Swapping to Linux from Windows 10 because of end of support, i need reccomendations
Posted by ihavethebecause@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 34 comments
i need some recomendations of what version of linux i should use because bill gates thought it was a great idea to force everyone to update to windows 11 or have no security updates, ive heard that Ubuntu is a good pick, ive never used linux in my life before and all i know is that to run .exe files i need an app called wine
AENCR@reddit
Mx linux for good lightness
tuerda@reddit
https://distrochooser.de/
Accurate_Hornet@reddit
I would like this quiz a lot more if it didn't output like 15 distro options at the end
tuerda@reddit
The main thing we should learn about distros is that they don't matter, so it makes sense that it would output a lot of them.
Accurate_Hornet@reddit
While I do agree with that statement, a quiz should do the exact opposite. Otherwise, you might as well ask on reddit and get the same amount of random recommendations loosely relevant to your use case
ihavethebecause@reddit (OP)
tried this it recomended kubuntu at the top
https://distrochooser.de/en/d5e444396d41/
BarnacleVast9478@reddit
I use mint but kubuntu is also good. Either way for gaming, you'll want to install gamemodehttps://github.com/FeralInteractive/gamemode
If you need any help installing it let me know, it's very simple and has good instructions.
raphaelian__@reddit
Fedora Workstation is really nice too, I recommend it: https://fedoraproject.org.
Windows 11 forces you to have tpm 2 for disk encryption but you can still have disk encryption by password on Linux, just remember to select it in the installation menu if you want it (or anyone with physical access to your computer can access your data) If you have tpm 2 you can set it up later on top of the password.
LightBusterX@reddit
Fedora is nice by Linux standards, but it's too complicated and way too simplistic for Windows standards.
Configuring SELinux, Clamav, FirewallD or freaking Samba is not an herculean task, but something not every blog talks about and some very alien concepts for a Windows user.
raphaelian__@reddit
SELinux and Firewall are preconfigured on Fedora, not on debian. And I don't think Clamav is preconfigured on many distros.
LightBusterX@reddit
Precisely. Preconfigured. Without asking or notifying the user.
Great until you try to install a network printer and nothing works and you don't know why because nothing tells you anything.
Fedora is great. I've been using it since the Red Hat 9 days. But it is not Windows and some things still aren't as user friendly as many of us would like.
Ndyresire_e_Qelbur@reddit
Wait what? Which Windows users are configuring advanced firewall rules and file sharing on their home PCs? Fedora's easier than Windows immediately at first glance...at the installer.
LightBusterX@reddit
Fedora itself manages firewall zones and rules and are enabled by default. The same goes for SELinux.
Samba, at least on KDE in Fedora, is a bit of a nightmare to deal with for setup.
Fedora is easier until you stomp on one of these mines. Or akonadi. Or codecs. Or ROCm. Or DaVinci Resolve. Or hplip. O Ngreedia drivers. Or...
Accurate_Hornet@reddit
The answer is to go ahead and try a whole bunch of distros. I use bazzite on desktop and love it. Is there a software you run regularly on windows that you need to run on linux as well?
Superb-Earth-@reddit
This is the true question, OP think about this. I use davinci and edit gaming videos from my PS. Davinci and ps5 recording don't go together, later I started to use kdenlive. Which was okay for my case as its just simple cuts and edits. Davinci linux doesn't have h264 support and you have to either encode it again using ffmpeg which itself takes a lot of time or record your games in prores which takes huge chunk of space for larger gameplays. I'm not a pro youtuber so I stopped recently and no competitive games for you which use easy anti cheats
LordXamon@reddit
If you're into gaming, bazzite.
If you're not into gaming, Linux Mint is a decent pick? But I never liked it enough to fully switch during all these years. I would recommend Fedora Kionite because, as I understand, is basically the same as Bazzite, just not-gaming oriented.
Accurate_Hornet@reddit
I would say for beginners anything made by universalblue is a better option than fedora atomics, but the difference is small
LordXamon@reddit
Yeah I meant aurora. Mixed the two
ihavethebecause@reddit (OP)
i did try the distro picker and it gave me 1. Kubuntu 2. Zorin OS and 3. Linux mint. im leaning towards kubuntu but dont know the if its the right choice out of the free
life_not_malfunction@reddit
My pick is Zorin, been on it for just over a year. It's Ubuntu based, but very Windows-user friendly in how it's laid out. If you wait another day or two, the v18 release is about to go live with some new stuff.
Haven't tried Kubuntu so no opinions there, but I ran Mint a few years ago and it didn't really sit right for me. It's a great beginner distro still, but Zorin personally is my better pick for new folk.
LightBusterX@reddit
Linux is Linux.
Although every distribution has something different to being to the table, basically are all the same.
Try a bunch and stay with whichever feels less difficult or less cumbersome for you.
Those with KDE Desktop will be closer to a Windows experience, for the Desktop part at least. Linux Mint with Cinnamon Desktop is also pretty close.
Try to stick to Big Names distros for the beginning. You'll have it way easier to find help or manuals for something like Ubuntu than you'll have for some smaller project like Pop OS.
pajo-san@reddit
You can go for mint for gaming. Kernel 6.14 + Mesa 25 and for Nvidia users easy install of driver via welcome setup screen
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recaffeinated@reddit
Mint if you want it to feel like Windows. Ubuntu if you want it to not feel like windows.
cainhurstcat@reddit
Regarding your update: I play Steam games on Kubuntu, and a game from Ubisoft, as well as from Blizzard. They work great using Steam or Lutris. Kubuntu is also my daily driver personal and professional. I can't say anything about VR, as I don't use it.
elrata_@reddit
https://endof10.org/
I think gnome is great
komorubik@reddit
You have plenty of choice and good answers have already been provided, so I'll add something a little different:
* try as many as you can before swapping, actually you could run both system along. A good way to start out, even before tinkering with burning usb iso, using ventoy and the lot, is to run any iso you download simply with Virtualbox, VMware or other virtualization software under Windows. Obviously you won't get the same speed as bare metal, but you'll be able to get the gist and feeling of each distro right away
* aside from checking applications you might need, try out common tasks (like printing, backup, encryption, sharing screen/files with your phone and so on...) and don't make the mistake of discarding a distro just because something doesn't seem to work at first, use instead the situation to keep learning things
Once you have tried many different distros, you'll get an idea of their strong and weak points.
Said that, my personal recs are these to start out:
* if you need something that resembles Windows look: AnduinOS (I don't get why they don't update their main page, it looks like last year distro but instead the most recent iso was released a couple of weeks ago and in any case you can choose between the latest edition and the long term, like all Ubuntu original and derivative, just for you to know), also ZorinOS, Kubuntu...
* give these a try (possibly bare metal using Ventoy) if you want to see how gaming performs with your graphic card: CachyOS, Bazzite, Nobara, PopOS, ChimeraOS (this last one in case you are already into gaming consoles ;-)
Enjoy your Linux journey!
cammelspit@reddit
Take a look at Cinnamon, this is the desktop environment Mint uses. Fedora workstation uses Gnome. Fedora has an officially supported KDE variant very creatively named FedoraKDE. Kubuntu is also a nice option if you like KDE. Generally speaking if coming from a modern Windows 10/11 KDE is probably going to be the path of least resistance. So Fedora KDE or Kubuntu are excellent choices i always recommend for new Linux users. Things like Bazzite are nice, uses KDE but it immutable so depending on your intention on how far you wanna go and how much you want to learn can kinda hold you back, my 12 year old uses Bazzite on hios PC and he loves it. CachyOS is also a nice gaming centric experience if that's what you are into.
In the end, you can't really go wrong as long as the distro your choose uses the desktop environemnt you want to try. This is kinda the reason people do distro hopping sometimes, they kinda wanna check out the other guys. As long as you aren't wanting to go straight for Arch, Nix, or Gentoo you sgould be fine really. They are all pretty easy to use. Most new users strees over what distro they wanna use because they don't want to make 'the wrong choice' but really the bottom line is, they can all be made to do what you want the way you want because it's all using the same kernel. It's more about the bundled software and configurations you get with it that make any real appreciable difference.
tomscharbach@reddit
Linux Mint is commonly recommended for new users for a reason: Mint is well-designed, well-implemented, well-maintained, well-documented, stable and secure, relatively easy to learn and use, and backed by a large community.
I've used Linux (in parallel with Windows on a separate Windows computer) for two decades. I agree with the recommendation concerning Linux Mint. Mint is an excellent starting point, and as many of us have discovered over the years, a good distribution for the long haul, too.
The most important thing to know about Linux is that Linux is not Windows. Linux is a different operating system using different applications and workflows, and migrating from Windows to Linux is not trivial. You will need to do some preliminary work to decide if Linux is a good choice for you and your use case (what you do with your computer and the applications you use to do what you do).
A few things to think about:
(1) You should check all of the applications you use to make sure that you can use the applications on Linux and/or viable Linux alternative applications are available. You cannot count on any Windows applications running well on Linux, even using compatibility layers (WINE, Proton, and so on), and in a number of cases (Microsoft Office, standard CAD, and so on) the Windows applications will not run at all on Linux.
In some cases, the applications you use will run acceptably on Linux, natively or using compatibility layers. In other cases, the applications will have online versions that will meet your needs. If neither is the case, you will need to find acceptable Linux alternative applications (say LibreOffice for MS Office) that will work okay for your use case. In a few cases (say SolidWorks) you might not find a workable alternative, and if that happens, then you need to think about whether or not Linux is the right choice for you.
(2) Along those lines, gaming on Linux has improved dramatically, but is not yet on par with Windows. Check the games you want to play against the ProtonDB (if you use Steam) or other compatibility databases if you use other gaming platforms.
(3) You should also check your hardware for compatibility. Too many component manufacturers don't provide working drivers for Linux. The usual culprits are touchpads, fingerprint readers, NVIDIA graphics cards, WiFi and Bluetooth adapters, and external peripherals. Test your hardware using a "Live" session before installing.
Bottom line: If Linux is the best bit for your use case, use Linux. If Windows is the best fit for your use case, use Windows. If you need both to fully satisfy your use case, as many of us do, then figure out a way (dual boot, VM, two devices) to use both in a way that works for you.
It really is that simple. Follow your use case, wherever that leads you, and you will come out in the right place.
You do not need to rush in. You can extend the supported life of Windows 10 for another year at no cost or at nominal cost using the ESU (Extended Security Update) program: https://dtptips.com/windows-10-support-extended-until-2026-heres-how-to-claim-it-for-free/. Doing so will buy you the breathing room to think, plan, prepare and implement without being pushed by a short deadline.
If I may offer some advice, don't rush in. Enroll in ESU to keep Windows 10 alive for another year, take your time, work through the issues to see if Linux is a good fit for you rather than just jumping in with both feet, eyes closed. Plan your migration, step by step, and them implement "little by little by slowly".
You have the time to do it right, and I think you would be well advised to take the time. Only fools rush in.
My best and good luck.
ihavethebecause@reddit (OP)
thank you for this, it was very insightful and made me think about it, ill live test my stuff before using it and if i think its right for me ill install it
_Arch_Stanton@reddit
Mint. Unless you game all the time.
Paslaz@reddit
It's your decision, only you can find the right one for yourself!
Take a bootable USB-Stick from each distro, boot from that stick and check the OS.Linux Mint is for beginners a very good distro to find in in Linux, you can change later to each other distro ...
AbnormalOutlook@reddit
You will get a hundred recommendation just based on what people use themselves. But I'll start it off. I've used Ubuntu, Fedora and Mint. I have stayed with Mint Cinnamon since 2015 because it is just really easy to use, runs great and it feels like old school windows like xp or 7. I run my steam games on it, watch movies, do photo editing and various video alterations and a variety of other things.
INITMalcanis@reddit
Start with Mint. If it doesn't suit you, or you just outgrow it, it's 100% fine to move on to another Distro. But Mint is a good one to start with.