Recommended Distros
Linux distributions for every use case.
Beginner Friendly
Section titled “Beginner Friendly”The best starting point for Windows users.
- Why use it:
- Familiarity: The “Cinnamon” Desktop Environment (DE) looks and behaves almost exactly like Windows 7/10. It has a start menu, taskbar, and system tray.
- Stability: It is based on Ubuntu/Debian LTS (Long Term Support), meaning updates won’t break your system.
- Completeness: It comes with codecs, drivers, and essential software out of the box.
A modern, workflow-centric OS based on Ubuntu.
- Why use it:
- Window Tiling: It has a built-in auto-tiling feature (like i3wm or FancyZones) that arranges your windows automatically.
- Gaming: If you have an NVIDIA card, you download the “NVIDIA ISO” and drivers just work. No terminal needed.
The “Switcher’s” choice.
- Why use it: It is explicitly designed to mimic Windows (and macOS in the Pro version). It is very polished and user-friendly.
Intermediate / General Use
Section titled “Intermediate / General Use”Bleeding edge yet stable.
- Why use it:
- Pure GNOME: It showcases the stock GNOME desktop environment as intended.
- Newer Tech: It adopts new technologies (Wayland, PipeWire, Btrfs) faster than Ubuntu/Debian.
- Linus’s Choice: It is the distro used by Linus Torvalds (creator of Linux).
The universal operating system.
- Why use it:
- Stability: Debian “Stable” is legendary. It runs servers, space stations, and critical infrastructure. It is boring, but it never breaks.
- Base: It is the parent of Ubuntu, Mint, Kali, and Pop!_OS. Learning Debian means learning 80% of Linux.
Advanced / Privacy Focused
Section titled “Advanced / Privacy Focused”A lightweight, rolling-release distribution.
- Philosophy: KEEP IT SIMPLE. You install only what you need.
- The AUR: The Arch User Repository contains build scripts for almost every piece of software on Linux. If it exists for Linux, it is on the AUR.
- Wiki: The Arch Wiki is the best documentation for Linux, period.
A reasonably secure operating system.
- How it works: It runs everything in separate Virtual Machines (VMs). Your network handling, firewall, work apps, and personal browsing all live in isolated cubes. If you open a malicious PDF, only that disposable VM is compromised, not your whole computer.
The Amnesic Incognito Live System.
- Use Case: You boot it from a USB stick. It forces all internet traffic through Tor. It saves nothing to the disk. When you pull the USB, all traces of your session vanish. Ideal for high-risk journalism or whistleblowing.
Gaming
Section titled “Gaming”SteamOS for your PC.
- Why use it: It is an immutable, Atomic Fedora image designed to replicate the Steam Deck experience. It boots directly into Steam Big Picture mode.
Fedora for Gamers.
- Why use it: Maintained by “GloriousEggroll”. It comes pre-patched with gaming tweaks, kernel patches, and drivers that standard Fedora might miss.