Favorite Desktop Distro for New Users - 2010

[devils casper]

This poll/thread is meant to help those users that are new to Linux and having difficulty deciding which distribution(s) they should start with.


Please use it to post information about your favorite beginner oriented distro. Do not post comments saying that any particular distro is the best, because the best truly is very subjective.

Note that this thread will be locked and/or deleted at the end of the year and a new thread started. The poll from last year can be found here.

[hazel]

I'd recommend Puppy because you can run it out of Windows initially and it has a very friendly, unthreatening desktop.

[reed9]

Generally Linux Mint.

I'd question putting Damn Small Linux on there, since it is, if not dead, at least in deep hibernation.

EDIT: I'd like to see Pardus as an option. I just installed the 2009.1 Beta release and it's quite nice, and has a lot of helpful configuration tools for new users.

[Humann]

I first became curious about Linux about a year ago when I played around with a friend's Ubuntu laptop. It piqued my interest enough that a few weeks later, I decided to take the plunge myself. I first tried to load up Ubuntu on my laptop, but it kept crashing when I tried to install it, so I tried OpenSUSE instead. It loaded up with no problems and after a brief period of adjustment, I've been very happy with it. I usually don't even think about what OS I'm running. It all just works very smoothly and is much more stable than WinXP.

I just upgraded from version 11.1 w/Gnome to 11.2 w/KDE and I'm again in the adjustment phase. In a lot of ways, I think the Gnome interface is better for most new users because it's more Windows-like.

[kwanbis]

Ubuntu, particularyly Mint version.

Even if i prefer fedora.

[robertneville777]

Ubuntu with the gnome environment. That's what initially got me hooked

[rokytnji]

Voted Mint though I don't run it anymore. For a New User that needs Flash and DVD Play as a fish needs water. Mint is the easy route to take. KDE,FLUXBOX,GNOME,XFCE. Pick your flavor.

I also agree with Hazel on Puppy. Live CD is a great introduction for Linux and Puppy runs fast as a live CD also and can save changes to said cd for later. No option though for 2 votes.

[Charles4809]

I'd say Mint, because there is so much working out of the box.

[vigol]

Migration from:
Win -> Ubuntu (feel at home)
Mac -> FreeBSD (At least awareness of some base infos)
Other Linux Distro(s) -> OpenSUSE (was my map)

[regexorcist]

I think Ferora or openSUSE would probably be a good starting distro