A Windows user new to Linux

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Priyam Saxena

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Hi all,

I'm a Windows user since 2011, I've used Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10. Currently I'm using Windows 10. But, I'm not satisfied with Microsoft Windows 10, due to its more focus on the breaking of Privacy of the user. Also, I like to work on a stable environment, but, Windows 10 updates updates itself, and present me bugs, and make my system unstable. I was going through their EULA recently, and in that I found they've complete access to install, and update any program in my system. I hate this, seriously.

I found out Linux while surfing on the the Internet, but, when I started Researching about it then it makes me crazy to know more about it. I've tried Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Zorin, Ubuntu Mate, and Fedora. But, none of them I like. (I haven't tried Linux Mint yet)
I've already started my Windows to Linux migrating process by moving to open source products, on my current Windows 10 system I just have one piece of commercial software "Adobe Photoshop" on which I'm working to move to GIMP.

I want to ask that I'm a Linux newbie, and from your valuable experience "Which Linux distribution is a good choice for a Linux novice/newbie person?" also your tips, and recommendations are most welcome.

I'm curios, and excited to know more about Linux, and my plan is to dump Windows as soon as possible. I'm done with Microsoft.

So, please help me on this.
 
Last edited:


Priyam Saxena said:
Hi all,

I'm a Windows user since 2011, I've used Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10. Currently I'm using Windows 10. But, I'm not satisfied with Microsoft Windows 10, due to its more focus on the breaking of Privacy of the user. Also, I like to work on a stable environment, but, Windows 10 updates updates itself, and present me bugs, and make my system unstable. I was going through their EULA recently, and in that I found they've complete access to install, and update any program in my system. I hate this, seriously.

I found out Linux while surfing on the the Internet, but, when I started Researching about it then it makes me crazy to know more about it. I've tried Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Zorin, Ubuntu Mate, and Fedora. But, none of them I like. (I haven't tried Linux Mint yet)
I've already started my Windows to Linux migrating process by moving to open source products, on my current Windows 10 system I just have one piece of commercial software "Adobe Photoshop" on which I'm working to move to GIMP.

I want to ask that I'm a Linux newbie, and from your valuable experience "Which Linux distribution is a good choice for a Linux novice/newbie person?" also your tips, and recommendations are most welcome.

I'm curios, and excited to know more about Linux, and my plan is to dump Windows as soon as possible. I'm done with Microsoft.

So, please help me on this.
Click to expand...
When I was new to Linux I did a lot of disto hopping until I found the one I liked, everyone has different preferences as to what they want. When I was new to Linux I went thru like 15 different distributions and found 2 that I liked... as of right now ... they are not free anymore but they do have free versions of them which are excellent for new users.... you can try them if you want ...
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=opensuse
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=redhat
I'm not sure if that's the link to the free version of Redhat but if not I'm sure you can find it...
and in closing ... Linux is a big config file so if you don't like it.... change it....
 
Hey Priyam.
Welcome to the community.

As far as newbie distros go:
Any of the Ubuntu based distros (Ubuntu, Ubuntu Mate, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu etc) or any Ubuntu derived distros like Mint are probably the best choices until you know your way around. They're easy to install and maintain, extremely stable and newbie friendly.

If you want something that is a little more Windows-like in appearance - you could try Kubuntu, which uses the QT based KDE/Plasma desktop environment.

I also see that you have tried several of the distros I have listed. Out of curiousity - What was it that you didn't like about them?

e.g.
Was it just the way the desktop environment looked? Or was it the way that it functioned?
Or something else?

The reason I ask is because in Windows, the amount of customisation/personalisation you can do is extremely limited. Whereas in Linux, pretty much everything can be heavily customised/personalised. So if you don't like the look or behaviour of something - you can almost always change it!

In Linux, there are a large number of different desktop environments available and a lot of themes for them. So if you don't like the default desktop that ships with your chosen distro, you can download and install a different theme for it, or customise the look/feel/theme yourself - or even completely replace the default desktop environment with a different one.

You can even have multiple desktop environments installed and choose which one to use at the login screen.

On our family PC - I have Debian installed with Mate (for my wife and young sons), Openbox (for my teenage daughter) and a heavily customised version of dwm (a tiling wm, for myself).

Likewise, on my laptop - I have Debian Testing installed with my customised version of dwm, plus 2wm (another tiling wm, built from source), Enlightenment 20 (from source) and KDE/Plasma (which I rarely use ATM).
 
Thanks, JasKinasis.

I think, I got my problem, like you said I didn't liked the desktop environments of those distros. I'm now going to try Linux Mint, let's see!!!!
 
Priyam Saxena said:
Thanks, JasKinasis.

I think, I got my problem, like you said I didn't liked the desktop environments of those distros. I'm now going to try Linux Mint, let's see!!!!
Click to expand...
you can have more than 1 desktop environment on a system... just because there is a default environment installed doesn't mean there can't be 3 or 4 others installed also... and usually at login you can select which you want to use...install them all and play around with them and decide what you like the best as a starting point for the environment your going to work with (after you have finished tweaking it to your liking)

https://fossbytes.com/best-linux-desktop-environments/
https://www.slant.co/topics/343/~best-linux-desktop-environments
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/linux-desktop-environment-best-personality/
 
mrcrossroads said:
Linux Mint. Mate or Cinnamon DE, doesn't matter. I prefer Cinnamon, but many others swear by Mint Mate.
Click to expand...

I agree: Linux Mint (with either desktop choice). I use Mint with Mate myself.

As @arochester noted above, Linux Lite is also a very nice Ubuntu-based distro as well. However, if you have a UEFI-based motherboard, you would need to change some settings to make it work (disable Secure Boot and enable CSM or Legacy Mode). With Mint or Ubuntu you should not need to modify those settings.

Cheers
 
Thanks all for your help.

I've installed Ubuntu Mate on my Desktop PC, and as now you recommended I'll install Linux Mint in my Laptop.
 
Yara said:
hi i'm new in Linux so i want to know if it support digital art pro and movie edit program
animation pro ? what is the version i should install ? and how can i protect my PC from virus?
Click to expand...

Hi @Yara, and welcome to the site. Rather than using another person's thread, please open up a new thread of your own to ask questions. The Getting Started forum would be a good choice. Thanks!
 
Hi,

I was going through "Linux Lite" information, and I wanna ask that is there any problem if I use it. It looks stable, and simple also.

Now, confused between "Linux Lite" and "Linux Mint (Cinnamon or xfce)"

help guys..
 
I can't think of any problem with Linux Lite. It used Xfce as well as Linux Mint Xfce.

BOTH are based on Ubuntu.
 
which one do you recommend? Linux Mint Xfce or Linux Lite? I want to install Linux on my 2011 desktop, which has 500 gb HDD, 3 gb RAM, Intel Pentium Dual Core processor.
 
It is a matter of personal choice. I am writing this from Linux Lite. (It may sound silly but I don't like the grey and green of Linux Mint. )

Linux has its fanboys who might tell you to use X or Y because that is what they like. But what YOU like is more important
 
arochester said:
I can't think of any problem with Linux Lite. It used Xfce as well as Linux Mint Xfce.

BOTH are based on Ubuntu.
Click to expand...

Linux Lite is excellent, but the only issue is that the lead dev, Jerry Bezencon, has not yet got it to work properly in a pure UEFI environment (even though it is based on Ubuntu, which is UEFI capable). He was working for a long time producing test builds for UEFI, but still without success and he has given up on it now for this series. (Source: Reply #124)

This isn't a problem, but it does require a user with a UEFI motherboard to make changes to the UEFI settings. Secure Boot must be turned off, and the "UEFI mode" must be disabled.... this setting takes many forms: UEFI disabled, or Legacy enabled, or CSM enabled, or BIOS mode, and maybe more. It would be nice if they would all use standardized terms about this, but they don't.... so you have to figure it out. Once these changes are made, Lite should install and run fine.

Cheers
 
Short answer:
Yes.

The only differences between the various editions of Mint are the default desktop environment and the set of applications that are initially installed.

All of the variations of Mint are based on the same set of repositories. So all of the programs and libraries available in Mint Cinnamon are also available in the Mate and Xfce editions too.

And because Mint is based on Ubuntu - which in turn is based on Debian - you have an insanely large selection of additional software to choose from in the repos!
 
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