So i was surprised today when my fiancee told me she was thinking about switching over to linux. Surprised because she is absolutely not technically minded, but also because she was weary about having Microsoft AI slop forced on her PC every update. ( i’m so proud!)

Now i’ve used a little linux but i’ve always been a holdout. Won’t stop me from moving someone else over but i have too much going on in my setup to deal with that right now. So i’m not super versed but i was able to give her the basic rundown of what distros are, concerns when switching, what may and may not be available, shes still on board so we’re doing this! Knowing her she would like to not have to transition too much, whats something fairly hands off and easy to learn. I’ve heard some good things about mint from hanging around you nerds the past few years but also some not so good things, any suggestions?

next concern is what kind of transfer process is this going to be? i have some spare HDD’s so we can try and get everything ported over but i’m so busy with school right now i can’t quite allocate the time to really deep dive this.

Any help is appreciated, cheers!

  • Mangoguana@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    Bazzite, i tried arch and then realized the whole wiki was like a uni level symposium and was burning through steps, kept doing instead of understanding, etc…

    It’s probably amazing, but since my only interaction with linux back then was being forced to use it at uni and windows, I really wanted a good experience of what linux could be. I needed it to work out of the box and be unbreakable, so I went with bazzite.

    It’s great, and I am digging the immutable aspect even if it broke my brain for any dev work, but once you learn how to use an immutable system (still figuring it out tbh) it’s solid, easy, and works great.

    Really wished there was more resources on immutable systems for newcomers though XD

      • marcie (she/her)@lemmy.ml
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        2 minutes ago

        Its not particularly crazy, most things can be installed via flathub. If something isnt there, install it through distrobox (you can install things through the AUR, packages like rpm and deb, etc). And if that doesn’t work, install the app directly through rpm-ostree (only thing I did this with was a vpn app). I use flathub for the vast majority of things, I think I only have two apps installed outside of it.

    • 1984@lemmy.today
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      7 hours ago

      I think you will eventually get tired of all the workarounds needed for immutable systems. Its a nice idea but full of pain when actually wanting to use the computer to do actual work.

      But its ok! Everyone tries different things in the Linux world and we all just enjoy the ride.

  • Remus86@lemmy.zip
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    19 hours ago

    Personally, I don’t think anyone new to Linux at this point, who isn’t tech-minded, should be pointed to an X11 environment. So until Mint devs have ported Muffin into a Wayland compositor, I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re used to a shiny experience visually, so I’d go with Plasma 6 running on Fedora or OpenSUSE Tumbleweed.

      • mostlikelyaperson@lemmy.world
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        5 hours ago

        Not a mint user myself, but I have helped a friend install it. The install script at the time would silently crash if it had issues with the network card name. Researching it I found that this had been reported 8 months before my friend ran into it, and a PR submitted, but was not even looked at for a month after. Sure, these are all (largely) unpaid volunteers, but if your objective is to be beginner friendly, stuff like that really shouldn’t be left sitting for so long.

      • dingleberrylover@lemmy.world
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        18 hours ago

        I second the atomic Fedora ones with Plasma. Very stable system, updates run automatically like she is used to, and the Bazaar software center is a great and well organized central repository for flatpaks.

  • Raccoonn@lemmy.ml
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    16 hours ago

    Always great to see more people curious about Linux, especially when the motivation is escaping ms-bullshit…

    If she wants something that just works but still feels polished and professional, I’d actually give openSUSE a look. Leap is rock-solid and perfect for people who want a stable system that behaves consistently and doesn’t demand much maintenance. Tumbleweed, on the other hand, is rolling release, so it’s always up to date but still surprisingly reliable thanks to openSUSE’s testing process.

    Both use YaST, which is one of the best control panels in the Linux world. You can do a lot with YaST, like manage users, partitions, updates, drivers, and networking all from one place without ever touching the terminal.

    Mint is also a fine choice as well…

  • Strawberry@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    16 hours ago

    Fedora Silverblue (GNOME) or Kinoite (KDE) are great for a “hands-off” OS. They are atomic so very hard to accidentally fuck up the system. Apps are installed easily via the GUI software center. I tried both when I switched to Linux and found I loved the simple but powerful and delightful-to-use experience of the GNOME desktop.

    • Random Dent@lemmy.ml
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      8 hours ago

      Yeah I have two Linux machines, the laptop which is my tinkering machine and the desktop that other people use that I’m not allowed to break, and I run Kinoite on that one because it’s pretty hard to do anything to mess it up. At least I haven’t managed it so far lol.

  • oppy1984@lemdro.id
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    18 hours ago

    Coming up on 10 years since I switched from windows to Linux. I tried Ubuntu and absolutely hated it, so much so that I switched back to windows at first. But I kept reading and tried ZorinOS, and that got me comfortable with Linux, it was a little buggy but I could understand it.

    After a few months with ZorinOS I switched to Linux Mint and have been running Mint for 9 years. Recently my 76 year old mother who has trouble with some basic computer stuff said she’d like to try Linux and asked me to help her, I made a live USB of Mint for her to try and she told me “I can understand this, it’s like windows 7!”. If she can get Mint, I feel totally confident recommending it to new users.

    • 1984@lemmy.today
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      7 hours ago

      Yeah I think mint sits in a sweet spot there for people who want that window 7 experience.

  • Fell@discuss.tchncs.de
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    20 hours ago

    Distro:

    • First choice: Mint Cinnamon
    • If the GPU is very shitty: Elementary OS (Mint Cinnamon expects a basic level of GPU performance)
    • If Mint/Elementary are too simple: Fedora KDE

    Process:

    • For fully switching: Obtain an external hard drive, copy the contents of the Windows partition(s) to it and install your preferred distro so that it takes over the entire computer. This is the most stable way.
    • For dual booting: Buy an SSD for Linux, disconnect the Windows drive and install your distro of choice so that it takes up the entire space. Reconnect the Windows drive afterwards and set boot priorities in UEFI.

    One More Tip: Don’t frontload them with information, but teach them one thing: How search for and install packages through the GUI (Mint Software Manager/Elementary Store/KDE Discover). Tell them that it’s more like a smartphone apps and downloading software from websites should be a last resort.

    • 4grams@awful.systems
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      20 hours ago

      LMDE for future proofing and stability. Sort of a comedy option, but it’s my distro of choice. As easy as Mint, as stable as Debian. I just don’t trust Ubuntu and since it’s a Debian based distro, why not take one more step…

      • michaelmrose@lemmy.world
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        20 hours ago

        Mint has basically contained bad decision making by Ubuntu and individual versions are supported for 5 years. The average computer lasts 6 before replacement.

        Mint is fairly future proof I think.

        • 4grams@awful.systems
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          20 hours ago

          Oh, I agree, nothing wrong with mint. I just like the fact that the LMDE version is Debian based and works with everything I’ve thrown it at.

          Figure proof of they ever decide to switch away from Ubuntu and mainline LMDE. Probably won’t happen, but makes me feel better anyway :).

  • Thteven@lemmy.world
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    18 hours ago

    Everyone hypes Mint but if you’re working with newish hardware you might have a bad time due to the drivers taking a while to mature and filter down through all the distros. If her rig is a couple years old it should work just fine though. I would also suggest trying out Kubuntu, Pop!_OS, PikaOS, and Zorin if that is the case.

    If she is on brand new hardware then something Arch based is the way to go IMO. CachyOS, Garuda, and EndeavorOS are all Arch based distros that make setup easy and they’ve all worked great for me out of the box. Honestly if you have snapshots configured with timeshift or something being on a rolling distro isn’t as scary as it’s made out to be. Fedora is an option too as they get updates every 6 months, but there is a little extra setup to do after install like media codecs and proprietary drivers etc.

    Cachyos was my personal pick and it’s working perfect for me so far.

  • NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip
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    22 hours ago

    Fedora. I would not have said that two years, but I am blown away by how easy and up to date it is.

    And I am normally an Arch person.

    • rsolva@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      I also supprised myself a few years back when I ditched Arch Linux (after 10 years) for Fedora! I now use Fedora Silverblue, but would also reccomend having a look at the uBlue variants for different flavoring.

      • NewNewAugustEast@lemmy.zip
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        18 hours ago

        KDE works perfectly on the KDE version which is official now. Updates are straight forward, lots of software available.

  • Donaldist@feddit.org
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    17 hours ago

    I would recommend either Debian or Devuan - both are absolutely rock stable and are a good entry level drug for the Debian based ecosystem. I personally like Devuan more (it just feels more mature and has more old mature community members).

        • Jiří Král@discuss.tchncs.de
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          19 hours ago

          I think Zorin OS 18 based on Ubuntu 24.04 was released just few days ago? will be released tomorrow. Also Zorin OS uses heavily modified Gnome Wayland session which is by many standards more “modern” and “leading edge” than X11 Cinnamon session. The desktop environment is by far the most significant thing an average Joe user will be affected by. If their packages are bit older they won’t notice as much.

  • SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    Linux Mint is the windows 7 experience of linux. It gets out of the way so you can work. It also has the best in-OS help tools. It’s also a bit more conservative in terms of newest features, so it’s a lot more reliable.

    If she does PC gaming, you might want to look at Bazzite rather than Mint. It’s a lot better equipped for non-technical people to start gaming. It’s basically a preconfigured Fedora linux, so it’s got a solid foundation. It’s also something called an immutable distro, which basically means it’s more difficult to break as the core OS is “read only” (to simplify).

    In terms of migrating, best to avoid dual booting off a single disk. Microsoft keeps breaking Linux installs (probably on purpose). So best to install a second SSD.

    Before you migrate, have her make a list of software she uses and the hardware she has. Best to post that on a forum like this to have more experienced people look for possible issues.

    When it gets to migration day, if bitlocker is disabled, you can access your windows data from linux.

    Also get her on Lemmy and asking questions directly. The best thing you can teach a low tech person is how to get help.

    • DarkAri@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      23 hours ago

      Don’t forget to grab protonup-qt so you can easily install proton GE which has better .net support so more games work.

      • SapphironZA@sh.itjust.works
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        20 hours ago

        Thx for the tip. I just got a 5x FPS boost in a very poorly optimized sim game “war at sea” thing was chugging along at 5-6 fps when lots of ships were on the screen. Was maxing out all 32 threads on my 5950x. Now it’s running a cool 20% utilization.

      • JesusChristLover420@lemmy.sdf.org
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        22 hours ago

        I have the deepest respect for my trans siblings - after all, the very first woman and humanity’s saviour were both trans. However, I googled “Linux mint transphobia” and couldn’t find what you’re talking about. I’d like to take your accusation seriously, so could you provide a source, or if that’s not possible, your story?

    • arsCynic@lemmy.ml
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      7 hours ago

      Even as an EndeavourOS user, I concur: Mint. Why? Cinnamon is hands down the best desktop environment. Beginner friendly default without blasting features in one’s face with configs all over the place, yet intuitively customizable for experienced Linux users.

      This means she will be able to freely use it without your help, but you will be able to easily fine tune it to her preferences as well.


      ⚜︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

    • prof_tincoa@lemmygrad.ml
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      17 hours ago

      My last experience with Mint might’ve been 10 years ago. The outdated packages so common among Debian-based distros back then made me switch to something else. I don’t know what’s the current situation, though.

    • littletranspunk@lemmus.org
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      1 day ago

      This is the first I would suggest as well. As much as I like other distros, Mint has the appearance, capability, stability, and settings combination I would want as a new user

    • Ŝan@piefed.zip
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      24 hours ago

      Mint.

      No war. I don’t use it, myself, but I’ve set up a couple family members and over þe past several years have gotten two tech support calls: one about connecting to a WiFi printer, which required only me telling þem how to get to system preferences; þe oþer because þey’d bought a new laptop which came wiþ Windows 11 and þey wanted help installing Linux (which þey were used to) on it instead.

  • dajoho@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    Mint for Windows refugees

    Fedora for Mac Refugees

    My choice: Bazzite GNOME for Gamers, Children and Grandmas. It’s pretty, is damn indestructible and has a speedy app store with loads of cool free apps.

      • marcie (she/her)@lemmy.ml
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        20 hours ago

        It’s truly a fantastic distro. Fedora atomic is very much an attempt at making Linux as easy and secure as Android. I recommend it for beginners and experts alike, truly awesome tech going on.

      • besmtt@lemmy.world
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        21 hours ago

        I’ve dabbled with a few different distros in VMs and laptops that I don’t use a whole lot over the years. I recently moved my main desktop to Bazzite and I love it. The built-in ‘ujust’ scripts, or whatever you call them, are fantastic. Setting up an 8bitdo pro 2 was a breeze. Getting new apps installed, even with distrobox, is really easy. I’m sold on ublue, probably going to move my work laptop to Aurora soon.

    • obsoleteacct@lemmy.zip
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      23 hours ago

      I’d say Mint or Fedora KDE for windows converts. They’re both good “just works” options, but KDE just by virtue of being more popular has excellent software and support that make it a great option.

      Fedora w/ Gnome for Mac converts is a no brainer, and I’d add that you’re probably going to want the Dash2Dock Lite or Dash2Dock Animated extension for a Mac convert.

      • thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        20 hours ago

        Fedora w/ Gnome for Mac converts is a no brainer

        I use Mac (I’ll install Asahi Linux once it supports connecting a monitor) and hate GNOME

        I personally prefer KDE

        • obsoleteacct@lemmy.zip
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          20 hours ago

          Fair. I think most people start with the assumption that users are coming from a workflow they preferred in the first place.

          Out of curiosity, if you hate Aqua, why did you get a Mac? Is it an industry thing or a specific software?

          • thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            20 hours ago

            My first pc was an ubuntu pc that i had for quite a while. As a teen I recieved this Macbook from my dad. My family is all Mac users rn. My dad is an IT guy and prefers FreeBSD over Linux for technical stuff such as servers, and Mac over Linux for personal computers. Now that I recently became a libre software fan, I used a Linux VM and found that KDE blows Aqua out of the water.

    • happyfullfridge@lemmy.ml
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      1 day ago

      I’m not a child, gamer nor grandma but last time i tried mint a few years ago i literally cried, so it might be something for me

  • nycki@lemmy.world
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    20 hours ago

    Debian or Ubuntu because they’re stable and well-funded. Makes a lot of stuff easier.