Why is that?? You do realize you can install ALL OF THEM, right?? For free?? And pick which one you want at login time if you so desire...or try them all out to see which one you like best?

Sounds like Windows is the best option for you, since it appears as if you don't WANT to have a choice, and be forced to use whatever someone gives you.

You'd be surprised how many people can't get past the stage of burning the iso to usb, or can't figure out how to boot from usb.

So they give up.

OP has 1 post from 9 days ago. Maybe they will come back and share their experience.

Confusing maybe. New way to learn and really get into it and understand the workings - certainly.

Those who want to think for themselves and maybe tinker have no problem. Those who want it done for them and don't care about freedom to do something different stick with MS or Mac.

1 members found this post helpful.

As for me I suggest you beg, ask around for an old PC (~1G RAM) from friends & relatives - or visit the garage sales, you might get one for free or a dozen bucks.
Download an easy to start with like MX or antiX, install using
"Erase and use the entire disk".
Mess it up a few times then you will get the hang of Linux.
* Be sure to have at least Ethernet working before install

If you HAVE that option it tends to work out well.
An important learning point is learning to reload your OS without fear. As long as the hardware is not trashed, you can always fix or replace the software and should not fear that.
If you decide to put DATA on that machine that you value, you should consider the value of backups. The subject is covered in multiple conversations here, and on nearly every other technical site on the internet BECAUSE it is important. If the data on the machine is of low value, or backed up to the cloud, then the risk of losing it becomes less important.

That should not be an excuse for Linux enthusiasts to not explain better. Unless you want everyone else to continue using Windows or Apple systems.

You seem to think that we have some reason to want folks to use Linux; we don't. People can use whatever they want. We don't make money from Linux or by helping people in the community. Someone once said, "Windows treats people like they're stupid; Linux demands you prove it". If people don't want to put any effort into trying to solve their own problems, then they probably SHOULD use Mac or Windows, since they can be babysat and have someone hold their hands.

Giving people hints and advice shouldn't be the end-all; it should be the beginning of learning that they do themselves.

3 members found this post helpful.

The only way to learn more is to do it. Go to the website of one of the distributions people here have provisionally recommended, download an installation image, copy it to a memory stick anbd boot from it. Play around with the live image, then install it.

It may take you a couple of weeks to really get to know what Linux feels like in use. If you decide that you don't like the distro you chose, try a different one. And don't take too much notice of TBone. He's a very knowledgeable person, as you'll discover when you start posting technical threads, but inclined to be somewhat testy with people he sees as all ask and no do.

If you follow the link in my signature, you can find a little book that I wrote about ten years ago which might give you an idea of what Linux and the Linux community are really like.

4 members found this post helpful.

@Hazel, I think that we should maintain the decorum that we don't directly refer to other users, even though I suspect that @TBone will not take your words wrongly.

- - -


Apple's MacOS (OS/X) and iOS are both built on top of open-source Mach Unix,® which Apple supports as a project. Almost no one knows that, and almost no one has to care. "It Just Works.™"

And you might very well find that Linux "Just Works™" for you, also. If you've just installed any "distro" and learned how to navigate through its GUI, and you don't fiddle around with its "terminal window," then you might very well find that it is more-or-less identical with using any other computer operating system that is available to you.

The most unique aspect of Linux is its inherent flexibility. As Perl programmers like to say, "TMTOWTDI = 'Tim Toady' = There's More Than One Way To Do It.™" It is a "loosely-coupled" system. There are several GUIs. You can run a fully-GUI session against a "headless server" that doesn't have a graphics card. There are many excellent databases, "office" software suites, and so on and on and on. But, you don't have to confront any of that in order to simply use the system for its intended purpose: you can just ignore it completely.

Over the years, I've walked into many client environments where they ran their office on Linux with a few Macs. Windows was not there at all. They used OpenOffice (LibreOffice) and other tools which let them get their work done as they expected to, and they really didn't think about it much. "It Just Works.™" New hires very quickly adapted to it and went about their daily business.

- - -

P.S. I continue to advocate the use of a virtual machine, particularly Oracle's (free ...) VirtualBox. Which runs on every host. You don't need to "dual boot" anything. You don't need to fiddle with hardware at all, because the guest OS's "disks" etc. are actually achieved using host OS resources, such as files, unbeknownst to the guest. In fact, if you don't want to throw away your present host environment, you can run Linux in a virtual machine permanently. (Or you can "flip the tables" and run Linux as the host, and put Windows into a VM as a guest.) Especially when you are trying to learn about a new system, you want the simplest and non-disruptive way to achieve that. And, here it is.

1 members found this post helpful.

I believe you that TBone has much to offer. It does help to get some balance here.

I think many of the personal attacks, especially in another thread, are inappropriate. I think there is a need for something to balance that.

And when I say someone should explain Linux better, it is not something I am saying just to get others to do it. My Simple Samples has articles I have written to attempt to help others.

Heck, put Trisquel GNU\Linux on a usbstick and give it a spin.

This

My first advice. Read a lot and learn a lot and finally test it.

Oh? Like what, exactly? What did you test and how??

Trial and error method. You keep trying and testing until it comes out: P