Hey everyone! I'm new to the world of Linux and I'm looking for some guidance. I have a laptop that's currently running Windows 10, but with support ending, I think it's a perfect time to try out Linux. I mainly use my laptop for browsing the web and watching movies with VLC, but I also use it as a Plex server, and it's always on.
I have some external hard drives connected which store my media and backups, and I'm hoping to keep using these with Linux. Currently, I rely on Windows network sharing to manage files from my daily Windows 11 laptop, so I'd love to know how I can maintain that functionality in Linux.
A little about my laptop specs: it's an MSI GE62 2QD with an Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, GeForce GTX 960M graphics, and a 15.6" FHD display. I've seen a few recommendations for Linux Mint and Ubuntu, but I'm wondering if either of these would work well for my needs. Thanks in advance for any help!
2 Answers
I actually run my Plex server on standard Ubuntu. It's pretty straightforward! You just mount your drives to access them, and to manage network access, Samba will let you read and write files just like you would with Windows shares. I control my Plex server using its web interface, which works really well for me.
Mint or Zorin could be good starting points for you. If you're looking for some productivity features, Fedora might be worth a try too. Just jump in and have fun with it!
Thanks! This computer isn't used for heavy productivity, but what kind of productivity features should I look for in Fedora?

Thanks a bunch! Sounds like I’ll be using the web interface too. How do you control it remotely? I usually use TeamViewer.