A friend doesn’t want to go to Windows 11 and is thinking of installing Linux.
He’s wondering which distro of Linux is best to get. Not having used Linux before.
roughbarked said:
A friend doesn’t want to go to Windows 11 and is thinking of installing Linux.
He’s wondering which distro of Linux is best to get. Not having used Linux before.
I don’t really know what’s best. I started with the Red Hat/ Fedora type, and I’ve stuck with that because I couldn’t be bothered changing. All I can tell you is that Fedora 42, which is what I’m on now, works. It’s fine.
dv said:
roughbarked said:
A friend doesn’t want to go to Windows 11 and is thinking of installing Linux.
He’s wondering which distro of Linux is best to get. Not having used Linux before.
I don’t really know what’s best. I started with the Red Hat/ Fedora type, and I’ve stuck with that because I couldn’t be bothered changing. All I can tell you is that Fedora 42, which is what I’m on now, works. It’s fine.
Linux Mint is supposed to be pretty good and the easiest to Windows useres to transition into.
I plan on doing that as well when I build my next PC or when W10 support really runs out.
FWIW there’s a good Linux app that lets you use Windows app pretty seamlessly – https://www.winboat.app
roughbarked said:
A friend doesn’t want to go to Windows 11 and is thinking of installing Linux.
He’s wondering which distro of Linux is best to get. Not having used Linux before.
Linux Mint.
Once installed, he’ll find it easiest to use, most similar to Windows.
There’s differences, like how you install things on it, but the learning curve is not terrifying, and there’s all sorts of reddit and similar advice available.
I know you aren’t supposed to say this, but I don’t have a problem with Windows 11.
Since I use Total Commander for file management, and go straight into e-mail, internet or excel when I start up, I probably spend about 15 seconds/day directly using the Windows interface anyway.
The Rev Dodgson said:
I know you aren’t supposed to say this, but I don’t have a problem with Windows 11.Since I use Total Commander for file management, and go straight into e-mail, internet or excel when I start up, I probably spend about 15 seconds/day directly using the Windows interface anyway.
Um yeah nah.
Do you know that it takes a screenshot every few seconds and stores them? And a bunch of other telemetry gets sent to Microsoft & others to tailor adverts & the like to target you better.
I’m never going to use it.
Spiny Norman said:
The Rev Dodgson said:
I know you aren’t supposed to say this, but I don’t have a problem with Windows 11.Since I use Total Commander for file management, and go straight into e-mail, internet or excel when I start up, I probably spend about 15 seconds/day directly using the Windows interface anyway.
Um yeah nah.
Do you know that it takes a screenshot every few seconds and stores them? And a bunch of other telemetry gets sent to Microsoft & others to tailor adverts & the like to target you better.
I’m never going to use it.
This last is exactly why this friend doesn’t want to install it.
roughbarked said:
Spiny Norman said:
The Rev Dodgson said:
I know you aren’t supposed to say this, but I don’t have a problem with Windows 11.Since I use Total Commander for file management, and go straight into e-mail, internet or excel when I start up, I probably spend about 15 seconds/day directly using the Windows interface anyway.
Um yeah nah.
Do you know that it takes a screenshot every few seconds and stores them? And a bunch of other telemetry gets sent to Microsoft & others to tailor adverts & the like to target you better.
I’m never going to use it.
This last is exactly why this friend doesn’t want to install it.
According to the Internet you have to opt in.
I had never heard of it, and can’t find any sign of it on this machine.
For a Windows user, Zorin OS is probably the best way to go.
https://zorin.com/os/
Thanks for all these quite useful replies.
I’ve got Win11 on this new computer. But I use it predominantly for this forum, the ABC news, iNaturalist and other botanical and mycological pages. I don’t see ads because those sites don’t have them. So that is no problem. I had to work out where the turning off bits were, but other than that I haven’t noticed much difference from Win10.
I’ve primarily used Ubuntu, mainly because it is the first I could get working, plus it was back in the day when you could get free start up disk’s with computer magazines. It was Ubuntu that month. Have dabbled in others, I think mint is based on Ubuntu, but more user friendly…
furious said:
Have dabbled in others, I think mint is based on Ubuntu, but more user friendly…
This is my understanding, also.
I tried to get Ubuntu going a few years back.
Seemed quite awkward, with a lot more assumed knowledge involved.
Mint isn’t as hard. You still have to learn some things, and do some things, but it’s easier.
captain_spalding said:
furious said:Have dabbled in others, I think mint is based on Ubuntu, but more user friendly…
This is my understanding, also.
I tried to get Ubuntu going a few years back.
Seemed quite awkward, with a lot more assumed knowledge involved.
Mint isn’t as hard. You still have to learn some things, and do some things, but it’s easier.