New to the whole Linux scene, have heard really great things figured I'd maybe give it a crack?

[beanburrito]

For pure simplicity and especially for newcomers to Linux, I generally have two recommendations:

MX-Linux, and Linux Lite. Here's why:

If I recall correctly, Linux Lite ships with the proprietary Google Chrome, not Chromium. When I tried Lite I didn't find it all that light. As per my post above, MX Linux has a really good Fluxbox flavor, though it may not be as newbie friendly as XFCE. In addition to being proprietary, for some reason Chrome took considerably longer to start than Chromium on my old laptop. Granted, I was running it from the LiveCD, rather than an install but my was it slow.

It's easy enough to rip it out and install Firefox, but not on the LiveCD. Google Chrome shouldn't ship on any distribution that wants to dedicate themselves to FOSS and be taken seriously, in my opinion. Now if someone wants or needs Google Chrome, that's their call. But I try and recommend FOSS solutions first.

Honestly, though, I didn't give Linux Lite much of a test beyond loading Google Chrome and a few other small things, so please don't consider my opinions as an overall review of the distribution.

 

[Perpetual Padawan]

I think in later releases they dumped Chrome and use Firefox ESR as default. It hardly matters much, since changing browsers is a simple matter of a few clicks. And if it's the absence of anything proprietary that matters most, then the choices narrow down to Trisquel, PureOS, Parabola, etc (listed here). Any other distro would fall short of that standard.

 

[beanburrito]

I think in later releases they dumped Chrome and use Firefox ESR as default.

You're right, as of 5-30-2026, they switched to Firefox. For the longest time they had Chrome. Well good for them, making the right choice.

It hardly matters much, since changing browsers is a simple matter of a few clicks

Yes, indeed, but when you're testing a LiveCD on an old laptop, the last thing you want is for something to take forever to load, which Chrome did for me when they had it. Especially for a distro called, "Lite."

And if it's the absence of anything proprietary that matters most, then the choices narrow down to [...]

Well said, my friend. I was simply focusing on their previous use of Chrome for the browser. And if you're that dedicated, might as well go the coreboot route as well.

Forget everything I said about Linux Lite! (for now) ^_^ According to their release history they have flip-flopped around between Chrome and Firefox through the years.

 

[MikeWalsh]

@beanburrito :-

You're right, as of 5-30-2026, they switched to Firefox. For the longest time they had Chrome. Well good for them, making the right choice.

Heh. That IS, of course, very much a personal choice at the end of the day.

I had nowt but problems with FF in the early-to-mid 'noughties'. Memory leaks abounded in those days, and it had a disturbing tendency to crash whenever it felt like it. I lost so much work to it back then, that when Chrome was announced in 2007, I joined the 'beta' test program in the summer of that year.

I was blown away by it! Here was a browser that was sleek, lightweight (in those days), and sizzlingly fast. I've been using it ever since the very first stable release in Autumn 2007, and I haven't really looked back since.....

I still keep Firefox around, but it's only ever a kind of 'backup' browser for me. Of course, nowadays it's as good as any other browser, but for ages it was held back by all the constant squabbling, arguments & general 'back-stabbing' that was, apparently, at one time just a fact of life in the Mozilla developer camp...

Internal politics delayed its transition into the browser it finally is today.....the browser it COULD have been so MANY years ago.

"Once bitten, twice shy", y'know?

(shrug...)


Mike.

 

[The Duck]

I'd go with Linux Mint as a new to Linux user as there are more Linux Mint users on this forum than any other Linux distro users so lots of help.

I don't use Linux Mint although recommend it to new to Linux user.
I suggest the latest Linux Mint version with the Xfce desktop.

Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.

www.linuxmint.com

Documentation - Linux Mint

Linux Mint is an elegant, easy to use, up to date and comfortable desktop operating system.

www.linuxmint.com

If you are wanting to test a few different Linux distros than use Ventoy to do it.

Ventoy

Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it.

www.ventoy.net

 

[beanburrito]

[...]
Heh. That IS, of course, very much a personal choice at the end of the day.
[...]

Indeed! Which is why I wrote, "Now if someone wants or needs Google Chrome, that's their call. But I try and recommend FOSS solutions first." Thank you for your views on Firefox and Chrome.

I'm not happy with the current set of browsers available, but I use Firefox because of uBlock Origin support. I'm not in love with it, but it is what it is. I've tried other lighter browsers but they either don't support javascript or they just plain render things wrong, or crash a lot. I do use Chromium for a few sites.

Edit: I don't especially treasure the days of Firefox with the Linux Adobe Flashplayer plugin - crashes galore! And I won't even begin to discuss Silverlight. Excuse me, Moonlight. (vomits in a bucket)

 

[beanburrito]

[...]

Ventoy

Ventoy is an open source tool to create bootable USB drive for ISO files. With ventoy, you don't need to format the disk again and again, you just need to copy the iso file to the USB drive and boot it.

www.ventoy.net

[...]

I've been so tempted again and again to try Ventoy, but one thing prevents me:

Binary blob controversy

Maybe I'll get around to trying it, who knows. But I don't distro hop as I've settled into what I like and I don't use many Live distros anymore either.

 

[wendy-lebaron]

i use ventoy now and then. but one thing gets me. it has a hard time catching up. to iso's created in a few years until today. now supports too many outdated operating systems.

with the prohibitive prices of usb 2.0 (15+ year old technology) pendrives where i live. i just cannot do "dd" anymore on some random iso. i have one 32gb disk with ventoy and a few iso's dumped into it. but almost haven't been using it this year. because sparky linux 8.0 "seven sisters" with mate desktop. failed me in so many ways after installing it. disillusioned by it. but i'm more limited about distrohopping. than i was in the month i created this account.

i'm sorry for off-topic. but the op should check out different things. as was said in one way or another by other people in this thread.

---

i'd like to add. that "live" distributions that support "persistence." has been a red herring for me. antix and mx linux have too many quirks. for me to go on taking them seriously for very long. i couldn't get it to work on mageia. i'm sure i followed all instructions provided in their wiki. i prefer knoppix way. as transparent as possible. sometimes i didn't even notice i was running a "live" distribution!