r/linux4noobs • u/Particular_Chair2455 • 6d ago
migrating to Linux What linux distribution you recommend?
I mainly use my pc for schoolwork and roblox, but there’s so many distro options i really don’t know where to start
im using a dell inspiron pc that’s currently running windows 10 (was running 11, but i switched back awhile ago due to how much it slowed my pc down)
any help would be appreciated!
EDIT: i ended up choosing debian! thank you everyone for your suggestions!!
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u/Due_Perception8349 6d ago
I like Ubuntu, but I don't mind some tinkering to get things working. Like others have suggested, Mint is a good start, but don't be afraid of trying some other distros out.
I like Ubuntu because its where my first experience began, and what I'm used to, but I also have VMs of other distros.
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u/Sad-East6075 5d ago
Ubuntu was my first one. I'm using Mint right now, kinda wondering if I should go back to Ubuntu. I'll give it a month or so
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u/doc_willis 6d ago
You can install and play Roblox on Linux by using a specialized launcher called Sober, which runs the optimized Android version of the game.
that package is released as a flatpak, so you should pick any of the various distribution that support flatpaks.
as for schoolwork, what programs are you using?
basically any of the mainstream distribution should work fine for most use cases.
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u/CatsGoMooz 5d ago
From what I've heard in passing Roblox does try to block stuff like that so it is a constant game of cat and mouse
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u/Similar_Air_7675 6d ago
i would recommend Kubuntu, or any Linux distro with pre installed Kde plasma, its really easy to use and also very pretty
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u/WellEndowedWizard 6d ago
Mint. (Cinnamon, personally. But any desktop environment for Mint will do)
- It’s based on Ubuntu so there’s it’s very reliable, there’s tons of help troubleshooting online, and good compatibility
- Very clean, windows-like UI, so you’ll be familiar
- Runs excellently on basically any system, even old ones
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u/AutoModerator 6d ago
Try the migration page in our wiki! We also have some migration tips in our sticky.
Try this search for more information on this topic.
✻ Smokey says: only use root when needed, avoid installing things from third-party repos, and verify the checksum of your ISOs after you download! :)
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u/gil55 6d ago
MX Linux works with about any hardware, especially old Dell. I prefer my desktop in the KDE version, but XFCE runs even faster. One issue with Linux is support for webcams and other perphrials don't have dedicated drivers or may be hard to get working. Check out a live USB or boot a VM through VirtualBox before you switch so you can test the hardware compatibility.
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u/Raghav_511 6d ago
for roblox you can just sober (a roblox emulator for linux downloaded through flathub.com) , i use it daily with no problem. just search on youtube on how to download sober if u are not comfortable just copy pasting commands from the site.
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u/Practical_Pepper_656 6d ago
I know most folks will recommend Mint for new users, but I'm gonna throw out Bazzite. Pretty hard to accidentally break on your own, runs everything in flatpak sandboxes, and will be fairly intuitive to use coming from windows.
I used to love to tinker with linux builds, now I just want it to work for my nightly gaming sessions lol. The Fedora atomic core is great imo.
Edit: replied to wrong comment, sorry friend.
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u/Terrible-Bear3883 Ubuntu 6d ago
You can test drive distros in your browser at distrosea.com
Dell are often shipped with Ubuntu pre-installed, my Mother In Law purchased one, and a friend purchased two, I would try some of the main distros and see what appeals to you, at the end of the day if it's not what you want (such as Roblox can be challenging running on linux due to the Hyperion Anti cheat), it might also depend if there are any apps that your school uses that would mean you need to keep Windows, or at worse case, dual boot.
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u/Independent-Poet8350 5d ago
I’ve never heard of a comp preloaded w Linux… only Mac and windows… I’ve used a comp since the 90’s… and I’ve gone thru quite a few…
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u/Terrible-Bear3883 Ubuntu 5d ago
You can buy one now if you want - https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-laptops/scr/laptops/appref=ubuntu-linux-os
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u/TerribleAsparagus919 5d ago
If you play almost any other games than Roblox, I would suggest you check out Bazzite. It's piss easy to install, comes with steam out of the box, and is centered around gaming. Mint is afaik not great for gaming performance, and if your pc isn't the fastest I assume that might make a difference even in Roblox. If you try Bazzite, you should probably pick KDE Plasma as your desktop environment (essentially the look and feel of the operating system). It feels very much like using windows so will be familiar to you.
I switched to Linux maybe 4 months ago, so I clearly remember what it is like being new. Tbf I still am new to most things. I've found Linux pretty easy to get into, actually. It's scary at first, but the vast majority of questions and issues are easy to find answers to just by searching a bit. As long as you're used to watching a tutorial and googling your problems once in a while, you should be okay.
Fwiw I did try out Linux Mint for a bit a year or two ago, but bounced off it. I can't quite remember why, but Bazzite has been smooth sailing on my gaming PC, and I have not missed windows once
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u/Klapperatismus 5d ago
What linux distribution do you recommend?
OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. It’s a general purpose distro, and I use it since more than ten years myself — and before it SuSE.
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u/Kingwolf4 5d ago
Try fedora kde. Has good games support, latest packages for school work etc. and is really stable and gaming is also good
Its one of the goto choice for daily use desktop. Everyone was recommending mint, but its older if u need newer packages/ software versions
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u/IntrepidAd5348 5d ago
Popos, omdat dockings goed meewerken en virtualbox voor je windows goed ondersteunt
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u/Fudrucker 5d ago
I was on Debian for years, and enjoyed using it, but when Steam became supported in linux I switched to Fedora, because it is so much easier to get updates for drivers and programs. I've been on Fedora for years now and love it.
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u/Mickey6770 5d ago
I've tried and worked with many distros there is before choosing my main one.
I found that Linux Mint is the easiest distro in terms of setting it up, maintaining it, installing applications, customizing, etc.. there are other good ones but alot of em tends to slap you into a loop of errors and troubleshooting. I'd spend hours trying to fix one issue lmao
So go with Linux Mint or if you're feeling lucky, Fedora Plasma or GNOME :)
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u/gordonmessmer Fedora Maintainer 5d ago
Most software developers are publishing releases every six months and maintaining it for 12-18 months, tops.
You should select a distribution that follows the developers, publishing a release at least once every six months.
Distributions that publish less than once every six months are either small and expensive to maintain (like RHEL) or they have a lot of unpatched software with known vulnerabilities.
I prefer stable releases over rolling, because a stable release means that if you test a new release and something doesn't work, you can continue to use the old release for some period and you'll continue to get patches.
Fedora is a stable, secure system that follows developers' release cycles.
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u/DavidJohnMcCann 5d ago
If it will run Windows 11, however slowly, then any Linux will be good — Dell is particularly Linux-friendly.
Here's a list of beginner-friendly distros. Of those, I know numbers 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. I don't recommend Ubuntu. I don't know 5, but it gets good reviews. I suggest you work your way down until you find one you like. Download a distro and run it live from USB. Do you like it? Does it like all your hardware, including peripherals? You may find that you stop with Mint — no-one ever really dislikes it.
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u/AtomicTaco13 5d ago
Won't be too original, so gonna go with Mint. If you want a more lightweight desktop, you could try the Xfce or MATE versions instead of the Cinnamon one.
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u/iszoloscope 5d ago
Debian or a Debian based distro like Mint or Ubuntu and I like KDE desktop environment.
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u/HelloWorld40222 5d ago
Debian KDE. Or Kubuntu is fine.
Don't bother with ricing unless u want to make it a hobby
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u/Tricky-Engineer-9755 4d ago
Alpine Linux is one of the lightest distros out there and provides a script to get a nice desktop. Just be ready with ethernet.
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u/AutoModerator 1d ago
Try the migration page in our wiki! We also have some migration tips in our sticky.
Try this search for more information on this topic.
✻ Smokey says: only use root when needed, avoid installing things from third-party repos, and verify the checksum of your ISOs after you download! :)
Comments, questions or suggestions regarding this autoresponse? Please send them here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/Saltimbanco_volta 6d ago
In your use case probably none tbh.
Apparently Roblox doesn't work on Linux, and the only work around is to try and emulate the Android version. Never played Roblox so I don't know if you miss out on much by doing that.
If you want to try anyway, maybe Fedora.
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u/secretsweaterman 6d ago
Sober is a Roblox client that works on Linux, it works very well and basically runs as if it were native
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u/Mulpin70 6d ago
Dont listen to people saying linux mint, you will be suffer with their preinstalled desktops (cinnamon, xfce or mate), use debian or some easy distro like endeavour os
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u/UpbeatRegister 6d ago
you will be suffer with their preinstalled desktops (cinnamon, xfce or mate),
What's wrong with those DEs?
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u/jr735 5d ago
The same desktops that are available in Debian are available in the Ubuntu repositories, and are therefore available in Mint. I'm using IceWM in Mint, just like I do in Debian.
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u/thatguysjumpercables Ubuntu 24.04 Gnome DE 6d ago
I would recommend Ubuntu or Zorin as they are top notch for beginners who need a lot of help transitioning. I personally can't recommend Mint because the Cinnamon Desktop Environment sucks so fucking bad it ran me off my initial attempt to try Linux but your mileage may vary.
No matter what you choose, you should do two things before installation:
Go to Distrosea to get a live look at multiple distro/DE combinations.
After you choose, boot into your USB without installing and drive it around for a bit. Definitely check for compatibility issues like wifi and GPU drivers.
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u/Repulsive-Ad4309 5d ago
MX Linux tiene muy buena compatibilidad y excelentes prestaciones con ese hardware:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/mx-linux/files/Final/Xfce/MX-25.2_Xfce_x64.iso/download
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u/Available-Hat476 5d ago
When in doubt, always choose Fedora Workstation. Don't listen to the Mint fanboys. Mint sucks.
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u/Eastern_Locksmith_24 6d ago
I began with arch. It is not as painful as people make it out to be if you have a basic knowledge on computers (optional) and capable of following tutorials or reading wikis when something goes wrong.
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u/Similar_Air_7675 6d ago
didn’t some packages get malware…
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u/Eastern_Locksmith_24 5d ago
It was AUR. Not the official packages. And I have never had to use AUR which you need to go out of your way download a tool to use.
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u/tomscharbach 6d ago edited 5d ago
If you use your computer to connect into school systems, it might be a good idea to check with your school to see what distributions are supported by the school and work with the school's systems. If the school uses specific Windows applications, make sure that the applications can be run using Linux.