Hey everyone! I'm looking for advice on the best Linux distribution to start with, especially as I'm transitioning from Windows. I've got an old Razer laptop from 2019 that I want to turn into a Linux machine. As a complete novice, I'm interested in something user-friendly that will help me learn the ropes of Linux. My goal is to gradually move my other devices over to Linux too, especially for light gaming and game development activities like using Unity, VSCode, and GitHub.
I've got a Steam Deck, and while I tried to install some apps on SteamOS (which is based on Arch), I found that quite tricky, possibly due to internet restrictions I face living in China (like the great firewall and issues accessing GitHub).
Here's my plan for learning Linux:
1. Get Linux running smoothly on my old laptop and familiarize myself with the interface and command line.
2. Transition my personal tasks onto Linux (like game dev, word processing, and browsing).
3. Eventually, I would like to play some lighter games on Linux (specifically indie and pre-2015 titles).
I understand that I need to do some research to find the best KDE or distribution for me, but I'd love to hear your experiences and any tips for making the transition easier. Thanks!
5 Answers
You might want to check out Linux Mint if you're a beginner. It’s user-friendly and has a lot of helpful resources available. Just make a list of things you're interested in doing, and search online for tutorials. There's plenty of information out there to help you get started!
Diving into KDE Debian could also be a solid choice if you prefer to skip beginner-focused distros. If you’re familiar with Ubuntu and SteamOS, you should find it manageable enough. Just be ready to explore and configure things yourself!
Installing a distro that has local mirrors in China is key. Try using the Tsinghua University mirrors for Debian or Fedora, as they could help you bypass the firewall issues when downloading packages. Setting your software repositories to these mirrors could make your experience much smoother!
If you're interested in tinkerings, you might enjoy trying multiple distributions. Set up a virtual machine or use a spare drive to test out different distros. Linux Mint would be a great start, but if you're up for a challenge, Arch Linux is fantastic for learning - the Arch Wiki is a treasure trove of information.
For light gaming, check out GOG since they have a lot of older titles that work well on Linux. Also, if you have an interest in using the terminal more, familiarize yourself with basic commands and package installations across different distros. That’ll give you a solid foundation as you learn more about Linux.
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