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Which distro for a non-technical windows user? (gehirneimer.de)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/linux@programming.dev
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Hi everyone, I am planning to install linux on my friends laptop and I am not sure which distro to install for them.

The options I am considering:

  • Fedora: I have it on my PC and since I will be the first person to be asked, I thought it would be best if I know the distro well
  • Mint: is a default suggestion, but I am not sure if it is different enough from the Windows look that one does not expect it to behave the same as Windows
  • Ubuntu: most widely available in forums, etc. And a good starting point in my opinion

What do you guys think?

EDIT: Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I'll stick with Fedora and let them try Gnome, KDE and Cinnamon :)

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[–] [S] 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Mint is fine-ish, but has caveats when looking for support online.

What are the caveats in your opinion?

I no longer recommend Ubuntu at all.

Because of snaps? Or because of something else?

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    Mint caveats are that it's Mint. Yes, most solutions for Ubuntu will work with Mint, but it has Cinnamon for its DE, whereas the bulk of all Linux users are on KDE or Gnome, so that puts this new user at a disadvantage due to that simple difference.

    Canonical just keeps making poor decisions with Ubuntu, and can't be trusted to keep putting the user first. Snaps, data/telemetry collection, attempting to shove ads into desktops, disengaging with the community, and all these subtle package shifts away from open community solutions to Canonical solutions.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Just FYI, or rather FTI, the arch wiki can still be a useful tool for non-arch distro. Debian also has a wiki.

    They need to understand there are differences between arch and Mint, of course, and also some between Debian and Mint to an extent, but those tools can still provide helpful info.

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