Which Linux distro is best for a beginner who wants to permanently migrate to Linux from Windows?

Which Linux distribution is recommended for a first time user who wants to switch to Linux from Windows? In addition to basic requirements such as office packages and media, gaming functionalities would also be desirable.

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Linux Mint would be the ideal choice for its ease of use, similarity to Windows interface and out of the box media supports. Ubuntu MATE is also a good choice.

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I absoluty agree with you but if a person who is migrating are more dare, Deepin its a good choice too. It’s because Deepin have more common apps installed from original.

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Deepin is a great looking Linux distribution, no doubt about it. But its servers are way too slow for a normal use and I am not even discussing the controversy around tracking user data.

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KDE Neon is a good choice as well. Solid Ubuntu LTS base, rolling KDE updates. The Bionic release is almost out and the preview is solid. I use it for production work.

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Solus OS. beautiful, curated bleeding edge rolling release and it simply works

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most distros cover all facilities these days and also as abhishek said linux mint would be best but one thing I would like to add is dont migrate to linux all at once, install it side by side and get used to it then you can uninstall win whenever you feel comfortable :wink:

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I would suggest one of the following:

  • Ubuntu
  • Mint
    Mint is a close cousin of Ubuntu and they have a lot in common. I prefer Mint. I think that Mint’s desktop (Cinnamon) is relatively close to Windows.
    Both (Ubuntu and Mint) are easy to handle and are good for immigrants from Windows.
    Zeev
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Mint is the best for this, IMO. Super stable, compatible with most hardware, great software center app, similar GUI to Windows (with default settings), easy to use, intuitive.

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I too wish to suggest Mint, with MATE for the desktop. It is faster than Cinnamon, and almost equal to XFCE in sped. Note that in using Linux, you can also have several desktops downloaded, installed, and easily changed with just a click or two. LOL

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As far as navigation goes and similarity a good start , I think,would be Zorin OS very similar and with several desktop layouts available they can start with the default and try out others.and slowly get a feel for Linux.

Ubuntu is also my next pick for those who can handle a bit of exploring and newness at first.

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I am quite happy the way Deepin works and its CPU and Memory usage. I 've not come accross any issues with installing other Open Source Software as I had in Ubuntu. The desktop environment is much better, elegant and smooth than GNOME.

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@avimanyu
@abhishek

I think any LTS version of ubuntu based distro would be best.
I would suggest XUbuntu 18.04

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Thank you all so much for the wonderful feedback!

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Just jump right in. It’s going to be a massive learning curve anyway. Learning is most effective at greatest point of need so start in the deep end. I’d go with Debian stretch. Everything you ever need to know or do is on the web so you are never short of help.

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I found that Ubuntu is an easy to learn distribution for those migrating from Windows. I use OpenOffice.org for my office suite and VLC as my primary media player. As far as gaming goes, I use my Ubuntu laptop to play Diablo III. There are many ways to play Windows games on Linux… I use "Play-on-Linux:. You’ll want to make sure you install WINE which is a Windows emulator. With installed, I also run Adobe Photoshop, e-Sword and a few other Windows apps.

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Personly i say Ubuntu. It is the most known and i have found the most applications/program for it and it looks really nice and is easy to use. i am a “white boy” who dosent speak chines and i started with ubuntu kylin because that was the first one i saw and i managed to get it.

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wine is not an emulator

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The lack of available applications in Solus is a down side. This is where Ubuntu/Mint has an edge as you’ll find more applications available only in DEB format.

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Mint (Ubuntu based) is my 1st choice: https://linuxmint.com/

As an alternative, you can also take a look at PCLOS: https://www.pclinuxos.com/

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