Which Distro Is Right For Me? (Redux)

I like Zorin 9 because I am a first time Linux user and it's similarity in appearance to Windows makes it somewhat familiar. Sorry for the dbl post.

I tried Ubuntu. Hated the interface. Now I'm trying Zorin. It seems excessively glitchy though that may be me. Mint has been suggested. My primary interests are customization of my desktop (colors, themes, icons, etc.), stability, and of course, functionality. I don't really do much gaming, video, or social media. Lots of books and music though. Suggestions?

Someone suggested you in the right direction, Linux MInt MATE or Cinnamon (their main two distros).

With Zorin OS, you don't get the full suite unless you donate (I mean pay) for an upscale version, with half baked support. Don't believe me? Try emailing the Zorin devs & getting a detailed list of what you get in the Pro or Ultimate edition versus the free. I've done it no less than 5 times (the last with a different username/email address & IP) & got nowhere. So you either run a half baked OS, or 'donate' for the Full versions. The reason why Zorin calls the premium versions up for donation? No support, just like the freemium version, other than on their Forum.

The good thing is, since the upscale copies aren't truly licensed (just a DVD), there's a decent chance if you look hard enough with Google, you may just find a few of these versions at no cost, or on eBay for half the cost & much faster, free shipping, plus Zorin gets nothing other than maybe the cost of the original copy.

Being licensed, means they'd have to support it, like Microsoft does with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 & to some limited degree, Vista. The folks at Zorin doesn't do active support. Which means if one's using it for business purposes & all of a sudden the OS's locks up, tough luck, customers gone out the door forever. With a truly supported Linux Pro version, there's a dedicated IT team (take the subscription based version of Ubuntu for example) who'll be there within minutes when troubles arises, because they have regional offices all over much of the modern World. 

 

I like Zorin 9 because I am a first time Linux user and it's similarity in appearance to Windows makes it somewhat familiar. Sorry for the dbl post.

 

Now if that's what you want, that's OK, as long as you stick with the free or basic version. Because anything 'extra' in the premium distros are really free software repackaged, and the true authors of this 'bonus' software gets nothing. In the US, you don't even get a tax break for donating to their cause & that's why they likely keep their operations, including download mirrors, off of US soil. If they didn't, would be found guilty of breaking many US tax laws, since many probably has written the cost off & Zorin doesn't post anywhere that these versions are not tax deductible.

While I have no doubts that Zorin OS has helped a few get off the Windows train, it would be interesting to know how many stuck with the OS for a long period, like over six months.

Cat

My Linux journey has started with Debian Wheezy and then to Ubuntu 14.04 and Linux Mint 17 / 18 and various other Linux Distros.

I find myself moving away from the flagship mainstream distros.

Like Microsoft Windows 10 I'm finding that I don't care for Ubuntu 16.04 or Linux Mint 18 as much as I use to so I've decided to move to the smaller / lightweight Linux distros.

The smaller lightweight Linux distros seem to have the capability to do everything the big resource hungry mainstream flagship Linux distros do and offer excellent forum help when needed.

For most new Linux users Linux mint and Ubuntu are excellent choices as for most work right out of the box and that is what most of us want anyway.

I know I do.

Anyway I have decided that Debian and Debian based Linux distros may be the best choice for my use as they are working well without any problems.

The Toolman

 

The smaller lightweight Linux distros seem to have the capability to do everything the big resource hungry mainstream flagship Linux distros do and offer excellent forum help when needed.

 

For most new Linux users Linux mint and Ubuntu are excellent choices as for most work right out of the box and that is what most of us want anyway.

 

Anyway I have decided that Debian and Debian based Linux distros may be the best choice for my use as they are working well without any problems.

 

The Toolman

Yes, I've personally seen that the lightweight distros (most Xfce based) are best for some computers, especially these that shipped with late Vista/early Windows 7 OS's with 2GB of DDR2 RAM and some bottom of the barrel CPU (example, Intel Celeron/AMD equivalent). For these users, the lightweight distros are indeed the best, and the cool thing, while most doesn't have as much software installed, such as Linux Mint 18 Xfce, the user can still install what's needed via the Package Manager or Terminal, and in the case of 3rd party browsers, download these, normally will be a .deb file for Ubuntu based OS's.

It's unfortunate that popular 3rd party browsers aren't included in the repos, other than Opera (usually a way outdated version). Today, there are many choices for the Linux user, especially the one running a 64 bit distro, Google Chrome, Vivaldi, FlashPeak Slimjet & maybe others. While Chromium is included, a rather bland look & feel browser that requires some manual configuration to work properly, and worse yet, a lower market share rating than (the now) unpopular Opera. The only ones I personally know who are running Chromium are the few here, have yet to meet one in person who has used the browser & when I asked (just being curious), none had ever heard of it.

As for Debian, that's not a beginner's distro, unless one is willing to dive in head first (kind of like Puppy in that respect). One thing that both has in common, if one can master either, running much any other Linux distros are a breeze, having came from the toughest of journeys.

So far, the only way I've been able to install Debian is via a VM, doesn't hold our hands like a Ubuntu based distro does during the selecting partitions/formatting & maybe the only reason why am not running on any computer at the moment. Since I prefer to make the most of the computers I have, dual, tri & quad booters (OS's varies, although usually one or more Windows, followed by a Linux install) are the norm for me, don't need a distro to come along & break the chain, so to speak. If I were to install Debian to a computer, would be one where it's the only OS installed.

Bottom line, there's no across the board 'right' (nor wrong) distro for everyone, no more than there's no right choice of vehicle/clothes/choices of food for the same. Most of us to make our own choices based on our needs and/or requirements/preferences. The latter means that some may need a different distro for work/school over that used for personal needs.

Cat

So guys, you know about this site for live CDs?

It's a goldmine. 

http://livecdlist.com/

So guys, you know about this site for live CDs?

 

It's a goldmine. 

 

http://livecdlist.com/

 

 

Sure is a goldmine, thanks for sharing, have bookmarked!

Some of these are hard to chase down as a single ISO, let alone all be on the same page.

Cat

With Zorin OS, you don't get the full suite unless you donate (I mean pay) for an upscale version, with half baked support. Don't believe me? Try emailing the Zorin devs & getting a detailed list of what you get in the Pro or Ultimate edition versus the free. I've done it no less than 5 times (the last with a different username/email address & IP) & got nowhere. So you either run a half baked OS, or 'donate' for the Full versions. The reason why Zorin calls the premium versions up for donation? No support, just like the freemium version, other than on their Forum.

 

TBH, Cat, the Premium version is only the standard version with a load of extras added out of the repos. You can turn the 'standard' version into the 'Premium' version simply by spending a couple of hours going through the repos and installing the missing bits...

I've done it myself (a couple of years ago, it's true), so I know it's easy enough to do. And I agree; the Zorin Forums are pretty woeful, when it comes down to it..!

Mike. 

Edited by Mike_Walsh, 22 June 2017 - 05:49 PM.

So guys, you know about this site for live CDs?

 

It's a goldmine. 

 

http://livecdlist.com/

 

 

I clicked on several of those links in that list and man are they old. I would not trust anything on that list.

Here is just an example of the very ancient links on that list;

http://livecdlist.com/linux-mint/

So guys, you know about this site for live CDs?

 

It's a goldmine. 

 

http://livecdlist.com/

 

 

Several of those links are dead because the distro is defunct. Man that list would have been nice for me 3 or 4 years ago when I was just starting out.

It's a running list. You go from the top and you can always click on the homepage for the latest.

I also have this BMed:

http://distrowatch.com/

Edited by MrSippi, 22 June 2017 - 07:42 PM.

Says Cent Os for me hope its easy to use as I am still getting used to mint after a month or so and it's my first time on linux.

I was windows before linux but it gave me to many head aches with broken updates  all the time, you know some times it felt like bill gates did it on purpose 

That's from a guy who said that we will never need more than 640 kilobytes.

Thank you for sharing!

http://www.tuxradar.com/content/distro-picker-0

This one selected Foresight for me. 

http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/

This url no longer works, it gives a 404 error on it

http://distrochooser.de/

I found this one online and it chose Scientific Linux for me.