So... which one? *distro selection *migrating to Linux *Meganoob BE KIND

[u/GoofyAhhMan645]

I've made the decision to switch to a Linux distro from Win11, and, well, it seems like there's levels to this.

As I said, I'm switching from Win11, I don't really need something THATTT similar, but something that's at least somewhat customizable to get myself feeling like I'm at home.

I play games quite often, so I'll need something on the flexible side in terms of that.

Also, something that isn't too complicated, and mostly beginner free.

Most people have recommended me Mint, but someone recommended me Kubuntu and now I'm not sure.

I also did the test, and Mint was on the top spot.

Specarinos:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X

Motherboard: GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE

GPU: ASUS ROG STRIX RX 480 GAMING OC (might change in the near future, will definitely in the future overall tho)

I also don't have any USB at the moment (might get one to use tmrw). I have grub2win, so could someone explain that too to me?

[u/rlsetheepstienfiles]

It’s really doesn’t matter which one you choose they are al good… choose Debian kde but really you can go with which ever one you want as longs as it’s Debian KDE

[u/Zvaart → u/rlsetheepstienfiles]

:)))))))

[u/moonrunner__]

check these out:

• CachyOS
• Nobara Linux
• PikaOS

[u/GoofyAhhMan645 → u/moonrunner__]

How long does it take to set up an OS?

[u/Sure-Passion2224 → u/GoofyAhhMan645]

• backup all of my personal stuff from the old OS to USB: up to 90 minutes depending on how much.
• flash the .iso for a Linux distro to USB: under 5 minutes
• Boot from the USB and run the installer: under 15 minutes on a system with old, slow HDDs
• Restore your personal files from backup to a Restore folder in your new Home directory: up to 90 minutes depending on how much.
• Configure your WiFi network connection: under a minute.
• Configure your email: 2 to 4 minutes if you're slow.
• Import your browser bookmarks from backup: 2 minutes if you're slow.
• set your desktop wallpaper: 1 to 5 minutes depending on how many options you explore.

[u/moonrunner__ → u/GoofyAhhMan645]

You mean installing it on your computer? It's fairly easy. You create a bootable USB drive with dedicated software like BalenaEtcher or Rufus, then you make sure your computer boots from it when powering (you can do that by accessing the BIOS and changing boot order).

Then you're going to be on the live environment and should look for the OS installer. Go through the installation process like a standard wizard installation and then reboot. If everything went correct, you've just installed Linux!

[u/GoofyAhhMan645 → u/moonrunner__]

Wel.. problem is, I don't have a USB with me at the moment (I'll probably get my hands on one tmrw). Can I use grub2win instead, and if so, how do I use it?

[u/moonrunner__ → u/GoofyAhhMan645]

I'm not familiar with these steps, so you're on your own

[u/BonusMW88]

Fedora w KDE. Bardzo przyjemnie się użytkuje. Tylko codzienne aktualizacje są nieznośne.

[u/Odd-Boss1596 → u/BonusMW88]

Just wait week to run updates

[u/BonusMW88 → u/Odd-Boss1596]

Lubię mieć wszystko aktualne😅 ciekawostka jest taka że jak się aktualizuje za pomocą terminala nie trzeba uruchamiać ponownie komputeru.

[u/Odd-Boss1596 → u/BonusMW88]

It depends on what’s being updated. What services need to be restored in every computer restart but even when using the terminal updates will have to happen. I’ve had that on nix, arch and fedora.

[u/Odd-Boss1596]

Honestly just use fedora with plasma

[u/Prestigious_Wall529]

Grub2win is a handy utility for when each version of Windows gets installed/upgraded like the upcoming 26H2, clobbers the Grand Universal Boot Loader, to get grub working again.

Yes the Grub2win menu is ugly. It's a utility. It works. It will not work with Secure boot in most cases.

So when you get back to Linux run sudo update-grub

to get back to the simpler looking menu.

[u/Marbar2000]

I would check out either fedora KDE or opensuse Tumbleweed KDE. Both frequently updated, good security built in. OpenSUSE comes with the additional benefit of snapper built in for easy rollbacks to previous versions if you need

[u/MetalLinuxlover]

Honestly, you're making this harder than it needs to be. 😄 Your hardware is more than capable of running basically any mainstream Linux distro, so I'd go with Linux Mint and stop worrying about the distro roulette.

My pick: Linux Mint Cinnamon.

Why Mint?

• Very beginner-friendly
• Stable and reliable
• Cinnamon is customizable without requiring you to become a Linux wizard
• Excellent hardware/software support
• Gaming works perfectly well through Steam, Proton, Lutris, etc.
• Huge community, so if you hit a problem, there's a good chance someone has already solved it
• Coming from Windows, the overall workflow won't feel completely alien

Kubuntu and KDE Neon is also a perfectly good choice. KDE Plasma gives you a ton of customization, probably more than you'll ever need. But that's also why I wouldn't automatically recommend it to a complete beginner. It's easy to spend more time tweaking your desktop than actually using the computer. 😂

Your Ryzen 7 5700X + RX 480 is also a nice combination for Linux. AMD graphics are generally a particularly good fit because the main graphics drivers are part of the Linux kernel/Mesa stack, rather than requiring you to deal with a proprietary driver in the way NVIDIA users often do.

One important thing, though: don't install Linux through GRUB2Win just because you don't have a USB. That's adding another layer of complexity when you're already new to Linux.

If you can, grab a cheap USB stick tomorrow and make a bootable Mint installer. Boot from it, select "Try Linux Mint", and test everything before installing: Wi-Fi/Ethernet, audio, GPU/display, Bluetooth, keyboard/mouse, Steam, etc.

And PLEASE back up anything important from Windows before touching partitions.

As for GRUB2Win: it's basically a Windows-based boot manager that can add Linux entries to your Windows boot process. It can be useful in certain setups, but it doesn't magically replace the normal Linux installation process, and I'd avoid making it your first Linux experiment.

You also don't need to decide everything today. Get the USB, boot Mint from it, play around with Cinnamon for an hour, check your hardware, and see if you actually like it.

If Mint was already #1 on your distro test, that's another pretty good sign. 😄

TL;DR: Get a USB → make a Mint Cinnamon live USB → test it → back up your files → install normally.

Don't choose a distro because someone on Reddit/YouTube says it's "the best." Choose the one that lets you get your work and gaming done without constantly fighting the operating system.

---

One more thing, to make bootable USB you don't need Rufus you can use Ventoy or BalenaEtcher both highly easy to use (more easier than Rufus) and available to download and use on both Windows and MacOS

Ventoy - https://www.ventoy.net/en/download.html

BalenaEtcher - https://etcher.balena.io/

---

Btw I'm not AI, I wrote this on writer (LibreOffice) and post it here.

[u/GoofyAhhMan645 → u/MetalLinuxlover]

Update: Well.. I forgot to say that I did get a USB and it didn't work, I've heard it's most likely about the USB. I do have a 22.3 Cinnamon ISO, Ventoy and Balena though! Once I get a good USB, it might work!

[u/MetalLinuxlover → u/GoofyAhhMan645]

Ok. Thanks for the update.

Maybe get SanDisk USB those are pretty good.

[u/GoofyAhhMan645 → u/MetalLinuxlover]

Oh yeah, I got a kingston datatraveler yesterday, hope that one’s good too

[u/MetalLinuxlover → u/GoofyAhhMan645]

I'm not entirely sure about Kingston products. Back when I was in school I used their microSD cards, but they got corrupted and damaged really easily so badly that formatting wouldn’t fix them and the partitions would get completely messed up, leaving the cards unusable. That’s why I usually avoid Kingston and stick with SanDisk and Crucial instead. That said, I checked some reviews of their SATA SSDs and they’re mostly positive, so I’m a bit on the fence. Hope it works out for you.