It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when choosing your first distro. You want something easy to use that won't waste your time fixing issues. But when you’re new, every distro sounds like a good choice because of all the features they have to offer, and half of them assume you’re already familiar with Linux.

The best thing you can do is keep it simple by choosing a distro that you feel comfortable with, like Cinnamon on Linux Mint or GNOME on Ubuntu. You can also go with one that has a huge community, so fixes are easy to find, and stick with a stable release like Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, so updates stay predictable while you learn.

Choose a distro that feels familiar

Cinnamon and GNOME help you settle in fast

When choosing your first distro, choose popular options like Linux Mint or Ubuntu. Cinnamon (on Linux Mint) and GNOME (on Ubuntu) are both great options, just in different ways. If you’re coming from Windows, Cinnamon might feel the most familiar, since it uses a Windows-style menu and taskbar. With this option, the transition is more gradual.

The menu is in the bottom-left-hand corner, so those muscle memory clicks won’t suffer here. Many distros also include LibreOffice, a free office suite that can open and save common Microsoft Office file types, so you can jot down all your ideas.

If you want a cleaner look and prefer searching over a menu, GNOME is a good option. Press the Super key (the Windows key on most keyboards) to open the Activities overview, then start typing to search for an app and press Enter to launch it, or select another open window to switch without digging through menus.

Your safety net is the community

More users mean faster fixes

When you’re new to Linux, you might worry about where you can get some help if you ever need it. But if you do some research ahead of time and choose a distro with a large, active community, you’ll have plenty of experienced users and official docs to help you. That matters because the more people use a distro, the more likely your exact error has already been answered, so you spend less time guessing.

One common mistake Linux beginners make is not knowing which source to use — the distro’s package manager, Snap, or Flatpak. The Software app can display the same app from multiple sources, depending on your settings. If you install the same app from two sources (for example, repo + Flatpak), you can end up with duplicates (two listings or two installs).

If you ever need help with Ubuntu, Ask Ubuntu and Ubuntu Discourse are great places to get assistance. If you get an error, you can search for a fix, but make sure to include your distro name and version, along with the exact error text, so you don’t waste time on outdated fixes.

Keep updates predictable

LTS releases help you learn without surprises

Choosing an LTS (Long-Term Support) distribution is also a good idea for beginners, as it gives you more time to understand the version you’re on and gives you more stability. Examples of these distributions include Ubuntu LTS, Debian LTS, and Linux Mint. These types of distros give you enough time to get used to them without having to deal with an update when you've just gotten used to the previous version.

Ubuntu LTS releases updates every two years, and the maintenance lasts for five years. But if you were to get Ubuntu Pro down the road, that option adds five more years of support through the Expanded Security Maintenance (ESM). That brings the security maintenance to a total of ten years. An LTS auto-notifies you of safe upgrades and provides newer kernels through HWE (Hardware Enablement), which is Ubuntu LTS’s way of keeping older releases compatible with the latest hardware.

A simple first pick makes Linux easier

When you first start using Linux, choosing the right distro is important. There are distros that are perfect for beginners and others that are good for more experienced users. However, if you’re switching from Windows, start with something similar, such as Linux Mint, since it has a similar layout.

If you’re okay with something more minimal, then you just might like GNOME on Ubuntu. It will take some time to get used to it, but nothing you can’t master with practice. If you ever come across an error you can’t fix, you have a community you can ask and help get the info you need to make that error go away. The bigger the community, the higher the chance that someone has already gone through the same issue you have. The more research you do about what you need on Linux, the less the chance you’ll make a mistake that will set you back.

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