, you'll discover plenty of software available. The Cinnamon Desktop closely resembles Windows, though be sure to get the Cinnamon version. Thanks to Steam and Steam Play, gaming should function well (with some known restrictions, but it works quite nicely for me). I hope you find a solution that suits your requirements.
I've been using Linux for more than ten years, and Ubuntu-based systems have always been my go-to. For newcomers unfamiliar with Linux, an Ubuntu distro is likely the most accessible option. If you have an Nvidia graphics card, KDE might cause some screen issues, but there are straightforward solutions. Personally, I rely on Fedora for daily tasks—it's more reliable than Ubuntu, and getting third-party software to function isn't too complicated. I used to dislike GNOME, but since Fedora includes Stock GNOME, I now enjoy it. I believe Ubuntu's GNOME modifications often lead to problems.
Hello, I recommend Linux Mint for a smoother shift from Windows. But skipping the learning path and jumping into another GUI would be a mistake. This is entirely up to you. I’m not sure how much you enjoy non-mouse-heavy interfaces. I prefer to describe Linux using Lego. Picture you download a Lego castle and fit it onto your system. Of course, now you have a beautiful castle to play with. Now envision downloading the pieces and building it exactly the way you like. That’s what Linux is all about. Anyway, I’m getting a bit strong on this point. If you want to dive in, explore the first two free courses from edx.org at https://www.edx.org/course?search_query=linux : Introduction to Linux Linux Basics: The Command Line Interface Good luck!
For someone just starting out, I recommend Solus, Ubuntu, or Pop!_OS. Ubuntu is widely recognized and has strong support across forums, developer communities, and manufacturer sites. OMGubuntu is a great place for newcomers to Ubuntu. Pop!_OS shares similar themes since it's based on Ubuntu, so related topics work well there too. Solus offers a rolling release with a focus on user experience and has an active, friendly community. Its help center is straightforward, covering the essentials. If you hit a snag, refer to trusted Linux resources like Arch Wiki or Gentoo Wiki first.