As a beginner and even as an advanced Linux user it can be very difficult to choose the right distribution. Maybe you haven't even heard about Ubuntu yet. In this post I want to introduce you to the three main distributions.
Considerations
When picking a distro it important to take your technical knowledge and expertise in account. Some distros are better for beginners than others. For example there are some like Ubuntu, Pop_OS, ZorinOS which focus more on beginners.
And on the other side of the spectrum there are distros like Archlinux, Gentoo and Voidlinux, these are for power-users and therefor harder to use and understand.
One thing that I think is also important, is what the distros package manager is and its repository - short repo. Some repos are more focused on cutting edge and availability while others are more focused on stability.
It is important to note, that just because Ubuntu for example comes with GNOME, doesn't mean it's limited to it. Desktop enviroments are interchangable in Linux. You don't even have to have one. That is why distributions based on Ubuntu, for example, have many other desktop enviroments apart from GNOME.
Ubuntu
Ubuntu is probably best known among non-Linux users. It has a big community and features a user-friendly GUI called GNOME which shouldn't be too hard to learn for a Windows user. It uses Apt as its package manager. Ubuntu is one of the more user-friendly distros.
Popular distros based on Ubuntu include:
- Linux Mint (An even more user-friendly version of Ubuntu)
- ZorinOS (A distro with an UI similar to Windows or Mac if you choose so)
- Pop!_OS (A simple distro that just works)
- ElementaryOS (A nice looking distro)
Debian
Debian is the mother of many modern distributions, Ubuntu for example. It's renowned for being extremely stable and even more performant that Ubuntu. It also uses GNOME as the GUI and Apt as its package manager.
Popular distros based on Debian include:
- Deepin (A chinese distro with a gorgeous DE)
- MX Linux (A distro that tries to be the middleground between lightweight and feature-rich)
- ParrotOS (A distro made for penetration testing)
ArchLinux
A really lightweight distro that is famous for being hard to install, although most derivatives of it feature an easy graphical installer. It comes with pacman as the package manager but no desktop enviroment. There's a lot of documentation for Arch in something called the ArchWiki. Still Arch is one of the more difficult distros.
Popular distros based on Arch include:
- Manjaro (A distro with a nice and friendly GUI)
- EndeavourOS (A distro with a wide range of desktop enviroments)
- Garuda Linux (An all-rounder distro with an amazing UI)
- ArcoLinux (A distro with an installer that has many options for DE and programs)
Conclusion
I hope this guide could help you choose a distro of your liking. At the end of the day, you have to choose a distribution yourself. Also your choice is not permanent, no one's stopping you from trying another distro.