There are two main distros that define today's definition and history of Linux: Debian and Slackware. Those from Debian include distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint, while on the other hand, distros like openSUSE and Fedora come from Slackware. Distros from Debian tend to be more user friendly than those from Slackware, and tend to have less problems that need fixing. However, by using distros derived from Slackware (Arch as well, especially!), you'll learn more about Linux itself, and will tend to be more farmilliar with the internal system, for Slackware distros don't do as much for you, making it more natural to look things up and explore your operating system. When tinkering around, don't be afraid to break things. Linux is very quick and easy to install, so even if you kill your entire system, you can just install it again in no time. The average Linux install takes about 30 minutes! (Be sure to be backing up your files though.)
No matter what distro you use, when ever you run into any problem, always Google it! Looking up solutions to problems that you and probably other users are having will make you an independent learner, and you will end up learning much more by sticking with it than by just giving up and choosing a different distro. Unless you're on a quest to find a distro that will run smoothly on your 10 year old Dell Dimension, spend time on each distro you find, and really try to learn what makes each different. And even if you are on that quest, still take the time to learn what make that distro different, and really try to get something out of each experience you have trying distros.
Now to review some distros. But before I do, I'm not going to go into complete detail, because I feel it would be a waste of time. You'll learn a whole lot more from actually trying the distros out yourself. I will, however, try to lead you in the right direction based on what you are looking for in a distro.
Lets cover a few factors of a distro that will help you find the distro that's right for you...
Interface
Do you like a clean interface that is simple and clean? Or do you like it to look a little more flashy? Or maybe you don't care about looks altogether, and would rather focus on functionality. Distros with a clean visual feel make your desktop feel more tidy, while flashy designs make a strong appeal as eye candy.
Visual interaction/functionality
Do you like your desktop to simply do what you need to do, or do you want it to have a lot of toys; things to play and tinker with? A simple interface is nice because it isn't cluttered, but on the other hand, some people just can't go without their widgets and interactivity.
Inner Core
This consideration is probably one of the most important factors for choosing a distro. However, if you are new to Linux, it's typically not a good place to start. So if you haven't looked around, do so, and find what look and feel (Desktop Environment) you like. And then, later, figure out what distro's core you like best. What package manager do you like best? Is the distro compatible with .deb files? What are its repositories like? Does the distro come with a good knowledgeable community that can answer your questions? After a while, these become important questions.
The first two qualities will help you determine which Desktop Environment you like, While the third one will help you find the distro with the inner core you want. The inner core is very important, and after you know what you like as far as look and feel, the inner workings of the distro will be what you will continue to use, and it's importaint to explore a few different cores so you don't just stick with one. You may just find that you like another one better. You don't have to stick with ubuntu your whole life.
Alas, the distros...
Here are some beginner friendly distros:
Ubuntu - The base distro is Ubuntu, and typically comes with gnome/unity, but other versions of Ubuntu are available with different desktops; Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Linux Mint, etc. Any Ubuntu based distro will use Apt-Get as a package manager with the Synaptic Package Manager being the GUI interface for managing programs. Great gui for this, but the command line interface is a little lacking.
Kubuntu - Ubuntu with KDE. Kde has a very nice look to it. Widgets and customizability make KDE a very nice desktop for users who like eye candy and ways to mess around with the interface. It has a Windows-like application menu (comparable to Windows start menu).
Xubuntu - Ubuntu with Xfce. Xfce is very lightweight, very powerful desktop with a nice clean simple look, while still ranking with full desktops like Gnome and KDE. Xubuntu does a nice job of incoorperating Xfce into Ubuntu.
Linux Mint - Ubuntu with MATE. Very unique. Mate is a desktop that is a lot like gnome, and like KDE, it also has a Windows-like Menu. This is a an easy interface to get used to if you're coming straight from windows.
Here are some distros that are a little more intricate, some being a little more 'hard core' than others:
Bodhi Linux. Ubuntu with Enlightenment. Enlightenment defiantly has a learning curve to it, but once it's broken into, it has an amazing feel, and seemingly limitless customization. Very lightweight as well and comes with no junkware like, well, all the above distros. Full desktop distros try to ship their product with all the software that anyone who uses it will use. While this is good for beginners, other users don't tend to want to take up the unnecessary space, and just want the software they need installed.
Debian - This is what Ubuntu is based off of. It is typically used for older computers that need older hardware drivers. It's somewhat lightweight, but it does come with all the typical software. It uses the same repositories as Ubuntu, which means if it's for ubuntu, it will be for debian.
OpenSUSE - Based off of Slackware Linux. Can be installed Gnome, KDE, and some other desktops. Don't pass this one by because of the typical desktops it's shipped with though. It's got a lot to offer, so don't judge it because it looks like all the other distros. This one is very different. Although it can at times take a bit of configuration to get things working, OpenSUSE has a great inner core, and a very nice package manager, both gui and command line. It even has a command line version of the gui package manager that runs in a shell prompt. That impressed me a lot.
CrunchBang - Debian with the open OpenBox window manager. Very minimal (seriously. Minimal.), and very powerful. But it is made from debian, which is more problem-prone while configuring and installing. A good choice for completing that ten year old dimension quest.
Arch Linux - Independent Distro. Author of 'hard core'. The concept of arch is that you start out with bare minimal (shell prompt with no gui) and you build your own system, including choosing the Desktop Environment or window manager, display manager (what brand of log-in screen), and even the bootloader. The drawback is that you have a lot of maintenance to hold. But, the benifit is complete freedom yielding the exact system you want.
And that should do it for a list of distros to get new linux users an idea of what they want, and to hopefully give more experienced users a couple more distros to try out. So what are you waiting for? Go try out some distros!
No matter what distro you use, when ever you run into any problem, always Google it! Looking up solutions to problems that you and probably other users are having will make you an independent learner, and you will end up learning much more by sticking with it than by just giving up and choosing a different distro. Unless you're on a quest to find a distro that will run smoothly on your 10 year old Dell Dimension, spend time on each distro you find, and really try to learn what makes each different. And even if you are on that quest, still take the time to learn what make that distro different, and really try to get something out of each experience you have trying distros.
Now to review some distros. But before I do, I'm not going to go into complete detail, because I feel it would be a waste of time. You'll learn a whole lot more from actually trying the distros out yourself. I will, however, try to lead you in the right direction based on what you are looking for in a distro.
Lets cover a few factors of a distro that will help you find the distro that's right for you...
Interface
Do you like a clean interface that is simple and clean? Or do you like it to look a little more flashy? Or maybe you don't care about looks altogether, and would rather focus on functionality. Distros with a clean visual feel make your desktop feel more tidy, while flashy designs make a strong appeal as eye candy.
Visual interaction/functionality
Do you like your desktop to simply do what you need to do, or do you want it to have a lot of toys; things to play and tinker with? A simple interface is nice because it isn't cluttered, but on the other hand, some people just can't go without their widgets and interactivity.
Inner Core
This consideration is probably one of the most important factors for choosing a distro. However, if you are new to Linux, it's typically not a good place to start. So if you haven't looked around, do so, and find what look and feel (Desktop Environment) you like. And then, later, figure out what distro's core you like best. What package manager do you like best? Is the distro compatible with .deb files? What are its repositories like? Does the distro come with a good knowledgeable community that can answer your questions? After a while, these become important questions.
The first two qualities will help you determine which Desktop Environment you like, While the third one will help you find the distro with the inner core you want. The inner core is very important, and after you know what you like as far as look and feel, the inner workings of the distro will be what you will continue to use, and it's importaint to explore a few different cores so you don't just stick with one. You may just find that you like another one better. You don't have to stick with ubuntu your whole life.
Alas, the distros...
Here are some beginner friendly distros:
Ubuntu - The base distro is Ubuntu, and typically comes with gnome/unity, but other versions of Ubuntu are available with different desktops; Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Linux Mint, etc. Any Ubuntu based distro will use Apt-Get as a package manager with the Synaptic Package Manager being the GUI interface for managing programs. Great gui for this, but the command line interface is a little lacking.
Kubuntu - Ubuntu with KDE. Kde has a very nice look to it. Widgets and customizability make KDE a very nice desktop for users who like eye candy and ways to mess around with the interface. It has a Windows-like application menu (comparable to Windows start menu).
Xubuntu - Ubuntu with Xfce. Xfce is very lightweight, very powerful desktop with a nice clean simple look, while still ranking with full desktops like Gnome and KDE. Xubuntu does a nice job of incoorperating Xfce into Ubuntu.
Linux Mint - Ubuntu with MATE. Very unique. Mate is a desktop that is a lot like gnome, and like KDE, it also has a Windows-like Menu. This is a an easy interface to get used to if you're coming straight from windows.
Here are some distros that are a little more intricate, some being a little more 'hard core' than others:
Bodhi Linux. Ubuntu with Enlightenment. Enlightenment defiantly has a learning curve to it, but once it's broken into, it has an amazing feel, and seemingly limitless customization. Very lightweight as well and comes with no junkware like, well, all the above distros. Full desktop distros try to ship their product with all the software that anyone who uses it will use. While this is good for beginners, other users don't tend to want to take up the unnecessary space, and just want the software they need installed.
Debian - This is what Ubuntu is based off of. It is typically used for older computers that need older hardware drivers. It's somewhat lightweight, but it does come with all the typical software. It uses the same repositories as Ubuntu, which means if it's for ubuntu, it will be for debian.
OpenSUSE - Based off of Slackware Linux. Can be installed Gnome, KDE, and some other desktops. Don't pass this one by because of the typical desktops it's shipped with though. It's got a lot to offer, so don't judge it because it looks like all the other distros. This one is very different. Although it can at times take a bit of configuration to get things working, OpenSUSE has a great inner core, and a very nice package manager, both gui and command line. It even has a command line version of the gui package manager that runs in a shell prompt. That impressed me a lot.
CrunchBang - Debian with the open OpenBox window manager. Very minimal (seriously. Minimal.), and very powerful. But it is made from debian, which is more problem-prone while configuring and installing. A good choice for completing that ten year old dimension quest.
Arch Linux - Independent Distro. Author of 'hard core'. The concept of arch is that you start out with bare minimal (shell prompt with no gui) and you build your own system, including choosing the Desktop Environment or window manager, display manager (what brand of log-in screen), and even the bootloader. The drawback is that you have a lot of maintenance to hold. But, the benifit is complete freedom yielding the exact system you want.
And that should do it for a list of distros to get new linux users an idea of what they want, and to hopefully give more experienced users a couple more distros to try out. So what are you waiting for? Go try out some distros!
