I recently moved my powerful gaming PC to a new room, and I now want to set up an old mini PC that my workplace was about to throw away for my 3D printing area in the basement. Since I'd like to avoid installing Windows, I'm looking for a user-friendly Linux distribution that can run the Bambu Studio program without requiring me to learn terminal commands every time I need to do something. My basic requirements include supporting two monitors, allowing for web browsing and streaming YouTube or Plex, and managing files to send to my 3D printer easily, along with accessing my NAS. I have a bit of experience with Linux but mostly just look things up as needed, particularly on my Steam Deck.
3 Answers
I personally use Linux Mint and have been really happy with it. It runs software like Blender, FreeCAD, and Cura without any issues. Bambu Studio also has a Flatpak version available, so you shouldn't have any issues there either. Plus, the best part is that you can manage everything without needing the terminal!
As for your distribution choice, I’d suggest going with something like Fedora or even Bazzite if you’re into 3D printing. Bazzite is nice because it's designed to be quite easy to use, and it’s based on Fedora. Both of these have great community support and work well with KDE for a familiar look.
You can really use any mainstream Linux distribution for Bambu Studio since it's distributed as an AppImage. I'd recommend going for one with the KDE desktop environment if you're looking for something that feels similar to Windows. It's intuitive and should work just fine for your needs.
Yeah, most mainstream distros have become very user-friendly over time. You won't find yourself in the terminal often unless you want to. Mint is a great choice for Windows users.