The best Linux for newbies.
 

What is the best Linux for newbies and experanced users a like?
Ubuntu
OpenSUSE
Fedora
Debian
Mandriva

Any one of those would definitely fit the bill. Then again, there are newbies who go straight to Slackware, Gentoo or LFS. So it's all horses for courses, really.

I would say "the very easy to install" Slackware to learn Linux.

And PCLinuxOS if you want minimum problems.

Rgds

What about slackware; why is not in the poll options? :(

The option I wanted to choose was not in the poll..

The Search Function.

IGF

RE: What is best for Linux Newbies?
 

I've installed openSUSE for others, even complete PC novices, even one 80+ year old relative who had to be shown the keyboard as he had never used a keyboard of any sort before. He is happily using it for digital camera work, burning CD's and DVD's, word processing and spreadsheets, skype, surfing the web, email, Yahoo IM to his daughter, managing updates and many other jobs, most of which he discovered himself. The only recurring problem was loss of sound which after a while turned out to be a bad on-board sound chip, he ordered a new sound card, I fitted it and he did the mixer settings and we've not had a problem since. Another relative 68+ with just a few months experience of W2K on an old donated P166, uses openSUSE mainly for digital photo work, photo CD's of weddings and birthday parties as well as audio CD's.
If any distro is well setup and the user is willing to learn, the battle is won. I've given up on helping out Windows users, it was always a great waster of my time.

This is all sooooo dependent on the person... if you are willing to get your hands dirty and maybe struggle and google, then try red hat 5.0 like i did (joking).
the best way to learn is by doing. find one that sounds good to you and do it.

debian is fun, i find. ubuntu, of course, is debian based with polish and money backing.
slackware takes time and care but can be fun if interested.
gentoo is like slackware with the additional fun of seeing the programs compile in front of you.

just do it, because it's all sooooooo much more fun than windows.

SERIOUSLY, debian just works. ubuntu same(ish). slackware is awesome when you have some time (which i unfortunately do not). i went from redhat 5.0 to mandrake (now mandriva). then went to debian and have not looked back from the debian based distros.
ahhh, gentoo. my drunken friend. gentoo, i hope, will recover from it's pub crawl through self-destruction and is now back on course. yes, yes, my friend: i will come see you again some time.

For new users it's the version they got working first, for experienced users it's the version they are using now.

OpenSUSE and Mandriva.

Any would do. In fact there is nothing much to choose from when you install mandriva/redhat clones or suse. Some hardware may not work but again some hardware still does not work on vista as well.

As for slackware, I really doubt that it can be called a distribution in the real sense. There are zero management tools provided

Why?
 

I think the details of the real question are missing : Why do you want to know?

Ubuntu or Try Linux "live" CDs / DVDs
 

Generally speaking, Ubuntu Linux is an excellent "overall" Linux distro.

It has a very simple installation and provides support for a lot of computer hardware.

You can learn more about Ubuntu Linux - free - at:

http://www.ubuntulinuxbookblog.com

If you need to do Linux administration, then there are lots of Linux distros you can use - because the GNU Linux commands are virtually identical in all Linux distros.

You can get Linux commands training - free - at:

http://www.linuxcommandsbookblog.com

And there are over 50 free Linux training articles at:

http://www.iLearnLinux.com

See you there!

Clyde Boom, http://www.iLearnLinux.com
The Easy Linux Training Guy ;)

This myth is what got me interested in Slack in the first place. The more you get to read and use Slack, the more you realise how much it is really just a myth.
Having said that I would not really recommend Slackware to newbies. As a present to myself I installed OpenSUSE on my last birthday, and I must say I was impressed how easier it was, and it just worked out of the box. I uninstalled it with a broken heart. So my advise is to kick start with SUSE and move to Slackware when you think you can take a bit more of a challenge.
Another point is that OpenSUSE seems to be everyone's second best distro. So there must be something good about it. My vote goes to the smiling gecko.

My vote would be for PCLinuxOS

As many user of PC's running (WINDOWS) really don't understand much of that system either.

If you think I am wrong .. Ask a user of Windows to explain to you dialog box , right click and directories and sub-directories.

You will most likely get a LOOK resembling DEER CAUGHT IN THE HEAD LIGHTS!

I suggest getting a book about Linux.
That's how I learned. I bought a book including a distro.
The book described how to install and how to edit settings and how to use the commandline.
I guess that's the best way to start with linux.
That is if you really want to know how linux works inside out and want to be able to use the commandline properly.

However, if you are just looking for stability and reliability and using it as a simple desktop I suggest one of the above except Debian. I personally think Debian is less user friendly and more trouble.

The problem w/ buying books and CD's, is you don't know how up to date the CD version is(unless you're familiar w/ versions, etc.). A couple days ago, someone was in the Ubuntu support channel, and had bought a book that included an Ubuntu install CD. What version did it include? 6.10 Only 2yrs old.

99% of the information in books about Ubuntu, is found w/ a 30sec Google search

IGF

I start with slackware 11 year ago in this way, it's a good suggestion but what if the Cd is too old? :S

Personally I think if you choose a distro, whatever you like, you can READ the manual (google is your friend) and start installing and trying is the best way for a good learning.

Ubuntu +1
 

Best for newbs and pros alike! Really it's the apt package manager that's the best. So debian would be a good choice as well. Actually Linux Mint is an excellent choice for real newbs@

The only voted for debian?
Here can't be a deb place!
Anyway I consider the Debian Project the very best for newbies.
The distros that are for newbies are Mepis, Linux Mint, Ubuntu/Kubuntu
I mention Pardus too. That isn't debian.

I prefer Debian, but I think new users should cut their teeth on Ubuntu. They are more or less protected from themselves w/ sudo, and just about everything you learn on Ubuntu, can be used on Debian....

IGF

Best Distro for Newbies
 

For me Ubuntu is the most "user friendly" and "intuitive" of all the distros, therefore the best for newbies. Mandriva would be my second choice!

:D second that. I have tried a number of different ones and I keep coming back to ubuntu. I like PClinux as well though.

Best Linux for Newbies
 

For newbies, I think it is best to start off with one of the main distros, and the four I recommend are:

Ubunut
Suse
Mandriva
Fedora

in that order.

Once they have become familiar with the choice they can then start to consider what style/flavor of Linux might best suit their machine and the way they work.

There are many excellent Linux distros that are better suit to certain types of boxes, or with certain programs, or the way an individual works on their computer.

Further more, I would encourage newbies to dual boot, first of all with Windows, then once they get to know Linux with their chosen Linux distros and a specialized distro which offers them additional functionality.

Windows is a 'one fit all' OS whereas Linux is more versatile and can offer a better fit for style of work or computer set up.

All the main distros above (with the possible exception of Fedora) will work well on most computers and give newbies a 'user friendly' interface.

Which Newbie?
 

Not all newbies are created equal. Some just want an OS that is cheap, easy, won't hassle them, give them a hard time, or try and sell them something. Others have some interest in the OS they use, they may have no expertise or they may be IT veterans. Which is why I will next go to the - Question: Should there be a "Which distro is best for me" forum or sub forum? - poll at http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=652475 and vote Yes.

For "I just want an easy life" newbies who don't mind paying a fee for support and upgrades I suggest Simply Mepis, but if they want it for free Kubuntu would be my choice.

If you are interested in FOSS and care about your OS, Debian Stable is not only virtuous, it is also a rock-solid practical distro, thought very slightly less user-friendly than K/Ubuntu. Debian Testing is more up to date but may be less stable, obviously. Debian Sid is, always was, and always will be, Unstable, just right for those who like taking risks.

I have no direct experience of them, but I gather distros such as Slackware and Gentoo are great for hard-core techies.

Read up all you can about the major distros and any that might appeal, get hold of live CDs if you can to try them out - though not everything will work.

If you want a distro to stick with for the long term, check on upgrade paths, some distros don't upgrade well, and recommend clean installs instead. "Industrial strength" distros like Debian and Red Hat (but get CentOS instead) upgrade well, as I believe do openSUSE, Mepis and K/Ubuntu. For others, check before committing yourself.

It must be Slackware, I think so. It's very stable to use at a glance.

Mandriva is preferable for newbies because it has for a decade hewn closely to its founding concept of an advanced operating system with an attractive, accomplished user interface for the dominant processors and much peripheral equipment. Mandriva remains preferable because the company has consistently focused on hardware recognition and installation ease, and has been willing to patch the kernel to allow better recognition and installation success. Mandriva has encouraged an open development process, and various helpful support venues, which have returned helpful testing, development, and design feedback, resulting in better product offerings. Mandriva has been successful in finding ways to allow public and private development to assist each other in keeping product quality standards high and financial cash flows profitable. During these activities Mandriva has combined talented international developers and spirited leadership tenacity toward increasing open source success and world-class business standards. These corporate achievements result in products to which users can look forward from a company toward which everyone can look with admiration.

The best Linux for Newbies
 

The best Linux for newbies is Suze's. I managed to get it going on my PC without turning nuts. I usually can keep it running in stretches of 10 to 15 months long before hitting some fatal error. This forces me to reload the whole stuff again. But as a newbie I keep my dignity, I don't have to go thru this maddening 'Alt-Ctrl-Delete' super dumb 'Bill Giggles' routine 50 times a day any more. JP

After Beafanatix (what?) Ubuntu, Debian, Slackware, DSL, I found Debian best across the spectrum of experience and age/power of hardware. I am sure that it's more tolerant of older comps even back to P2 and probably older.

Package management is excellent. Also, it's completely and simply reversible, so if you've cluttered a small HDD with stuff, you can lose what you don't need. Compare that to Slack, where you need to have to have a good idea what you're going to use before you build it. BTW slack is excellent and I suggest only unsuitable for newbies because of installation, which would not be newbie friendly.

I haven't tried some of the distros mentioned but most of the time I work with older comps and they wouldn't meet the spec.

As you progress with any distro including Debian you will find that you can work on it directly through console.

best linux for beginner
 

I Have tried various linux distros and what puts them in first or last for me is:
1. How easy is wireless... (not every one is tied to a desk)
2. How easy is streaming music (radio) if you like.
3. Ease to install...
4. How fast it reacts after install.
5. Are the desktops pleasing to the eye.

So I think user friendly:
PclinuxoS (if wireless)
Ubuntu based (if wireless)
Pardus (if wireless)
Freespire (if wireless)
Linuxmint (if wireless E17)
Opensuse 11 (wired) wireless is only a dream if you are new.
gOS (wireless E17)
OpenGEU (wireless E17)

all work great when hard wired.. but what happens when you want to take your favorite on the road with laptop or tablet pc.
Just my thoughts.

I've tested Ubuntu and Ulteo and Puppy and for coexisting with
Windows without having to partition then Ulteo looks promising
but is still Beta and sound fail still? So that one maybe in future.

But using Sun's Virtual Box and then any distro within that one
may be the easiest to set up.

Second maybe Puppy cause you need to burn an iso and to a newbie
like me that was not easy. I failed with both windows own and Nero 6
but Puppy recommended me to try out BurnCDcc and that one worked right away.

So now I have a Puppy 4 Dingo Linux on a Multi Session capable install
on a single layered DVD - R but + R would work too I guess. I even tested
on a CD - R and that one worked too.

That is the one maybe easiest to use linux I came upon as newbie.

I am a bit disappointed they use SeaMonkey instead of Firefox 3.0
but maybe SM has things that is features and me too noob to know.

If someone has a PC with windows adding 512MB of memory is cheap, ddr2 goes for under $20 at Tiger Direct. Most computer makers have documentation that tells you what to get and how to install it.
VMware Server and Virtual Box are free and easy to use.
DistroWatch.com has all the distros listed above and then some.
Installing to a virtual machine is safe and allows someone to develop their skills and test many different distros.
If you don't have a high speed internet connection you can buy distros for a small amount and Virtual Box is 22MB for download.
As far as Linux is concerned Virtual Box is included as a package in some distros. I have it running in PCLinuxOS with XP as a guest and it seems to work better than in XP. It's also included in OpenSuSe but I haven't tried it.

I never expected myself to say Ubuntu, but that is what I chose. It seems to be the most plug 'n' play, straight-forward distro out there. Things just work. You can fiddle if you want to, but you don't have to.

I liked Mandriva a lot, too, and always recommended it to newbies, but I had to spend much time fiddling with it. Although I hate to admit it, I have found it a relief to use Windows Vista SP1 with open source software, rather than continuing to use Mandriva on my new PC. However, I have put Ubuntu on my old PC and am happy thus far.

So, Ubuntu it is.:D

When my first time with Linux i boot up the ubuntu but gnome don't make me feel ok. It's stable but lose a bit of options to customize for what i need. Then i meet the mepis now know as simple mepis and i love KDE so much. I thinks KDE base destop distros are the good chois for newbie who from windows user like me.

Well the Opensuse is my pick up for vote because that is my main Linux os ^^ it's take all the configure in to yast2 for you easy to manager.The package manager is not good when update and installl from net but it's really fast now compare from the old suse ^^. It's great for me.

PS: This is my suggest from my experien in Linux only.
-I'm not native English speaker so if my post has something wrong about the gamma or word or something else don't blame me and you can read it right ^^

No offense to any distro. But Mandriva offers the best Linux for newbies.. http://www.techenclave.com/reviews-a...th-111577.html

No point in using PCLOS because it provides old S/w and is based on Mandriva so better use Mandriva.. Ubuntu is great. You can try that but it doesn't provide as many conf tools as Mandriva.. Open SUSE 11.0 has some stability issue. So leave that..

This is so laughable, I had to quote it.

I find Mandriva horrible. Slow to the point of unusable. Mandriva will grind to a halt, on several machines that run various other versions of Linux just fine (*buntus, Debian, Fedora, and several others..) Mandriva constantly locks up, suffers extreme slowdowns, etc.

There is no best(or worst) distro, its just a personal choice that everyone has. Until one distribution does something, that clearly no other distribution does or does something way better than the others, then there will never be a best. Its all personal preference, its why these polls are hilarious.

IGF

CentOS
 

I recommend CentOS - it is stable, free (really - no fee to download, install, unless you really, really want to buy the media), and is exactly the same as RHEL.

I tried SuSE before, and I've worked with some really old Linux distros, the names of which I no longer recall. CentOS was the easiest install and use I've found.

IMNSHO: Ubuntu is too much like Window$, although it is also easy to use and install.

However, once you have any Linux installed, they are all more or less the same underneath, and also in terms of the GUIs provided - GNOME and KDE (primarily). Each has its own customizations, and you can play with them forever (literally).

My personal fave: CentOS.

Missing options....
 

Where are Red Hat and CentOS? Are they not Linux any more?

mhr

Lfs
 

Best is Linux From Scratch, it teaches a lot :)

Seriously, anything does. If you're a real newbie, you need to start off with "what's an operating system? what's a file? how does a directory differ from a file, and what is it in the first place!?" and you can just as well blind-shoot and pick one operating system out of the huge selection of both commercial and non-commercial or free-of-charge operating systems. QNX is a nice piece to start off with without manuals, Windows teaches a bunch of stuff with dull themes singing in the background and Gentoo offers you some "now what is this" -experiences. But if it has to be Linux, any one of them works -- if you read the magazines, it's Ubuntu for now. If you don't, it doesn't matter as long as it has more users (listed in DistroWatch or similar site) than you have ever counted sheeps while trying to get some sleep.

I'll underline the last sentence: if you pick up a Linux distribution with around 10 users, it's probably something so new and shiny that you'll get frustrated before it's running. Sticking to the popular ones makes it a smoother start.

So subjective...
 

I have my preferences, but the individual really makes the difference (repetitive I know).

There are tools out there to help choose a distro based on knowledge/skill level. Use one of those and try a couple of the suggestions.

Well, that depends... "Bad user" typically doesn't have any idea what is going into his/her computer, independent of installed OS. But don't underestimate everybody, this depends of the personal qualities of people.

I think a better question would be what kind of users make for successful newbies.

Ask most Windows users to download Linux/GNU and put it on a CD and you end up with a CD with a single file on it named some_os_name_and_version.iso. At that point it doesn't matter what distro they're trying or how "easy" the installer may be.

Good point.

Newbies who have a system already setup and running would have a different perspective than someone who has to do it themselves, and even more of a difference if they don't know where/how to begin the process.

Show me a newbie who doesn't fit the profile of: already running windows. Honestly I think distros should offer a Windows tool that downloads and burns a CD for users if they are actually targeting newbies with their installers. Until Linux is pre-installed on many more systems it only makes sense to provide a brainless tool for getting and burning a Linux CD (Since there aren't any that come with Windows).

It wasn't until a Google Summer of code project (http://infrarecorder.sourceforge.net/) came along that I actually could find a good free way to burn Linux CDs if you didn't already have Linux.

That's a good idea but why burn a CD?

Are there any Windows based installers that actually do what the CD/DVD media does?

It's probably the simplest to develop and get distros to include on their download page. It could also be made to work with all distributions (only key difference being the URL to the .iso file).

I'm a newbie. Wubi was a good thing for me. I spent many days on trying to get resizing going
and totally failed so to be able to do a wubi install was a great help to get to know Ubuntu.

Then I found Qemu but that one was too slow for me with ubuntu. But it solved the
failure to shut down properly on my hardware.

Next linux me tried was to use Vbox virtual install which solved the shutdown too
but was much faster than qemu.

Next easy thing was to install Ulteu Linux. super easy. But it is still in beta
and lack sound,

so I am now at Puppy 4.00 with frugal install from a DVD install using BurnCDcc
to do an .iso which was beyond me in windows but burncdcc made it even possible
for a newbie like me to master it several times with no failure while the built
in and Nero six failed every time cause was too complicated to get what to do.

Now the good side about Puppy Linux are the multisession capacity,
very clever and the Linux and Windows install is another very clever
thing that make windows and linux to coexist without doing any partitioning.
But it is only for Puppy as far as I know. And Puppy had sound going which
I failed on Ubuntu to get going. But that could be my fault.

sadly for Puppy that one fail to shut down properly too.

So I tested SliTaz Linux and that one shut down properly. But that one
fail to save in frugal mode. One have to save to an usb stick for it to
remember things and it is still a very new distro beta?

So next in line for me is to test Mint or what should I test?

Vbox and Mint look like a possible combination?

finding suitable linux
 

Do try Mint (E17 desktop), I ran it on a B120 laptop, an old ECS desktop, an old HP desktop and a Tablet PC and it was great on all with one exception.... when I had streaming radio it would lock up on the second or third page when opening mail.
PClinuxOS. Pardus, Opengeu (e17) are also great.
It's mostly a personal preference, get an old computer (I got mine on bulk trash pickup day, (512ram/40ghd) and try as many as you can and pick your own.. I started trying systems (last count 16) Jan (2008) and haven't settled on a perminant system yet. Pardus, PClinuxOS, Opengeu and Ubuntu are standouts if wireless is a factor for you.
It's like having a bunch of good horses in the barn you ride them from time to time every couple of days.

It's not feasible to spend a lot of time trying out distros when you need your computer for work or school. If you want a hobby, then this is perfect. There is always something to keep you busy.

Time = Productivity

IMHO

I voted Debian because many distros are built from it and it runs on many architectures. That means the newbie will have a system that will be around indefinitely, is the original, and has world-wide support. I see no issues of difficult-to-install with Debian and the kernel is the kernel so hardware, except for the newest stuff is no problem.

For a newcomer, I would have to suggest Mint. It is debian-based, which is my preferred distro, and seems to have the best hardware detection I have seen, including that of Ubuntu 8. Additionally, it's multimedia support is outstanding, what most newcomers I talk to are looking for.

I believe someone's earlier comment is correct about most people defaulting to the distro they learned on. I learned on Debian, and have played with SuSE 10 series, Mandrake (not Mandriva), Red Hat, Fedora, Mint, and Ubuntu, and keep coming back to the original Debian. For servers I prefer it's stability over most, but RHEL and Centos are both every bit as stable. Truth is I learned on Debian, I know Debian, and I know Apt.

I paid my dues installing Debian Etch on my laptop. Wireless was difficult getting running, and some of the default Alsa settings were enough to drive me mad. I would not suggest Debian Etch on a laptop for a newcomer, that is where Mint would shine. I am thinking of installing Mint on it to see how it compares, but I will probably end up back with Etch.