Which Linux distribution and GUI to choose ?

hello hello I hope you're doing well I'm going to make a video where I'm going to talk to you about the topic of which Linux GUI to choose so I will try to guide you in choosing a Linux gu and at the same time I will take advantage of this video to talk to you and answer the question of which Linux distribution to choose because the answer is very similar to the GUI so it's a kind of video that I would have liked to listen to 22 years ago when I started using Linux and I got a little lost in the list of Linux distributions so when I make videos that explain how to download a Linux distribution there is a moment where I talk about which graphical interface to choose currently I was recording the video on how to download and install Ubuntu Linux and I was talking about Ubuntu flavors so a variant of Ubuntu with another graphical interface than gnome the one chosen by default by the Ubuntu team so which one to choose that is the big question actually to make a long story short there are several GUI in Linux each graphical interface has its own philosophy its own way to present a desktop interface the menu bars the themes and the parameters of the graphical interface honestly there is no one better than others it's always a personal taste your mission is to find the GUI where you feel comfortable and enjoy using the one that you find find efficient that you find ergonomic some graphical interfaces or Linux distributions will have the mission of offering a very light graphical interface that can run on Old PCS others will try to have a futuristic look with a lot of Animation this is why it is difficult to answer the question which is the best guis or Linux distribution because it depends on your situation I will still try to give examples of cases later in the video and give examples of distributions that meet different needs if you want to know which one I use I always use the KD GUI so if I have to install Ubuntu for my home computer I will choose the KD graphical interface this Ubuntu version is named kubuntu so how to know which one you'll like you have many ways look some screenshots visit Linux distribution web page try some Linux live images try Linux on a virtual machine this YouTube channel will try to to help you if we come back to Ubuntu example on their website you can go to the page about flavors other versions of Ubuntu you have a small description of each version and a picture of what it looks like so that can be a first step to know and say ah I like how it looks and I want to try it for each version we have a get button to download it so we have lubuntu with another graphical interface buaji cinnamon I'll let you explore all of this and it's the same principle for other Linux distributions for example for Fedora Linux you also have a page with variants in the case of Debian Linux it is during installation that you will be able to choose which Graphics variant you want to install in the this video I will continue to show you images of guis and Linux distributions while I talk and elaborate on the subject of this video I am not going to describe each of them there are a lot of things to say if the demand is there I would rather go for many description videos one video by graphical interface and one video by Linux distribution video where we go into detail for each one but otherwise when you want to try a Linux distribution and you don't know which interface to choose I advise you to take the default one start with the default one familiarize yourself with the system familiarize you with Linux too if it is the first time you use it why the default one because normally the default one is the one organized and supported by the official Linux distribution team while the others are often organized by the community it is true for Ubuntu that doesn't mean that variant made by the community are not good they are good variant it's just that for my part previously when I used a Linux distribution for the first time I always went with all the default options it was with time and experience using Linux that I discovered the one I liked the most it is true for the Linux distribution and the go interface and it is with time that I came to the conclusion that I like to work with the KDE interface I passed many years using the cinnamon interface too and previously the old Nome interface gome 2 now sometime I try certain Linux distributions because I'm interested to try them and very often I try them with their KDE variant when I check different point and options offer by the Linux distribution I know what I need but that came with time and experience when you start your Linux Journey let keep it simple I will suggest you Linux Mint if you start we will talk about it soon there was also a time when I had a desire to try several Linux distributions and several dues for a change and I try many of them but that too came with experience and time for my recommendation if you come from the windows world the default graphical interface of Ubuntu The Gnome interface is very different from the graphical interface of Microsoft oft Windows if you want something similar it would be to try KDE or cinnamon and if you choose to use cinnamon I recommend using Linux Mint rather than Ubuntu this is my personal recommendation why Linux Mint rather than Ubuntu because in fact the cinnamon GUI was created by the Linux Mint team so that's why I recommend Linux Mint if you want to use cinnamon and Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu so those who made Linux Mint took the base of Ubuntu and then added their graphical interface their tools modify some things to go with their Linux distribution philosophy so you're going to have the stability of the LTS version of Ubuntu but with good integration of Linux Mint with their cinnamon as it was designed so for those who want to start using Linux for the first time I recommend choosing Linux Mint because it's a very stable Linux distribution it is the one that I have the fewest problems and things to configure after installation Linux Mint guides us well during the first configuration all the main things are configured with a graphical tool it is a distribution that listens a lot to its community of users to make decisions which also remains very conservative in changes with a classic graphical interface but which remains effective so it's it's stable and easy to configure after the installation few things are needed to be configured as an example for Fedora if you want to use multimedia content you must install multimedia codex even if it not very hard it is nice how Linux Mint and Ubuntu propose it during the installation as with Ubuntu it is easy to configure the graphical card drivers with the default driver tools so here is my recommendation if you come from the Microsoft Windows world as I said earlier this is a personal recommendation it is possible you are not agreed with them on next we also have the business world for servers we have Red Hat Linux Oracle Linux 2 which is very similar to Red Hot Linux these linox distributions are supported for a very long time 10 years these distributions focus on the business use stability and long-term support and in the case of servers usage I always install the Linux distribution without a graphical interface I want them smaller as possible and with as few Services as possible fewer libraries fewer graphic libraries Etc so it gives the server less chance of having a security breach and it is faster to update and start up Ubuntu server is also a good Linux distribution for servers that I have used a few times even if my experience is mainly on on Red Hat Linux Oracle Linux and sentos in the past which could now be replaced by Rocky Linux don't forget SS Linux 2 for the world of servers and business for business workstations well earlier I was talking about Linux Mint and his cinamon interface where we can have an experience easy and more similar to what we have in Microsoft Windows I didn't quickly find out if we could get paid support with Linux Mint it seems to have been an option in the past but not anymore I'm talking about the possibility of having a support contract where you can call if you have a problem in business if you have several critical workstations that use an operating system it is often relevant to have support in case of a problem so this is perhaps one of the weaknesses of Linux Mint to not have a paid support a weakness for the business situation for companies that would need this in your case do you have Linux workstations what distribution are you using do you need a support service in a business situation paid support is sometimes necessary when a company has server or workstations that are used for critical things a pay support option is often mandatory for the OS so these are the strengths of Ubuntu Red Hat Linux and Su Linux red had Linux and Su Linux used by default The Gnome graphical interface and and only that desktop environment seemed to be supported by the full Enterprise support doing research for kubuntu so the Ubuntu variant with KDE it seems to have a company that offers commercial support if I look at the Ubuntu support pricing page phone and ticket support seem to be included for packages from the universe repository KDE desktop is installable from the universe repository it is not something very clear and it is not something I tested in a business situation on your case is it something you use and have a Linux distribution paid support for workstation where you can call them if you have issue do you using another desktop environment than gnome I don't want to start a debate between gnome versus KDE or other desktop environment the only thing is in the perspective that we would like to replace workstations from Windows to Linux let's say for example we have 50 users in a company maybe for some users it would be an easier option if they had a more classic graphical interface with an experience closer to Windows 10 like cinemon or KDE so these are personal thoughts do you agree with these points this could be a topic for a future video what is Linux missing for the workstation world and that topic can be interesting especially with the Windows 10 support ending in 2025 rather than saying that millions of PCS will have to be thrown away with the end of Windows 10 support can we create a new alternative our media often talk about global warming and problems with the environment Perhaps it is time to create a program to promote open Sue systems and Linux would be a good ecological point to explore and develop to avoid throwing away millions and billions of computer in 2025 but maybe it's just not a good economic point for our multi-millionaire friends well well well I hear that I'm getting off topic so I try to imagine a Linux distribution that would have a classic guy but with the range of support and enterprise software like Red Hat Linux can offer at the same time I know that Red Hat Linux 7 offered a KDE GUI in His official reposit atories in the past so if they disappeared with Red Hat Linux 8 there might be a reason maybe there wasn't enough demand for it do not hesitate to share your experiences on this subject if you have any it could perhaps help certain people or certain companies which would like to migrate workstations to Linux otherwise there are several Linux distributions for several needs maybe you've already heard about rolling releases so what is a rolling bu release distribution this is a Linux distribution evolving regularly and quickly I will try to explain it a Linux distribution offers many software packages it can be software tools services and graphical interface normally with a normal Linux distribution many of this package stay at the same version during all life of the Linux distribution release for a rolling release it is different as soon a new version of a soft provides by this Linux distribution repository is released this new version will be integrated into it and will be offered as update if you have it installed in your machine and it's not just about software it's also true about the libraries services and the Linux kernel as an example of rolling release distribution we have Arch Linux op Su tumble weed and mangaro so it can be fun to always have the latest versions of everything on our Linux distribution but there is the downside that any change always has a risk of breaking something if you have several years of computer experience this may be something you have already experienced with the arrival of a new software update this major update contains several very cool features but new bugs appear with this version and are only corrected a few weeks later so with a rolling release there is a higher chance to see news bug appear you will receive bigger updates since everything is updated often expect to download some gigabytes per week for all rolling release updates as you can see it is probably not a good option for a business context if you have to manage 50 workstations it is impossible to use and supporting a rolling release in this context it is probably better to use a conservative Linux distribution about software releases policy there will be a few changes during all life of this release version and normally each release version is supported many years only some software like internet browsers will change version but for the rest the kernel the libraries graphical tools graphical interfaces and services they will remain at the same version of course the Linux distribution supports team will make minor updates if a security breach or bug is discovered but there will never have an update integrated new features into a distribution like Debian Red Hat Linux or Ubuntu in the kernel libraries and services Etc so in a non-rolling release distribution if you want the newer softwares stack provides by the distribution you need to upgrade to a new version of your OS this really has the advantage of having control over your machine you choose when you will make that upgrade normally it is very easy and fast to upgrade also when you use a distribution like Red Hat Linux it is supported for 10 years so once it is installed you have several years to be able to use this system without major maintenance concerning the OS for home usage to there are several advantages of having a stable system with few changes once installed this way you don't have any bad surprises or bugs that appear because you had a major update of several soft software programs or other part of the system another thing to say about rolling release is you have a good chance to have to use command line sometime for example in the Opus tumble weed documentation I saw that the only recommended way to update a tumble weed is from the command line so certain types of distributions may require more technical knowledge to use them and sometime you will have to use the command line to do some tasks it is not a negative point because it has some advantage to use command line but it is important to note that it is not for everyone and this is where Linux Mint have some good point it is very well equipped with graphical tools to manage everything necessary in the system and today in 2024 since several years if you really need a new version for a specific software there are Technologies like flat pack or snap which allow allow you easily to install another version of a software so why am I talking to you about all type of Linux distribution in this video because it has a reason to have several Linux distributions each one have their own philosophy some focus on stability and the Enterprise environment others focus on video games there are other Linux distributions that focus on older computers so having the lightest graphic interface possible other one try to have a really futuristic super nice gooey like you will see in the futuristic movies so all tastes and needs are in nature some focus on very stable environment others one focus on the future Linux Technologies a good example for this is Fedora Linux which tries to have the latest versions of things the Fedora Community is sponsored by red hat and red hat engineer is very involved D in the development of stuff like The Gnome interface system D the Linux kernel Etc Federal Linux is used to show and stabilize the integration of the latest development about it I don't want to say Fedora is a beta version of red hat Fedora is a stable drro but normally things out since many years are more stable than things out since some weeks or month so Fedora lenux show what red hat lenux will look like in in the coming years when Red Hat create a new major version of Red Hat Linux they use as base a Fedora Linux that things about Fedora and red hat is Just for information let's go back to our topic so there's a purpose to having many CHS of Linux distribution things like Fedora or things like rolling release might be what you're looking in for your system but being a technological Showcase in certain cases can cause potenti IAL bugs or less mature stuff integrated into the distribution so if I come back to my recommendation personally if you don't want to waste time to choose which Linux distribution you want to use especially if you come from Windows use Linux Mint with his default interface after some tests depending on your case if for example your computer is very old and you find the cinamon graphical interface too heavy maybe try another G offered by Linux Mint but normally all computer running Windows 10 will easily run Linux Mint and cinnamon if Linux Mint seem too heavy because you have a very very old computer maybe opting for very light Linux distribution will be necessary if your computer is very new and Linux Mint seems to have some issues with recent Hardware maybe it might be a good idea to use Fedora lenux which has a recent kernel the Linux kernel is the things on the operating system communicating with the hardware that why a very recent kernel can sometime be needed for a recent computer rolling release drro like Opus tumble we can be interesting if you want very recent software with a rolling release you will have a lot of changes regularly more than Fedora Linux if you're a fan of Mac OS of the Mac OS interface I know there are Linux distributions trying to look like Mac OS it's not something I'm a fan of so I've never used and try it but these are examples of stuff you can explore once you feel comfortable and want to go further with Linux or even at the beginning you can try those Macos style if you feel that is what you want so after thinking about all of this what would be my final recommendation for this video Linux Mint for new people in in the Linux world after for people with some experience I found Debian Linux more fast than Ubuntu and Linux Mint Debian is my personal choice Debian with the KDE graphical environment so all that to say that if you have a desire to go further take a look at other Linux distributions look at their images what they look like their philosophy and see if one of the Linux distributions interests you according to your need check their philosophy and their support life do you want a system that you will be able to use for at least 4 years before you have to upgrade or change it or on the opposite side you need a regular change and you like to try new things every 6 months it is an advantage to have several Linux distributions and choice but I must admit that it can also be a disadvantage because when you start and want to try you can quickly get lost in all the choices you have and at the same time a lot of effort is put into several Linux distributions while if there were maybe less maybe there would be more work put into the main ones I don't know too much it's very philosophical as Reflections so there are advantages and disadvantages the advantage of having the choice and this is what we have in the Linux world is if we don't like something it is possible to find a new Linux distribution or a new graphical interface whereas it is something impossible with Microsoft Windows if you are a fan of Microsoft Windows 10 the day that it will no longer be supported by Microsoft you will have to say bye-bye you will be forced to go to Microsoft Windows 11 and soon 12 which will be boosted to artificial intelligence and Microsoft Windows year after after year become heavier so the fact of having a single graphical interface and a single option as OS in Microsoft Windows we are caught in what Microsoft forces us to use we have to accept what it is imposed in the different versions of Microsoft Windows so there are the advantages to have many Linux distributions and to conclude let's talk about my first adventure with Linux what was the Linux distribution and graphic interface did I use for the first time it was slackware Linux which I really don't recommend for beginners but at this time it was the easiest one I didn't have a good internet connection so A friend gave me some CDs they were to install slackware Linux it was not easy to install and make him work some years later I tried Ubuntu it was a new Linux distribution with a lot of high potential and easy to configure and this time Ubuntu came with the gnome 2 as graphical interface I love the old gnome interface I even preferred gnome to KD at this time sometime later I had a little adventure with open SS Linux which integrated compies very well and it was easy to make work the fire effects when a window was closed of course it was during my teenage years and having all these effect was just too cool here is my little story about which Linux distrib distribution I used at the beginning I will maybe develop later in another video with some anecdotes of the first times I used Linux the history and why I wanted to try it but just to spoil this future video a little bit I would like to thank Windows Millennium for being so bad and really making me to want to try something else so that's all for this video I hope you enjoyed the format and I hope that video helped you too I tried to give some suggestions according to the scenario and little tips to guide you if you are new to Linux and wondering which Linux distribution and which graphical interface to choose of course in some cases I went with personal opinions so it was a bit of an informative video but also some Reflections on these subjects do not hesitate to write in the comments what you thought what do you agree with what you disagree with do not hesitate to share your experiences how it was the first time you tried Linux which graphical interface you prefer which Linux distribution you prefer and why as you saw in the video I scrolled through some Linux distribution images these are all the Linux distributions that I have installed in Virtual Machines of course there were many others to show that I do not have installed and that I didn't show so if your favorite Linux distribution was not shown and it is a popular distribution or gaining a lot of popularity in recent years I apologize I showed the ones I had installed but I know there are many other Linux distributions that also deserve to be seen and I apologize for not showing them but feel free to write in the comments which ones you would have liked to saw and next year I will maybe do this video again but with new images and New Reflections new ideas so have a good day and bye-bye [Music]

Channel: benlinux-en

Views: 1,867

Keywords: linux, tutorial, interface graphique, distribution, distro, gnome, kde, ubuntu, linux mint, debian

Id: 0lHeStmsboI

Length: 27min 33sec (1653 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 11 2024