A newbie trying to install linux

[Thesaintcraft]

Hi guys, i want to enter this world, but as i have no clue about distros and how im gonna use the OS and why, i came to you for help.

First of all, my computer is a

ASUS - ROG Zephyrus G14 14" OLED 3K 120Hz Gaming Laptop - AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS - 16GB LPDDR5X - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 - 1TB SSD - Platinum White​

and i have Windows 11, so, my question is, Whats the best distro to begin?, and what would you recommend for the installation, dual boot or VM??
Thanks for your time

 

[dos2unix]

That will run any Linux distro. Most will say Mint and Fedora are best for new users.

As for your second question. How many hard drives do you have? If only one, I would go with a VM.
Putting Linux and windows together on the same hard drive... can be... challenging.

 

[Alexzee]

Welcome to Linux.org.

Before performing a fresh Linux install alongside of your Windows 11....I recommend trying a few Linux distro first.

Virtual Box has always worked for me when trying distros.

Give Linux Mint, MX Linux [based on Debian] and maybe Zorin a try.

Also do a search of pictures for the various desktop environments and see what they look like. My 3 favorite desktop environments are KDE, Mate and XFCE.

Once you know what you like than do your Linux install.

Enjoy the day.
Alex

 

[Brickwizard]

Welcome
your machine is capable of running any Linux, it entirely depends on your usage
for daily use Mint 22 or lighter and a tad faster Mint LMDE, Ubuntu, or Peppermint, for more office base use MX- Linux, for slightly better security Parrot Home edition, for gaming it doesn't matter as you can install all the gaming apps to any Linux, as I said any will run on your kit with the possible exclusion of POP which is made for system 76 kit, if it doesn't install and run first time, it can be a pigs rear to get it to work

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Whats the best distro to begin?

Site below will help you choose a distro based on your needs and preferences:

Distrochooser

The Distrochooser helps you to find the suitable Linux distribution based on your needs!

distrochooser.de

 

[KGIII]

how im gonna use the OS and why,

Resolve this first.

You should know how you're going to use the OS and why you're choosing to use the OS.

For example:

"I'm going to use a desktop version of Linux to replace Windows because I want user-based security and to easily maintain the software I have installed."

Without purpose, there's no reason for you to change.

 

[Deleted member 204243]

Most will say Mint and Fedora are best for new users.

Mint - yes, but Fedora? I don't think it's a good option for a newbie.

Mint and Ubuntu are the best options for beginners.

 

[kc1di]

Hello @Thesaintcraft
Welcome to the Linux.org forum, enjoy!
Your question get asked a lot by people coming from Windows.
I always recommend downloading and try several Linux distros on live usbs and see how they play with your hardware and personal tastes. I would start with Mint ,MX, ubuntu and others. In the end you will have to choose the one that fits your style of work and play. Good luck in you search.

 

[dos2unix]

Mint - yes, but Fedora? I don't think it's a good option for a newbie.

Mint and Ubuntu are the best options for beginners.

Fedora is great for beginners. I see no advantage to Mint over it.
Ubuntu seems to be falling out of favor, due to snaps.

 

[Deleted member 204243]

I always recommend downloading and try several Linux distros on live usbs and see how they play with your hardware and personal tastes.

There is a couple of hundreds Linux distros. How is a total newbie gonna choose several?

I would start with Mint ,MX, ubuntu and others. In the end you will have to choose the one that fits your style

They are all Debian-based and will work more or less the same. If you want to try truly different distros then go for Mint, Arch, Fedora, Gentoo, Slackware, OpenSUSE, Puppy... I don't think this is a route a total newbie should choose

 

[CaffeineAddict]

The only distros that are not user friendly are gentoo, arch and similar distros, all other are equally user friendly, more or less.
So your debate about whether some distro is user friendly or not makes no sense and seems to support pushing specific distros.

 

[Deleted member 204243]

Fedora is great for beginners. I see no advantage to Mint over it.

The main one is the installer.

 

[dos2unix]

The main one is the installer.

Just as easy, if not easier than Mint. Redhat, Oracle, Rocky, Scientific, AlmaLinux, NST, Nobara, and AmazonLinux are are based on Fedora.

Thread 'Installing Fedora 41 Linux to your computer'

Feb 9, 2025

For this tutorial, I will be using the image from...

Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop

The Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop Edition is a powerful Fedora-based operating system utilizing the KDE Plasma Desktop as the main user interface. Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop comes with many pre-selected top quality applications that suit all modern desktop use cases - from online communication like...

fedoraproject.org

This tutoral assumes you already have the USB created, and that you have a blank hard drive with no bootable OS installed on it.
I will not be covering advanced subjects like dual boot. Let's begin.

Ususally, if there is no OS on your hard drive, it will just boot from the USB drive. If it doesn't you may see something similar to this. I do not show a USB drive on this example screen, but you should see something like "UEFI USB Device". Just use your up and down arrow...

• dos2unix
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Getting Started

• 
• 

 

[CaffeineAddict]

The main one is the installer.

So many people use Windows yet Windows installer is more complicated than most Linux installers.
At least if attempt to go beyond defaults to have more control such as manual partitioning.

So if a Windows user can't handle Linux installer something must be wrong with that user, perhaps they never reinstalled Windows I guess.

 

[Deleted member 204243]

So many people use Windows yet Windows installer is more complicated than most Linux installers.

In 99.99% of cases Windows come pre-installed. The initial set up is not an installation.

Just as easy, if not easier than Mint.

One of the many discussions about problems with installer in Fedora:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fedora/comments/1dovaz6/why_is_the_installer_hated_so_much

When was the last time you tried to install Mint and Fedora one after another? Mint installer can be painfully slow, but is very easy and intuitive to use. Fedora's may be great for experienced users, but it's to complex for newbies. IMO, even Debian installer is not the best option for beginners.

So your debate about whether some distro is user friendly or not makes no sense and seems to support pushing specific distros.

But you have to recommend specific distros for beginners.

 

[kc1di]

There is a couple of hundreds Linux distros. How is a total newbie gonna choose several?



They are all Debian-based and will work more or less the same. If you want to try truly different distros then go for Mint, Arch, Fedora, Gentoo, Slackware, OpenSUSE, Puppy... I don't think this is a route a total newbie should choose

Well to each their own. But They have to start somewhere. If you want to recommend the distro you would try.
This page may be of help in choosing also

Learning | Linux Journey

linuxjourney.com

 

[dos2unix]

When was the last time you tried to install Mint and Fedora one after another?

I wrote these two articles, a few days apart in Feb of this year.

Thread 'Installing Mint 22.1 Linux to your computer.'

Feb 9, 2025

This will be the first of a series, that covers multiple distros. Why did I pick Mint first?
No particular reason, it's a good, popular, well rounded distro. I will not make any attempt to grade these installs, I am just showing you how to do it. This tutorial assumes you already have MInt 22.1 USB created, and that you have a blank formatted disk in your computer. I will not be covering how to do dual boot, or any advanced things like that. This is just the basics. Maybe I will do the advanced stuff later.

Put lets put your USB drive in your computer, and boot up. This is the...

• dos2unix
• Replies: 22
• Forum: Getting Started

• 

Thread 'Installing Fedora 41 Linux to your computer'

Feb 9, 2025

For this tutorial, I will be using the image from...

Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop

The Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop Edition is a powerful Fedora-based operating system utilizing the KDE Plasma Desktop as the main user interface. Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop comes with many pre-selected top quality applications that suit all modern desktop use cases - from online communication like...

fedoraproject.org

This tutoral assumes you already have the USB created, and that you have a blank hard drive with no bootable OS installed on it.
I will not be covering advanced subjects like dual boot. Let's begin.

Ususally, if there is no OS on your hard drive, it will just boot from the USB drive. If it doesn't you may see something similar to this. I do not show a USB drive on this example screen, but you should see something like "UEFI USB Device". Just use your up and down arrow...

• dos2unix
• Replies: 0
• Forum: Getting Started

• 
• 

When is the last time you did?

One of the many discussions about problems with installer in Fedora:

https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxmint/comments/1b5o88e/cant_install_mint

Someone has a problem. Anybody can find something wrong with some distro.
It's the same for every distro.

A

Solved Thread 'Update issues in Linux Mint 22'

Dec 30, 2024

Hi everyone
I have installed Linux Mint 22 cinnamon 64 bit with Virtual Box. It works well but there are some issues when I update the Mint. Here are some screenshots. any suggestion please.

• Abdul Ghafoor
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Mint

F

Solved Thread 'Mint 22.1 - 2 Problems...'

Jan 20, 2025

Hi,
I installed Mint 22.1 Mate, yesterday (previous dual boot Mint 20.3/Win10)
Here's the story;

Device: HP Compaq Elite 8300

Problem 1: Uncommanded restart
Problem 2: Can't open compressed encrypted zip/7z files

Dual boot Mint 20.3/Win10 Desktop.
Erased Linux Root, Home, Swap partitions.
Rebuilt same Linux partitions, then installed Mint 22.1
No problems except usual GRUB not seeing Windows, fixed eventually.

On three occasions now, I have shut down PC, only to return a few hours later
to find the PC on, with large Linux login type screen to login, change user, etc.

To shut down PC...

• fordlund
• Replies: 8
• Forum: Mint

A

Thread 'Half Screen black in Linux Mint'

Dec 10, 2024

I have HP EliteOne 800 G2 23-inch Touch AiO. When I boot Linux Mint from bootable USB it shows half screen black. Not even Linux mint but I also tried Fedora, Zorin and Google ChromeOS, the problem still remains same in all OSs. Any solution please.

• Abdul Ghafoor
• Replies: 9
• Forum: Mint

Thread 'My pet peeve with Linux Mint'

Dec 26, 2024

Moving from Windows, Mint was my first distro choice, but I can't stand that Linux Mint hides file extensions by default. It put me off immediately.. I understand Linux doesn't rely on extensions like Windows, but I prefer seeing them for clarity...

Seems this is a well known issue, and irritates a few users without an easy fix...?:
forums.linuxmint.com

After trying Xubuntu, and not ever feeling the need to try anything else again. I feel confident saying Ubuntu and its derivatives still sit on the "best conversion from Windows distro" throne.

Just my opinion.

• Freepoorman
• Replies: 20
• Forum: Mint

• 

 

[KGIII]

We've had all sorts of people (and I've not counted) start with Fedora successfully and without complaint.

I'm of the opinion that it's trivial to install and as 'user friendly' as any other distro. The only reason I'd 'argue' against it would be that a lot of software isn't pre-packaged in .rpm format while they are pre-packaged in .deb format. However, there are tools for this (see alien for example) and there are alternatives, including other package formats that are reasonably popular, tar balls, etc...

Now, to be clear about the above, I've never come across anything I needed that was difficult to install in Fedora.

 

[Brickwizard]

Gentlemen [and our lady members] This thread is becoming an embarrassment, this thread is not the place to be Arguing what is best, what is easy to install and what's not some of us have been using Linux for over 20 years and have probably tried all base distributions and many of their offspring over the years, The question of what is the easiest or the best for beginners is a misnomer, What is best in the end, is a personal choice of what works best for us as individuals, and is not necessarily best for the newbie answering the question, and in the end makes all members look like a bunch of argumentative Barbary apes

Now, to be clear about the above, I've never come across anything I needed that was difficult to install in Fedora.

David you,I and several members have many years under our belts, it would be surprising if we could not install any distribution

My apologies to Admin and Mods for sounding off.

 

[Deleted member 204243]

When is the last time you did?

Mint? Less than 24 hours ago. Took ages, but it was painless. All I needed to do was wait (I managed to finish a podcast episode and listen to some Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier). Finished around 2am. I still don't understand why it took so long. You can have a ready to work BunsenLabs in 20 min.

Fedora? 2-3 weeks ago. LXDE version. Gave up during partitioning/setting encryption. To confusing. Couldn't be bothered.

Complexity of the installer is one thing, failed installation process is another. You can not compare these two. Even the easiest installer may fail, but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about complexity of the installation proces. Don't forget that there is a big chance the person trying Linux has never installed any OS.