Looking to explore Linux? Don’t have a clear starting point—there are plenty of resources to guide you.
Looking to explore Linux? Don’t have a clear starting point—there are plenty of resources to guide you.
Third choice: Get a version of Linux which encourages you to dig into the command-line (e.g. Fedora whose command-line package management is awesome! ) while still providing you a desktop which is configured so well that you'll never have to. Please read my comment carefully before talking about it. Ubuntu is made for those who don't want to dig into Linux internals. A dumbed down default desktop. Malicious spyware in previous versions ("Amazon" something). The only Linux distribution I know which has a short link to Amazon in the default dock instead of a more important terminal window. "It looks like Mac OS" is not quite true. Do you know why Mac OS looks like Mac OS? It's a heritage from NeXTStep, Steve Jobs's 90s company's innovative operating system. There was an early clone of its desktop environment for Unix and Linux, called Window Maker which predated "OS X" and was the obvious inspiration for Ubuntu's "Unity" desktop. So, if anything, "Mac OS" looks like Window Maker...
Really? Fine. I’ve gotten used to a lot of the Knights of the Holy Ubuntu pushing me to use certain suggestions. It’s okay now—I’m done with this discussion. Of course, it doesn’t matter.
Yes, you'll do that. Once Windows 10 is set up first, Ubuntu and Fedora can integrate their existing systems into the bootloader; for example, if you install Windows → Ubuntu → Fedora, Fedora's boot loader will show options like "Boot into Fedora, boot into Ubuntu, boot into Windows." Be mindful during installation: avoid placing it on the wrong disk and ensure the bootloader is correctly set in the MBR. It might sound complex, but it’s actually straightforward once you follow the steps.
We’re not here to advise on what to install on systems, that’s why this forum exists—people share ads and opinions. I don’t claim Ubuntu is perfect or SUSE is the best. Each operating system has its own challenges, whether it’s Ubuntu, Windows, or macOS. For me, learning Linux started with Ubuntu, which helped me understand what Linux is all about. Within a month I switched to SUSE, Fedora, PClinux, Mint, Puppy, Xubuntu and more.
I suggest Mint because it’s built on Ubuntu, so the help resources fit well. I also install byobu and work with coding on Linux using Vim—this can be done across most Linux versions. The key point is: download a few ISO images for each distro; they often include a trial when you boot from the USB or disk. Everyone has their own preference.
ubuntu is a good place to start for beginners since it offers a lot of support. of course i agree, unity is pretty terrible, but there are options for alternate de, like cinnamon, mate, or kde. fedora is definately not for beginners. afaik, theres no official repo, so all the packages have to be installed manually. it is bleeding edge, and because of that, expect things to break. a good alternative to ubuntu is manjaro, which is "beginner" arch. it relies a lot more heavily on terminal, the forums offer great support as well, and it has access to the manjaro repos and aur