If many PCs will soon not have Windows 11 because they do not have the TPM 2.0 chip that Microsoft has now required, and finally support for Windows 10 is gradually running out, a lot of relatively new and usable hardware becomes completely unnecessary and becomes electronic waste. For these and similar reasons, many people look for alternatives and come across Linux. Unfortunately, many of them break off their project after a short time because, in view of the numerous Linux variants, they do not know where to start and are like the ox in front of the mountain.
There are just too many different Linux distributions because anyone who wants can publish their own – Linux is free software, after all. What is an advantage, because the many niche distributions also cover many special needs, becomes a disadvantage for beginners who simply do not know which to choose. The many YouTube videos that are always the same, in which new distributions are often presented and discussed shortly after they appear, are of little help, except to get an impression of what the desktop looks like.
More on the subject
- Windows alternatives: With these Linux distributions, the switch is easy
- In the test: Why the Linux distribution Pop OS did not deserve the praise
If you ask friends and acquaintances, you can rarely see more clearly afterwards. Three Linux users have four opinions as to which distributions are best. I hate Flamewars and I think people should just work with the system that is best for them to do their job – and yes, the answer can very often simply be “Windows”. In Linux debates, personal design preferences and highly political decisions about which package manager and which init system to use overshadow the question: What would those who want to switch easily cope with? Which Linux distributions just work?
Linux on the desktop is much better than its reputation
This is where Linux actually does better than its reputation. Standard applications such as browsers, spreadsheets, e-mail and so on are available. For the vast majority of people who have the usual mix of office tasks, online shopping and Netflix, any Linux distribution should work more than sufficiently well. The large user interfaces Gnome and KDE are easy to use, so that those who switch to Windows and Mac will get along well. I even claim that Windows has long been more confusing and cumbersome to use than a well-equipped, up-to-date Linux desktop.
In this regard, all Linux distributions are so similar that looking for the right distribution for Beginners should pay attention to other things. Is there good support, regular updates and a large, ideally friendly and not too elitist community that helps you with problems? Is the distribution widespread enough? Can I easily find solutions on the web?
The second criterion is your own hardware. The hardware worries of the past are over: now almost everything runs flawlessly under Linux – unfortunately not always with all distributions. For example, I have a printer / scanner combo that has Linux drivers in two formats: Deb and RPM. And my point of view is that I don’t want to buy a new printer for a Linux distribution. This means that distributions that prefer other software formats, such as Arch and Solus, are out of the question for me. Yes, I know that there are ways and means to install Deb or RPM packages under an Arch Linux, but we remember: The criterion is “just works” and not “my Linux is my new model railway”.
Confusing multitude of distributions
This is where beginners face a big problem. To put it bluntly, you have to memorize a whole family tree of Linux distributions and first of all know that Linux Mint and Pop OS are both Ubuntu descendants and thus indirectly Debian descendants, or that SuSE Linux is not a Red- Is a hat descendant, but can still use RPM packages. At this point most of them get out, and it’s hard to blame them for that.
People who use Linux are often professionals. This means that they use distributions selected according to professional criteria. They often fail to understand that their criteria are of little relevance to most people who switch. Fedora has an excellent reputation in the communities and is widely used in professional environments – and allegedly also by Linux founder Linus Torvalds. But anyone who has ever tried to get an Nvidia graphics card to work with the original drivers from Nvidia knows that Fedora is everything but not a “just runs” distribution.
It looks very similar with Debian which is recommended again and again by purists. Debian is a rock solid distribution, but it is no coincidence that the raison d’être of countless Linux distributions is simply to make something easy to use based on Debian. And no, the old saying “Linux is user-friendly, but it just chooses who its friends are” is not funny, but rather arrogant and off-putting for those who are interested in Open Source.
Red Hat, Debian or Arch?
Some Linux purists swear by Arch. This is a Linux that is very complex to install. His whole philosophy and raison d’etre is that you are in touch with every bit and want to adjust every screw yourself. So the exact opposite of “just works”. There are a few Linux distributions that offer entry-level, largely preconfigured Arch systems, which seems a bit absurd given the original Arch Linux idea. Manjaro and Endeavor OS are the best known representatives of this genre, from which I unfortunately have the impression that a lot of people only use them so that they can show off that they have something Arch-based on their computer.
One of the most important tips for beginners is: Ignore the Distrowatch.com website! There you can find out about new versions of Linux distributions quite well if you are in on the topic, but the rankings there tempt you to simply use the Linux distribution that is the most popular there. These rankings are window dressing because they count page visits that only provide information about what the page visitors are interested in, but not which Linux distribution they are actually using. In fact, there is only one distribution in the top five of the ranking, which I can recommend with a clear conscience to beginners and those switching.
People have different tastes and get along differently with different user interfaces. Some don’t care if their desktop looks like a mix of Windows 98 and the Star Trek design of the late 1980s, others want a sleek desktop that they enjoy looking at. These wishes are fulfilled by various distributions that are otherwise very similar in terms of their substructure. Often the tip is heard that it doesn’t matter which distribution you choose, because basically any graphical user interface such as Gnome, KDE or Xfce can be installed on all of them. I think that’s nonsense. A graphical user interface that is not part of the distribution is actually always ugly and not sufficiently well preconfigured. It also contradicts the “just runs” premise. If that means that some people opt for graphically very sophisticated distributions such as Feren OS, Zorin OS or Elementary OS, then you shouldn’t turn your nose – as unfortunately often happens in the communities – but be happy that by these distributions the number of Linux users is increasing.
Rolling Release – yes or no?
Some distributions seem carelessly knocked together and some are little divas who want their extra sausages. Pop OS is a good distribution in many ways, but unnecessarily throws obstacles in the way of those who switch, which is particularly annoying with a distribution whose goal is to come close to the “just runs” ideal.
A final point in the search for the right distribution is the question of the rolling release. New versions of the various Linux distributions are usually released every few months or years. Some distributors have simply stopped doing this, only distributing updates and calling the rolling release. The promise is to always have the latest software on your computer. Occasionally, this also means that the all-new software is a little worse tested and less stable. If you decide against a distribution with a rolling release, you won’t miss much: Even then, the latest Firefox or Chromium version is regularly available via automatic update.
A simple strategy for switching
If you summarize all of this, the answer to the question of the right distribution for those who switch is probably Ubuntu for most people. So there is a good chance that things will just work. And if not, solutions can be found quickly. Those who don’t like the look of Ubuntu are looking for a distribution that is a bit fresher or is more based on Windows or macOS, should take a look at the Ubuntu descendants Elementary OS, Feren OS, Linux Mint, and Zorin OS. They probably come closest to the various aesthetic tastes and the “just runs” ideal, while at the same time almost all problem solutions for Ubuntu that can be found on the Internet still work under these distributions.
As a strategy for a change that was now but still not good advice. Because if you have made your way to a distribution and installed it, you will find 1,000 small details that are different than before under Windows or macOS. Sophisticated workflows and ingrained habits have to be replaced and relearned, which can cost a lot of time, energy and nerves, especially when working under stress. This is often underestimated. It is therefore best to replace the operating system last and, first of all, gradually replace each program used with an open source variant under Windows or macOS. If that works after a while, you will quickly find your way around after switching to Linux and you will not miss anything. Especially under Windows this strategy will become easier and easier in the future.
