Distributions

Choosing a distribution can be challenging! (Though it actually matters less than you think.)

Here's a short and incomplete list to help you choose:

Debian-based (easiest):

MX Linux

Mint

Ubuntu

Debian

Pop! OS

Elementary OS

Zorin OS

Kali (for hackers)

Arch-based (harder):

EndeavourOS

Manjaro

Garuda

Arch (hard)

Artix

Red Hat based:

Fedora

Red Hat (usually used on servers, including the UCLA lnxsrvs)

CentOS (Red Hat but without the tech support)

Other:

OpenSUSE

Void Linux

Gentoo (hard)

Not Linux:

OpenBSD

FreeBSD (we run this on some of our servers)

Tips for selecting a distro

If you are a beginner and you don't want to mess with the terminal that much, choose a Debian based one like Mint. Most of the Debian ones just work straight out of the box. There's also tons of support.

If you have some experience (or you're a beginner who is fine with using the terminal), you can try one of the Arch-based distributions. Installing Arch takes a while, but it's actually not too hard. If you're too lazy to install Arch, choose a distribution with a graphical installer (like EndeavourOS).

Here's a quiz you can try: https://distrochooser.de/en/

Comparing Arch and Debian

Choose Arch-based distributions if you want a minimal distribution. Choose Debian based distributions if you want stability or ease of use.