Best Linux Distributions For Beginners

Linux beginners are always confused about choosing the best Linux os to start with. As there are hundreds of Linux distributions so it might always be a confusing part. But I’ll help you choose the right Linux distro to start your Linux exploration. In this article, I’ll walk you through a list of 8 Best Linux OS for beginners. Before all of that, I suggest you throw out all the misconceptions about Linux, such as Linux is only for geeks or developers. Linux is for everyone. As I always say, “When Linux can run Google, Facebook, Amazon, it can surely run your home computer as well.”

​Two things to remember when choosing a Linux distribution

There are not so many parameters to know the best Linux distro for you. Just keep two things in mind. First your requirements and second, ease of use. The given list is not perfect for all, so many of you will surely find other Linux distros perfect for you. The thing is when you know your requirements then it is easier to find an easy to use Linux distro that fits your requirements. So now let’s start with the list of best Linux distros for beginners.

Best Linux Distros For Beginners

1. Linux Mint

The first in the list is Linux Mint. This distro most of the time tops the list because of its stability, simplicity, and ease of use. It is not specific to one type of users like we have so many other Linux distributions such as, Ubuntu Studio which is specific to Multimedia lovers. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and comes with almost all the necessary apps such as Firefox for web browsing, Thunderbird as an email client, Gimp for image editing, LibreOffice alternative to MS Office, and a file manager, etc. Linux Mint is an install-and-go. It means the pre-installed applications make Linux Mint usable instantly after the installation. The best part is the default desktop environment, Cinnamon. Though it also comes in two other flavors, XFCE and MATE. Oh! Wait. Recently KDE flavor has also been released. You can know more about the KDE desktop environment here. It’s very sweet, BTW. Linux Mint KDE is dead now. ?

​But I recommend Linux Mint Cinnamon flavor for beginners. New users will surely feel much comfortable with Cinnamon. Check out the screenshot collection below for Cinnamon Desktop environment. Also, check out my Linux Mint 18 review.

Download Linux Mint

2. Linux Lite

Linux Lite is very lightweight, stable and customizable Linux. It’s user-friendly and has improved a lot since the first release in 2013. Like other Linux flavors, Linux Lite does not come in various desktop environments. The only DE it has is XFCE. Providing one flavor does not mean it’s less powerful or less usable, it’s got the same functionality that any other advanced Ubuntu-based distribution has. The other feature that makes one switch to Linux Lite is that it’s lightweight. The XFCE desktop environment is very light but looks cool, due to which it only weighs 1.4 which is lighter than Linux Mint.

​Linux Lite already comes with lots of applications that one uses regularly. It ships with the latest version of Firefox, Gimp image editor, LibreOffice office suite, Thunderbird email client and VLC media player, etc. After all these applications, if you want more, the default repositories include tonnes of software that you can easily install through Synaptic package manager.​The latest version of Linux Lite is 4.2. Check out the LinuxAndUbuntu review of Linux Lite here.

3. Zorin OS

Zorin OS does not compromise with Look and feel. The highly customized desktop environment makes Zorin OS super easy Linux OS for beginners. Zorin OS is also based on Ubuntu and uses highly customized Gnome desktop and Avant Window navigator which the team calls Zorin Desktop.​Zorin Desktop is specially designed for Windows users. All look and feel is very similar to Windows so any Windows users will find it extremely easy to navigate through and perform all daily tasks easily with the power of Linux. The latest version of Zorin that team provides support for is Zorin OS 15 Beta.

The team provides two editions of the OS, namely, Zorin OS Core and Lite. The core is just the core of the system with a couple of applications pre-installed. The core versions are highly recommended for old desktops and the other Lite version has a good amount of pre-installed applications which will be no pain for Linux beginners.

​Download Zorin OS

4. Manjaro Linux

​If you think only Ubuntu-based Linux distros are recommended for new Linux users then that’s not true. Here is Manjaro Linux. It is based on the unique Linux distribution, Arch Linux. If you have never heard of Arch Linux before(which is less likely), then read LinuxAndUbuntu review of Arch. Well, Manjaro Linux is also a very friendly Linux distribution. One won’t have any trouble using it is already familiar with Windows or any other operating systems. It comes in various flavors. I think Manjaro is available in almost all popular desktop environments. So there are a variety of versions to go with for a new as well as advanced Linux user. To help you with installation, Manjaro also provides two installers so it is very easy to install as well. If you don’t understand one installer, just go with the second one, but if you don’t understand the second one, find help in the community forum.

​​The latest version of Manjaro Linux is 18.0.4. Read more here about what’s new in Manjaro Daniella release.

Download Manjaro Linux

5. Peppermint OS

Peppermint OS has been there since 2010 and it is focused on speed and ease of use. The name itself defines the relation with Linux Mint. The Peppermint OS is based on Ubuntu and comes with the desktop environment based on LXDE. It is, of course, a beginner-friendly Linux distribution and focuses on providing a lightweight system, so it ships only with the applications that you want for daily use. There are not tonnes of pre-installed applications. Though Synaptic package manager can be used to search and install thousands of other packages in the system.​The distro also implements a concept of using web apps as local apps. The team-developed app called, ‘Ice’ that can create a web app launcher directly in your application menu. This helps you access each website separately in its own window and can be launched quickly either from the desktop launcher(shortcut) or app menu.

​The latest version of Peppermint is Peppermint 9.

Download Peppermint

Also Read – Best Linux Desktop Environments

6. Elementary OS

The Elementary OS is friendly Linux distro based on Ubuntu and implements a custom desktop environment, Pantheon. Pantheon is a very natural desktop environment for Mac users. It has a very similar application widget down on the desktop which feels like home for Mac users. On the top left corner is the menu where you can search all the installed applications.​It comes with some useful daily use applications such as Midori web browser, Media player, image viewer etc. The latest stable of Elementary OS is Elementary OS 5.0 (Juno). Sadly Elementary OS is among the Linux distributions that I have never reviewed. I’ll surely review the upcoming version of Elementary OS, ‘Loki’.

Edit – I have already reviewed Elementary Loki.

Download Elementary OS

7. Ubuntu Studio

Yes, I am still on my point to provide you best Linux OS for beginners. Ubuntu Studio is here for the same purpose. Ubuntu Studio is for Audio, Video and graphics users or professionals. The reason I’m listing it in beginner-friendly distros is that so many users don’t turn to Linux because they are enjoying multimedia content on other operating systems. Don’t worry if you’re among those users then you can switch to Linux through Ubuntu studio. At the same time, this distro is pretty easy to use. As the name suggests that it’s based on Ubuntu. Ubuntu Studio is an officially recognized derivative distro of Ubuntu.​​Ubuntu studio uses XFCE desktop environment so it’s fast and has everything in just a menu on the top left corner. You can browse applications from that menu. It’s simple to use and easy to work with. There are already enough applications in the system so you, as a new user won’t need to install apps for day to day tasks.

Download Ubuntu Studio

8. Ubuntu

And here is Ubuntu! The least beginner-friendly Linux distribution in this list. There are some reasons for the massive fall. Most Linux users were Windows users so you’re also more likely to be using Windows. The problem that Windows users face with Ubuntu is that it’s unique Unity desktop environment. Edit – Ubuntu now ships with Gnome. Unity is the desktop environment that very few Linux distributions provide. The dash is where users can search all their applications as well as online content. For a new user, it will be harder to use Ubuntu and stick to it for longer.​It does not mean that Ubuntu is useless. Ubuntu is my favorite Linux distribution and I use it for my daily work. The point is once you get used to it, it’s very easy to use and work with. If you take a turn to Linux with Ubuntu, I know it’s going to take some time to understand how it all works.

​The main problems that I faced with Ubuntu as a beginner were the menu buttons only appears when you hover over the title bar of the window. And the other problem was that there was no one-click minimize. I had to go to the title bar to minimize any window that almost all Windows users are not familiar with. It irritates when you’re working with it. Sadly, the issues have been solved but party. Users will still require to turn on these basic features using third-party applications or tweak tools. I never understood why such tiny features can’t be implemented in the universal settings manager. For new Linux users, it can be a painful task.

Still, I am not stopping anyone to start with Ubuntu but just make sure you know some necessary things about it. For instructions about turning on ‘minimize on click’ and ‘always show menus’, read this LinuxAndUbuntu article.​

Download Ubuntu

Conclusion

As I stated above in the article to not get confused, remove all the myths about Linux and start with any of the above Linux distros. This list of Linux distributions is very useful only when you yourself want to learn Linux. Otherwise, any list of Linux distributions or review won’t help you out if you’ve fixed that Linux is only for advanced users, geeks. As I always say, “When Linux can run Google, Facebook, Amazon, it can surely run your home computer.” ? For now, take care and goodbye. If you like this article, share it on your social pages with your friends. Thank you!