whats the easiest linux distro to learn

[gazalovespells]

I am looking to learn linux in the next month before year end, so i am looking for a very easy linux distro to learn with a very active user and developer community.

[daveinuk]

Can only speak from my own experience but I'd say there's not a lot in it between mint/ubuntu etc but . . . . . there's less to do after a fresh install with mint than with a number of the others in general i'd say, so for ease of use, for me, it's been mint that I've stuck with. I've had a few distro's of ubuntu and I happen to like that too, but mint wins for a learner I'd say.
(and I still class myself as one) I'm about three years down the line now and comfortable with progress and the OS but i'd still say it's a big learning curve when you've only ever understood the way windows does things. All and any communities/ forums I've been on have all been helpful, mints forum responses has been faster though, why that is I have no idea but i'm thankful for it!

I've tried about 10 distro's maybe by live cd etc or usb boot and I keep coming back here . . . . . . . it just has the edge IMO

[claudecat]

It all depends on what you mean by "learn linux". Installing Mint or other Ubuntu based distros may not be the way to go if you want to truly learn the ins and outs of how linux is put together. It's often been said "Install Ubuntu and you'll learn Ubuntu; install Slackware and you'll learn linux", and there is some truth to that. I'd include Arch and Gentoo as similar to Slackware in terms of learning linux, but much harder to install. Slackware can be installed very easily so perhaps that would be a good choice. If that looks too hard, perhaps Mint is your best option, just don't expect to have to do many "linuxy" things to get it to work, which may limit your learning opportunities.

All of the above (especially Arch) have great forums and documentation, but that's true of almost all major linux distributions these days. Good luck!

[bimsebasse]

very easy linux distro to learn

...Arch and Gentoo ...

Don't listen to claudecat, gazalovespells, he is insane in the brain.

Zorin and Mint are very newcomer friendly.

[omegadot]

I would argue that Slackware/Arch/Gentoo, etc are all the easiest to learn on because you have to learn. After installing Redhat back in the day I installed Slackware 7 or 8 and that's when I really learned some stuff. Later moved to Gentoo and then Ubuntu at home because I was content with my level of knowlege and felt like letting the distro do all the work.

I'd go with Arch these days if you want to learn some stuff.

[claudecat]

I may well be insane, but I read into the original question the intent to "learn linux". Mint and Zorin are great and user friendly and all, but you won't really "learn linux" (whatever that means) by installing them. I stand by my opinion that Slack, Arch or Gentoo are better ways to educate onesself in this way.

"I am looking to learn linux..."

I can quote things out of context too :=}

Seriously though, I think we agree bimsebasse. Mint and Zorin are easy for newcomers. The ones I mentioned are simply more educational, and Slackware is the easiest of them to install (in my insane opinion).

In closing, a shout out to omegadot for grasping and expanding upon the point of my initial response. What he (or she) said...

[mmix]

there is no easy distro in linux, all is same, if you mean easy to use, then choose any oses which already set.
various ways to learn linux, i would suggest to learn c, next kernel source etc..

[adenbcottsX]

LinuxMint is usable right from the start. If you came from windows it should seem pretty familiar to you. There are different types of linux users: some use it as an operating system to get things done , some that use it as a lifestyle choice, and those that actually make it usable by a majority of people. The only person who really matter in linux is you; how you plan on using it.
good luck.

[craig10x]

If you like macs and ever owned or played with one...you would probably like ubuntu with unity more...with it's unity dock bar (which auto-hides on the left though, not on the bottom) and global style top panel menu...you will feel right at home...

[excollier]

As a newbie myself, 8 months in, I would say it depends entirely on your intended usage of your computer. If you want to use it in the same manner as Windows, then Mint is definitely the way to go, it's so easy to use and so instantly familiar.
If it's command line you want, then all of them can be useful for that as you have a terminal available in every distro and in my (very limited) experience the basic command line stuff works the same in all Debian / Ubuntu derived distros. Same goes, I imagine, for distros forked from other bases.
As for myself, I am lazy, and just wanted to escape Windows, (and associated costs) and Mint has provided a fantastic new home for me, not perfect, but then when was Windows without it's headaches?
I also tinker with a Raspberry Pi which was a sharp learning curve, and helped greatly with linux understanding (such as I have).
And the forums are a massive, invaluable help.
Whatever you decide, whichever distro you use, you will learn more about computers in a few months of linux use than decades of Windows use, or at least I certainly did.
Go for it and good luck.

[eanfrid]

Ahem...

"easy Linux distro to learn to use" (to become an experienced distro-user): any beginners-oriented distro, including Linux Mint.
"easy Linux distro to learn Linux" (to become a technical guru): none of the beginners-oriented distros... you must study at least 3 different distros (among the stronger ones like RedHat/CentOS, Slackware, Debian, ArchLinux, Gentoo or even any BSD)

[kc1di]

Hello gazalovespells and welcome to Linux and Mint,

As many have said already, Mint is a good newbie friendly distro. If your serious about learning the tech end of Linux get the book Ubuntu unleashed and running linux. you'll be able to learn in depth stuff from them. If you want to challenge your mind then install slackware , or one of the other distros that require the user to configure stuff themselves. If your looking to learn linux so you can become employable in that feild. then go with Redhat/ fedora and take the Linux certification classes. One of the things I love about linux is there are some many choices depending upon what you want to do with it.
If you just want a system that runs great does a good day today job of getting things done, and has a great forum for back up. You've already found that here

[InkKnife]

It really depends on the n00b.
If the n00b is someone like me who for the most part just wants an excellent new OS on which to do computer tasks same as if you were on OSX and Windows, then I say Mint, Mint is easy to use as a desktop OS.
If "learning Linux" means you want to eventually grow a neck beard, other distros outside the Ubuntu family might be better.

[Jose Manuel]

Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Mageia. Good Luck !!!!