Hey I’m cell and my bf of nearly 2 years asked me to switch to Linux because it’s “obv way better then windows” (his words xd) and until now I always said no. I didn’t wanna learn how to navigate through a new distro all over again. I gave it some thought and decided to make it his “Christmas” present that I’m installing Linux on my laptop :3 if any of you can give me advice on what type of Linux, like arch, I should install and what I should be aware of would really help!
If you don’t have specific application support needs, Debian based distros like Ubuntu/Mint (based on Ubuntu) are good for a first-timer. You won’t have all the GUI management stuff like you get in Windows. You may find Arch a bit more challenging.
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I installed zorin onto my son’s computer. So far it’s been pretty great.
If your doing this for him then why not just ask him to help you choose a distro and show you how it works?
It’s supposed to be a surprise :3 he doesn’t know I wanna do this. Until now I always said no to it that’s why xd
Well I’m not your boyfriend but I’d enjoy the act of sharing my knowledge and exploring distros with my partner much more than her telling me she went online to talk to a bunch of strangers about something I have an interest/knowledge of.
Also be aware that if this is your first time installing a new os you should assume you will lose all the files on your computer in the process, back up what you care about.
No worries haha he also talked with someone here where somebody posted something like “how to get my partner to switch to Linux” 😭I can assure you he won’t mind but yeah doing it together might be fun :) I got a lot of information and I’m sure he will be surprised about me new knowledge xd
You taking the inititive is 90% of the reward right there. Sharing is the best part of Tech.
For newcomers I would recommend something Luke Linux Mint. Iets stable and very userfriendly.
Instead of a distro, I’ll recommend a desktop environment: If you want to feel comfortable coming from windows, use a distro with KDE.
Id recommend mint cinnamon. If you have any problems installing it, try Zorin
start with Mint, get your legs under you, after a couple weeks or so if you want to explore try something else. it’s as easy as that.
As others have said, Linux Mint would be a good starting point. For UI and UX, it’s pretty unaggressive, specially for those coming from Windows, but it still doesn’t hide the technical part of the system.
Also its installation is pretty simple and without tricks. And if your boyfriend doesn’t care about removing the previous system, you don’t even need to tinker with partitions and the sort.
Start with Mint, it’s the one that probably you’d be happier with if you’re a new user.
Use Ventoy to put a few different distros on a USB drive. Boot them up and try them out! You just want something you vibe with. Most of the suggestions here will be fine.
To answer around the question, I’d say the best way to give this gift is to work with them to get you set up! They might already have a favorite distro they want you to try, and working through it both together is a great way to spend time together.
Thats a really good idea :3 thank you! He said that Linux mint is good for new users so maybe I’m gonna do that with his help
I think anyone who talks like this “linux is obv way better then windows” should just be brushed off. If he cant give you the actual reasons why you may WANT to switch then I dont think you should switch just as a present.
Fedora with KDE desktop and non foss repo’s enabled is a good. Do not start with Arch unless you enjoy troubleshooting and learning and repeating the same steps over and over.
He didn’t say it like that xd I can’t remember his exact words but he had a better explanation for it. He used Linux for like almost 2 years now I think.
I’m the Pop_OS hype guy, so that’s what I’ll recommend. Other great options are ZorinOs and Mint, if you dislike using a new interface.
Okay guys a little update…my boyfriend found the post xD but I decided that I’m gonna do it with his help! But thank you all for helping me and giving me very helpful advice :P
im lazy. I use zorin. Its pros are its easy, stable, and out of box. But its pros can be looked as cons. Well maybe not the easy part but its stable because it uses ubuntu lts which means its not using the latest linux kernel stuff. Then out of box can be looked at as great I have any program I need installed right away or it can be looked at as a bunch of bloat. Either way another thing is its not a gaming distro. If gaming is your thing then either use a gaming distro or you will likely want to dual boot one. Speaking of dual boot I recomend not dual booting windows. If you have an older laptop you upgraded from in the last few years then throw linux on the old one and be amazed at how well it runs and how your older machine seems better than your newer one.
