Linux for newbies
Linux for newbies
Hello! It's great you're exploring Linux options. Since you're mainly using your PC for browsing and school work, both Ubuntu and PopOS could work well. Consider what features matter most—like stability, community support, and ease of use for beginners. Avoid common pitfalls by reading guides or forums, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. You're on the right path!
Pop offers improved driver support and receives more frequent updates compared to Ubuntu. Since it's also built on Ubuntu, resources and assistance are readily accessible for both platforms. @kelvinhall05 what makes Manjaro an appealing choice? I've never tried Linux before and it's just like the original poster.
I've never enjoyed a smooth experience with Ubuntu on either my desktop or laptop. It's consistently slow, prone to bugs, and unstable. I also believe the Arch wiki and AUR resources are incredibly valuable—hard to picture switching back to Ubuntu without them.
Ubuntu offers a solid foundation and plenty of resources for it. >I'm not entirely clear on the details. Many drivers come directly from the Linux kernel, and Ubuntu also includes proprietary components. I acknowledge having had a similar situation with Ubuntu, though it was probably more due to my beginner level than the platform itself. It has performed very reliably on my server, which has stayed mostly unchanged. Still, the AUR community is quite impressive. I've tried pure Arch instead of Manjaro, but that wasn't necessary.
Consensus reached, though Manjaro offers a smoother experience, especially during installation. I personally used Manjaro for a year before moving to Arch about a month ago, and it performed quite well. Also noted. Looking back, this could have been influenced by trial-and-error support for my 370, but it doesn’t account for the performance issues I faced on my Elitebook with a basic i5 and Intel iGPU.
I began with Ubuntu, then transitioned to Mint. Now I use Manjaro. Manjaro was around the 0.65 beta stage when I started switching from Windows. If I had the chance, I’d avoid Ubuntu. My Ubuntu experience felt slow and clunky, using up resources. I’d prefer Manjaro or Pop!O, which is built on Ubuntu but System 76 has improved performance. For me, Manjaro installs everything smoothly out of the box. With Ubuntu, that’s not the case. Mint handles it well too. If you install with your home directory as a separate drive or partition, you’ll likely be surprised. Edited July 22, 2020 by acjonesy
I moved from Windows 7 to Linux Mint (based on Ubuntu) in 2015 without any prior knowledge of Linux. The change was relatively smooth. I strongly suggest it.