What is THE absolutely, positively easiest linux distro?

I like to tinker when I have the time to tinker, but I don't want to be a tinkerer when I need to get something done and if it's something I haven't done before, I want proper documentation.

 

I sadly admit that I gave up on linux, at least for the time being, and it is mainly because I was forced to tinker when I didn't want to.
And when I asked on linux forums, often I was too ignorant to be helped.
This is probably because I did not have the time and patience to read those beginner manuals. I wanted things to "just work," and they didn't.

 

I never actually gave up on Linux but I often got frustrated and aggravated when I couldn't find answers.

 

In most distributions printer should work out-of-the box or be installed in the background without user interaction.
Maybe some newest printers or multi-purpose printer/scanner/you-name-it devices are going to need some user interaction.

 

This is also my experience. In cases where drivers don't come with your distro, they are often available from the manufacturer's site. Example: Brother.

 

Haha So this means you're a masochist, doesn't it?

 

Probably

 

True.
When you want to do something like print to fax, or you are unlucky and the driver for your device doesn't work -- that's when the user needs to put on his thinking cap.
This is true also with Windows, but with Windows, the solution is usually click here, click there, whereas with Linux, it is usually sudo.

 

My first suggestion would be Linux Mint, but if you want a really easy one, look at Linux Lite.
Also based on Ubuntu, it's very easy to use.
https://www.linuxliteos.com/

 

I really like Fedora.

 

So do I, more precisely the KDE spin. However, for Linux newbies other distros might be more adequate.

 

I vote for Linux Mint. Most of the time I just click on the icons like in Windows. The only command I use frequently to update Mint is:

Code:

apt update && apt upgrade

Enter password then that's it!

 

@bellgamin,

I don't know if you've settled on something yet, but Linux mint xfce desktop - as others have suggested - should be a really safe bet for you. Good luck in your ventures.

 

@ all... This thread is awesome!!! I am on youtube daily for an hour or so... there are multiplicities of linux tutorials thereat. By the way, I was offered a computer with linux Kali on it. I declined... do not need another computer but --- what kind of distro is Kali?

@ all... I visited OSDisc.com to buy 2 or 3 linux distros. AFAIK, the main OS of any linux distro is under 2gb. Yet OSDisc.com offers each distro in flash drives of 16gb or 32gb or 64gb. I suppose the added gb are for additional programs or.... what are those added gigs for?

so......xfce desktop or mate desktop.... ??

 

I haven't used Mint (or Ubuntu) for a long time but if I remember correctly you should better use apt full-upgrade rather than apt upgrade. apt upgrade will only upgrade installed packages on your system. This means that you will never get newer kernel packages as they are provided as new packages. apt full-upgrade also removes packages sometimes if incompatibilities/changed dependencies make that necessary. That said, apt update informs you if specific packages have been held back - so you can still execute apt full-upgrade. So why not use it in the first place? apt full-upgrade is effectively also what, e.g., Synaptic does, IMO.

 

Kali is distribution for penetration testing. Some use it as general purpose OS, but they usually have some problems with that distro. My advice is to do not use it for general purpose OS.

Almost all Gnu/Linux distributions publish iso images on their websites for free. Then you can write it on pendrive using Rufus. You can buy pendrives from Osdisc, but you don't need to.

 

Just burn the ISO or whatever. Distrowatch.com

 

MX17 Linux is even easier than Mint and Ubuntu. And it works out of the box.

 

Mint apparently discourages the use of apt full-upgrade (if that's the same as apt-get dist-upgrade).

 

Same for me.
MX17 is the most noob friendly distro that I ever tried. The MX devs have really made a fantastic job...

ps. they even made a manual that covers alsmost everything from installation and administration to usage of their various apps https://mxlinux.org/user_manual_mx17/mxum.pdf

 

I like supporting OSDisc. To me their prices are nominal.

 

Wow! That thread is off-putting. Makes it sound like, back in 2016, linux was not quite ready for prime time, MUCH less being viewed as a serious competitor to Windows.

I hope that the same is no longer the case as of now, 2018 Anno Domini.

 

To be fair, my problem most likely was a result of hardware incompatibility on that machine. I might have another go one day but perhaps on a slightly faster machine.

 

Yes, it's the same. And yes, this is why Mint has been often critisized in the past. And, IMO, rightly so: it's a no-go that newer kernel versions won't get installed even if they fix serious vulnerabilities.

 

In Mint you can easily install any kernel you want directly from the Update Manager. Also, depending on how you set your update preferences, the system can present kernel updates as soon as they are available.

The Update Manager is the preferred way to do updates, since it clearly explains your options and you have much more control.