Even though using Linux has never been easier, newcomers often hit a confusing roadblock: the overwhelming choice of a distribution. Someone coming from Windows or MacOS will find the very concept of a ‘distribution’ to be alien, and the endless listicles and user arguments about which one is ‘best’ only make the confusion worse.
This article aims to clear up that confusion by providing a better way to think about Linux choices, so you won’t be overwhelmed by all the different options if you’re thinking of switching.
When starting out, it’s easy to think of picking a distribution like picking a car: a serious decision with long-term, possibly irreversible consequences. A Porsche 911, a Toyota Corolla and a Mercedes Actros are all cars, but they serve dramatically different purposes. If a Porsche owner decides to start a family, they might find their vehicle no longer fits their needs, forcing them to switch or buy another car entirely. Because real-world cars can’t be easily transformed, picking the right one from the start is crucial.
But Linux distributions are not like cars. They can be customised, changed and made to behave like one another. A Linux distribution is, to put it simply, a set of default applications and a default configuration.
For example, if you’ve installed a ‘heavier’ distribution, maybe KDE Neon, on an ancient machine and later conclude a lighter system is needed, you don’t have to wipe your drive to install Xubuntu. Instead, you can configure your existing Linux installation to use Xfce.1 Similarly, if you encounter online screenshots of a highly customised look you like, you don’t need to start from scratch and install Arch. A significant amount of customisation can be done on any Linux distribution.
To continue the car analogy, think of Linux distributions as trim levels. If you get the base model, it’s possible to change it later by adding missing features (like upgrading the audio system or changing the upholstery). In this context, Windows is like a Ford Model T, available in ‘any colour so long as it’s black,’ while Linux is like Honda Accord, offered in various packages (LX, SE, Sport Hybrid etc.) that you can switch between at any point in the future.
The main point is this: don’t overthink the choice of a distribution and don’t worry about wanting to change things up in the future. So long as you stick to popular distributions, the choice of a distribution primarily affects your out-of-the-box experience, not your long-term flexibility. For another look on this topic, I recommend the New to Linux? Stick To These Rules When Picking Distro article.
And if you’re looking for a direct recommendation: for general use, I recommend Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition; for gaming-focused use, I recommend Bazzite. If you’ve found a review of a distribution you think you like, so long as it’s described as user-friendly, it’s probably reasonable too.
Alas, now that we’re at the end of the article, I must confess that I’ve been… skirting the truth. Not maliciously of course. It’s been a ‘helpful lie,’ in the same way a primary school teacher might say that five cannot be subtracted from three. And just like a student needs this initial simplifications before they discover negative numbers, a Linux newcomer needs a straightforward way to approach their first Linux. The details that separate distributions will start to matter later, but you’ll discover those nuances as you go. What’s most important is that you make the first step. So just do it, pick a distribution, start using it, and you’ll gain the experience to make a more informed decision when the time is right.
1 KDE and Xfce are what’s called desktop environments. They provide the overall look-and-feel of your system. KDE Neon and Xubuntu are Linux distributions which by default use the KDE and Xfce environments respectively. KDE offers a full-featured environment while Xfce focuses on resource usage. Less powerful computers may benefit from using the latter to optimise the experience. ↩
