Which distribution would you suggest for me?
 

Hi!
I am a Linux newbie - I have basic knowledge about the operating system / about it's structure. I have tried various distributions throughout the years, but I have just got serious about using a Linux distribution as a full time OS.
I would like to use Linux on my laptop, and I would like to learn more about Linux itself. So Ubuntu is not the kind of distro I am looking for I assume. :)
Which distributions would you suggest?
Thank you in advance!

Best is to use as many distributions as you can and see what you like. You can see what is popular at http://www.distrowatch.com however you may not like what the crowd likes.

I prefer Fedora for most things, it is fast, always up to date and I have had great success with it working the first time on all except one notebook. For that notebook I am using now I am trying Mint, and I am impressed. It is easy to get started, looks nice (mate DE) and for a six year old notebook runs quite well.

Ubuntu has been getting a lot of bad rep lately but it isn't a bad distribution, it works on most hardware just fine, is well supported by the community and is consitered by some to be the defacto desktop distribution (see a lot of software with ".deb packages for Ubuntu" downloads). Many people are dissapointed in the direction Gnome 3 and Unity have gone but for Ubuntu it makes sense to create an environment that is the same on PC, Tablet and Phone. From Ubuntu or Mint Debian is pretty easy to move up to (by up I mean more customizable/complex/you can do more!).

Fedora is more technical, there are times you will get away with using a GUI for almost everything but it pays off to know how to use the shell. Since I have started using Linux I am almost always in the shell with an exception of the web browser. From Fedora it is baby steps to get into CentOS (Scientific Linux as well) and then Redhat if you do choose to make Linux a career this is a viable path. Fedora Linux is supported by Redhat and often used to test new configurations and software before being adopted by Redhat.

I hope this helps you, and don't forget it is free to try and you are free to use whatever distribution(s) you choose for whatever task you perform. Have fun with Linux.

Install the LinuxMint LTS which will be supported until April 2017.
It will do what you need and give you a stable base to return to,
while you continue to test and learn.

This is what it was designed for.

there are a ton of "cookie cutter" OS's but staying with the main big distros is normally a good idea .

some are targeted for the server ( in a server room of a data center)
like RHEL,CentOS ,SELS, and Debian stable

others are targeted more for the office
like RHEL,CentOS,SELD , and Debian stable
some for the home "general purpose " computer

there are tow main families
RedHat
Debian
( BSD / freebsd as a third)

Ubuntu and Mint are in the debian family
Fedora and Cent are in the redhat family

with OpenSUSE 12.3 somewhat in the redhat family

A lot of people like Linux Mint 15
- give it a try

I like OpenSUSE
give it a spin

then decide what YOU LIKE

If you want to learn, Slackware is a darn good teacher.

If you opt for Mint and your wifi doesn't get configured, Go to the Additional Drivers section via the control Center to scan for proprietary devices such as wifi cards for example.

You can learn on any distro: just look behind the graphical configuration tools and find what actually happens in the files that get configured. The more difficult distros (e.g. Arch) have good wikis that can be used to explain any distro. Naturally, some knowledge is distro specific: Slackware will teach you about Lilo and BSD-style initialisation, but that won't transfer to Grub and Systemd. I feel confident with rpm, but I always feel slight panic when faced with dpkg. I'd just get an easily installed distro with a desktop you like and then start poking around.

Member Response
 

Hi,

Everyone starts somewhere, so get your feet wet. Most hold your hand distributions will attempt to do everything for you therefore you will learn to cook using their preset functionality.

'frankbell' suggested Slackware. I too suggest that you can learn more about a Gnu/Linux by using Slackware. Look at my sig for useful Slackware links.

Slackware Doc Project is very useful for newbies and old Slackers that tend to forget some of the material therefore need a refresh. :)

Additional links for a new user;
For when you do have problems and wish to post to LQ's official Slackware forum;
Hope this helps.

Hi SpaceBoB,

Linux Mint if you are new with Linux.
But my advice is Slackware if you want to learn it ;)

Try centos its cool for learning a desktop enviroment and little bit of server siding plus its KDE desktop..... Is one of the best.

If you're a complete noob, then 'buntu might be the kind of disto you're looking for in fact... if you try to run before you can walk it could end in disappointment.

If you have some experience, then 'buntu is probably not the distro you're looking for and you can move along...

(Mint is just 'buntu with some extra stuff - just so you're aware.)

If you really want to learn, but want to stick with something mainstream (rpm/deb based systems) then give fedora or Debian a go. If you want something different to the norm then Slackware might be an option.

I can't speak for gentoo or Arch, but I believe these are also good distros for users who want to learn rather than just have a "works out of the box" system.

With a name like SpaceBob, just cut to the chase and go for Slackware. Praise Bob! :D