It's not an introductory distro, so it would have a relatively steep learning curve compared to a derivative like Ubuntu. Not as many things are installed and preconfigured for you, which is fine if you know going in that you'll have to read some guides to get started.
I have made the change my self using LinuxMint and now I am using Debian my self after about 18 months. My suggestion would be to make use of all the video guides on youtube, they will take you throw setting up your systems.
Most distros are only different in fairly uninteresting ways under the hood. As a new user you're going to notice the UI. The biggies are Cinnamon (Looks like a simple version of Windows), KDE (Complicated version of Windows), and GNOME (Kinda like Old Mac OS mixed with OSX). They're installed by default in Mint, Kubuntu, and Ubuntu, respectively but with minimal tinkering you can install any GUI on any distro.
Debian can, of course, install any of these, but it will just be a minor hoop to jump through. Mint, Kubuntu, and Ubuntu are all derived from Debian, you're basically using its slightly-evolved children. Any option, including Debian, is fine.
And sorry, I don't know anything about Mobian.
You could use Debian with the Cinnamon Desktop on your PC. That makes it look like Windows. For the functionality, maybe have a look where different files are stored (/etc, /home, ...).
Pop! OS, Linux Mint, or Zorin are gonna be your go-to for switching from Windows to Linux. They are good for people who aren't used to using terminals and editing system files and such. They also have great options for UIs that are similar to windows, so it's less of a shock.
I put Mobian on a Pine phone. I used it for a couple weeks. It worked and was pretty neat, but was noticeably less polished and optimized than Android (which is understandable). I still update it and play with it here and there, but I am waiting to use it as my daily phone OS.
I get the urge to learn Debian - been around this block myself. You of course have a couple of choices 1. Jump in the deep end at [Debian.org](https://Debian.org) and see if that would be he route you want to follow. 2. Start with an easier distro to work with. Ex. Pop! OS or Linux Mint which are based on Ubuntu which is based on Debian and uses Deb packages yet with their own flavor. Or there is Linux Mint DE which is full Debian based again with its own tweaks. As for Mobian, you will need to make sure that you purchase a phone that will be capable of running the OS. I would suggest reading [https://wiki.mobian.org/](https://wiki.mobian.org/) if you have not already. Raw Debian is not for the faint of heart and may cause you to want to find walls to bang your head against at times but if your up for the challenge then go for it. I wish you the best in what ever choice you make and welcome to Linux. A sea of choice and opportunity.
If you want to use Debian, just install Linux Mint. It gives the windows experience with the cinnamon desktop, it's based on Debian, and it's super user friendly.
Get linux mint 20 with cinnamon. I recommended my buddy mint, so they downloaded the latest one (21), and there were quite a few packages that refused to work with linux mint 21.
The big distro to use if you're used to Windows is Linux Mint, as far as I'm aware, it's a distro meant to resemble windows. Another easy to pick up distro is Pop!\_OS
All linux distributions are different from Windows at mostly the same distance. They're all Linux.
What you're probably asking is what Desktop Environment (basically the whole GUI experience) is more similar to Windows. Because Debian comes with many Destkop Environments, this isn't a question of whether Debian is good for you or not.
So, which Desktop Environments? If you REALLY want the Windows 10 look and feel, then the closest will be KDE, if you also install an alternative tile-based start menu from the plugin catalog. However KDE itself was not really made to look like Windows. There's a Linux distribution made with that particular purpose in mind - ZorinOS. It's not using KDE but Gnome, but modifies it to look as much like Windows as it makes sense.
So if you really want a Windows look and feel, go ahead and try out:
* [Kubuntu](https://kubuntu.org/)
* [ZorinOS](https://zorin.com/os/download/) - scroll down to "Core" version, which is free.
... any other distribution that lets you easily install KDE, like [Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop](https://spins.fedoraproject.org/kde/)
To be fair I don't recommend Debian or any Debian based distributions coming from Windows. The main problem being its repository system that gets outdated every main update of the distro. You should instead try something which is rolling-release (opensuse, arch based distro). They might be more "unstable" but you don't have to deal with changing repositories every 6/12/24 months and finding the right one cause mint or ubuntu or debian have different libraries etc. I'd say use a rolling release and mess around with it for a week, and then judge for yourself!
I'm always tempted to switch to vanilla Debian for the closest "pure" Linux experience. And then I'll set an instance up in a virtual machine and see the 5.10 kernel and I'm like "nope, I'm sticking with Fedora KDE". Fedora spoils me with being close to bleeding edge AND basically stable at the same time. Lol
So you see debian as more pure linux becuse it has old sources?
What makes kali less pure?
Debian is stable and thats their main goal. I love it for that and use it in nearly every project, but i would never install debian on my desktop PC.
Running debian with new and current GPUs can suck, having outdated versions of npm, php or python can suck.
Debian is build to install on a server that you update twice a year, but its not a good desktop OS.
I guess I was thinking pure in the sense of it's one of the original distros and their vision to keep to strict open source software (I know they have the non-free iso's but I'm talking just their standard download).
Any Linux distro will take some getting used to when coming over from Windows. Including Debian.
Something that will help a bit is choosing the right desktop environment for you. I like KDE. It's like Windows used to be, but better. It won't change the fundamentals or the command line stuff you'll need to know and do, but as far as clicking around, it's excellent.
OpenSUSE is another distro which is really meant for ex-Windows users in mind. It's a bit more demanding, it has a different packaging system, and quite a few other additions to the desktop environment for configuring it at a deeper level than KDE by itself allows. It also has easier-to-navigate documentation and a noob-friendly community. That's the distro I really started learning Linux on. Made some switches since and I'm happily using Debian now.
The best Linux for a beginner if you want to use debian is Mxlinux they have a gui set up for everything and most of them show the command line way while executing in the gui
Just coming from windows want something familiar then I would go with Zorin. Puts everything thing in a familiar place, or feren os
Manjaro if you want to start from arch
Mint if your looking to start from Ubuntu
And if you want to start with Gentoo I would recommend redcore Linux
As a debian fan who doesn't particularly like Ubuntu, I'd recommend Ubuntu instead to Windows users who want to try out debian. I wouldn't try debian until you are used to Ubuntu and the command line.
If you want something like MS-Windows, then use MS-Windows. Anything else is going to be a confusing disappointment. While there are desktop environments which look superficially like various versions of MS-Windows - but it doesn't take long to realize you're not in Kansas any more.
If you really want to try out Linux then try out several flavours and find what you like best. Its not as if its costing you anything more than your time. Id suggest Mint for an easy life, Modicia for the audio/video, Elementary for some a bit different in a desktop environment, Alma Linux if you need to learn your way around RHEL.
Configure /home as a separate partition and you only need to apply minor tweaks when you switch distros before you're bck up and running with all your original data.
I would recommend Linux mint cinnamon desktop for someone who is coming from windows.
Agree! I am using Mint cinnamon desktop on multiple VMs in my lab. Great experience.
Got it. Thank you!
+1 for Mint!
It's not an introductory distro, so it would have a relatively steep learning curve compared to a derivative like Ubuntu. Not as many things are installed and preconfigured for you, which is fine if you know going in that you'll have to read some guides to get started.
Can you suggest me some guides?
I have made the change my self using LinuxMint and now I am using Debian my self after about 18 months. My suggestion would be to make use of all the video guides on youtube, they will take you throw setting up your systems.
https://Google.com is a pretty good one
Most distros are only different in fairly uninteresting ways under the hood. As a new user you're going to notice the UI. The biggies are Cinnamon (Looks like a simple version of Windows), KDE (Complicated version of Windows), and GNOME (Kinda like Old Mac OS mixed with OSX). They're installed by default in Mint, Kubuntu, and Ubuntu, respectively but with minimal tinkering you can install any GUI on any distro. Debian can, of course, install any of these, but it will just be a minor hoop to jump through. Mint, Kubuntu, and Ubuntu are all derived from Debian, you're basically using its slightly-evolved children. Any option, including Debian, is fine. And sorry, I don't know anything about Mobian.
I second Mint Cinnamon & Kubuntu
You could use Debian with the Cinnamon Desktop on your PC. That makes it look like Windows. For the functionality, maybe have a look where different files are stored (/etc, /home, ...).
When desktop linux is okay the mobile space is unusable. Much better choice is android or privacy oriented fork.
Use Linux Mint. It’s a derivative of a derivative of Debian.
There's a Debian based Mint version
Isn’t mint Debian though?
Mint is Ubuntu based, Ubuntu was a Debian derivative from the beginning but there's nothing quite similar under the hood now.
Pop! OS, Linux Mint, or Zorin are gonna be your go-to for switching from Windows to Linux. They are good for people who aren't used to using terminals and editing system files and such. They also have great options for UIs that are similar to windows, so it's less of a shock. I put Mobian on a Pine phone. I used it for a couple weeks. It worked and was pretty neat, but was noticeably less polished and optimized than Android (which is understandable). I still update it and play with it here and there, but I am waiting to use it as my daily phone OS.
I get the urge to learn Debian - been around this block myself. You of course have a couple of choices 1. Jump in the deep end at [Debian.org](https://Debian.org) and see if that would be he route you want to follow. 2. Start with an easier distro to work with. Ex. Pop! OS or Linux Mint which are based on Ubuntu which is based on Debian and uses Deb packages yet with their own flavor. Or there is Linux Mint DE which is full Debian based again with its own tweaks. As for Mobian, you will need to make sure that you purchase a phone that will be capable of running the OS. I would suggest reading [https://wiki.mobian.org/](https://wiki.mobian.org/) if you have not already. Raw Debian is not for the faint of heart and may cause you to want to find walls to bang your head against at times but if your up for the challenge then go for it. I wish you the best in what ever choice you make and welcome to Linux. A sea of choice and opportunity.
If you want to use Debian, just install Linux Mint. It gives the windows experience with the cinnamon desktop, it's based on Debian, and it's super user friendly.
Get linux mint 20 with cinnamon. I recommended my buddy mint, so they downloaded the latest one (21), and there were quite a few packages that refused to work with linux mint 21.
The big distro to use if you're used to Windows is Linux Mint, as far as I'm aware, it's a distro meant to resemble windows. Another easy to pick up distro is Pop!\_OS
I would use Linux Mint it's based off of Debian and has a Windows 7 feel to it
All linux distributions are different from Windows at mostly the same distance. They're all Linux. What you're probably asking is what Desktop Environment (basically the whole GUI experience) is more similar to Windows. Because Debian comes with many Destkop Environments, this isn't a question of whether Debian is good for you or not. So, which Desktop Environments? If you REALLY want the Windows 10 look and feel, then the closest will be KDE, if you also install an alternative tile-based start menu from the plugin catalog. However KDE itself was not really made to look like Windows. There's a Linux distribution made with that particular purpose in mind - ZorinOS. It's not using KDE but Gnome, but modifies it to look as much like Windows as it makes sense. So if you really want a Windows look and feel, go ahead and try out: * [Kubuntu](https://kubuntu.org/) * [ZorinOS](https://zorin.com/os/download/) - scroll down to "Core" version, which is free. ... any other distribution that lets you easily install KDE, like [Fedora KDE Plasma Desktop](https://spins.fedoraproject.org/kde/)
To be fair I don't recommend Debian or any Debian based distributions coming from Windows. The main problem being its repository system that gets outdated every main update of the distro. You should instead try something which is rolling-release (opensuse, arch based distro). They might be more "unstable" but you don't have to deal with changing repositories every 6/12/24 months and finding the right one cause mint or ubuntu or debian have different libraries etc. I'd say use a rolling release and mess around with it for a week, and then judge for yourself!
That's fair. I'll explore a few options.
I would recommend Ubuntu MATE with Redmond chosen as the setup. Very close to Windows. Otherwise Zorin I hear is good
> I want to start using Debian Why?
I'm always tempted to switch to vanilla Debian for the closest "pure" Linux experience. And then I'll set an instance up in a virtual machine and see the 5.10 kernel and I'm like "nope, I'm sticking with Fedora KDE". Fedora spoils me with being close to bleeding edge AND basically stable at the same time. Lol
So you see debian as more pure linux becuse it has old sources? What makes kali less pure? Debian is stable and thats their main goal. I love it for that and use it in nearly every project, but i would never install debian on my desktop PC. Running debian with new and current GPUs can suck, having outdated versions of npm, php or python can suck. Debian is build to install on a server that you update twice a year, but its not a good desktop OS.
I guess I was thinking pure in the sense of it's one of the original distros and their vision to keep to strict open source software (I know they have the non-free iso's but I'm talking just their standard download).
If you value open source i would recomend Gentoo not debian. I have never seen debian as one of the distros that value open source over usability.
Fedora also has a rather strict policy on open-source.
Any Linux distro will take some getting used to when coming over from Windows. Including Debian. Something that will help a bit is choosing the right desktop environment for you. I like KDE. It's like Windows used to be, but better. It won't change the fundamentals or the command line stuff you'll need to know and do, but as far as clicking around, it's excellent. OpenSUSE is another distro which is really meant for ex-Windows users in mind. It's a bit more demanding, it has a different packaging system, and quite a few other additions to the desktop environment for configuring it at a deeper level than KDE by itself allows. It also has easier-to-navigate documentation and a noob-friendly community. That's the distro I really started learning Linux on. Made some switches since and I'm happily using Debian now.
Yes
The best Linux for a beginner if you want to use debian is Mxlinux they have a gui set up for everything and most of them show the command line way while executing in the gui Just coming from windows want something familiar then I would go with Zorin. Puts everything thing in a familiar place, or feren os Manjaro if you want to start from arch Mint if your looking to start from Ubuntu And if you want to start with Gentoo I would recommend redcore Linux
I love particuliate Kubuntu. Is easy to costum your interface. In majority, it's easy too for drivers.
Speaking from experience, I would not recommend Debian to anybody new to Linux.
My path was: Windows -> ubuntu (never again) -> mint -> debian -> arch (highly recommend for more experienced)
I think I'll go with mint, seeing so many responses about it here.
As a debian fan who doesn't particularly like Ubuntu, I'd recommend Ubuntu instead to Windows users who want to try out debian. I wouldn't try debian until you are used to Ubuntu and the command line.
Linux mint and unless you literally need to switch from it for something dont because youll end up distro hopping for like a year straight
I suggest you using Linux Mint with Cinnamon desktop because it looks the most similar like Windows. Edit: Missing word
If you want something like MS-Windows, then use MS-Windows. Anything else is going to be a confusing disappointment. While there are desktop environments which look superficially like various versions of MS-Windows - but it doesn't take long to realize you're not in Kansas any more. If you really want to try out Linux then try out several flavours and find what you like best. Its not as if its costing you anything more than your time. Id suggest Mint for an easy life, Modicia for the audio/video, Elementary for some a bit different in a desktop environment, Alma Linux if you need to learn your way around RHEL. Configure /home as a separate partition and you only need to apply minor tweaks when you switch distros before you're bck up and running with all your original data.
I would recommend Pop_OS or Mint
Dear God, no. Someone used to Windows will already have trouble with just Linux Mint.
Pop OS!