I just received a Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 5 as a gift, and it has Windows 11 on it, but I'm eager to switch to Linux. Since I'm pretty new to Linux, I'm looking for a distro that's beginner-friendly and easy to set up. I'm considering whether Linux Mint or Ubuntu would be better for my machine, which has 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an Intel Core Ultra 5 125u Processor. Any suggestions?
4 Answers
Your Intel Core 5 specifics aren't crucial since there are many variations, but for your ThinkPad, both Linux Mint and Ubuntu are solid choices. Mint offers a user-friendly interface, while Ubuntu has great community support. Some other recommended distros include CachyOS and EndeavourOS if you're feeling adventurous. Just make sure to try a few out with something like Ventoy for easy booting from USB!
Good advice! Ventoy makes it super easy to try live images. Welcome to the Linux world!
I’d suggest starting with Mint and see how it goes; it's beginner-friendly. If you feel adventurous later, you can easily switch to something else. It's pretty flexible!
Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment is great for newcomers. It’s smooth and pretty intuitive to use. You might find it very comfortable!
If you're looking for something lightweight, Xubuntu is a fantastic option since it uses XFCE. But personally, I prefer Debian. It's super stable and you can run it with a lightweight desktop like XFCE or LXQT. Just remember to set up the firewall! Mint is good too, but Debian feels more solid to me.
Definitely agree with trying out Ventoy! It allows you to test various distros without installing them. You can explore and find what suits you best!