Suggestions as to Which Flavor of Linux to Use

[WhitePhoenix]

I have a brand new Toshiba Satellite L655-S5150 laptop. This is a 64-bit, dual-processor currently with Windows 7 installed.

The thing that I miss the most from Windows ME was the ability to create desktop themes. So I would really like to find a version of Linux that would do the same type of thing, but this is not a priority. What I really do not like about Windows 7 is the ‘Windows for Dummies’ approach that Microsoft has used. I am the only one on the computer which makes me the Administrator by default, but I do not have access to the Documents and Settings folder. I want at least as much control over my system as I have with XP (with using Tweak UI).

I like the Toshiba Bulletin Board and the other Toshiba utilities that came with the laptop, and am hoping Toshiba has versions for Linux operating systems. But I would be able to survive without them.

I am open for recommendations.

[Jonathan183]

Welcome to the forums WhitePhoenix

I suggest Linux Mint - but you can also look here for suggestions

[champ_weller]

linux mint is good as jonathan said also ubuntu is easy on the eyes with different themes. I like Debian based distros for my workstations and anything redhat based for my servers

[jayd512]

Welcome aboard!

You may find this helpful... a distro quiz. It might be able to help you choose your first distro.
zegenie Studios Linux Distribution Chooser

[jonniemuk]

welcome to linux,
as a first time user you can start with ubuntu or mint and later advance to fedora or centos.

[elija]

The amount of control you get with Linux can be a bit overwhelming at first. I would suggest trying a few distros each with a different desktop environment and seeing which one you like. Then you can learn to tweak that to your hearts content. My suggestions to try are

SimplyMepis (KDE)
LMDE (Gnome)
LMDE (XFCE)
CrunchBang (OpenBox although this is a bit less beginner friendly)

These two may not be as configurable <bitter comment censored>
Ubuntu (Unity)
Fedora 15 (Gnome 3 / Shell)

[Roxoff]

Welcome aboard!

You may find this helpful... a distro quiz. It might be able to help you choose your first distro.
zegenie Studios Linux Distribution Chooser

That is one of the coolest sites, so simple - and really helpful for new Linux users.

[WhitePhoenix]

Thank you for all of the responses. Ubuntu and Mint seem to be the runaway favorites. One of the techs from my ISP also mentioned Mint. The problem with Win 7 is that they made it so fool proof that it is actually harder for me to install. I did figure out though that the Documents and Settings folder was a leftover from porting my files from the old XP laptop to the new W7 laptop. The W7 counterpart to the D&S folder is simply called Users. But this means that being locked out is even dumber since it doesn’t even qualify as a systems folder anymore.

I had started realizing what jonniemuk confirmed, that I can start with an easy one and progress to a more difficult version. The original game plan, before I started getting frustrated, was to try different distros of Linux on the old laptop until I found one that I liked and then switch the new one over as well.

[Jonathan183]

You should find Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) is a bit quicker than the Mint main edition ... which may help on the older laptop.

[MASONTX]

Go to distrowatch.com, and you will find a list of top 100 distro's. Start at the top and try live cd/dvd's to see what appeals to you. You should find one you like in the first 5 or 10. It will also give you a feel of whether you like gnome, Kde, or one of the other desktops. Experiment and have fun learning. you may even want to install 3 or 4 different distro's at the same time, and choose which one to use at boot.