Hey everyone! I'm just starting my journey into the world of Linux and I'm trying to decide on the best first distribution. I've come across a few names, mainly Arch (which seems a bit intimidating), Ubuntu, and Mint. I'm after a clean, minimalistic user interface, good gaming performance, solid support for NVIDIA GPUs, and it would be great if I could experiment with tools like Nix or try out tiling window managers like Hyprland. Right now, I'm leaning towards Linux Mint, but I'd love to hear your suggestions! Thanks so much!
3 Answers
If you're on an older system, consider Linux Mint with XFCE for a lightweight experience. Nobara Project and EndeavourOS are also good alternatives. For very old machines, MX Linux or Zorin OS Core might be the way to go! Good luck!
Honestly, the distro choice is pretty flexible, and Mint is a solid pick. If you're feeling adventurous, Arch could be great, but it comes with a fair amount of reading the Arch Wiki and troubleshooting, so be prepared for that! Mint also has a nice feature for installing proprietary NVIDIA drivers through a GUI, which is super convenient. Just remember, all distros can use Nix, but it's wise to get the hang of the basics before diving into Nix or Arch.
I found this useful link for Linux beginners: https://bazzite.gg/. It might have some helpful resources to get you started!
Just a heads up, Zorin OS Core uses Gnome, which is heavier compared to Linux Mint XFCE.