I’ve avoided making this article for a long time but I get requests for it all the time. I started using Linux on the desktop back before there were “Beginner Friendly Distros”, so I think my perspective is a bit different than other Linux users.
I expect a good Linux distro to be ready to work out-of-the-box. From good defaults (hot-keys & applications), to new-user docs and guard-rails, to driver installers (pre-installed drivers are great too). The less the end-user has to configure after installation, the more “user-friendly” it is.
Disclaimer — Each of the distros in this list can be downloaded for free or come pre-installed on a system from an online retailer. I am not affiliated with any of the companies in this article, and the developers of the distros may or may not receive support from purchases.
Linux Mint 19.1
Linux Mint is quite possibly the best all-around desktop Linux distro out there right now. Everything I tested on test-machine worked out of the box. Even my HP printer was discovered and connected with no drama what so ever.
I especially love Mint’s user-friendly tooling in the form of a handy “Welcome” dialog with links to all of the important items such as snapshots, automated security updates, desktop styles & themes, etc. After seeing how slick this little dialog is, it’s kind of surprising that so few Linux distros have something like this.
Linux Mint comes with few really great tools including an update manager which can be configured to automatically keep your system up to date, and a software sources manager which helps manage 3rd party software repositories (PPAs, etc) as well as authentication keys.
Flatpak & Flathub are enabled by default so lots of popular applications that would be otherwise unavailable are ready to install straight from the Software Manager.
Mint comes in a few different flavors but Cinnamon is the most popular (and arguably the official flavor). It uses a rather neutral theme with familiar defaults so new users don’t have to re-learn every keyboard shortcut.
You can buy a few different computers with Linux Mint pre-installed. There’s this super awesome “MintBox” which is basically a kind of IoT sized computer. There are also laptops which you can buy from ThinkPenguin.
KDE Neon
KDE Neon is a bit of an odd duck because it is officially not a Linux distribution. However, much like Linux Mint, it make for a great Linux desktop.
KDE Neon is based on Ubuntu and shares a lot in common with the popular Kubuntu distribution. Most of the positives in this article and be attributed to Kubuntu as well, though I recommend KDE Neon over Kubuntu if I had to pick just one.
KDE has a lot going for it. It’s beautiful, powerful, customization, and lightweight. It has a lot of built-in apps and tools that other desktops do not.
For example, with KDE its easy to modify startup applications and daemons, as well as tweak the Window manager and compositor settings to squeeze the most performance out of your system.
The standard applications that all desktops have like the File Browser or Image Viewer are much more “full-featured” than what you would find in comparable desktops. For example, the KDE image viewer supports light-weight photo editing like cropping and transforming.
And if you want to buy a computer with KDE Neon pre-installed and support the KDE project, you can buy a super slick laptop called the Slimbook KDE from a company called Slimbook.
elementaryOS
elementaryOS is quite possibly the best looking Linux distro out there. Everything about the style and look & feel of the desktop has been meticulously designed to provide the best possible user experience.
Unique to ElementaryOS is AppCenter, the build-in application store of sorts. AppCenter is the software manager (I.E. the app users use to install and manage applications) and developers can create purpose-built applications specifically for elementaryOS and set a suggested price so that they can actually get paid for their work. What’s not to love about that?
elementaryOS is a very opinionated Linux distro & desktop. Unlike KDE Neon, you can’t really customize anything or change much about your desktop. Some may view this as a disadvantage, however I think it is great for people who are very new to Linux or computing in general because when there is less to change and customize, there is less to break.
elementaryOS ships with some advanced privacy and security tools such as a fantastic Firewall settings manager, and a Parental Control settings, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen in other Linux distros before.
If you wanted to buy a laptop with elementaryOS pre-installed, Juno Computers has an assortment of systems to choose from.
tl;dr
There isn’t a better time to be a newbie Linux user. There are Linux distros and desktops that cater to variety of users and tastes. Here’s a quick summary of how I feel these distros line up:
Choose Linux Mint if:
- You are coming from Windows and want a familiar user experience
- You don’t always need the latest software
- You want a system that just works™️
Choose KDE Neon if:
- You are coming from Windows and want a familiar user experience
- You enjoy customizing and tweaking every aspect of your desktop
- You don’t mind large weekly updates
Choose elementaryOS if:
- You are coming from MacOS and want a familiar user experience
- You don’t care about customizing or tweaking your desktop
- You enjoy supporting developers and having access to a variety of unique apps
