I'm looking to switch to Linux and need some advice on which distribution to choose. As a beginner, I want something that is easy to use for college, but most importantly, I need it to be simple and minimal. I primarily use my laptop for web browsing and playing Minecraft, so I'm hoping to find a distro that comes with just the essential apps and nothing more.
5 Answers
If you're just browsing the web and playing Minecraft, you really have a lot of options. I would suggest looking into Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop OS, and Fedora. Each of these has a minimal setup that can still give you a solid experience as a beginner, but Mint is especially user-friendly.
You might also want to check out the distro selection page in the Linux4Noobs wiki. It can help point you to the right choice based on your needs. Just remember to take regular backups and maybe try things out in a virtual machine first!
If you want simple, perhaps consider a Chromebook instead of dealing with Linux. But if you want to give Linux a shot, I think Ubuntu is a good starting point, especially if you're looking for something user-friendly.
Just looking at past discussions, it seems like Linux Mint and Ubuntu are the go-to recommendations for newbies. Mint gets a lot of love for its simplicity, so that might be your best bet!
Honestly, I think you should go for a distro with a desktop environment you like, since that's what you'll interact with most. KDE Plasma, GNOME, Cinnamon, and XFCE all have different looks and feel. KDE is kind of Windows-like, while GNOME has a MacOS vibe. It boils down to your personal taste!
I totally agree! I'd personally recommend Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop. It's really friendly for those coming from Windows.
I've heard some mixed things about Ubuntu's Snap packages, though. Some folks prefer Mint since it's more straightforward, and it really is a great stepping stone to Debian.