Stop Recommending the Best Distro to New Users, Please
Every since the Steam Deck launched, I’ve seen a resurgence of people asking what the best Linux distro for me? And for some reason people seem to think that they have the authority to recommend what the best distro is for new users. The reality is that no seasoned Linux user can truly know what the best distro is for a new user.
The true is that most of us got into Linux when not everything worked out of the box or polished. We had to tinker, troubleshoot, and learn a lot about how Linux works to get things working the way we wanted. And the true about what we went through was not what we where looking for at the time. We wanted a system that just worked, but for some reason stuck with anyways and learned along the way. In general that is not what most people want in the first place.
Believe me telling people that any distro came be customized to their liking is not helpful. That is not what new users want; maybe after they have used Linux for a while and want to learn more about it that would be helpful.
The best thing that we can do for new users is to tell us what that they want out of their system. Do they want something that just works out of the box? Do they want something that is lightweight and fast? Do they want something that is more cutting edge or more stable? What system are they coming from? Once we know what they want, we can then recommend a distro that fits their needs.
If the first answer is yes then that leaves out distributions like Arch, Gentoo, and Linux From Scratch.
If the second answer is yes then the next question should be what kind of hardware are they using? If it more then 15 years and less the 8GB of RAM the any distro that uses KDE Plasma or GNOME should be avoided. Lightweight distributions are anything that uses XFCE or Enlightenment.
If the third is cutting edge then distributions like Arch and Fedora are good choices. If stability is more important then distributions OpenSUSE Leap and Ubuntu LTS are better choices. However, Fedora is also a good choice for stability as well, but is more for enterprise workstation use cases.
If the last question is what system are they coming from? If they are coming from Windows then distributions that mimic the classic Windows layout are better choices. For Apple users then distributions that use GNOME or Elementary are better choices.
| Distro | Use Case | Desktop Environment | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debian | Stability, General Use | GNOME, XFCE, KDE Plasma | Very stable, large software repository. | Not cutting edge. |
| Ubuntu | General Use, Beginner Friendly | GNOME | Very user-friendly, large community. | Can be resource intensive. |
| Ubuntu MATE | General Use, Lightweight | MATE | Lightweight | Less cutting edge may have stability issues with newer hardware. |
| Kubuntu | General Use, Beginner Friendly | KDE Plasma | User-friendly, visually appealing. | Can be resource intensive. |
| Fedora | Cutting Edge, General Use | GNOME | Up-to-date software, strong community. | Primary focus on Workstation use cases. |
| Mint | Beginner Friendly, General Use | Cinnamon, MATE, XFCE | Very user-friendly, large community. | Dated look and feel. |
| Manjaro | Cutting Edge, General Use | XFCE, KDE Plasma, GNOME | User-friendly Arch-based distro. | May have stability issues |
| Pop!_OS | General Use, Gaming | GNOME | Optimized for gaming, user-friendly. | Limited customization options. |
| Elementary OS | Beginner Friendly, Aesthetic | Pantheon | Beautiful design, user-friendly. | Fills like macOS, less customizable. |
| Zorin OS | Beginner Friendly, Windows-like | GNOME, Xfce | Familiar layout for Windows users. | Slower release cycle. |
| Arch Linux | Cutting Edge, Learning | User’s choice | Highly customizable, up-to-date software. | Requires more knowledge to set up. |
This is only a small selection of distros that based on the ones that I have used over my time with Linux. There are many more distributions out there that may fit a new user’s needs better. The key is to ask the right questions and understand what the new user wants out of their system.
Overall, the best distro for new users is the one that fits their needs and preferences. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. So please stop recommending the best distro to new users, and instead ask them what they want out of their system. By doing this, we can help new users find the distro that is right for them and make their transition to Linux a smoother one; growing the Linux community in the process. And most of all be patient with with new users as they learn and explore the world of Linux.
After all, we were all new users once.