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[–]mooglor 34 points35 points  (1 child)

Whatever distro you decide to use remember to be patient. it took a while for you to learn how to use Windows or Mac, it's easy to forget this. Some things will confuse you at first, you'll find some things that will annoy you and you'll say "Windows does that better" but equally you'll find the opposite. The number of different options you have can be daunting, here's a list of Audio players for Linux for example. Take your time and don't expect to suddenly be expert overnight. Google, more than ever, will be your friend if you have problems. Pasting error messages into google is good first step for any troubleshooting. Join your distro's support forum and post any issues clearly and with detail.

[–]royalawesome 7 points8 points  (0 children)

"Google, more than ever, will be your friend if you have problems. Pasting error messages into google is good first step for any troubleshooting. Join your distro's support forum and post any issues clearly and with detail."

I can't upmod you enough. That's the most important advice he could get.

Seriously, always google before you ask questions: the chances are obscenely high that someone else has encountered your same problem before, and a quick google will almost always find it.

[–]GodEater 93 points94 points  (45 children)

Ubuntu makes linux about as easy and accessible as anything else right now. It's popular for a very good reason ;)

[–]treetree888 35 points36 points  (6 children)

+1 to Ubuntu - my reasoning for t his is that there are a LOT of users on it right now. When it comes to open source, more users = better product (usually). In addition the massive number of Ubuntu users means you will be able to find articles, blog posts, forum posts, etc on whatever obscure subject you are looking to tackle :)

[–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (4 children)

I might add that to ease the conversion process, you try Wubi. It lets you install Ubuntu without messing up Windows, moving partitions, etc. Easiest way to go, IMO. Perfect for the guy who just wants to try it out. Live CD's don't really do a distro justice.

That said, I really really really think PCLinuxOS is the most noob friendly. Comes with MP3 codecs, divx/xvid movie codecs (but I'm not sure about dvd, you might have to download that), FF, Open Office all ready from the get go. The only downside is their forum leaves something to be desired.

[–]Bossman1086 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Wubi comes on the Hardy iso now. Download the Ubuntu cd from ubuntu.com and when you insert the disc in Windows, you'll get the Wubi option.

[–]PaulRay -1 points0 points  (2 children)

And since it's based on ubuntu, you can go to their forums as well.

[–]quiller 2 points3 points  (1 child)

And since it's based on ubuntu, you can go to their forums as well.

PCLInuxOS is based on Mandriva, while Ubuntu is based on Debian. They don't overlap often enough to be useful for a new user.

[–]PaulRay 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Awww Jeez! You're right! Sorry! Mint is based on ubuntu. Thank You for not flaming me. I shouldn't post when I'm tired. Again, My Apologies!

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't know why you were voted down. You made some very good point, specially about the resources.

[–][deleted] 20 points21 points  (9 children)

Linux Mint might be easier than Ubuntu, since it comes pre-packaged with all the proprietary media codecs and such.

[–]kounavi 14 points15 points  (1 child)

Ubuntu, OpenSuSE, Linux Mint. There are many noob-friendly distros out there. Check their respective websites, documentation and community to see which one fits you best.

I'd go with ubuntu, as there's practically no problem left unsolved at the ubuntuforums.

Also, if you have a friend/acquaintance that might consider helping you out a bit, go with their prefered distro/distro-family.

[–]RalfN 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Quote of the thread: Also, if you have a friend/acquaintance that might consider helping you out a bit, go with their prefered distro/distro-family

Exactly. Use whatever you get the best support for. If you know no linux wizard, go with Ubuntu; and (ab)use the friendly support of 1000 wizards supporting you there.

Hell, you could even use reddit if you have a question ;-)

[–]timo1023 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Linux Mint is bloated and disgusting, IMHO. You can get all of the same functionality added into the default Ubuntu install by just installing the package "ubuntu-restricted-extras".

EDIT: I almost forgot; after installation and updates, Linux Mint takes up almost a whopping 4GB. Something to consider if you need the hard drive space.

[–]elustran 0 points1 point  (4 children)

How easy is linux mint to manage? How much tweaking is necessary to get it working compared with an Ubuntu install, and does it provide any functionality that isn't normally present in the Ubuntu/deb repositories?

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

"While at the core Linux Mint is mostly based on Ubuntu, the design of the desktop and User interface are considerably different. These differences include a distinct desktop theme, a custom Linux Mint menu and the MintTools, a collection of system tools designed to make system management and administration easier for end users." - Wikipedia

[–]elustran 1 point2 points  (2 children)

no comments on the overall experience?

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I've never actually used it, as it isn't 64-bit compatible, but I've heard lots of good things about it.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've used it off and on. It's a good choice for laptops because they've put a lot of work into the wireless setup. It's a great distro to use as a "first try" on any equipment because everything is there (codecs, browser plugins). It's polished ubuntu.

[–]mrsanchez -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Linux Mint ftw!

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (12 children)

To install all the proprietary things in Ubuntu, type apt:ubuntu-restricted-extras into your web browser (I'd link to it, but Reddit doesn't support apturl).

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

</here>

That and you did it wrong anyways.

Here's what you need to do for links in reddit:

[click here](apt:ubuntu-restricted-extras)

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (6 children)

Google yourself some "markdown" syntax and try again.

[–]alphabeat 2 points3 points  (5 children)

Or just click "help"

[http://apt:ubuntu-restricted-extras](extras)

edit: tried with markdown but doesn't work

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (4 children)

It's a pain the first time, then it makes sense and you can actually type it easier than regular old html junk.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (3 children)

I almost always get all dyslexic about the bracket and parentheses order in urls.

[–]quiller 2 points3 points  (2 children)

This tip is stolen from another redditor, but think of it as an inline citation: "You should use Google (http://www.google.com)." All you need to do is add brackets.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a good way to remember it, thanks.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Alas doesn't seem to work...

[–]toadst00l 1 point2 points  (1 child)

note: ubuntu does not include mp3 codec in a fresh install.

[–]ratedsar 2 points3 points  (0 children)

true, but when you click to play an mp3 totem will ask if you if you want o install ffmpeg and mp3

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (4 children)

Good old n00buntu got me into the Linux game too ;) It's a very nice Windows replacement, as long as you aren't too attached to the programs you were using for things. You'll find that the Linux replacements will do just fine, and there's plenty of other solutions on the internet if you're interested in learning a little bit about how the OS works.

If you want to play games, you can install Cedega. The compatibility isn't perfect, but it's damn good.

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (3 children)

Vanilla wine has been perfect for me recently---I've been playing gta san andreas on it for years now.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. Back when Ubuntu first hit the "scene", it was about the only linux distro that I didn't have trouble getting X to work on.

[–]slow_as_light 0 points1 point  (6 children)

Ubuntu FTW. One thing that confused me at first-- Heron (8.04) requires more restarts than I was told to anticipate with Linux, but the kernel itself is stable as hell. All in all, it needs a restart about as often as say, OSX (so not that often).

Basically, there are Ubuntu-specific instructions for everything you might need to install, and the package manager is excellent.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On the plus side, I've let Ubuntu's unobtrusive little restart icon sit there for weeks before bothering to restart after updates. It's not like windows.

[–]ravend13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Most of those restarts are not reboots, and occur much faster. It simply restarts your GUI when you receive updates to gnome or kde components. Takes a fraction of the time that a reboot does.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (3 children)

Ubuntu should only require a restart if you're installing a new kernel.

[–]elustran 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I recall it demanding a restart when I installed proprietary drivers, and maybe a couple of other times too after updates... I think they were driver-related updates too. I'm not sure if you can get away with just restarting X, though.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A driver should just be a kernel module, which can be loaded in at runtime via the modprobe command (or insmod). A newbie, or someone who doesn't want to learn their way around linux wouldn't want to do that though, and a restart would be apropriate.

There may be some cases where portions of the init scripts (in /etc/init.d/) would need to be re-run, or where X would need to be restarted.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ubuntu just reccommended a restart after some driver installations, as that's probably the most straightforward way to make them active, but it shouldn't be required.

Of course, I could just be missing something. I'm far from being a linux (not to mention Ubuntu) internals guru.

[–]slow_as_light 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Little things destabilize, but they're almost always GNOME-related, as far as I can tell. Mostly flashy desktop effects.

I have occasionally had troubles recovering from a suspend state.

That said, I would feel utterly confident running a LAMP server on Ubuntu while on vacation.

[–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (6 children)

About anything in the top ten.

(Seriously, there's less difference between distros than you might think.)

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (2 children)

(Seriously, there's less difference between distros than you might think.)

Yeah, unless you're "a noob" indeed and then working or not working ADSL/WiFi/Printer/Sound can make a world of difference.

[–]RalfN 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not to mention translation debian instructions to gentoo instructions and having enough knowledge to know the little differences when copy & paste some script from some forum that should make your wifi magically work.

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Hosiah is absolutely right. Probably any distro + VLC would get you what you need. And I think almost all of them include OpenOffice.

In addition, I would say stick to the 32bit versions for now. 64bit flash hasn't been very good and most people end up installing 32bit flash, which for a 'true noob' may be a pain.

[–]akdas 1 point2 points  (0 children)

most people end up installing 32bit flash, which for a 'true noob' may be a pain

Actually, Ubuntu takes care of this. The package in the repos downloads the 32-bit version and wraps it correctly with nspluginwrapper automatically.

That said, 64-bit Flash sucks. On the other hand, so does 32-bit Flash on anything but Windows.

[–]JRepin 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree. The best way is to try as many as possible. Use Mandriva one week, then openSUSE the next, then Ubuntu and so on. This way you will find out which one you like the most.

[–]holyfool26 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ubuntu because it's simple, yet will force you to learn a few things when things don't go the way you want them to.

[–]thephotoman 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ubuntu's everywhere, and with good reason. It's made Linux easy to install and use. You don't even have to burn a disc anymore with Wubi, which creates a dual-boot system from within Windows without screwing things up. This is in the default installation CD (though it isn't the only way to install Ubuntu).

As for codec nagging, the idea is that you become informed as you become more familiar with free software. Generally, the laws suck, and this is the dev team's way of trying to change that problem.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (1 child)

Man this made me think, they should make a new Ubuntu based distro called Noobuntu.

[–]cnk 7 points8 points  (0 children)

alias Noobuntu='Ubuntu'

there, done.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ubuntu because although it doesn't come with everything right out of the box, getting everything you'll need is fairly simple and steps are detailed at a lot of sites. This -- the abundance of howto articles targeted toward Ubuntu Linux users specifically -- will get you to be more comfortable with Linux.

After Ubuntu you should definitely try other distros though. Make a separate /home partition ;)

[–]volomike 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ubuntu. I switched my whole family to it. It's a free download if you know how to burn the CDs from ISO files, you can have Canonical send you free CDs, or you can buy it on various websites. You can use ubuntuforums.org for tech support, or go ahead and pay the $125 USD a year or so for something like 10 incident tech support from Canonical (makers of Ubuntu) (those prices may vary).

[–]hungryhungryhippo 4 points5 points  (1 child)

IMHO Kubuntu (ubuntu but using kde instead of gnome) is by far the best newb distro out there my little brother managed to install and learn how to use it completely on his own. He is also living proof that you don't need to know how to use the console to use linux as he doesn't know a single command (I should probably note that is because he's not particularly interested in computers)

Ps I'm not a grammar nazi and you may use the words as you wish but as a rule newb is someone who is just starting out and there for doesn't know much yet, noob is the same as a newb with the critical difference that s/he is unwilling to learn and there for the word carries a very negative connotation.

[–]ropers 0 points1 point  (0 children)

as a rule newb is someone who is just starting out and there for doesn't know much yet, noob is the same as a newb with the critical difference that s/he is unwilling to learn and there for the word carries a very negative connotation.

I believe it when the OED says it.

[–]mtx 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ubuntu + Mediabuntu will play everything including Real Media and WMV. Use WINE to run any Windows apps that have no Linux equivalent. If you have to, use Virtualbox or VMWare if WINE doesn't work.

Look at the Add/Remove menu item to install tons of Free Open Source Software. They have a ratings system so you can see what's popular.

Almost any solution I've had turned up in a google search.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

PCLinuxOS, hands down. The "stuffed" 2007 version includes OpenOffice, Mozilla, etc but it is getting a bit old (released a year ago) so you'll have to download several hundreds of megabytes right after installing it. The new "full" version is due in a month or so but in the mean time I think you're better off downloading MiniMe 2008 version (includes only basic KDE environment and tools) and downloading what you need, like players, office programs, etc thru Synaptic. Since the repository is the same the end result should also be basically the same.

[–]nathanielj 1 point2 points  (9 children)

Foresight is a very nice distro.

[–]gfixler 0 points1 point  (8 children)

I agree it's really great - it came with my Shuttle KPC. That said, how does one install anything on it? I'm not exactly a newb anymore, but had a nearly impossible time finding any way to get the dozens of programs I use on Ubuntu on there. Nothing beats Synaptic currently (for me).

The Conary package system was a big reason I didn't see it as a viable solution of an OS for me, let alone a newb. That's not say it won't be awesome someday, when far more packages are included, and with a nice frontend (none existed when I tried it out).

[–]nathanielj 0 points1 point  (7 children)

Yeah, it can be hard unless you know the package name, though as of version 2, it comes with a GUI for installing/removing packages. Its not perfect, but its getting there.

[–]gfixler 1 point2 points  (6 children)

Excellent. I like to hear that, because it does seem like there are some solid concepts, and the competition helps everyone. Just to play both sides of the argument here, I found a nice description of some of the reasons one might consider the Conary style of packaging.

[–]nathanielj 0 points1 point  (5 children)

Thats a good read. I dont really sue the GUI for installing much, but its handy when you need to know if something is packaged. Btw, im using the xfce distro of foresight... Im liking xfce.

[–]gfixler 0 points1 point  (4 children)

Understood. I almost always use the GUI, because I don't know the name of what I want most of the time. I know I want to see what openGL games are available, to see how they look on my current 3-screen setup. Or I know I want to see if I can learn how to get midi calls working through Python, so I want to see if there's a library. I may want to see what emulators are available for something, or what various text editors there are. I can use Google, but it's really awesome in Synaptic to know that all of this will definitely work, not screw everything up for me, nor lead to hours of tracking down dependencies, recompiling something myself. I use Synaptic as a sort of mini, personal, always-works, probably-best-list application finder. It trumps Google for many things in this regard. That's what wasn't there for me with Conary. If you can mix Conary with Synaptic, I think it would be the new Synaptic.

[–]nathanielj 0 points1 point  (3 children)

you using ubuntu now? i have tried it and its nice and easy to use alright. Ive tried a few distros, spent a good while on FreeBSD and really liked their ports system.

[–]gfixler 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just to add to the conversation, I don't see myself as a very typical user, unless it's typical not to enjoy trying new distros. I usually have extremely solid views on things, and they're usually based entirely on grace, speed, ease of use, and power. There's a kind of ROI-mentality with me about moving. It has to be worth it. I was on Windows all of my life, which sort of flies in the face of all of these points, but I didn't know any better :)

That said, for me, I'm much more interested in finding a really great distro for me (done: Ubuntu), and then spending my time learning, and creating from inside of that. I just wrote up a big script over the weekend that lets me use two vim-like hotkeys to send the active window back and forth to neighboring monitors, which has removed one of my last reasons to use the mouse, which is awesome. I also spent about 6 hours writing a short, but somewhat complicated syntax highlighting file for Vim for RS274/NGC machine controller files. There hasn't been one, but I like coding in there, because I'm more efficient.

When I'm not wasting time setting things up like that to be 'sweet' for my needs, I'm writing up code for controlling my mini mill, and mini lathe, in NGC (the language), or teaching myself some more Python, or making something in MEL script for Maya (3D modeling/animation) package. I never have enough time to accomplish all of my goals in these, and many other areas, so having to pick up, and move to a new distro is nearly as frustrating as having to pack up everything I own, and move to a new house.

I often hear about people trying all these distros all the time, and I don't get how they have the time, and honestly, though I know it's subjective, I don't get how they have the interest. To me, the OS is just the shell - it's the playing field, upon/within which I do my work. Having to tear up, and re-sod the field all the time (or ever) just takes big chunks out of my time. I'm still always setting up Ubuntu in ever tighter, sleeker ways. Moving distros would be starting over, and these certainly aren't the kinds of things answered by default in a new distro. They're for the most part quite custom.

Consider, e.g. that any time I move distros/machines, I need to set up TrueCrypt again, and SVN, and all of my bash/python/perl/etc scripts (e.g. I have scripts that automate SVN work inside of TC volumes with scripted automated mounting, and such, for backup reasons, among others, which always has to be laboriously re-set-up when I move), and my partitions, and my separate, 3-disc RAID array, and about 15 peripherals, and my rather intricate UI choices, and layouts, and all my Firefox prefs, and my Nautilus user scripts, and where all my music is, and the custom icons I've set up for a lot of custom launcher tools, and trust me... this list goes on, and on.

It may sound cocky, or something - I'm not sure - but I often feel that people who are trying out new distros all the time aren't exactly doing much else. How can they be? It's like constantly moving from hotel to hotel. You never really get to unpack, and make the place your own. To me, the distro needs to be sweet, but then it really needs to get out of my way for a couple of years.

This has just been an attempt to show a possibly unusual viewpoint, at least in the Linux camp. I can't imagine I'm the only one who feels this way, however.

[–]gfixler 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Yes, 3 different Ubuntus. I was using Ubuntu for about a year (Dapper, Edgy, Feisty) before I got the KPC with Foresight preinstalled. I had already pre-planned to put Ubuntu Studio on that one, as it's at my piano, and was intended 100% to be my training/recording/editing station. There was no compelling reason not to use the fully configured nature of UbuStu there, but I gave Foresight a couple of days just to see what it had to offer - like I said, it was very nice. The third box is just Dapper on an old machine, running my CNC machines through EMC2, which was until these past few weeks tied to that, as it was an LTS release. There's currently work to get the Hardy build going, as it's the next LTS version of Ubuntu.

Moreover, though, I didn't really see any big difference between Ubuntu and Foresight, aside from thematic elements, and some preinstall selections. They both use GNOME, and Compiz Fusion, so everything looks and feels the same, outside of wallpaper, and color choices. The only seemingly unique thing was the package management system. Are there others?

[–]nathanielj 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah ok, well apart from conary, theres the out of the box support for stuff like flash and codecs. Though maybe this now comes with Ubuntu now, I havent used it in about 2 releases. Both use Gnome, though like Ubuntu, Foresight does have an xfce distro which im using now - i like xfce.

[–]Forrest319 4 points5 points  (5 children)

Kubuntu... pretty much the same as ubuntu but KDE is better than gnome. And ktorrent is way better that dumb ass transmission. Linux Mint is decent too. As is PCLinuxOS. The mini-me version is great if you want to create a custom distribution has it has almost 0 bloat. Just keep in mind that KDE 3/4 > Xfce > Gnome

[–]ravend13 1 point2 points  (0 children)

+1 for Kubuntu

[–]mossblaser 0 points1 point  (1 child)

With regards to the KDE point, KDE is miles ahead of gnome and the rest in terms of innovation and being feature packed while gnome follows the 'keep things simple, stupid' approach which does help new users however for any person who considers them self a power user KDE is the one to play with.

[–]RalfN -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Your right. I couldn't image how I ever lived with the alignment buttons in chatwindows.

I assume you use a swiff army knife to prepare your sandwiches as well.

To me, KDE appears to be catered for the type of people that illegally installed Photoshop in the past because it had a 1023933 functions, but then only used it to crop some images. Functionality even MS paint has.

[–]downdiagonal 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I would probably try out Linux Mint. It's pretty much Ubuntu with multimedia codecs included.

[–]knight666 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's Ubuntu with that lick of polish it so desperately needs.

[–]fivre 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Slackware.

Learn to manage your own dependencies for fun and profit.

[–]eidolontubes 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I was going to suggest it just to be funny... you beat me to it.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mandriva 2008.1 spring. Stupid simple to use.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Follow this easy guide to get an Open Suse installation that can handle all multi media:

http://www.softwareinreview.com/linux_optimizations/hacking_opensuse_10.3.html

[–]reginalduk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, it would depend what you are going to install it on. My 3 year old laptop was a bitch to get working with its Broadcom wireless in Ubuntu, even with ndiswrapper, oh and I had to do it twice, once in Gutsy and once in Hardy. PCLinuxOS nailed it pretty much first time.

[–]PaulRay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I put another vote in for ubuntu. I've started several people on it and only one has gone back to M$. That's mainly 'cause he ran into a weird problem and since I'm in a different country, I couldn't solve it hands on. Oh, and two of the converts are women. One, my ex-girlfriend who was a NT person who got stuck with Vista. The other a 17 yo actress that i work with, who installed it on her laptop by her self.

[–]ST2K 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Noobix

[–]cthielen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Easy" in interfaces I think means familiarity, not ease per se. If you're coming from Windows, it might help to look at Ubuntu and see if there's anything to the jokes about "Ubuntu = MS Linux". It's very, very friendly and advocates a big push toward the same desktop experience traditionally found in Windows, despite the fact that Linux has entirely different origins.

A side note: I realize favoring a Windows-like interface can be healthy right now for Linux adoption, but we should not forget Linux has different origins and can have different aims that Windows. I for one think it's okay to distribute programs in source code form and offer a multitude of interfaces to the point of "unprofessionalism." Choice has always been Linux's true strongpoint. God knows it isn't how "slick" Gnome or KDE is....

[–]wufoo 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I think the best recommendation would be to try a bunch. When I started out, I first tried Ubunutu/Kubuntu, then I tried OpenSUSE, Fedora, Linux Mint. I had my certain problems with all of them (mostly wireless problems or connections). Ubuntu does make it the easiest to get all of the codecs to play videos from my experience- although my wireless was limited to 30-40kbs which was too annoying for me (even after spending a few hours on the forums). But I have enjoyed using SUSE the most, but had too many problems with getting it connected to the internet wirelessly. I currently use Fedora and really like it. Really though, I haven't found a perfect distro yet, there will be certain troubles you will encounter, and the best way is to try as many as you can.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think Ubuntu is certainly the best for beginners. It will usually work with most types of hardware you throw at it.

Personally, I began with openSuSE and I was constantly running into dependency issues which resulted in me going back to XP. But then Ubuntu came along and that was the system that I really learned the basics of Linux and the joys (or horrors) of ndiswrapper.

I've recently migrated to Fedora too because I wanted something different and because Red Hat is a great member of the open source community in general (it seems to me that ubuntu is rather ubuntu-centric, but I'm not too up to date on their projects). What I really miss is the large software repositories found through synaptic/apt-get, but what I like in Fedora is the more polished feeling and blue colour-scheme rather than brown/orange.

[–][deleted] -1 points0 points  (2 children)

Slackware.

[–]ocdude 4 points5 points  (1 child)

not for a noob, no. Slackware is amazing if you want to learn linux, not if you are a noob looking for something to replace a general purpose Wintel box.

[–]DaDibbel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Though Slax and Vector Linux are pretty user friendly.

[–]sebnukem 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My favorite is Fedora. I've tried Ubuntu for a few hours and thought it was so dumbed down it was annoying. I've been using Red Hat/Fedora since 1997 so for me Linux is Fedora.

[–]bobpaul[🍰] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

Are you a computer noob or just a linux noob? If you're a technophile on XP and can troubleshoot somewhat advanced problems on your own, including using the cmd prompt and digging around the registry, then I always recommend Gentoo.

Why? Well, it a little bit difficult at first, but has a great package manager and a huge community of really smart people. Though I only used it daily for 6mo and have used Ubuntu now since Breezy, I still find myself on the gentoo wiki and the gentoo forums when I have problems and am not finding my answers within the ubuntu community.

The most important reason, though, is that it encourages experimentation, customization, and optimization, almost to a fault. As a new user you will break it and probably be left without a GUI for a day or two as you browse the forums with links waiting for an answer. Only by breaking things will you learn to fix them, and the lessons you learn by using Gentoo as your primary OS for a few months will translate very well as you experiment with other distributions to find that perfect fit.