linux So Many Distros....

[-=HipKat=-]

Up until a few years ago, I ran Ubuntu as a dual boot with Windows, but found I was getting dissatisfied with Ubuntu so I removed it and went on with life.

 

Now that I reformatted and reinstalled Win 10, I want to go back to a Linux Dual boot.

 

I have 2 500 GB HDD's, C: and D: drives, and the D: drive is freshly split in half, giving me 225 GB for Linux.

 

Keep in mind I'm still pretty novice to Linux and probably forgot half of what I knew, what do you Linux pros think I should go with, excluding Ubuntu? Keep in mind I'm not going to be developing Android Kernels, lol, but I still want a lot of functionality in a Linux environment to learn more advanced things. Plus I'm one that likes to be able to do a lot of customizing.

 

I know Mint is the first thing that most people think of but maybe not the best Distro for a guy like me that just wants to cross over and still be able to fully function in a Linux environment. (of course, Mint MAY be the best for me)

I've been seeing ElementaryOS is gaining a lot of popularity, for example. 

 

Also, which Desktop Environments you like best?? KDE is a great one, but MATE Plasma is looking nice, too

 

So hook a noob up with some ideas, please

Edited March 26, 2017 by -=HipKat=-

[Anton Chigurh]

What do you want to do with your Linux distro? Learn how it works from a prompt?

[-=HipKat=-]

What do you want to do with your Linux distro? Learn how it works from a prompt?

Everything a general user would do. Really, working towards using Wondows less.

Working in terminal, I know a lot of those command lines, like su, wget, etc and can always google what I don't know

Edited March 26, 2017 by -=HipKat=-

[Anton Chigurh]

Well you named all them all, ElementaryOs is ok, Ubuntu (with Mate) is fine btw check out Xubuntu  (light Ubuntu version), Mint is a piece of cake

Check out Manjaro.

 

Ubuntu's are debian based, ElementaryOS is based on Ubuntu (lol), and Mint is based on Ubuntu and debian and  Manjaro is Arch based.

All are great distro's with lots of support and large software repositories.

Just select the one you like and pick the desktop environment you prefer.

 

I like the XFCE desktop environment (very light).

 

For distro i use Mint , Parted Magic and Puppy. (last 2 i just run from a USBstick)

[Chuckun]

If you're still at the stage of googling, i would always advise ubuntu as there's ALWAYS answers for Ubuntu.  Although since Anton mentioned Mint, isn't that pretty much a stripped-back ubuntu anyway? (I really don't know, I never liked it!)

[-=HipKat=-]

I got to the point that Ubuntu wasn't really exciting me anymore and of course now it's been 3-4 years. I'm pretty set on Mint-KDE I just finished making a bootable flash drive. Besides, with 225 GB space, I might just try a few of them

[-=HipKat=-]

Ok, got it installed (I'll play with it tomorrow) but, oddly, cannot set Windows as default OS. EasyBCD gives me the option of Windows or Mint - Windows being default - once Windows boots up, but after the Bios loads - before Windows - Grub2 loads and I have the option to choose and OS and Mint is first, then the 2 whatevertheyare Options, then Windows.

 

What the heck? EasyBCD always fixed this in the past, but not now apparently

[Chuckun]

I had the same and I think the way I fixed it was to reinstall the windows boot loader which prioritises Windows by default - but this was so long ago I did so from a floppy disk so times have probably changed

[-=HipKat=-]

I had the same and I think the way I fixed it was to reinstall the windows boot loader which prioritises Windows by default - but this was so long ago I did so from a floppy disk so times have probably changed

I installed Grub Modifier in Mint and got it fixed

[Krusnik87]

If ya ever have time someday, you could check this out:

 

https://www.linux.com/news/learn/sysadmin/best-linux-distributions-2017

 

(article quite well done considering it arranges each best distro depending on which tasks you intend to use it mainly)