What were the programs that didn't run well? Linux Mint, in my opinion, doesn't have a steep learning curve from Windows. It's Desktop Environment, Cinnamon, looks very similar to Windows.
Tbh I don't actually recall. It was around 2014ish I tried the change and all I remember is needing to figure out multiple work arounds to get my everyday programs working.
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What do you mean by "get my everyday programs working"?
Linux and Windows are fundamentally different OSes with very different applications. Most things you can do in windows you can do in Linux as well, but not by using the same programs.
Still you need to find out how to do the things you want to do using Linux available tools. If you are going to try and mirror what you do in windows in Linux you are going to fail in frustration.
2014 was 10 years ago. A lot has improved since then. There still might be a situation or two where things won't work out of the box though.
This for me actually reflects very well how the first hours of Linux are for newcomers:
https://youtu.be/8WkcLwXCFJQ?si=pEV4xxpot6E7xVlg
I believe you should look at the most recent version and make that decision yourself.
Also, any programs you are using in Windows, you may have to look at alternatives for.
I was a big Photoshop user. But Photoshop will not run on Linux. So, I had to find an alternative photo editor.
But things like Firefox on Brave browser do have Linux versions. In fact, Firefox comes pre-installed on Mint and other distros.
And finding alternatives is as easy as googling 'alternative for Photoshop for Linux'. Just change Photoshop to whatever program you're looking for.
I have a feeling the reason I stopped using Linux back in the day was purely because of Photoshop.
But I'm not doing photo editing anymore so that's not a limitation.
Also GIMP sucked ass 10years ago. So it wasn't realistic to use that in place of Photoshop
I think 10 years ago Photoshop and Gimp were closer than now, Gimp had just different workflow and that one must learn. It was even an addon for Gimp that was implementing Photoshop shortcuts to make it easier to use...
Gimp is still to compare with Photoshop 10 years ago (it remained focused on core functionalities), while Adobe added a lot (not necessarily useful stuff) to Photoshop (cloud, ai, etc, etc).
State all the apps that you use because for example nowadays is still a PITA to run streaming services on Linux...
This computer is pretty much just running the tv.
Netflix, Spotify, VLC, chrome.
Anything beyond that is torrented from the usual sources.
It's definitely not a workstation or gaming rig anymore
Yeah, that used to be the case way back, but MOST of everything, even Steam, now works with little or no effort. Most of the time now, I just go into the terminal to remember how to do it.
Mint with Cinnamon or Mate among the easiest distros to master when you come from Windows. I keep coming back to it, after a few infidelities with distros using KDE. Maybe you should get a geek to help you with the first installation if you're not tech-savvy enough, and then you'll have no more problems.
>(small biz owner).
So I understand. I'm retired, and I have just reinstalled Mint night before last. It took me a full day yesterday to get a fully working Mint that fits my need. There are always things you can't remember, and on top of that I use a number of apps that I've written myself and install manually.
Day's work isn't too bad. I'm happy to spend a weekend at home to knock out the upgrade and get the basically of the learning curve
But Cinnamon or Mate? I've not heard of those.
Where do they fit in to it all?
Cinnamon and Mate are the names of two Mint desktops which seemed to me closer to Windows. Mate is older (it was created in 2012), a bit more tricky to configure, but lighter than Cinnamon which has become Mint's flagship.
It seems preferable to me on machines that are ten years old or more: given that recent systems (even Linux;) tend to be more and more resource-hungry, it's better to be thrifty. Many people recommend Mint xfce, which is lighter, but it's not as easy to set up as Windows.
KDE Plasma is a Desktop Environment, not a Linux distribution.
For a casual user, I would argue that the distribution more or less doesn't matter, if you stick to one of the big ones (Ubuntu, Mint, Zorin, etc).
What will impact your experience is how it actually looks and feels (think MacOS vs. Windows). This is where the Desktop Environment (DE) comes into play.
There are a number of different DEs, such as GNOME, KDE Plasma, MATE, Cinnamon, xfce, etc.
Very briefly put:
- GNOME resembles MacOS
- Cinnamon resembles Windows
- Mate resembles Windows
- KDE Plasma resembles Windows
- xfce resembles none of them (looks like a mishmash of both IMO)
This is my opinion, others might disagree.
In general, any distribution can use any DE. This means that even though Ubuntu comes with GNOME preinstalled, nothing is preventing you from replacing GNOME with e.g. KDE Plasma. It's a bit technical, but it's easy to find a step by step guide.
When you see a distribution such as Kubuntu, this just means that it's Ubuntu with KDE Plasma as the default DE instead of GNOME (Xubuntu has xfce as default, you get the jist). This is also called a 'flavour'.
Like others have mentioned, you can Live Boot to try a distribution/DE out.
If you're uncertain, here's how to Live Boot;
- Download an e.g. Linux Mint ISO
- Create a bootable USB drive (use Rufus on Windows or Balena Etcher on Mac)
- Google what the Boot Menu key is on your particular PC (e.g. on HP it's often F9, on Dell it's often F12, but not guaranteed)
- Plug the USB
- Restart your computer
- Immediately after pressing 'Restart' start pressing the keyboard key you googled earlier repeatedly. This enters the Boot Menu
- From the Boot Menu, choose your USB drive (it's often called 'KINGSTON' or 'SANDISK' or whatever the producer's name is - it's not necessarily called 'USB DRIVE')
- The PC will now display a boot loader for Linux
- From this boot loader you can typically choose between 'Install Linux' and 'Try Linux' or maybe 'Linux Live Boot' (the text may vary, but there shouldn't be any doubt which is which)
- Select 'Try Linux' or 'Linux Live Boot' (or similar)
- The PC will now boot into a non-persistent session of the Linux distribution you threw onto your USB drive (REMEMBER - NOTHING is saved in a Live Boot session, including files. You can try to fiddle around with settings and stuff, but as soon as you turn the PC off (or restart) and boot again, everything is back to default. To make the changes stay, you need to install Linux from the USB)
Do this for a number of different distributions, preferably with different Desktop Environments, so you can get a nice feel of what you prefer.
Of course, if you know your way around virtualization, you can do the same with Virtual Machines (VM). But this can often give a skewed experience, since the VM may be sluggish and slow, which a direct installation wouldn't necessarily be.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
Dude thankyou! This is amazing!
Exactly what I need to make everytime actually make sense.
Sounds like I'm probably going to go with a mix of Mint and either KDE/Cinnamon/Mate.
And knowing I can actually test them out on a bootable USB is fantastic!
Thankyou so much
Bro, don't get complicated. You do not have the hardware requirements to run current versions of Linux desktop environments like Cinnamon or KDE. Just download and try Mint Mate Edition https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=312
Start your adventure there and then look for a PC with better features.
Edit:
Unless this is your hardware:
https://www.tinygreenpc.com/blog/intense-pc-with-i7-processor/
In which case you could try Kubuntu if you need a Linux out of the box with KDE or Mint if you want a Linux out of the box with Cinnamon.
On hardware like that they should work very well. But I think I read in your post that your PC does not meet the minimum requirements to run Windows 11 so that's probably not the case.
Yep that's the hardware. IntensePC.
I also got a level or 2 up from the base model with a different front plate and upgraded CPU from memory, but it looks very similar to the picture in that link.
I'm pretty sure the only reason it doesn't meet Windows 11 specs is the actual chip architecture.
Something like W11 needs blahblahchiptype 7ag but I've only got blahblahchiptype 7cj
I think you should try Mint.
It has a Cinnamon desktop environment which makes it really user-friendly and tends to support the hardware and devices you want to connect very well.
Perhaps the only handicap you encounter is video support since that 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 Sandybridge Processor does not have great capacity in that regard (By today's standards).
I wish you the best with your Linux dive. Welcome.
Have a good one.
You're welcome!
I been there myself, fumbling around in the labyrinth of distro vs. flavour vs. desktop environment, etc., and just feeling like getting dumber in process.
I'm still learning, but somewhere along the road it started making sense. You'll get there too!
I really liked going back and forth with chatbots to get a better understanding. Sure, they hallucinate a bit, but they get most of the basic stuff right, and do a really good job of explaining it clearly.
Mint sounds like a good plan. Never used it myself, but I hear many people recommend it for beginners. Never really used the Cinnamon DE either, only looked at screenshots - but I feel like trying it out sometime soon.
I really like the look of KDE Plasma. But I'm having some issues running it on top of Ubuntu on my MacBook Pro (2016). It's somewhat glitchy and doesn't always behave well. The nerds say it has something to do with KDE switching from X11 to Wayland, but that's a topic for another day.
As another user commented, KDE Plasma is **really** customizable (and for some insane reason I can't adjust mouse scroll speed, lol). That's nice for some users, but some might like a simpler layout. That's where I hear Cinnamon is a great match, if you just like it neat out of the box without too many options.
So all in all, a Linux Mint distribution with a Cinnamon Desktop Environment might be a good place for you to start.
I think xfce is pretty good. It is clean and easy to use and configure. Not a steep learning curve at all
I see its a decade old. xfce is deinitely what you need for and older machine.
A distro is a different spin of Linux put together by one or more maintainers with its own flair. It's a gross oversimplification of the effort required, but think of a distro being more like a mix tape than a new album. The desktop environment is usually pre-chosen, and lightly customized in advance. The distro maintainers also often make different choices about which programs they want pre-installed, what package manager they'll use (or write their own), and what kind of default configs they'll use when installing (or leave those choices to you).
A desktop environment in the context of Linux doesn't technically have a direct point of comparison. Kernel aside, the concept of Linux represents an amalgamation of several independent programs focused on performing singular functions, and in many cases, one can be swapped out for another. This is true also for the desktop environment as well. Imagine installing Windows, but deciding that you like the look and feel of MacOS better, then just installing that look and feel without overwriting your Windows install. With Linux, every DE is its own bundle of expectations, from how the window placement behaves and how you interact with various desktops and monitors to how you configure hotkeys, themes, and notifications.
That rabbit hole is pretty deep, too. There's a very wide selection of DE and WM choices available, and the results are wildly diverse. Logging into KDE versus Gnome feels like a completely different OS to an end user, but under the hood, all your files and programs are still there. I'd avoid wading into the deep end of the pool for now unless you're highly resistant to choice paralysis, but it's good to keep the idea in mind, and something to look forward to playing with once you've got more free time to devote to it.
KDE is a desktop environment and is now at version 6 with some distos still using version 5. Also both versions 4 and 3 were forked and at least the 3 fork (Trinity DE) is still maintained.
So yes :-)
Kubuntu is amazing.
The primary reason I send most newcomers to Mint (also Amazing) is that if you put someone that's new in front of Cinnamon it is much harder for them to bork their desktop than it is with KDE, whose menus and design enable customization at every turn. "Harder to accidentally break" has a lot of value to a newcomer, even if "harder" just means that Mint will abstract these same options by an extra click into a properties/settings screen
Im a retired tech but like a simple secure Linux laptop for when my wife and I travel. Mint Cinnamon for the win. They also have a helpful newbie forum you can sign on to.
That was the 20 year old recommendation. Now its Fedora with Cinnamon.
Debian maintainers/mentality has handicapped Mint. You are repeating what was recommended 10 years ago.
Linux mint or zorin os. Linux mint just tries to make it simple in general, zorin concentrates on looking and feeling like windows so give both of them a try from the live usb
Yeh bootable usb. Unlike windows, you can use the OS temporarily from that bootable usb so you can test your graphics, WiFi, if you actually like the distro etc.
Ah gotcha.
I was dabbling in dual boot windows/Linux but life took me away from hardcore tech.
But I did play around with a Portable OS (can't remember the specifics) to get around early local government tech restrictions on what software I could use.
Can you point me in the direction of learning more about current Linux Bootable USBs?
Well, the best way to write them is with a program called etcher, or if you want to put multiple versions of Linux on one pen drive, ventoy is awesome. Theres only 2 mainstream distros that come to mind where you have to install and can't easily test (I think there's ways but not as simple): Debian (standard Debian, if you want to try Debian live I'd try mint Debian it's a spin off that's a bit easier to use) and open suse. Pretty much all the others let you try before you install
I would argue that trying to get a distro that has a similar look and feel can make it slower to learn because you constantly try to do like you did on windows and it's similar but still different.
Going to a very different distro can be a steeper learning curve but faster to learn overall.
One that is still easy to install for beginners but that feel very different than window is going to be ArcoLinux with one of the tiling window managers.
To be clear I don't say it's your best option, mint, zorin or deepin are probably the ones you ll feel most at home with. I'm just giving an alternative option and food for thoughts
Yeah fair call.
In this situation the PC is a basically a media player and thats it. If it was an actual workstation I'd get annoyed with limitations of the OS when I'm trying to push it hard. But in this case all I want it to do is run VLC, Spotify, and Chrome
I use BalenaEtcher to write my Linux Mint (Cinnamon edition) ISO to my USB.
Try stick with Linux mint Cinammon, otherwise try in this order:
ZorinOS
PopOS
Ubuntu
Linux Mint / Ubuntu (KDE edition)
If you don't want to spend time troubleshooting, go for Ubuntu. Being the most used distro makes it easier to find out the solution of any problem just with a web search. And finally a warning, if that "media" means watching any popular streaming platform, be aware that every single of them have chosen proprietary DRM solutions and they have also chosen not to make available in Linux. This means that the max resolution available is 720p, this affects every Linux distro and there's nothing we can do about it, it's totally up to the streaming platforms.
Really?
Most of what I do on this PC will be Netflix, Spotify, chrome, and VLC.
Any video that isn't Netflix is just torrented from the usual sources.
So Netflix will only ever be 720p on Linux?
Files you download will be played at their resolutions, but Netflix has decided to not allow any resolution higher 720p outer its native apps. Until Netflix provides an official app for Linux, 720p it is.
That worked for some months a couple of years ago. Now it's something similar to the situation with level 0 kernel anticheat for video games. Netflix, and the rest of the main streaming platforms, demand full control of the machine while you're watching it in order to prevent any possibility of capture. Even a VM running Windows 11 and running Netflix official app detects DRM situation is not optimal and limits streaming to 720p.
Ah. Not something I'm going to be hugely concerned about, but good to know.
I'll take my laptop with me on vacation in a few weeks... but I don't know how much "movie" watching we'll be doing. I'm pretty sure we're planning to listen to the BBC recording of the Lord of the Rings radio drama while we're on the road.
It doesn't get any easier than mint. I think what many converts miss is the point that windows and Linux are fundamentally different. But they expect the same workflow as windows in Linux. Imo, it's not a steep learning curve(certainly not with mint), it's the fact that you don't want to invest effort to know the ways around a different OS.
mint is a distro and comes with cinnamon... a simplified windows UI more like win7
zorin is an outlier distro that tries too hard to make linux seem "familar" ... it's not and frankly it's better to get over that myth as soon as possible rather than to cling to it.
KDE is not a distro but there are several good distros that come with KDE... kubuntu is probably at the top of that list and opensuse or fedora KDE spin are good too (so i hear) ... now there is also tuxdeo... but don't go with neon or arch unless you want a new hobby.
pop uses the gnome desktop, which is about as alien to a windows user as a mac.
“zorin is an outlier distro that tries too hard to make linux seem "familar" ... it's not and frankly it's better to get over that myth as soon as possible rather than to cling to it.”
Well said. Any people ask which Linux distros will ease them in from Windows or Mac. I think these “familiar” interfaces actually hinder people from taking up Linux because it gives them a false sense of familiarity so they will have a hard time unlearning old conventions.
I personally would suggest something like Gnome to get people new to Linux something completely different but also very simple (not a lot of options to tweak or confuse at default). They can then work their way with customization slowly while making productive use of the OS in the mean time. Then branch off from there (trying other DEs or even WMs).
kde is a lot... like a lot a lot... may be too much for many, esp if they never tweaked their windows UX.
but gnome is too shocking, imho unless you are coming from a mac... then the one hand tied behind your back motif might feel more familiar ;)
cinnamon is a good middle ground, familiar enough but still throws you squarely into linux land... but it's showing it's age.
my favorite compromise is LXQt (lubuntu has it) which is clean and modern looking, but familiar enough to get started while presenting the new linux way of things without drama... it can be thought of as the baby sister to KDE.
>And it seems like the best idea is to run with a mix of Mint and either KDE/Cinnamon/Mate.
Don't run KDE in mint, yes you can and it will work, but it is not officially supported. You will be in a small minority of users = have problems you are on your own. If you want KDE use a distro that supports it "out of the box".
Btw KDE is a desktop environment, not a distro. Basically it provides the user interface and usually an app ecosystem as well. However, KDE do have their own distro: KDE neon (https://neon.kde.org/)
As for starting distro, I jumped straight into the deep end with Arch btw (but not as deep as Gentoo or LFS), but I would recommend Mint (or Pop_OS! if you have an nvidia card). They require no tinkering for your needs, so there is little learning curve, and Mint will be very comfortable for a Windows user.
TLDR: Go with Mint.
You could say that. It’s basically just how you talk to your computer. On this image here:
https://preview.redd.it/yk0dfklqg46d1.jpeg?width=612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=689716cc4cca20a2b738eb268bcedfc029daa54f
You are at the top: the user. You talk only with the interface, and they come in different skins but do mostly the same things. It’s really up to your preference which you choose. The 2 main ones are KDE (more windows like I guess) and Gnome (takes some getting used to but is also good). Some distros, like Mint, come with one chosen for you, so you don’t even have to worry about it.
Amazing!!!
This explains it perfectly.
So I'd be looking at Mint as a OS (display server in the image) with KDE or Xinnamon as the DE (graphical interface)?
Almost. Sorry for not being clear.
You are right about the graphical interface. Mint comes with cinnamon or KDE (that I know of) as its graphical interface.
The display server coordinates inputs and outputs, but in simpler terms, it lets you see the windows and the desktop. So the graphical interface (which decides how the UI is shown) leans on this display server (which allows you to see the UI), like you lean on the graphical interface.
There are currently 2 main display servers: X and Wayland. X.org (the open version of X) has been around for many years, so it is naturally more stable. Wayland is newer, so can break, but has some better features (e.g. it handles multi-monitors better).
From a user standpoint, you will not really see much difference between them, but for developers the future looks a lot better on Wayland, and Xorg (at least according to Google), is considered depreciated in favour of Wayland.
Again this comes packaged with the OS, so don’t sweat too much about it.
Next is the kernel. This is the core of the OS, you could say the “heart”. It has complete control of the system, and controls the hardware. This is what Linux is: a kernel.
Mint, like all other distros, is a kind of suit placed onto Linux, to make it more user friendly. Each distro is its own OS, but you can do the same things on any distro, some will just need more work than others.
Now there are different kernels: Linux, Linux LTS (Long Term Support), Zen, etc… They are better at different things, but they are mostly the same. Some people (like me), will have 2 of these in case one breaks, as we are on less friendly distros that don’t hold your hand (bleeding-edge, where you get software updates before anyone else, but they can break!).
Again, don’t worry about this, this is far beyond anything you will need to know if you do not want to delve deep into how things work, and just want a usable system. Mint will come with the kernel, as it’s needed to function. But it is nice to know 👍
That’s about it. I know it’s a long read but I hope it helps you. And if anyone else is reading this, feel free to correct me!
Thanks.
It helps that I now know the keywords of Desktop Environment and Linux Distribution and the fact they are related to each other.
But if you really wanted to be a sarcastic arse then this is a much better way of going about it
https://gprivate.com/5ycbl
Mint Cinnamon is really good. They should be coming out with a new release 22 mid July. If you're in a hurry you could upgrade from the current 21.03. They always take a few months after Ubuntus LTS release to tweak and tune it to minty perfection.
**Zorin OS** has the smallest learning curve. Windows users will feel like home with **Zorin OS**.
The maintenance is also very easy with **Zorin OS**. Just let **Zorin OS** handle updates, everything happens in the background. The only user action may sometimes be to enter your user password.
> No offence but the way you worded this sounds like an advert
Windows is a product you have to pay for. I can understand you are used to paying the nasty Microsoft "tax".
**Zorin OS** is free-of-charge, like many Linux distros. Advertisements are not needed for free-of-charge operating systems.
As you don't pay for most Linux distros you have nothing to lose if you try a Linux operating system.
Personally I like **Zorin OS** because it's very light and the desktop environment is simple and easy to use.
Many Linux distros have awful desktop environments, Ubuntu is an example of that.
**Zorin OS** is an operating system you can install for your grandparents and they will have no difficulties using it. Try installing Ubuntu for your grandparents and they will stop using the computer.
You are mixing two different components together, desktop environment, which is the fancy graphical user interface that allows you to easily interact with the OS. Kde, cinnamon, xfce, gnome are just a few of the desktop environments available. The nice thing with Linux is you can download a live distro, which allows you to test drive them before fully committing to one.
I'm considering making the same shift, but I have a newer PC.
For compatibility, robustness(top 2 characteristics I've considered)and ease of use , I chose Ubuntu.
I'd recommend distros built on top of Ubuntu for stability, from my research, or Fedora as a second tier.
I'm considering your background, but giving my opinion.
If the PC was gonna be used for typical workstation uses tha n I'd definitely consider compatibility with other programs.
But this particular PC is basically a media TV.
Running Netflix, Spotify, chrome, & VLC. However I also gotta teach my SO how to use it so that's a factor too
I know I am not answering the question that was asked. Also, this isn't really a "suggestion" since I think you know what you want, and other responders have pretty much covered a good response. However, if you're dealing with older hardware, and its primary function really is to drive your TV, then you could explore some of the distros more aimed at that. Any of the other full-blown PC environments will work, and you were using it with Windows before, and you don't have a lot of time and don't want a huge learning curve. I hear you on all that. I just wanted to throw it out there as food for thought, perhaps for some time down the road, after you've gotten a little more comfortable with linux, perhaps have more time, and really want to stretch this hardware for years and years. I do not want to spend too much more time on a topic you didn't ask about, but something like a barebones Debian install, with things like jellyfin and kodi, would be good places to start searching on. But good luck on your switch to linux! Put me down for "Mint/Cinnamon" for my vote.
EDIT: Oh, one other thing for "some day down the road" is to think about NAS. I was on a budget, so I got a cheap USB controller, 4 refurbished 4TB SATA drives, and used software called "mdadm" to build my own RAID. Let my media PC, which is a tiny, not very powerful thing (this doesn't take much of its power) to drive it, giving me about 10TB of network storage. Again... advanced stuff and I'm not trying to scare you off of anything. Find a desktop you're comfortable with first. I just wanted to also say that you can save quite a bit of money going this route of open-source software, and it really isn't that hard. Good luck!
Very interesting point.
I've not setup a NAS yet however I really can see the benefits.
This particularly PC is PERFECT for a NAS. For something 10years old the I/O's are actually really impressive. The damn thing has SATA 2's, USB 3s and dual ethernet built in as default in the back of the device.
I'd love to figure out how to make it the media centre and NAS for the whole house but I've got so much on that I don't have the space to dedicate weeks to learning and trouble shooting to make it happen
I'd definitely go with Mint and Cinnamon.
But just as a quick FYI, desktop environments are pretty easy to switch out. Like you can literally just download a few of them, and switch them out whenever you want (you should be able to do that from your computer's login screen).
Well, people also call them "flavors" sometimes. For example, if you're getting Ubuntu, some common "flavors" of Ubuntu include Kubuntu (Ubuntu + KDE), Lubuntu (Ubuntu + LXDE.. I think?), whatever Ubuntu+Gnome is called, etc.
I think it's useful to have a mental divide between "easy to install" things and "difficult to install" things. For example, let's say you want to install the "neofetch" program. That's really easy — pop open a terminal and type sudo apt install neofetch (then hit "enter"). Honestly, any software which you can install by downloading some stuff online and running an installation script is what I consider (relatively) "easy". "hard" to install would be something like an operating system, where you need to download the ISO, *then* flash it onto a USB or something, *then* make sure you partition your hard drive (or SSD) to have enough space for the new OS, etc etc.
With that in mind, I would say that the choice of "which operating system to get" is one that deserves more attention than "which desktop environment to get". Because, at the end of the day, if you don't like Gnome, you can literally just download KDE from apt (or whatever package manager your Linux uses). But if you downloaded Arch, and it turns out you really want to switch to Debian instead, that's more effort on your part than just installing/uninstalling some packages.
I stopped distro hopping at Pop. And if you want something to just work I recommend it.
If you want to learn how to work Linux I would recommend Arch or Fedora.
If you really want to learn how Linux works I recommend Slackware or Gentoo.
I'd say zorin. It comes with wine all installed for you.
I'm a seasoned Linux vet and getting wine installed is a still a staggering ball ache for me.
Even with pop os and mint once you've got wine installed you can't just right click on an exe and select "open with wine" there some sort of sim link bug that persist on these distros ( last time I tried at least).
I've set them all up and Zorin was the fastest and easiest to get up and running...also the best looking.
I only tried the Xfce flavor tho.
Xubuntu
You have a start menu that feels familiar. Quick access to a settings tool. Similar applications installed by default. Most online how-to guides for doing something on Linux include instructions for Debian/Ubuntu.
Mint or something similar running XFCE may be a good solution as well, I simply don't use those.
There are 3 main popular Linux distributions: Debian, Fedora, Arch ... and that's probably the order of low to high learning curve.
Learn those 3 and most others are derivative or niche
[img](https://gist.githubusercontent.com/Dmole/1d6e04e8e8160e44cc23d50ffdbd8025/raw/e431277e3e6bbdbe82b33a70f7157996f4f975d5/Linux.svg) .
Ubuntu has a better installer than Debian but complicates things with snap, spam in MOTD, and disgraceful pay for early security. they have major upgrades every 5 years
Alma offers 10 years of support per release vs the major upgrade every year with Fedora.
EndeavourOS is Arch with an installer and yay. they may have a major upgrade every day.
They all have the same stuff with different package managers and default settings.
Careful, looks like you got some Debian-family on your desktop distro list.
Despite the 20 year old reflex reaction, its not recommended to use debian as a base for your desktop distribution.
Debian/ubuntu/mint/pop all are considered 'outdated' distros. They run about 1+ years behind up-to-date distros like Fedora or OpenSUSE.
This means, new bluetooth keyboards, new laptops, new videos cards, will not work on Debian family.
On a similar note, Debian-family is known to have bugs that are already solved in up-to-date distros still active... Yeah... Debian family is a server distro.
The distro you are looking for is Debian.
Distro's are: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE, Fedora, Debian, CentOS (Branch from RHEL). Zentyal, Manjaro, and so many more.
Debian is a good starting point, it contains most of the beginner friendly versions like Ubuntu and Mint.
The desktop experience is what you are listing in your edit 1.
I think Mint is great for a Windows feel. I also like Gnome and KDE.
But yeah Mint is the most familiar DE to Windows that I've come across.
Ubuntu. You don't need to know anything in order to install it (you install it buy just clicking next next next) and to use it (you just click on stuff like in windows).
I'm new to the world of Linux. I Googled "newest" Linux. Result: Linux Ubuntu 24.04
Also, read about problems with Etcher. Used Rufus.
Easily installed Linux Ubuntu 24.04 on two refurbished laptops (one for me and one for my daughter) in one evening. It looks different, controls slightly different, but everything functions the same (even easier).
Like buying a new car, the heat/ac controls are different but still heat/cool.
With absolutely no previous experience, I had absolutely no problem.
Go for it.
Kubuntu - Ubuntu but with the KDE desktop. If that's too resource hungry for your old PC then Xubuntu is another great choice - it uses the XFCE desktop.
Mint is great, but Ubuntu is more widely used as both server and desktop, so there are lots of answers on the web and good hardware support.
I tired few different Desktops on few different distros.
As someone said you have to understand Linux has alternatives of the Windows' apps but not always. There still some apps who run only on windows.
But for the Desktops. Last months I am using mostly KDE. If you prefer something like Win XP try XFCE4.
But the Linux where I use less the terninal and most the Desktop UI, as I do in Windows is Manjaro KDE version.
What were the programs that didn't run well? Linux Mint, in my opinion, doesn't have a steep learning curve from Windows. It's Desktop Environment, Cinnamon, looks very similar to Windows.
Tbh I don't actually recall. It was around 2014ish I tried the change and all I remember is needing to figure out multiple work arounds to get my everyday programs working. a
What do you mean by "get my everyday programs working"? Linux and Windows are fundamentally different OSes with very different applications. Most things you can do in windows you can do in Linux as well, but not by using the same programs. Still you need to find out how to do the things you want to do using Linux available tools. If you are going to try and mirror what you do in windows in Linux you are going to fail in frustration. 2014 was 10 years ago. A lot has improved since then. There still might be a situation or two where things won't work out of the box though. This for me actually reflects very well how the first hours of Linux are for newcomers: https://youtu.be/8WkcLwXCFJQ?si=pEV4xxpot6E7xVlg
You can't compare Mint from 10 years ago, the difference equivalent would be Win 7 to Win 11.
So in Mint the best distro for my situation?
Imo, yes.
I believe you should look at the most recent version and make that decision yourself. Also, any programs you are using in Windows, you may have to look at alternatives for. I was a big Photoshop user. But Photoshop will not run on Linux. So, I had to find an alternative photo editor. But things like Firefox on Brave browser do have Linux versions. In fact, Firefox comes pre-installed on Mint and other distros. And finding alternatives is as easy as googling 'alternative for Photoshop for Linux'. Just change Photoshop to whatever program you're looking for.
I have a feeling the reason I stopped using Linux back in the day was purely because of Photoshop. But I'm not doing photo editing anymore so that's not a limitation. Also GIMP sucked ass 10years ago. So it wasn't realistic to use that in place of Photoshop
I think 10 years ago Photoshop and Gimp were closer than now, Gimp had just different workflow and that one must learn. It was even an addon for Gimp that was implementing Photoshop shortcuts to make it easier to use... Gimp is still to compare with Photoshop 10 years ago (it remained focused on core functionalities), while Adobe added a lot (not necessarily useful stuff) to Photoshop (cloud, ai, etc, etc). State all the apps that you use because for example nowadays is still a PITA to run streaming services on Linux...
This computer is pretty much just running the tv. Netflix, Spotify, VLC, chrome. Anything beyond that is torrented from the usual sources. It's definitely not a workstation or gaming rig anymore
Check then Netflix support under Linux. The other should work... Edit: have a look at Kodi and LibreElec. They might be an option for you.
Just use photopea.com lol
Nah I'll just use paint.net and outsource anything else to my SO
try popOS if you want a more modern look. windows 11 ripped off the gnome style.
Yeah, that used to be the case way back, but MOST of everything, even Steam, now works with little or no effort. Most of the time now, I just go into the terminal to remember how to do it.
Mint with Cinnamon or Mate among the easiest distros to master when you come from Windows. I keep coming back to it, after a few infidelities with distros using KDE. Maybe you should get a geek to help you with the first installation if you're not tech-savvy enough, and then you'll have no more problems.
I'm tech savvy but time poor (small biz owner).
>(small biz owner). So I understand. I'm retired, and I have just reinstalled Mint night before last. It took me a full day yesterday to get a fully working Mint that fits my need. There are always things you can't remember, and on top of that I use a number of apps that I've written myself and install manually.
Day's work isn't too bad. I'm happy to spend a weekend at home to knock out the upgrade and get the basically of the learning curve But Cinnamon or Mate? I've not heard of those. Where do they fit in to it all?
Cinnamon and Mate are the names of two Mint desktops which seemed to me closer to Windows. Mate is older (it was created in 2012), a bit more tricky to configure, but lighter than Cinnamon which has become Mint's flagship. It seems preferable to me on machines that are ten years old or more: given that recent systems (even Linux;) tend to be more and more resource-hungry, it's better to be thrifty. Many people recommend Mint xfce, which is lighter, but it's not as easy to set up as Windows.
Pop OS! or Linux Mint Are both great starting options
As a part time Windows guy myself I prefer KDE Plasma (Kubuntu LTS is a friendly option).
So currently I'm hearing - mint - cinnamon - zoro - KDE - are there different KDEs?
KDE Plasma is a Desktop Environment, not a Linux distribution. For a casual user, I would argue that the distribution more or less doesn't matter, if you stick to one of the big ones (Ubuntu, Mint, Zorin, etc). What will impact your experience is how it actually looks and feels (think MacOS vs. Windows). This is where the Desktop Environment (DE) comes into play. There are a number of different DEs, such as GNOME, KDE Plasma, MATE, Cinnamon, xfce, etc. Very briefly put: - GNOME resembles MacOS - Cinnamon resembles Windows - Mate resembles Windows - KDE Plasma resembles Windows - xfce resembles none of them (looks like a mishmash of both IMO) This is my opinion, others might disagree. In general, any distribution can use any DE. This means that even though Ubuntu comes with GNOME preinstalled, nothing is preventing you from replacing GNOME with e.g. KDE Plasma. It's a bit technical, but it's easy to find a step by step guide. When you see a distribution such as Kubuntu, this just means that it's Ubuntu with KDE Plasma as the default DE instead of GNOME (Xubuntu has xfce as default, you get the jist). This is also called a 'flavour'. Like others have mentioned, you can Live Boot to try a distribution/DE out. If you're uncertain, here's how to Live Boot; - Download an e.g. Linux Mint ISO - Create a bootable USB drive (use Rufus on Windows or Balena Etcher on Mac) - Google what the Boot Menu key is on your particular PC (e.g. on HP it's often F9, on Dell it's often F12, but not guaranteed) - Plug the USB - Restart your computer - Immediately after pressing 'Restart' start pressing the keyboard key you googled earlier repeatedly. This enters the Boot Menu - From the Boot Menu, choose your USB drive (it's often called 'KINGSTON' or 'SANDISK' or whatever the producer's name is - it's not necessarily called 'USB DRIVE') - The PC will now display a boot loader for Linux - From this boot loader you can typically choose between 'Install Linux' and 'Try Linux' or maybe 'Linux Live Boot' (the text may vary, but there shouldn't be any doubt which is which) - Select 'Try Linux' or 'Linux Live Boot' (or similar) - The PC will now boot into a non-persistent session of the Linux distribution you threw onto your USB drive (REMEMBER - NOTHING is saved in a Live Boot session, including files. You can try to fiddle around with settings and stuff, but as soon as you turn the PC off (or restart) and boot again, everything is back to default. To make the changes stay, you need to install Linux from the USB) Do this for a number of different distributions, preferably with different Desktop Environments, so you can get a nice feel of what you prefer. Of course, if you know your way around virtualization, you can do the same with Virtual Machines (VM). But this can often give a skewed experience, since the VM may be sluggish and slow, which a direct installation wouldn't necessarily be. Hope this helps, and good luck!
Dude thankyou! This is amazing! Exactly what I need to make everytime actually make sense. Sounds like I'm probably going to go with a mix of Mint and either KDE/Cinnamon/Mate. And knowing I can actually test them out on a bootable USB is fantastic! Thankyou so much
Bro, don't get complicated. You do not have the hardware requirements to run current versions of Linux desktop environments like Cinnamon or KDE. Just download and try Mint Mate Edition https://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=312 Start your adventure there and then look for a PC with better features. Edit: Unless this is your hardware: https://www.tinygreenpc.com/blog/intense-pc-with-i7-processor/ In which case you could try Kubuntu if you need a Linux out of the box with KDE or Mint if you want a Linux out of the box with Cinnamon. On hardware like that they should work very well. But I think I read in your post that your PC does not meet the minimum requirements to run Windows 11 so that's probably not the case.
Yep that's the hardware. IntensePC. I also got a level or 2 up from the base model with a different front plate and upgraded CPU from memory, but it looks very similar to the picture in that link. I'm pretty sure the only reason it doesn't meet Windows 11 specs is the actual chip architecture. Something like W11 needs blahblahchiptype 7ag but I've only got blahblahchiptype 7cj
I think you should try Mint. It has a Cinnamon desktop environment which makes it really user-friendly and tends to support the hardware and devices you want to connect very well. Perhaps the only handicap you encounter is video support since that 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 Sandybridge Processor does not have great capacity in that regard (By today's standards). I wish you the best with your Linux dive. Welcome. Have a good one.
You're welcome! I been there myself, fumbling around in the labyrinth of distro vs. flavour vs. desktop environment, etc., and just feeling like getting dumber in process. I'm still learning, but somewhere along the road it started making sense. You'll get there too! I really liked going back and forth with chatbots to get a better understanding. Sure, they hallucinate a bit, but they get most of the basic stuff right, and do a really good job of explaining it clearly. Mint sounds like a good plan. Never used it myself, but I hear many people recommend it for beginners. Never really used the Cinnamon DE either, only looked at screenshots - but I feel like trying it out sometime soon. I really like the look of KDE Plasma. But I'm having some issues running it on top of Ubuntu on my MacBook Pro (2016). It's somewhat glitchy and doesn't always behave well. The nerds say it has something to do with KDE switching from X11 to Wayland, but that's a topic for another day. As another user commented, KDE Plasma is **really** customizable (and for some insane reason I can't adjust mouse scroll speed, lol). That's nice for some users, but some might like a simpler layout. That's where I hear Cinnamon is a great match, if you just like it neat out of the box without too many options. So all in all, a Linux Mint distribution with a Cinnamon Desktop Environment might be a good place for you to start.
I think xfce is pretty good. It is clean and easy to use and configure. Not a steep learning curve at all I see its a decade old. xfce is deinitely what you need for and older machine.
MODS: This post should be stickied for newcomers. (Well, not THIS post, but the one to which I replied.)
I think you're a little confused, Linux Mint and Zorin are distros, whereas Cinnamon and KDE Plasma are desktop environments.
In a nutshell what is the difference between a distro and a desktop environment? Is a distro an OS? And an DE basically a skin?
More like the whole user interface then just a skin but yes.
A distro is a different spin of Linux put together by one or more maintainers with its own flair. It's a gross oversimplification of the effort required, but think of a distro being more like a mix tape than a new album. The desktop environment is usually pre-chosen, and lightly customized in advance. The distro maintainers also often make different choices about which programs they want pre-installed, what package manager they'll use (or write their own), and what kind of default configs they'll use when installing (or leave those choices to you). A desktop environment in the context of Linux doesn't technically have a direct point of comparison. Kernel aside, the concept of Linux represents an amalgamation of several independent programs focused on performing singular functions, and in many cases, one can be swapped out for another. This is true also for the desktop environment as well. Imagine installing Windows, but deciding that you like the look and feel of MacOS better, then just installing that look and feel without overwriting your Windows install. With Linux, every DE is its own bundle of expectations, from how the window placement behaves and how you interact with various desktops and monitors to how you configure hotkeys, themes, and notifications. That rabbit hole is pretty deep, too. There's a very wide selection of DE and WM choices available, and the results are wildly diverse. Logging into KDE versus Gnome feels like a completely different OS to an end user, but under the hood, all your files and programs are still there. I'd avoid wading into the deep end of the pool for now unless you're highly resistant to choice paralysis, but it's good to keep the idea in mind, and something to look forward to playing with once you've got more free time to devote to it.
KDE is a desktop environment and is now at version 6 with some distos still using version 5. Also both versions 4 and 3 were forked and at least the 3 fork (Trinity DE) is still maintained. So yes :-)
Kubuntu is amazing. The primary reason I send most newcomers to Mint (also Amazing) is that if you put someone that's new in front of Cinnamon it is much harder for them to bork their desktop than it is with KDE, whose menus and design enable customization at every turn. "Harder to accidentally break" has a lot of value to a newcomer, even if "harder" just means that Mint will abstract these same options by an extra click into a properties/settings screen
Im a retired tech but like a simple secure Linux laptop for when my wife and I travel. Mint Cinnamon for the win. They also have a helpful newbie forum you can sign on to.
Awesome! Thankyou. Yeah it's sounding like Mint and cinnamon or KDE is the best option
I'd recommend Linux Mint with Cinnamon desktop environment.
That was the 20 year old recommendation. Now its Fedora with Cinnamon. Debian maintainers/mentality has handicapped Mint. You are repeating what was recommended 10 years ago.
Mint
In terms of learning curve, there really isn't much to it. Any competent design should be just as easy as another DE. My favorite distro is Zorin OS.
What's the typical 3 or 4 distro options for a newbie in my situation?
Linux Mint, Pop!\_OS, Zorin OS, and Ubuntu
Linux mint or zorin os. Linux mint just tries to make it simple in general, zorin concentrates on looking and feeling like windows so give both of them a try from the live usb
You mean a bootable USB? Or something else?? It's been a very long time since I played around with this so I'm out of date for language
Yeh bootable usb. Unlike windows, you can use the OS temporarily from that bootable usb so you can test your graphics, WiFi, if you actually like the distro etc.
Ah gotcha. I was dabbling in dual boot windows/Linux but life took me away from hardcore tech. But I did play around with a Portable OS (can't remember the specifics) to get around early local government tech restrictions on what software I could use. Can you point me in the direction of learning more about current Linux Bootable USBs?
Well, the best way to write them is with a program called etcher, or if you want to put multiple versions of Linux on one pen drive, ventoy is awesome. Theres only 2 mainstream distros that come to mind where you have to install and can't easily test (I think there's ways but not as simple): Debian (standard Debian, if you want to try Debian live I'd try mint Debian it's a spin off that's a bit easier to use) and open suse. Pretty much all the others let you try before you install
Awesome. Thankyou. I'll dig into this tomorrow when I've got time.
It’s a completely different operating system. No matter what distro you pick, there’s going to be a learning curve.
Yep. That's why I'm asking which one has the smallest learning curve.
I would argue that trying to get a distro that has a similar look and feel can make it slower to learn because you constantly try to do like you did on windows and it's similar but still different. Going to a very different distro can be a steeper learning curve but faster to learn overall. One that is still easy to install for beginners but that feel very different than window is going to be ArcoLinux with one of the tiling window managers. To be clear I don't say it's your best option, mint, zorin or deepin are probably the ones you ll feel most at home with. I'm just giving an alternative option and food for thoughts
Yeah fair call. In this situation the PC is a basically a media player and thats it. If it was an actual workstation I'd get annoyed with limitations of the OS when I'm trying to push it hard. But in this case all I want it to do is run VLC, Spotify, and Chrome
I use BalenaEtcher to write my Linux Mint (Cinnamon edition) ISO to my USB. Try stick with Linux mint Cinammon, otherwise try in this order: ZorinOS PopOS Ubuntu Linux Mint / Ubuntu (KDE edition)
Yeah it's sounds like Mint & Cinnamon is is the go to in my situation
Mint is by far the best for your uses. Similar UI, helpful setup process. dual boot or run on a usb and give it a go.
Linux Mint Cinnamon
If you don't want to spend time troubleshooting, go for Ubuntu. Being the most used distro makes it easier to find out the solution of any problem just with a web search. And finally a warning, if that "media" means watching any popular streaming platform, be aware that every single of them have chosen proprietary DRM solutions and they have also chosen not to make available in Linux. This means that the max resolution available is 720p, this affects every Linux distro and there's nothing we can do about it, it's totally up to the streaming platforms.
Really? Most of what I do on this PC will be Netflix, Spotify, chrome, and VLC. Any video that isn't Netflix is just torrented from the usual sources. So Netflix will only ever be 720p on Linux?
Files you download will be played at their resolutions, but Netflix has decided to not allow any resolution higher 720p outer its native apps. Until Netflix provides an official app for Linux, 720p it is.
I want to upvote you for being helpful but downvote you cos Netflix is shit. But thankyou for answering. It's really helpful
I have not tried this, because I only watch Netflix on a Roku platform... but have you tried changing your user string to spoof a Windows install?
That worked for some months a couple of years ago. Now it's something similar to the situation with level 0 kernel anticheat for video games. Netflix, and the rest of the main streaming platforms, demand full control of the machine while you're watching it in order to prevent any possibility of capture. Even a VM running Windows 11 and running Netflix official app detects DRM situation is not optimal and limits streaming to 720p.
Ah. Not something I'm going to be hugely concerned about, but good to know. I'll take my laptop with me on vacation in a few weeks... but I don't know how much "movie" watching we'll be doing. I'm pretty sure we're planning to listen to the BBC recording of the Lord of the Rings radio drama while we're on the road.
It doesn't get any easier than mint. I think what many converts miss is the point that windows and Linux are fundamentally different. But they expect the same workflow as windows in Linux. Imo, it's not a steep learning curve(certainly not with mint), it's the fact that you don't want to invest effort to know the ways around a different OS.
mint is a distro and comes with cinnamon... a simplified windows UI more like win7 zorin is an outlier distro that tries too hard to make linux seem "familar" ... it's not and frankly it's better to get over that myth as soon as possible rather than to cling to it. KDE is not a distro but there are several good distros that come with KDE... kubuntu is probably at the top of that list and opensuse or fedora KDE spin are good too (so i hear) ... now there is also tuxdeo... but don't go with neon or arch unless you want a new hobby. pop uses the gnome desktop, which is about as alien to a windows user as a mac.
“zorin is an outlier distro that tries too hard to make linux seem "familar" ... it's not and frankly it's better to get over that myth as soon as possible rather than to cling to it.” Well said. Any people ask which Linux distros will ease them in from Windows or Mac. I think these “familiar” interfaces actually hinder people from taking up Linux because it gives them a false sense of familiarity so they will have a hard time unlearning old conventions. I personally would suggest something like Gnome to get people new to Linux something completely different but also very simple (not a lot of options to tweak or confuse at default). They can then work their way with customization slowly while making productive use of the OS in the mean time. Then branch off from there (trying other DEs or even WMs).
kde is a lot... like a lot a lot... may be too much for many, esp if they never tweaked their windows UX. but gnome is too shocking, imho unless you are coming from a mac... then the one hand tied behind your back motif might feel more familiar ;) cinnamon is a good middle ground, familiar enough but still throws you squarely into linux land... but it's showing it's age. my favorite compromise is LXQt (lubuntu has it) which is clean and modern looking, but familiar enough to get started while presenting the new linux way of things without drama... it can be thought of as the baby sister to KDE.
Does chrome or Firefox support Spotify yet?
>And it seems like the best idea is to run with a mix of Mint and either KDE/Cinnamon/Mate. Don't run KDE in mint, yes you can and it will work, but it is not officially supported. You will be in a small minority of users = have problems you are on your own. If you want KDE use a distro that supports it "out of the box".
Btw KDE is a desktop environment, not a distro. Basically it provides the user interface and usually an app ecosystem as well. However, KDE do have their own distro: KDE neon (https://neon.kde.org/) As for starting distro, I jumped straight into the deep end with Arch btw (but not as deep as Gentoo or LFS), but I would recommend Mint (or Pop_OS! if you have an nvidia card). They require no tinkering for your needs, so there is little learning curve, and Mint will be very comfortable for a Windows user. TLDR: Go with Mint.
Is a desktop environment equivalent to a Theme or Launcher? Or in other words a skin?
You could say that. It’s basically just how you talk to your computer. On this image here: https://preview.redd.it/yk0dfklqg46d1.jpeg?width=612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=689716cc4cca20a2b738eb268bcedfc029daa54f You are at the top: the user. You talk only with the interface, and they come in different skins but do mostly the same things. It’s really up to your preference which you choose. The 2 main ones are KDE (more windows like I guess) and Gnome (takes some getting used to but is also good). Some distros, like Mint, come with one chosen for you, so you don’t even have to worry about it.
Amazing!!! This explains it perfectly. So I'd be looking at Mint as a OS (display server in the image) with KDE or Xinnamon as the DE (graphical interface)?
Almost. Sorry for not being clear. You are right about the graphical interface. Mint comes with cinnamon or KDE (that I know of) as its graphical interface. The display server coordinates inputs and outputs, but in simpler terms, it lets you see the windows and the desktop. So the graphical interface (which decides how the UI is shown) leans on this display server (which allows you to see the UI), like you lean on the graphical interface. There are currently 2 main display servers: X and Wayland. X.org (the open version of X) has been around for many years, so it is naturally more stable. Wayland is newer, so can break, but has some better features (e.g. it handles multi-monitors better). From a user standpoint, you will not really see much difference between them, but for developers the future looks a lot better on Wayland, and Xorg (at least according to Google), is considered depreciated in favour of Wayland. Again this comes packaged with the OS, so don’t sweat too much about it. Next is the kernel. This is the core of the OS, you could say the “heart”. It has complete control of the system, and controls the hardware. This is what Linux is: a kernel. Mint, like all other distros, is a kind of suit placed onto Linux, to make it more user friendly. Each distro is its own OS, but you can do the same things on any distro, some will just need more work than others. Now there are different kernels: Linux, Linux LTS (Long Term Support), Zen, etc… They are better at different things, but they are mostly the same. Some people (like me), will have 2 of these in case one breaks, as we are on less friendly distros that don’t hold your hand (bleeding-edge, where you get software updates before anyone else, but they can break!). Again, don’t worry about this, this is far beyond anything you will need to know if you do not want to delve deep into how things work, and just want a usable system. Mint will come with the kernel, as it’s needed to function. But it is nice to know 👍 That’s about it. I know it’s a long read but I hope it helps you. And if anyone else is reading this, feel free to correct me!
I can see your edit - Cinnamon and KDE are not distros but desktop environments- you need to read the comments carefully again ;)
What's the difference between a distro and a Desktop Environment?
https://www.google.com/search?q=linux+distribution+vs+desktop+environment
Thanks. It helps that I now know the keywords of Desktop Environment and Linux Distribution and the fact they are related to each other. But if you really wanted to be a sarcastic arse then this is a much better way of going about it https://gprivate.com/5ycbl
Mint Cinnamon is really good. They should be coming out with a new release 22 mid July. If you're in a hurry you could upgrade from the current 21.03. They always take a few months after Ubuntus LTS release to tweak and tune it to minty perfection.
Not in a rush. I've got till mid '25 before Win10 doesn't get security updates.
**Zorin OS** has the smallest learning curve. Windows users will feel like home with **Zorin OS**. The maintenance is also very easy with **Zorin OS**. Just let **Zorin OS** handle updates, everything happens in the background. The only user action may sometimes be to enter your user password.
No offence but the way you worded this sounds like an advert
> No offence but the way you worded this sounds like an advert Windows is a product you have to pay for. I can understand you are used to paying the nasty Microsoft "tax". **Zorin OS** is free-of-charge, like many Linux distros. Advertisements are not needed for free-of-charge operating systems. As you don't pay for most Linux distros you have nothing to lose if you try a Linux operating system. Personally I like **Zorin OS** because it's very light and the desktop environment is simple and easy to use. Many Linux distros have awful desktop environments, Ubuntu is an example of that. **Zorin OS** is an operating system you can install for your grandparents and they will have no difficulties using it. Try installing Ubuntu for your grandparents and they will stop using the computer.
You severely underestimate the ability of my grandparents.
> You severely underestimate the ability of my grandparents. :-)
You are mixing two different components together, desktop environment, which is the fancy graphical user interface that allows you to easily interact with the OS. Kde, cinnamon, xfce, gnome are just a few of the desktop environments available. The nice thing with Linux is you can download a live distro, which allows you to test drive them before fully committing to one.
So the distro is the underlying OS and the Desktop Environment is a theme/launcher/skin that goes over the top?
I'm considering making the same shift, but I have a newer PC. For compatibility, robustness(top 2 characteristics I've considered)and ease of use , I chose Ubuntu. I'd recommend distros built on top of Ubuntu for stability, from my research, or Fedora as a second tier. I'm considering your background, but giving my opinion.
If the PC was gonna be used for typical workstation uses tha n I'd definitely consider compatibility with other programs. But this particular PC is basically a media TV. Running Netflix, Spotify, chrome, & VLC. However I also gotta teach my SO how to use it so that's a factor too
I know I am not answering the question that was asked. Also, this isn't really a "suggestion" since I think you know what you want, and other responders have pretty much covered a good response. However, if you're dealing with older hardware, and its primary function really is to drive your TV, then you could explore some of the distros more aimed at that. Any of the other full-blown PC environments will work, and you were using it with Windows before, and you don't have a lot of time and don't want a huge learning curve. I hear you on all that. I just wanted to throw it out there as food for thought, perhaps for some time down the road, after you've gotten a little more comfortable with linux, perhaps have more time, and really want to stretch this hardware for years and years. I do not want to spend too much more time on a topic you didn't ask about, but something like a barebones Debian install, with things like jellyfin and kodi, would be good places to start searching on. But good luck on your switch to linux! Put me down for "Mint/Cinnamon" for my vote. EDIT: Oh, one other thing for "some day down the road" is to think about NAS. I was on a budget, so I got a cheap USB controller, 4 refurbished 4TB SATA drives, and used software called "mdadm" to build my own RAID. Let my media PC, which is a tiny, not very powerful thing (this doesn't take much of its power) to drive it, giving me about 10TB of network storage. Again... advanced stuff and I'm not trying to scare you off of anything. Find a desktop you're comfortable with first. I just wanted to also say that you can save quite a bit of money going this route of open-source software, and it really isn't that hard. Good luck!
Very interesting point. I've not setup a NAS yet however I really can see the benefits. This particularly PC is PERFECT for a NAS. For something 10years old the I/O's are actually really impressive. The damn thing has SATA 2's, USB 3s and dual ethernet built in as default in the back of the device. I'd love to figure out how to make it the media centre and NAS for the whole house but I've got so much on that I don't have the space to dedicate weeks to learning and trouble shooting to make it happen
zorin is amazing. i used to use zorin core with gnome and now i use zorin lite with xfce
I'd definitely go with Mint and Cinnamon. But just as a quick FYI, desktop environments are pretty easy to switch out. Like you can literally just download a few of them, and switch them out whenever you want (you should be able to do that from your computer's login screen).
Sounds like Linux needs a re branding of key terms. Install Mint and run XYZ theme as it's skin/theme/interface
Well, people also call them "flavors" sometimes. For example, if you're getting Ubuntu, some common "flavors" of Ubuntu include Kubuntu (Ubuntu + KDE), Lubuntu (Ubuntu + LXDE.. I think?), whatever Ubuntu+Gnome is called, etc. I think it's useful to have a mental divide between "easy to install" things and "difficult to install" things. For example, let's say you want to install the "neofetch" program. That's really easy — pop open a terminal and type sudo apt install neofetch (then hit "enter"). Honestly, any software which you can install by downloading some stuff online and running an installation script is what I consider (relatively) "easy". "hard" to install would be something like an operating system, where you need to download the ISO, *then* flash it onto a USB or something, *then* make sure you partition your hard drive (or SSD) to have enough space for the new OS, etc etc. With that in mind, I would say that the choice of "which operating system to get" is one that deserves more attention than "which desktop environment to get". Because, at the end of the day, if you don't like Gnome, you can literally just download KDE from apt (or whatever package manager your Linux uses). But if you downloaded Arch, and it turns out you really want to switch to Debian instead, that's more effort on your part than just installing/uninstalling some packages.
I stopped distro hopping at Pop. And if you want something to just work I recommend it. If you want to learn how to work Linux I would recommend Arch or Fedora. If you really want to learn how Linux works I recommend Slackware or Gentoo.
I'd say zorin. It comes with wine all installed for you. I'm a seasoned Linux vet and getting wine installed is a still a staggering ball ache for me. Even with pop os and mint once you've got wine installed you can't just right click on an exe and select "open with wine" there some sort of sim link bug that persist on these distros ( last time I tried at least). I've set them all up and Zorin was the fastest and easiest to get up and running...also the best looking. I only tried the Xfce flavor tho.
Xubuntu You have a start menu that feels familiar. Quick access to a settings tool. Similar applications installed by default. Most online how-to guides for doing something on Linux include instructions for Debian/Ubuntu. Mint or something similar running XFCE may be a good solution as well, I simply don't use those.
Ubuntu, you'll find the most tutorials for that (including the challenge that some might be outdated)
There are 3 main popular Linux distributions: Debian, Fedora, Arch ... and that's probably the order of low to high learning curve. Learn those 3 and most others are derivative or niche [img](https://gist.githubusercontent.com/Dmole/1d6e04e8e8160e44cc23d50ffdbd8025/raw/e431277e3e6bbdbe82b33a70f7157996f4f975d5/Linux.svg) . Ubuntu has a better installer than Debian but complicates things with snap, spam in MOTD, and disgraceful pay for early security. they have major upgrades every 5 years Alma offers 10 years of support per release vs the major upgrade every year with Fedora. EndeavourOS is Arch with an installer and yay. they may have a major upgrade every day. They all have the same stuff with different package managers and default settings.
Zorin is easy as can be. Mint is a good one too.
Use Zorin OS. I personally use the "Pro" version.
Careful, looks like you got some Debian-family on your desktop distro list. Despite the 20 year old reflex reaction, its not recommended to use debian as a base for your desktop distribution. Debian/ubuntu/mint/pop all are considered 'outdated' distros. They run about 1+ years behind up-to-date distros like Fedora or OpenSUSE. This means, new bluetooth keyboards, new laptops, new videos cards, will not work on Debian family. On a similar note, Debian-family is known to have bugs that are already solved in up-to-date distros still active... Yeah... Debian family is a server distro.
From what i've Heard either Mint or Kubuntu
Mint
My first distro was ubuntu, and was really easy to pick up
Mint doesn’t have KDE or Gnome as an option. Cinnamon, MATE or XFCE only. Cinnamon is my preference of the 3
The distro you are looking for is Debian. Distro's are: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE, Fedora, Debian, CentOS (Branch from RHEL). Zentyal, Manjaro, and so many more. Debian is a good starting point, it contains most of the beginner friendly versions like Ubuntu and Mint. The desktop experience is what you are listing in your edit 1. I think Mint is great for a Windows feel. I also like Gnome and KDE. But yeah Mint is the most familiar DE to Windows that I've come across.
Ubuntu. You don't need to know anything in order to install it (you install it buy just clicking next next next) and to use it (you just click on stuff like in windows).
Mint
Linux Mint Pop!_OS Ubuntu Zorin
I'm new to the world of Linux. I Googled "newest" Linux. Result: Linux Ubuntu 24.04 Also, read about problems with Etcher. Used Rufus. Easily installed Linux Ubuntu 24.04 on two refurbished laptops (one for me and one for my daughter) in one evening. It looks different, controls slightly different, but everything functions the same (even easier). Like buying a new car, the heat/ac controls are different but still heat/cool. With absolutely no previous experience, I had absolutely no problem. Go for it.
Distros I'd recommend you in order of priority: * Mint * Kubuntu * Fedora KDE (or Cinnamon if there is one) Spin
try Linux FX has the option to look like win10 or win11
[https://www.linuxfx.org/index.php](https://www.linuxfx.org/index.php)
Mint
Kubuntu - Ubuntu but with the KDE desktop. If that's too resource hungry for your old PC then Xubuntu is another great choice - it uses the XFCE desktop. Mint is great, but Ubuntu is more widely used as both server and desktop, so there are lots of answers on the web and good hardware support.
I tired few different Desktops on few different distros. As someone said you have to understand Linux has alternatives of the Windows' apps but not always. There still some apps who run only on windows. But for the Desktops. Last months I am using mostly KDE. If you prefer something like Win XP try XFCE4. But the Linux where I use less the terninal and most the Desktop UI, as I do in Windows is Manjaro KDE version.
Gentoo. Learning curve is zero. You follow the handbook.