So I’m building a new computer before the end of the year and lemmy is obviously pushing me towards Linux.

I am not computer savvy, I have a family member that will help me set up my PC, but I do not want to be calling/messaging them every day when I want to open a program.

Basically my question comes down to: can I operate a Linux PC these days without needing to troubleshoot or type code.

I use my computer about once a week for a few hours I would say, so any time spent troubleshooting is time wasted.

Thanks!

EDIT: since a lot of people are asking what programs I typically use, I’ll just list my most used programs.

Word, Excel, ect(I’m fine with alternatives)

Spotify

Gimp (would have been a make or break, so I’m glad it’s supported)

Brave browser (browser is a browser)

Steam

Discord

I would say that while I could figure out how the kernels work, I’m at a point with computers these days where I don’t have the time. My priorities fall with a seamless daily experience. If I have the time to figure something out I can, but ideally my day to day usage being unbotherd is what I’m after.

A lot of the comments so far have been helpful! I’m definitely going to give Linux a fair shot with my new build, probably start with Mint.

  • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    It’s better to ask which distro is dummy proof. Some are made for noobs and windows users, others are not, and they’re all based on “Linux”.

    Mint, Debian, and Fedora are all good starter options, and all are made to get stuff done without having to use the command line.

      • teawrecks@sopuli.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        11 months ago

        Debian is the only one there I haven’t actually tried myself as a daily driver, so idk if using the terminal is necessary. I’ve just heard it’s solid and I assumed all normal user operations can be done via GUI in gnome or KDE like you can with Fedora.

  • mastod0n@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    My dad is a complete tech noob. I took his laptop, installed Ubuntu, configured everything and showed him where he could find the applications he uses. Done.

  • BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    Yea it is user friendly. If you’re using your computer once a week presumably its for things like web browsing or working with documents - these are very easy and straight forward to do in linux.

    The other big benefit is the cost - linux is free and you’ll save £120 on a basic version of Windows which can be used to get get a better PC or just saved.

    Add to that no advertising, much more private and entirely yours to do what you like with. And if you don’t like it you can easily install Windows instead, so its zero risk to try Linux.

    • Revan343@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 months ago

      Linux vs. Windows doesn’t generally affect the cost unless you’re building the machine yourself, or buying from a Linux specific vendor like Framework (which are generally more expensive than what you’ll find at Best Buy anyways). The major PC manufacturers are going to have Windows pre-installed whether you want it or not.

  • Cynicus Rex@slrpnk.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    11 months ago

    Yes. Linux has become more user-friendly than Windows. Things stay were they are so it is reliable. It doesn’t serve ads nor spies on the user so it is ethical. When updating one sees exactly what happens, and one can have perfect manual control of updates if one wants to. That and so much more.

    Also, perhaps consider using Vivaldi browser as it is superior for now, pre Manifest V3. However, if one wants to keep using uBlock Origin indefinitely regardless of the Manifest V3 transition, use LibreWolf, which ships with uBlockOrigin by default.

    Over the years I went from Linux Mint to Xubuntu to EndeavourOS, and from desktop environment Xfce to KDE Plasma. To beginners who absolutely want the least amount of updates and don’t mind older software versions I’d suggest a Debian based distribution, and to everyone else I’d suggest an Arch-based distribution, specifically EndeavourOS, or Manjaro if one cannot install the former for some reason, but both are fine. Why? I like to update as soon as possible and to have access to most software without it being a hassle to install. Moreover, Arch has a ridiculously comprehensive wiki which most of the time has the answer to one’s problem.

    KDE Plasma over Xfce because it’s a remarkably configurable feature-rich powerhouse, but I honestly feel bad and wish I could merge them both. If old machines feel too slow for the former, the choice would be Xfce in a heartbeat.

    I moved away from the aforementioned Debian/Ubuntu based distributions because Mint was too bloated and slow for my taste. Specifically, as a former gamer I am highly sensitive to the responsiveness of the cursor, therefore the move to Xubuntu with Xfce where the mouse movement felt snappy again. Unfortunately Snap packages came to both which caused more problems than it solved, so I moved to Arch-based distributions and never looked back.

    TL;DR: if new computers did not come with Windows pre-installed—the absurdity of this monopoly remains mind blowing—Linux would be significantly more pleasant to use for most of the populace. I bet my life on that.

  • CO5MO ✨@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    Linux Mint LMDE is always my recommendation to friends & fam who are leaving Win & Mac environments. LMDE bc ease of use/install & stability.

    Slight learning curve, but that slings goes with anything new to a person when it comes to tech. Linux Mint forums are also legit for quick answers.

    Good luck regardless of what you choose! Don’t let the negative feedback get you down! 🍀

    -sent from an old MacBook running LMDE

    • Revan343@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 months ago

      I’ve been curious about LMDE, I use the Xfce version of regular Mint, but am comfortable in Debian (at least, server Debian). How does LMDE compare?

      • CO5MO ✨@midwest.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        edit-2
        11 months ago

        They’re both great starters, imo! Xfce or LMDE is a solid choice for Linux beginners.

        Xfce was a little too minimal for me & iirc it’s canonical-based. I chose lmde specifically bc I prefer Debian. I can’t recall if I had any major issues setting up either of them. I think it also just comes down to visual/aesthetic preferences. They’re both highly customizable so either way you’re good!

        I’m gonna set up xfce for my dad on an old Dell desktop & i’m sure he’ll appreciate how close it is to windows right out of the box. 📦

        • Revan343@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          edit-2
          11 months ago

          I specifically like Xfce or LxQt, because I generally run older hardware; I suppose my biggest question is how easily I could use either (not overly picky about which). I’m not sure which desktop environment LMDE defaults to, but both Gnome and KDE are deal-breakers for me, unless it’s easily changeable.

          I don’t have that problem on my actual Debian machines, because they’re headless anyways, there is no desktop environment at all

          • CO5MO ✨@midwest.social
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            11 months ago

            Ooh, I gotcha! LMDE doesn’t default to gnome or kde. LMDE installs w cinnamon.

            Not sure I’ve seen much of lxqt. Will def give that a once over our if curiosity!

            • Revan343@lemmy.ca
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              0
              ·
              11 months ago

              LxQt is nice, it is barebones like Xfce, but built on the Qt framework like KDE. Xfce uses GTK, like GNOME.

  • MoogleMaestro@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    I mean, yes. But also no, it sort of depends.

    If you have very low bar of needs (needing a web browser and some utility apps, without specific apps in mind) then it’s actually never been easier. If you use a Silverblue based system, all updates are done in a transactional way and old versions can be booted into at any time in case something breaks (which basically never happens with silverblue, with some exceptions.) Read only systems means you can’t muck around with the root files and can’t accidentally “break” your system in the way you used to be able to on older OS designs. I would say that “Linux with Guardrails” is effectively invincible, and I would like to recommend that new users try OSTree based systems. For example, Fedora Silverblue, Ublue’s Aurora / Bluefin, Bazzite (Steam OS clone), etc etc.

    If you have more specific needs, it can be a crapshoot depending on whether or not the hobby in question has a strong linux presence. Particularly, bespoke non-game windows apps are still a bit tricky to get working and require some Wine (Windows process wrapper for compatibility) knowledge. There are edge cases where running certain applications in flatpak (Steam, Bitwig) can mean that, while it’s impossible for these applications to break your system, you’ll be very limited in options for these programs. For Steam, this can mean more difficulty with out-of-steam application management. For Bitwig, this can mean no choice in VST. These are all programs that have work arounds, but on a read-only system like Silverblue (which I would like to recommend for new users due to the indestructibility) those are all a little more difficult to implement and require you to know a thing or two about virtual desktops. (Thus, not new user friendly.)

    I would still say that it’s never been easier, but as you get more famililar with any system, you generally demand more and more from it. Thankfully, with linux, its always been a case of “if there’s a will there’s a way” and the UX utility applications being made by other people have been getting better and better.

    My recommendation to you would be to try UBlue Aurora. It’s familiar to Windows, it’s being managed in a way that makes gaming relatively simple, and it has an active discord community to help new users. It also has that indestructability that I was talking about before, but has a lot of the “work arounds” pre-setup for new users.

  • Vittelius@feddit.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    You can try Linux out without installing it to get a feel for it before you make the jump. Set a weekend aside (or at least a couple of hours) to test drive a Linux distro and check if it is your cup of tea.

    This is one way of doing this:

    • Install Virtual Box on your (Widows) PC
    • head over to https://getaurora.dev/ and download the latest iso
    • In virtualbox create a new VM
    • set the OS Type to fedora (64 bit)
    • after that you can keep all the standard settings, just be aware that performance is not going to be representative of an actual install
    • Then select the newly created VM and open the settings panel
    • here you go to “Storage” and click on the slot under “Controler: IDE” labeled “empty”
    • click on the CD symbol on the right side of the window, in line with “optical drive” and select “choose a disk file”
    • pick the iso file you downloaded in step 2
    • close the settings window and start the VM
    • go through the installation wizard to install Aurora OS in your Virtual Machine
    • Profit

    I know that these instructions can seem daunting but it is easier than it reads, I promise.

    Why Aurora OS

    Aurora OS is based on Fedora Silverblue meaning that it is what is known as a immutable distro. That in turn means that it’s harder to mess stuff up and break your install. It also means that some things are harder to achieve. But I also think that you are probably not interested in the hard stuff anyway.

    Aurora uses the KDE Plasma Desktop, the same desktop used by Valve on the Steamdeck. It has a familiar Windows like layout by default but also allows you to customise it like crazy to fit your particular need (whatever that may be).

    Aurora flatpak as it’s app format. To see what kind of software is available for this distro you can check flathub.org . It’s not going to be as much software as Linux Mint for example (Mint uses flatpak and deb), but everything the average user needs should be there.

    • CO5MO ✨@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 months ago

      Great write up, but OP stated they’re not computer savvy. I’m sure more ppl have used flash drives than used VMs. They are also building a new pc so gotta get those distros from somewhere/another machine.

      Another option would be to grab a couple of 4GB or more flash drives and try each one by booting from the flash drive before committing to one.

      •download something like balena etcher •download Mint, Ubuntu, PopOs, Aurora, whatever else •use etcher to burn distros to the flash drives • pop in the flash in new pc & have at it

      • Vittelius@feddit.org
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        11 months ago

        I considered that. Unfortunately silverblue doesn’t do live systems and aurora therefore doesn’t either. So a VM is the only way of trying it out. OP stated that they have someone to help with the actual installation so I left the whole create install medium for bare metal install out intentionally since I assume this person will be capable of helping with that.

        Also small Markdown help: If you use dashes lemmy will automatically format bulletpoints correctly. You can’t use •s for it. Doesn’t take anything away from your comment, etcher is still the best tool to create a bootable usb drive, but for the future consider using dashes.

  • Codilingus@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    If you decide yes, I highly recommend Fedora Silverblue, or any of the distros based on silverblue/ublue. I myself love Bazzite for gaming.

    Those are atomic and immutable, meaning you cannot easily break core files, and every single thing can be updated in the app store. It’s the windows equivalent of not being able to modify/delete C:\Windows; and getting firmware, drivers, applications, and Windows updates all in one click using the Microsoft Store.

  • just_another_person@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    I assume you’re talking about Desktop Environments. Yes, of course. KDE and Gnome rival MacOS as far as usability goes. The better part is that other software development groups port their software over to Linux as well and make it as seamless as possible.

    • thayerw@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      11 months ago

      I would maybe add Linux Mint to that list, but otherwise you’re spot on. Fedora and Ubuntu are the easiest and most robust systems for novice computer users.

      • JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nl
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        11 months ago

        Depends. If someone is gaming with new hardware, don’t use a distro that doesn’t update the kernel quickly and regularly.

        Almost every problem with hardware on mint is solved by going through the process of updating the kernel or switching to a distro with up to date libraries.

        It’s fine for a lot of people, but it doesn’t “just work” outside of the use case of only browsing the internet and word documents.

        This is coming from someone who used mint for 4 years. There was about a dozen times where the software on the software center was so out of date that it simply didn’t work and I had to resort often to using random ppa’s which often broke other things. Definitely not user friendly.

        That being said, Cinnamon is probably one of the most user friendly DEs for people switching from window. It is very nice.

    • wulf@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 months ago

      Fully agree with this. There will be a slight learning curve since it will be different from what your used to, but it’s friendly enough to figure out.

      If you know the windows program you want to use just search something like “Linux alternative for x” (sometimes there is specific KDE or Gnome progs)

    • subtext@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 months ago

      Only thing I might add would be potentially Bluefin. It is Fedora with Gnome, except Atomic. It markets itself as:

      The best of both worlds: the reliability and ease of use of a Chromebook, with the power of a GNOME desktop.

      It’s been fantastic for me with automatic updates and everything installed through flathub so you don’t bork your system with any misconfigured installs.

      https://projectbluefin.io/

  • SandbagTiara2816@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    What do you typically use your computer for? That’s going to have a major impact. If it’s pretty basic stuff (web browsing, text editing, etc) you shouldn’t have any issue. If it’s something that’s more complicated or unusual, then sometimes it’s easy to do and sometimes not, depending on what you want to do. In general, a little bit of comfort searching the web and working in the command line helps a lot with troubleshooting Linux

    • cabbage@piefed.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 months ago

      A test could be to start by using Libre software on Windows.

      Switch to LibbreOffice or some other alternative instead of Word. Gimp, Inkscape, and Krita for graphical stuff. Whatever proprietary software you use, check if it exists for Linux; if not, see if you can find an alternative you’re happy with.

      For the people I know, Word is the biggest deal breaker.

  • Jalapeño Popper@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    Linux Mint is pretty user friendly. I’m also not a fan of typing code, but so far the only thing I’ve HAD to use terminal for came with really easy instructions and the commands were listed out (like a recipe) so all I had to do was copy/paste and things worked out just fine.

    The 1 issue I ran into was upgrading from LM 21.3 to 22. I had to go back to 21.3 because 22 couldn’t connect to wifi (I’m guessing because my machine is old) but 21.3 works perfect. My other machine is a lot newer and just about to the end of its warranty period, so once that’s up I plan to switch that one to Linux as well.

  • deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    Yes it is. Pick a newbie friendly distribution. Say Ubuntu.

    IMHO Windows is only “user friendly” because it’s preinstalled on most PC’s.

    User friendliness comes with experience.

  • Telorand@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    11 months ago

    Yes. If you want something easy, look at:

    • Pop!_OS (Ubuntu-based, great for newbies)
    • Linux Mint (Ubuntu-based, great for newbies)
    • Spiral Linux (Debian, easy to set up, rock solid)
    • Aurora (Fedora Atomic based, hard to break, automatic updates)
    • theshatterstone54@feddit.uk
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      11 months ago

      Never heard of Spiral, and I’ve heard of a lot of distros, so I’d steer clear of projects like it, that are new and/or niche, as there will be lower reliability and support available. Aurora is also pretty new, but it (and Fedora Atomic, and uBlue in general) has a strong community, so I’m more likely to trust them.

      PopOS and Linux Mint get a thumbs up from me.

      • Telorand@reddthat.com
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        11 months ago

        Spiral is to Debian as Endeavor is to Arch. It’s a painless way to get Debian (bookworm) set up.