Linux distro for beginners: Ubuntu or Mint? Manjaro or Anarchy? Fedora or CentOS? Debian or Arch?
In a previous video we saw how to select a distro branch to study, based on the package manager. But which linux distro could I suggest to a user who wants to start?
First of all, each linux distribution has its own update release cycle:
Fixed releases, in which updates occur very slowly, but they guarantee a practically indestructible operating system;
Rolling releases, those distributions whose updates are continuous;
Semi-rolling, whose packages undergo a series of tests before being declared fairly stable, and therefore the updates take place cautiously.
Debian is one of the most solid ever. It is fairly easy to install, but a little more difficult to configure after installation. So it is suitable for slightly more advanced users. Debian is available in three development branches:
Stable (fixed), Testing (semi-rolling) and Unstable or Sid (rolling-release).
On Debian it's based the 35% of all known Linux distributions (actually118 Debian-based derivatives are still active on Distrowatch).
Excluding MX Linux, which is the most indisputably easy to use thanks to its complete set of graphic tools, here are the two most user-friendly distributions from which, you can also learn something:
Ubuntu is a distro based on Debian and more precisely on its most updated branches, Testing for LTS and Unstable for the standard releases.
Ubuntu is available with various desktop environments, so the various Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Lubuntu, Ubuntu Studio and Ubuntu MATE are nothing but variants of the same release, which by default mounts GNOME.
Once installed Ubuntu is ready for use, and a new release is available every six months (in April and October). Ubuntu, since 2004, adding all its variants mentioned above, is still the Linux distribution most chosen by those who want to start;
Linux Mint is the most famous derivative of Ubuntu. By default it allows the installation of proprietary drivers and includes repositories from which it is possible to install additional software such as Google Chrome, Google Heart, Flash Player and Opera. Linux Mint is based on the LTS version of Ubuntu, but the new releases have not time's contraints, so that, developers can optimize the system more comfortably and better compared to "mother Ubuntu". A Debian-based variant of Linux Mint is also available.
Arch Linux is a fairly young distribution, and its repositories are full of new software, always updated to the latest version. Being a Rolling-Release, you don't need to reinstall everything from scratch, but you will have to constantly update packages at least once a week. The maintenance of this distribution is a little more advanced for a user. You can see this fact right from the installation, completely manual. Distrowatch has only 19 derivatives of Arch Linux still active, and many others, such as Antergos, have discontinued.
The most famous and simple derivative is Manjaro, which also includes additional repositories, maintained by its community, and which mainly serve to guarantee greater stability. The software from repositories reaches the end user after just two days.
Anarchy Installer allows you to install a pure Arch Linux, then is the best solution if you want to get a more solid software. Anarchy includes a minimal Debian-style installer, and therefore includes automated scripts for an installation easier. So as to begin to understand the essential steps of an installation, I personally suggest Anarchy Linux.
Gentoo is a distro for a truly expert users, as every single package must be compiled manually, starting from the kernel. In this way, each individual software installed will adapt perfectly to the machine on which it will be installed. But of course, for a user approaching Linux for the first time, something less frightening is needed than installing:
Sabayon is an Italian distro, which supports fewer architectures than Gentoo, but that's what you need if you want to get a solid and constantly updated operating system. It also includes its own package manager. During installation, Sabayon recognizes the necessary drivers. A stable version is released every year, but there is also a repository where you can download and test daily releases.
But what if the user who wants to start needs to learn how to use Linux for businnes? Here are:
Fedora obtains a stable release every six months, and all new software for linux are tested on it, and in particular for Red Hat Enterprice Linux, the distro par excellence for commercial porposes.
CentOS is the open source version of Red Hat, so inside you will find software that is not really updated, but sufficient to guarantee an experience as close as possible to using Red Hat, with the additional possibility of using a desktop environment, which is a little difficult to see on an installed Red Hat server.
Both CentOS and Fedora are extremely easy to install.
I hope this video has been useful to you.
https://distrowatch.com/