Impartiality Of Distro Choices Advocated At This Site

[charlie.corder]

Good morning everyone!
Please keep this in mind when reading what I have to write - this is just my opinion.

I think that when someone asks 'what distribution should I use', they are completely new to Linux, and know very little about Linux. That was my condition when I first tried Linux, knew nothing about it at all!

My thinking is that when that question comes up, that new person should probably be given a definite distro to start with. Something easy to learn and actually use to begin their journey on Linux.

While trying out different distros is a great idea {which I am all for}; it seems to me that a person who is new, wants something to get started with; and can begin using right away. Then, after they get their feet wet, they can do some choosing. After all, aren't we all still making choices about what we want to do with our computers?

We have heard it said that there are too many choices in Linux. To a newbie, that is very likely so. To a Linux veteran, that's one of the reasons for using Linux - choice!

My recommendations to any new person is to give them some definite distro to try first, so they can actually use it OOTB. Once they learn how Linux works, then they will be more able to pick whatever distro they want.

Thanks in advance for putting up with . . .

The Old Geezer {That's what my 3 sons call me}
Tango Charlie

 

[CaffeineAddict]

While trying out different distros is a great idea {which I am all for}; it seems to me that a person who is new, wants something to get started with; and can begin using right away. Then, after they get their feet wet, they can do some choosing. After all, aren't we all still making choices about what we want to do with our computers?

Agree, and therefore I suggest we agree which distro to suggest to new users, how about a pool?

 

[MikeWalsh]

Agree, and therefore I suggest we agree which distro to suggest to new users, how about a pool?

Okay. IF we're going to do that, we need to look at it from the "noob" POV; don't necessarily recommend what YOU use (or like).....think instead about ease-of-use, maximum amount of support (something you can ask questions about ANYWHERE & you'll find someone who can give a useful answer), and which you can easily install software on and/or do system updates with the least amount of fuss.......and totally geared towards folk who have in all likelihood only ever used Windows.


Mike.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

IF we're going to do that, we need to look at it from the "noob" POV

I'm pretty sure user's POV is easy to decode, new users all come from Windows world and likely expect ease of use Linux system that is as close and as familiar as Windows.
It is well known that people do no like change, at least not radical changes that will make them regret afterwards and go back to Windows' lair.

don't necessarily recommend what YOU use (or like).....think instead about ease-of-use, maximum amount of support ..., and which you can easily install software on and/or do system updates with the least amount of fuss

Yes therefore it breaks down to the following:

System - an actual Linux distro
Desktop environment - the UI which defines user experience and first impressions
Support - distro or DE official forums, wikis, docs etc.

From user's POV all 3 need to be taken into account to make a final suggestion a good shot for a new user.

don't necessarily recommend what YOU use (or like)

Unfortunately or not, I never used any other distro other than Debian and Backtrack (Kali) and that's not going to change, so I can't suggest something which I didn't try myself.
But I know most of you guys tried several of them so your suggestions might be better balanced.

~~~~~

Let's get to work if you guys agree...
According to above 3 points, what do you suggest to a Windows convert?
If you think some other points need to be considered please share..

Here is my opinion:

System: Debian (because it's hard to break it so a new user won't need to troubleshoot much)
Desktop: KDE (because it's most similar to Windows UI compared to other DE's)
Support: Debian wikis and docs are very good but forums not so much because it takes hackery to register.
KDE: forums are very active though, https://discuss.kde.org/

 

[dos2unix]

Does it have to be one distro? How about a choice of 3 or 4?

Perhaps a list also of what "not" to choose would be helpful.

 

[KGIII]

I don't tend to recommend Mint exclusively, but may sometimes include it in a list of recommendations.

I also am the author of this:

Finally, an Answer to What is The Best Linux Distro? • Linux Tips

Finally, an attempt to answer to the age old question: Which Linux distro is the best? Read on to find out which distro is the best Linux distro.

linux-tips.us

 

[KGIII]

Also, do we really need rules for this?

I'd hate to see a rule saying that nobody can recommend Mint.

 

[atanere]

Longer term Members may also contribute.

I wish I had longer term memory!

For those who don't know this, if you hold your mouse over a users name in the Members Online section (and in some other places)... it will display some info about that user, including when they joined, and what thread they're viewing (unless they block info in their settings, like I do).

Using this method above, I have observed time and again a new user, someone who joined just minutes earlier or days earlier, viewing the Download Linux page, where a list of 24 distros is kept on this site. I tend to think it is already quite impartial.... heck, it even includes Kali.

Strangers surf in every day and find our Download page without the need to try to point them to a new thread with a new list that you are considering creating. The Download Page is the prime real estate to store such a list, if you can convince @Rob and/or @wizardfromoz to tweak it to your collective satisfaction. Or maybe you'll find this list is already acceptable?

However, the new folks who come here and take the time to ask, "What distro will be best for me?" are looking for a human response. Replying with a link to our Download Page or to some newly created list seems like it could be a bit of a cold response, maybe less than friendly.

I think the formula of the past years is still working. People respond to people, they put forward what they have experience with. Or in many cases we answer someone with what we find on Google, because none of us knows everything. Now we may also answer with what AI tells us, if we query that instead of Google. Other people chime in with other experiences or other search results. I rarely see this as argumentative, although I'm sure it can be confusing.

The first learning stages of Linux are going to be confusing. I don't see that a new "Best Linux for newbies" list will help that. Those lists already exist, for those people who can search for themselves. If you want to introduce new people to Linux distros, suggest the first 10 (or so) on DistroWatch's list, or run a distro through a web browser at DistroSea, or Google up one of those other lists to recommend. New people will either be intrigued and interested in so much choice, or they will be overwhelmed and give up.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Also, do we really need rules for this?

I'd hate to see a rule saying that nobody can recommend Mint.

I think @dos2unix made a good point in his post #25, instead of having a rule we should have a list of distros.
But if that list is composed solely based on "distro" without taking DE's and docs (distro support) into account then none of this makes sense.

 

[atanere]

My recommendations to any new person is to give them some definite distro to try first, so they can actually use it OOTB.

If one distro would truly work on everything, it would be an easy pick... but there isn't a candidate like that. There would really need to be at least a small list of the most user-friendly and hardware-friendly distros, with similar modern system requirements.

Promoting only a single distro, I think, would also be an oversized endorsement for a prominent site like linux.org to make. I'm not sure that's a good move. On the other hand, "This distro endorsed by Linux.ORG" might be something that could bring in revenue? Maybe more than one distro could receive an endorsement like that?

We learned from @Lord Boltar that DistroWatch has a fast-track to get on their list if you pay the price. So maybe this is something that @Rob might consider... whether the revenue is needed, or whether this would be appropriate.

 

[KGIII]

I think @dos2unix made a good point in his post #25, instead of having a rule we should have a list of distros.
But if that list is composed solely based on "distro" without taking DE's and docs (distro support) into account then none of this makes sense.

I figure pretty much everyone here has access to a search engine if they want a list of distros suitable for beginners, or suitable for $X purposes. This really seems (to me) to be a non-problem looking for solutions.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I figure pretty much everyone here has access to a search engine if they want a list of distros suitable for beginners, or suitable for $X purposes. This really seems (to me) to be a non-problem looking for solutions.

I agree, google is the mother and the father, but the OP has some points which we're addressing

 

[dos2unix]

if that list is composed solely based on "distro" without taking DE's and docs (distro support) into account

There's always something.

Some people like the windows look and feel ( to me MATE is more windows like than KDE )
but some people like the the cell phone look and feel, which as much I hate to say Gnome, Gnome does this best.

So maybe age plays into this? Kids these days aren't used to pull down menu's, they're used to flipping pages on icons and apps.

Finally, while MATE and KDE might be the easiest and most full featured, they definitely are not the lightest.
The other thing you have to consider is the "weight" of the distro. How much resources does it takes.
Ubuntu/Mint and Fedora might be popular and easy to use. But they definitely aren't light on resource use.

Documentation is a tricky subject. To me redhat/fedora has the best documentation, but does that really even matter?
Some people like to read documents, other's like to "try it themselves", and still others like asking someone with some
experience. So, I wonder, really, how much documentation play into being a beginner?

I read documentation, but usually not how to add a user or format a disk or launch a browser, most UI's are intuitive enough
for newbies. I read documentation of how to export noSql data into grafana, or how to enable bonding on two ethernet interfaces, which is perhaps a bit advanced for newbies, and that's my point. Do newbies really read documents?

 

[KGIII]

I agree, google is the mother and the father, but the OP has some points which we're addressing

And, again, it seems like a non-problem. I suggest Lubuntu when it's appropriate - and I'm firmly in the Lubuntu camp. I sometimes suggest a few distros. I sometimes even suggest Mint. Sometimes I give them a link to the article above which suggests absolutely nothing.

If anything, I'd argue against a 'standard answer'. When you ask a forum, you ask different people and multiple people get to offer their thoughts on the matter. If someone wants to see more recommendations, they can make those recommendations themselves.

In this specific case, nobody is going to tell OP not to recommend Puppy if Puppy would suit their needs.

The only correct answer to which distro is best is which distro is best for you. (You then have distros that are good at different things but that still boils down to what is best for them.)

 

[JasKinasis]

Whenever anybody asks for a recommendation for a Linux distro, I'll always tell them the same thing.
Try a bunch of different distros, with different desktop environments and try to work out what works best on your hardware and best suits your needs.

Personaly, I settled on Debian a long time ago. I always install Debian via the minimal net installer and use dwm as my WM. But I recognise I'm a bit of an outlier in that respect. I certainly wouldn't recommend my setup to anybody else - unless they were already experienced with Linux and were looking to try a tiling WM.

 

[Terminal Velocity]

Whenever anybody asks for a recommendation for a Linux distro, I'll always tell them the same thing.
Try a bunch of different distros, with different desktop environments and try to work out what works best on your hardware and best suits your needs.

Personaly, I settled on Debian a long time ago. I always install Debian via the minimal net installer and use dwm as my WM. But I recognise I'm a bit of an outlier in that respect. I certainly wouldn't recommend my setup to anybody else - unless they were already experienced with Linux and were looking to try a tiling WM.

You could suggest Debian stable with KDE or cinnamon. As an experienced user and a moderator your opinion has different weight. It is the least you can do for your trusty old OS

 

[MikeWalsh]

I agree, google is the mother and the father, but the OP has some points which we're addressing

(growls....) The "OP" is beginning to wish the thread had never been started...! I'd no idea Chris was going to pluck my post from its original location and turn it into a thread on its own. Frankly, I'm just embarrassed by it. It was a stupid observation in the first place, and should never have been made.

I think we'll let this thread fizzle out, guys. Either I phrased it wrong originally, or I'm just in the minority with the way I look at stuff. I certainly have no wish to rock the boat, nor to isolate myself from the rest of the community by having weird views on things.....

I'm far from perfect, I'll be the first to admit that, but I would hope I'm still capable of helping others with issues.....despite not running a single, mainstream distro from which I can quote examples.

"Death before dishonour", I think.....in this case.


Mike.

 

[KGIII]

I'd no idea Chris was going to pluck my post from its original location and turn it into a thread on its own.

Meh... He found it interesting enough to give it its own platform. I think it has been hashed out well enough and that any changes we make should be in our own behavior, if we feel like those changes can be made and will help.

What we can change is how we each individually reply to those questions - if we think it is worth doing.

I don't think it requires a rule or anything. Maybe folks can avoid repetition. If someone has already suggested your favorite newbie distro, just skip responding rather than turning it into an echo chamber. Something like that... (Those credits aren't that valuable! )

 

[CaffeineAddict]

(growls....) The "OP" is beginning to wish the thread had never been started...!

Uh no, I think it's good thread but obviously too much opinion based.

When I see a thread "what distro should I install" I'd rather abstain from replying to it, but users who ask this question want to hear suggestions after all.
A list of distros for beginners would be great but it's a two edged sword, folks or distro maintainers who don't find their distro on such lists might get upset for what ever reason.

I'd say we need to be diplomatic! satisfying everyone and no-one in same time.

 

[ron.alan]

I tend to recommend Mint for newbies (even though I no longer use it) for one reason only, Mint's forums are noob friendly. And because Mint was my first taste of Linux and the transition was fairly smooth; so I guess that's two reasons.