this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2023
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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I used Ubuntu once a few years ago but had compatability issues so I went back to windows. Not a great programmer but I'd like to learn. I'm not looking to do much gaming beyond DOOM2 and factorio. Mostly looking for privacy and a way to get back into programming (I have this pipe dream of learning Assembly). I'm not to particular on UI, I can use whatever.

Edit: https://distrochooser.de for anyone who stumbles upon this post with the same question

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[–] palordrolap@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Additional to the Mint suggestions: Mint tones down the "Ubuntu-ness" of their default distribution, but it's still Ubuntu under the hood. LMDE is the version of Mint based on straight Debian skipping the Ubuntu "middle-man" if that sounds more appealing.

Can't speak to compatibility one way or another, though.

My computer is old and made of parts from well-known manufacturers. Everything in it is pretty well-known to the open-source community at this point, so that might well be giving me a huge advantage with regard to drivers and such. (Case in point, I have an NVIDIA graphics card and Intel i7 from the tail end of the era where people wouldn't advise you against getting either, and in fact might have outright recommended them over AMD. Yes, that old. Legacy proprietary drivers work fine for me.)

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[–] pathief@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Whatever distro looks good to you is a good place to start. Think of distros as default configurations, you can basically change most stuff whenever you want.

Avoid Arch, just in case.

[–] kuberoot@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Screw you, Arch is great. It's not for everybody, but if you want to know how your system is set up, decide what's running on it, and don't mind researching and maintaining your software, it's lovely.

Sincerely, I use Arch BTW

[–] pathief@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I use Arch too, friend.

[–] dontblink@feddit.it 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)
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[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 year ago

Linux mint hands down

[–] ultrasquid@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

Suggestions: Linux Mint: this is the most popular recommendation for new users. Its nice and stable, uses a familiar Windows-like layout, and should just work out of the box. Pop_OS!: this one is another popular option, which uses a layout similar to MacOS and has lots of features such as window tiling. It does use older package and isn't often updated, however. Zorin OS: this one is pretty similar to Linux Mint. It also offers some additional desktop layouts, but some of these are paid, so if you want an entirely free experience, this is not the best option.

Suggestions for if you enjoy suffering: Arch Linux: Requires manual installation. You have to download and configure all the things yourself. Good option for advanced users who want complete control over their system and all packages installed on it. Otherwise, stay away. Arch-based distros (Endeavour, Garuda, etc): Far simpler to install, but will likely require regular maintainance, due to frequent updates.

[–] TCB13@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Btw, I use Debian.

Linux is great but it isn't for everyone, damn perfect on servers but kinda of fails for most desktop use cases, have a read at this: https://lemmy.world/comment/4119679

[–] nottheengineer@feddit.de 1 points 1 year ago

I'd recommend against Ubuntu. It uses snaps and it'll teach you that the hard way eventually by having very weird issues.

Mint is based on ubuntu but says no to snaps, so that's a good place to start.

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