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Looking for a Linux option that feels similar to Windows, supports gaming, browsing, and multitasking while offering strong privacy. It should have a wide app selection, be user-friendly for someone with Windows experience but new to Linux. Consider trying Ubuntu or Linux Mint—they’re popular, well-documented, and offer a familiar interface. If privacy is key, explore distributions like Tails or Qubes OS. Live USBs can help you test without changing your main system.
Choose something built around Ubuntu for clear guidance and straightforward setup. Begin with Linux Mint or Kubuntu, as their desktop environments are more comfortable for you. (Expect a learning phase, but don’t let that discourage you.)
Tell me about the situation with your PC that makes you worried about switching to Windows 11 and using Linux instead. Some features behave differently on Linux, especially for gaming.
I've been using mint for about three weeks and it's working perfectly. Highly recommended.
Choose Ubuntu and explore a bit to pick your preferred desktop environment (DE). You might start with the default, which is likely Gnome, and appreciate its polished setup. However, you won’t be able to operate everything with the mouse alone. The App Centre and available software let you install apps by clicking, but some may require additional steps like downloading .appimage or .tar.gz files. You might need to use the terminal, adjust permissions, make files executable, or decompress them before running. If you prefer not to use the terminal, you can install basic apps from the App Center for a more limited experience. Just ensure you enable driver installation during setup and keep your storage free and dedicated to Linux.
I've managed to host around 100 users on Linux Mint for several years. More than half run on laptops—switched to SSDs and removed the old hard drives. As I mentioned earlier, in October 2018 my partner had a Windows 10 installation that got wiped by Microsoft. The backup drive contained Linux Mint alongside duplicates of all files. One day it was Windows, the next it was Linux, and everything continued as usual except for the fact that Microsoft no longer supported it each month.
What is your use case, hardware and any special software? And what monitor(resolution. size)? Because some distros like Mint don't support fractional scaling well. if you need that, you immediately are limited to the modern distros and that saves you lot of analysis work. With more details, narrowing down should be easy. You may nave heard, not all software exists in Linux. So you need to decide where you can use a Linux alternative, or try Wine, or something else. It depends on your needs. I personally love MX Linux 25 KDE. it looks like W10. and it has the MX Tools, which should avoid Terminal use even more than most other distros. it is based on Debian stable, so it should not give you a heart attack with every update. But it also has backporting built in in case your hardware requires a newer feature. There also are Gnome version (looks more like Mac?). Some use XFCE, but tha tlaso has fractional scaling limitations. And you said you don't wnt W11, which is fine. But under the right circumstances (and some tweaking) it can be the right choice. It depends. Choose an OS based on benefits to YOU, not based on ideology. i love Linux and the idea of it, but it also is infuriating how some simple things just are hard or impossible. Every OS is a compromise, none is perfect. Don't limit yourself.
Thank you for the responses. I’ll aim to answer any questions as clearly as possible, mainly for single-player use. Most of my time will be browsing across multiple browsers at once, making multitasking important. I’m considering a 1440p monitor for Linux, hoping it offers better control and fewer privacy concerns compared to Windows.
Just install one at a time and see how it works. With a decent system and an NVME SSD, it should set up in about 15 minutes. Don’t waste time overthinking—you’ll likely change your mind after trying a distribution. It’s better to jump in and test it out rather than hesitate. If you find some distros are better for gaming (like CachyOS or Bazzite), you might not know which one suits you until you try them. You could start with Mint or Ubuntu and check if it fits your needs.