Linux Distributions

seeraf

Which distribution should choose to start?

Manko10

That's completely up to you. You should use one which doesn't require any knowledge. Maybe you can try Suse, Ubuntu or better Mint.

Goineasy9

I think that Mint is the best bet for new users. Having said that, I would also like to mention Mepis, which has a very friendly and helpful community. Downloading a liveCD of either of these distros would give you a chance to experience Linux and decide if you like what you see. Just note that a LiveCD runs a bit slower than a normally installed distro, but it's good for testing purposes.

seeraf

I tested mint linux, and I do not really like it. What do you think about Debian and Alt Linux?

roobal

Debian is a good choice but you must be aware that Debian does not have any graphical configurators and wizards like Ubuntu or Mint.

Goineasy9

One Debian based distro that is very user friendly is Mepis Linux. It's KDE based, so, if you didn't like Mint, maybe a KDE based distro would be more to your liking. The MepisLovers Forum is also very new user friendly. If you have problems or questions, you can get them answered there. I ran Mepis for a couple of years when I first started using Linux, it's a great distro.

GrouchoMarxist

I started off with Xubuntu due to my first computer's age and hardware (it was a Dell Optiplex GX100) prior to moving to Linux Mint on that machine. I currently run Ubuntu Linux 10.04 on my System76 laptop and couldn't be happier

itbcn8

I think anyone you ask will be a bit biased...

I would say Ubuntu,
but OpenSUSE, Linux Mint, and all the other ones mentioned here are equity as stable and good out of the box.

Also a thing to note is that the distribution only matters to a certain point. You'll probably either be using GNOME or KDE as a desktop interface, which is pretty much the same across all these distros.

After a while you move beyond the install and initial impressions and programs and get to the core of the distribution which (according to me) is the community.

Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, Fedora, Linux Mint, etc. all have different communities with different personalities and feels. When you install a distro, also check out the community. Visit the forums, go to the IRC channels, ask questions, you will probably find a community and distro that matches your likes, needs, and personality best.

Besides that, though, it's all LInux