The Best Linux Distribution for New Users

Linux.com ^ | 6 June 2014 | Jack Wallen

[so_real]

I switched from Windows XP to Linux Mint and am very pleased with the move. It was a very natural transition. I used Ubuntu off-and-on prior to the Unity interface. Once Unity became the standard, I had to give it up. Unity is to Ubuntu what Metro is to Windows. I find them both equally unintuitive and my frustration level rose while using them.

[adorno]

This is the year for Linux.

Again.

[Utilizer]

The author assumes that everyone prefers the Gnome or Gnome-style desktops, as well as disregarding the fact that not everyone has the newest and cutting-edge machines and needs a more general-purpose distro that can work well with older platforms.

I prefer KDE, YMMV.

That's the one thing about the 'doze OS. Much as I personally dislike it for various reasons, it works across pretty much all PC machines.

Also, I question some of his other positions. Web browser? If you don't like the default one (usually Firefox) pretty much all distros allow you to easily download and install many others. Or they can install Opera from the homepage.

Email client? Please. I use Fastmail.fm for emails and it does not care what OS or browser you use to access it. Plus, Opera comes with a built-in email client so no big whoop there.

Office suites are fine for those who need them (I don't), but if you don't like the default one so badly that you want to change it then downloading and installing a different one is not a problem.

Music files: don't care. If I want to listen to music I'll put on a music CD. I do not need to waste this computer's processing power on playing music over cheap computer speakers. Don't care about streaming audio either, although I believe Amarok should be able to handle it.

Hey, some people claim to need an RSS app. My list of needs does not include that.

"That's the short list of apps nearly every user depends upon."

Actually, that's a personal opinion -not A Standard.

[Utilizer]

If you want a quick and easy intro linux try RoboLinux...

Tried Robo for the virtual machine app it bragged about having set up in its default config.

Then found out if you wanted to install an actual virtual OS in their 'default' app, you had to Donate A Small Fee to use their preconfigured version.

Promptly uninstalled.

[martin_fierro]

For the Linux n00bs among us:

I like Xubuntu for ease of a) installation and b) overall use on older PCs/laptops. It's essentially Ubuntu with a more basic Graphical User Interface, so it doesn't require as much CPU/graphics card power.

Xubuntu runs like a charm on a 10 year-old P4 Toshiba satellite laptop and 8 year-old Acer Celeron laptop.

If you have an old XP machine sitting around, give Xubuntu a try!

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

BFL

[so_real]

Netflix ... a legitimate gripe. Hulu works on Mint, but Netflix does not. I suspect the problem lies with Netflix and the hooks the mainstream operating systems have driven into them. Do you know if Netflix works on *any* Linux distribution? It is a bit of a frustration.

[kevao]

After much distro hopping, I settled on PCLinuxOS. Everything has just worked out of the box on everything I’ve installed it on, old and new. KDE for newer machines; LXDE for the antiques.

[Dalberg-Acton]

Netflix uses Microsoft’s Silverlight for the Digital Rights Management (DRM). Android tablets and phones (running a Linux OS underneath) don’t have a problem. Perhaps licensing money has changed hands.

[GeronL]

I use Pale Moon browser on my Ubuntu and I do not miss Firefox one bit