this post was submitted on 08 May 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I'm at the point whe recommending distros fir new comers its Debian, Arch, Fedora and Linux Mint.
Debian is my go to. Stable, I love the apt package manager. Desktop environment is a bit irrelevant with recommendations because you can easily install any desktop environment or window manager. You will figure out what environment you like along the way. Installation is simple, you can do minimal installs as well and it's what many big name distros are based on.
I really like Arch. Minimal, great package manager, AUR extends application availability even when you have flatpaks, snaps and app images and the repo. You can use the archinstall script these days so you don't have to worry about installing the old-fashioned Arch way. It will also teach you what to do when updates fail because it's a rolling release.
If none of those are appealing then I would advise Fedora. Great package manager, get newer packages if package versions are important for you and a solid distribution that is the upstream for Red Hat. It's the best of both worlds of Debian and Arch in my opinion.
The last one is Linux Mint. I've found myself avoid recommening forks. This is my exception. I can't say a lot because I haven't used it much. But I've installed it 2x to different family members who never used Linux before and use it and love it. I did it because they are forks and I can give support because I'm familiar with what it's based on and the high recommendation from the online community. It's great for beginners and veterans alike from what I can tell from the online community. Great team of developers.
What about popos?
I've never used PopOS. I'm not into forks and it is based on Ubuntu. This isn't to say I think it's bad. I just don't recommend forks. If you want to try PopOS, go for it.