I'm trying to dive into the world of Linux and need some guidance. My background is pretty limited—my first experience with Linux was about 20 years ago when my dad installed Ubuntu on an old computer he rescued from an ewaste pile. Recently, I got an HP15 with an AMD A12 and Radeon 7, but Windows 10 runs poorly on it, even after a clean installation. I'm upgrading it with a SATA SSD and boosting the RAM to 16GB. I've heard good things about Mint for basic use, but I'm unsure if it's the best choice. I'm mainly looking for a distro for document work and browsing. What do you think about Mint, and do you have any other suggestions?
2 Answers
Honestly, you can use pretty much any distro, Mint included. Just try a few out and see which one you like best. Just a heads up, avoid Kali unless you want something super complex—better suited for advanced users than just casual browsing!
Totally agree, trying out different ones is the way to go! Also, if you're looking to test distros, check out Ventoy. It can let you boot multiple ISOs from a single USB drive.
If you're ready to learn, Linux could be a great fit! Mint is a descendant of Ubuntu, which you used before, so it should feel familiar. It has a user-friendly interface with GUI support, but you can also dive into the command line if you're interested. Plus, you can run Mint live from a USB stick without installing it, so you can test it on your hardware before committing. Good luck!
That's solid advice! Experimenting with different distros is the best way to find out what fits your needs.