- cross-posted to:
- linux@sh.itjust.works
- linux4noobs@programming.dev
- cross-posted to:
- linux@sh.itjust.works
- linux4noobs@programming.dev
When I first began researching Linux, for my needs, I found the number of different Distros to be overwhelming. So I made this flow chart, with the intent to help new users find a starting point for choosing a distribution.
I’m open to critique, as to making this chart as helpful as possible.
EDIT: Chart updated based on suggestions in the comments.
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How did you make this?
I used Draw.io Desktop.
I noticed Bassite is repeated on there a lot. They’ve been having a lot of marketing lately.
Is that some fishing supply shop?
Speech to text. I meant bazzite.
Yeah, it’s a joke
Pretty decent, but there’s a few things I think should be improved:
- Logos !!!
- Instead of having a chain of distros as an answer, make a nice group and don’t point towards any one of them. I’m still trying to figure out if you have some sort of ranking going on.
- The split after “Windows or Mac? -> Mac -> <similar> or <similar and user friendly>” is weird and should probably be a question and differently phrased.
- Immutability is misspelled and not explained. The gradient also makes it looks more special than the others (while it’s just a difference). Maybe an asterisk with an explanation at the bottom would be better for this.
- At one point you use “Please” instead of “Yes”. I understand the joke, but people who could actually use this flowchart might not.
- SteamOS is not a viable distro choice. (For now at least) I would suggest removing it until it actually becomes one.
- “Are you a developer” has 4 answers but could be split into “Yes” and “No” with their own GPU questions.
- White on yellow/orange is hard to read.
- White on pink is readable but could be made easier to read.
- Maybe a better font would great too
- You could also add some Lemmy/Reddit/forum URLs where users could get Linux help.
- You could also add some information like “Just looking for a Linux laptop? Buy System76” or something (I’m not up to date with decent Linux laptop vendors)
You are open to critique so I hope you don’t mind this many points.
Thank you.
I’ve made changes based on your input and will update the chart soon.
One addition: On the right, “A computer from this decade?” — I think this can easily be widened to “A computer older than 15 years?” (swapping “yes” & “no”, of course). The laptop on my lap is exactly 10 years old, wasn’t high end back then, and runs OpenSUSE with KDE easily. Well, in all fairness, it’s now got 12 GB RAM, but that’s mostly for development purposes. Perhaps one could ask directly: “At least 8 GB RAM?”
Good point. I’ll add a note about RAM.
My 10 year old laptop runs Ubuntu well. Except for sound which I don’t need anyways.
I am not too fond of this chart, because EndeavourOS (yes it is 99 % Arch, but beginner friendly) is missing and I think it overcomplicates things. This creates the impression that you need a specialist distribution fox task x, while you can, in reality user most distributions for nearly every task.
Still, this is a cool effort and a contribution to the fediverse, so still an upvote.
It is there: No, No, Bleeding Edge, No
I’d say NixOS is as minimal as arch
You can use NixOS minimal ISO or a live stick with GNOME/KDE and an installer like Ubuntu.
It is impossible to please everyone with something like this but I personally think it strikes a good balance of opinionated and thoughtful. Thanks for making this.
This is actually really thoughtful.
its really simple, use mint if you dont know what computers are, use fedora if you’re normal, and save specialty/hobby distros for specialty/hobby stuff.
Seems good to my use cases.
I like your approach in that they don’t all just flow to the same 2 distros and there are multiple options at the end of most lines. It’s also quite readable. I do think there’s even more room to just try stuff out though, distros are not particularly rigid, certainly not when you’re first trying them out and you don’t know the differences.
I happily use MXLinux to game on new(not so new now I suppose) hardware, run a media box, and on a couple work/school laptops for example. It’s just what I tried and felt cozy with after I got angry with windows and mint. I’m sure other distros are technically better for my uses but nothing I’ve tried has really been so much better to justify the switch.
This is amazing! Great work!(InstallGentoo)
Next to ElementaryOS, similar is misspelled ‘simillar’. I’ll bookmark this since I plan on switching to Linux rather than to Windows 11. Out of curiosity, if SteamOS is ultimately just an immutable version of Arch Linux, is the immutability of SteamOS what classifies it as ‘beginner-friendly’? In terms of usability, in my efforts to customize SteamOS on the Steam Deck, I found the immutability to be a severe detriment to the user’s ability to install system packages to install basic functionality to replicate Windows features, such as Mint Stick (the only simple, GUI-based USB formatting tool I could find for Linux).
I’ve never used Arch, so someone may give a better explanation, but an analogy would be - Arch is like getting a box of LEGO, SteamOS is like getting a pre built model made from LEGO.
And yeah, immutability is usually considered more beginner friendly because you’re less able to break your system accidentally, and it’s lots more straightforward to roll back to a previously working system, too, when things do break.
As for installing stuff on Steam Deck, I think that’s by design, not an incidental flaw. It’s a big contributor to stability. On Bazzite, which is similar, you can install whatever you like…into a container. Only a subset of software is supported for more direct installation. Keeping everything else isolated in containers keeps the system stable.
You shall not advice to indulge in NixOS nor Gentoo. These take root in forbidden scripts, one must walk these depths of their own volition completely, clean of else’s influence. Us tell such atrocities exist and share the way we use them, but never condemn one to do so as well.
nix, I understand. But gentoo is superb for learning and those looking to learn. Wait were you just trying to entice people with the ‘don’t eat of the forbidden fruit’ stuff? I really don’t even know what the last line means though–surely there was a typo
There is no typo. I’m not telling not to use them, I’m telling not to recommend them. Especially on a chart that mostly targets beginners. The audience that wants to learn the ways of Linux to such an extent will find LFS eventually. Having distros that solve clearly non-beginner problems in a chart like this is harmful in my opinion.
Very nice! (Not that you’re taking requests, but I’d love to see something like this for home sever/self-hosting distros.)
Do you want a home server --> yes --> debian
Hmmm didn’t even realize OpenSUSE Slowroll was a thing. Kind of an intriguing idea. I looked into and read somewhere it’s in the experimental stage. Is that still true or is that outdated information?
