What Linux distro should I install ?

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Aurhell

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Hi,

Although I've been a C#/.NET coder for a long-time, I feel like this is high time to finally switch to Linux (For so many reasons... )

So, I'd like to move from Windows to Linux. What would be the best distro(s) to start with ? I mean to get familiar with Linux.

I was thinking about Debian, but I'd like to hear your users if that a good distro to start with.

Thanks for your advice !

Have a good day,
Aurélien.
 


Welcome to forums.

Aurhell said:
I was thinking about Debian, but I'd like to hear your users if that a good distro to start with.
Click to expand...
I'm using Debian and also recommend it to new users because it's stable and so you won't need to waste your time troubleshooting issues.

The only downside of it is that most of its software is not the latest until next release which happens every 2 years, for various reasons which are stability and security.
But on another it's software repository is the biggest among all distros consisting of some 90K packages and that's one huge plus.

Another thing you also need to consider in addition to distro is which desktop will you use, there are several out there each with their pros and cons.
 
Thanks for your answer CafeeineAddict !

I've got one question to ask you ? Is setting up a wi-fi on Debian easy ?
 
Aurhell said:
Is setting up a wi-fi on Debian easy ?
Click to expand...
WI-FI configuration is done with NetworkManager which has GUI where you configure network, using the GUI is almost as simple as on Windows.

But there is one gotcha which applies to network installers (ex. if you use netinst ISO) and happens after you install Linux to drive, it will reuse network configuration that you set up during installment.

This initial setup can cause troubles configuring network afterwards and a "fix" for this is as follows:

NetworkManager will reuse connection setup from installation procedure but this one won't be shown
under Settings -> connections in GUI.

Network configuration for the adapter that was used during configuration is stored in /etc/network/interfaces
to fix this open the file and remove lines which configure that adapter:

Bash: 
sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces
Delete lines and sub lines (indented) set for your adapter which look like this:

Bash: 
# The primary network interface
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

Save the file and restart NetworkManager

Bash: 
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Open up Settings -> connections GUI and the network connection should appear for you to customize it, if not, add new connection manually and customize it.
 
Hello @Aurhell,
Welcome to the Linxu.org forum.
Only you in the end can choose the distro that will suit your needs. You need to consider a few things. What will I be using it for?
Will it work with my hardware? Does it meet my personal tastes.

If your going to use it for coding you'll most likely want a Distro that is fairly up to date. Debian is a great distro if you don't mind some out of date software. If you want up to date. you may want to try Fedora or one of the Arch family. MX is good but based on Debian and is solid. It updates some packages more quickly than debian. If you want a Distro that is stable and works out of the box with minimal fuss try Mint or LMDE. In any event I almost always advise people to try several distros on live usb sticks to see which one seems to fit you the best.
This page maybe of help in learning Linux also.

Home | Linux Journey

linuxjourney.com linuxjourney.com
Click to expand...
Good luck in your search and enjoy the journey!
 
Thanks for sharing your insights !

I'll give a shot to Debian and let you know about my experience in a couple of days !
 
Aurhell said:
Is setting up a wi-fi on Debian easy
Click to expand...
Wi-Fi is the same for all distributions, it is component dependent, many work out the box but some [Mediatek & some RTL in the main] can be challenging
 
@Aurhell,
so many distros I did check, and all ways I have to go back to Ubuntu (an alternative : Xubuntu, no problems with drivers, ...).

The most linux user take Ubuntu, there fore the best chance to get support for any problems (Driver, SW, ...)
It does not mean, I am a fan of snap, wayland ...
Also I would recommend to install a dual boot system (Win, linux), surely you will miss something, if not.

Also, I must confess, primarily I am not interested in the OS itself, I am only a user of it (Meson build, VBA, ...).
 
I am an .net/c# dev too, switched, for, basically, 1 reason: windows 10 end of support, and microsoft being annoying with their surveillance.

Can share with my experience.

I tried Linux a few times before during last 5 years from time to time.

My first distro was Mint in 20, i was very happy with it, but had printer drivers issues for one old printer that i badly needed, and switched back to windows.

I believe that Mint is the best what you can try after windows if you want smooth transition. It is linux, but the way you use it is very like windows.

Second - Ubuntu. Honestly i didnt liked it at all, but if you want to have detailed guide on how to setup anything - thats good distro to try. Used it for a few months, but it was 2019 year, and i just started my developer career there, and wanted OS to not chalenge me on top of it.
Also, i think i broke it somehow. For the reason of me being clumsy, but anyway.
I think Ubuntu is not an option actually, in despite it being so popular i just dont like the experience.

Third - Fedora 3 months ago. Because of windows 10 support issue, and me not liking at all win 11 i decided to try switch again. Choosed fedora because wanted to have different from windows experience as much as possible, which Fedora with Gnome delivers goodly.
Also i ve been told Fedora is very innovative distro, which gets updates for packages earlier then another, and wanted to try it.
I not very liked way interface worked, and broke my install on top of it, so - decided to try something else.
In despite of that: i can recommend it to try, it is actually good, and gives interesting user experience - if you are like me, want to not see anything "windows like" anymore - thats interesting option.

And now i am on PopOs as a daily driver for 3 months, and finally i felt that i dont want to return, and even touch windows anymore.
It has really cool "Cosmic" graphical environment built on "gnome", but with nice looking features. I am using it every day with no problems.

Wow, its a lot of text came out. Hope i was straight forward enough.
 
This is a very personal thing...

It's like asking, "What clothing should I buy?"

First, it has to fit you physically, second it has to fit your style, third it has to be fit for purpose (be it work wear, leisure wear, etc)...

There are more choices than I care to enumerate in a post. Check with DistroWatch to see if you can find something that interests you. Try that distro. Repeat that process until you find the one for you. It may take more than one try and your needs may change as your understanding of Linux changes.
 
@KGIII, a good idea to compare it with clothing.

But I must confess, you assume the respective HW plays with linux.
I would not try clothing, if it is not fit my size (HW compatibility, e.g. Debian (RealTek)).
Therefore my first intention would be, to have a running system.
And second, the color, mode ...
 
Welcome to the Forum.
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Plenty of Distros to choose from...I'm sure you'll find one and you will enjoy the freedom.
1723335547255.gif
 
Been using Debian Bookworm for quite awhile on my Thinkpad. Runs pretty well really. Mint and Linux Lite also.
 
Here to contribute my good experience with Debian 11, forget about crashes, even disconnections from the internet, this thing you set it up once and it's going on for years
 
After several failed attempts of other distros utilizing a dual-boot installation, I have been using Ubuntu 24.04 LTS on my laptop for a coupe of weeks now and I really like it.
 
Maybe Distrochooser can help you
distrochooser.de

Distrochooser

The Distrochooser helps you to find the suitable Linux distribution based on your needs!
distrochooser.de distrochooser.de
 
tinfoil-hat said:
Maybe Distrochooser can help you
distrochooser.de

Distrochooser

The Distrochooser helps you to find the suitable Linux distribution based on your needs!
distrochooser.de distrochooser.de
Click to expand...
I went trough this set of questions and the top recommendation for me was Debian which I'm already using.
So this site is certainly good and going to my bookmarks to share to beginners.
 
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