Is Linux Ready for Primetime? Desktop Distro Shootout!

Using a Virtual Machine, we will test out 9 Linux Distros and see how they fare with user friendliness and ease of use. Could grandma use them? We will test out Ubuntu, Elementary OS, Fedora, Manjaro, Ubuntu Mate, MX Linux, Linux Mint, Pop! OS, and Zorin.

This test will be conducted on a Windows 11 machine running Virtual Box.

**** Virtual Box Guest Additions ****
All distros have Virtual Box Guest additions installed if it did not install automatically. All distros that have NVIDIA support out of the box are apparent because you can see the NVIDIA card in the Windows Task Manager.
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[smarfbag]

I’m happy that Linux is getting more coverage on YT I’m happy people are recognizing that there are other options for PC OSs

[robby]

Congrats for the video Rob. This will surely help a lot of newcomers to choose and transition to a OS that they can fell that they own. This will help popularize Linux even more and maybe help it receive the attention it deserves. Cheers!

[happyfeet]

I switched to Linux because of the Windows 11 monster. It's the best move I ever made. There are loads of distros to try out & they can all run off a USB stick. I'm now on manjaro kde & it's a beauty

[Seegalgalguntijak]

And thirdly, of course, as a long time Mint user, I must say that you can actually customize the whole GUI with "themes" and once you use another icon pack, it starts looking really pretty! But I can also understand if someone doesn't want to have to do this first. On the other hand, if it's to become your "main distro", the setup efford is quickly worth it, because it rewards you with one flaw less in your OS :-)

[markanderson]

I think some have missed the Mark on what he stated. The key words was "as a new user". For ease and transition. Mint is a good one but for a brand new user to easily learn right out of the box experience fell upon Zorin as an ideal one to start.

Yes there are hundreds of Distros or flavors built for particular users. But for the evolution of Linux to become better or more is required. This is a positive thing for Linux giving people a better choice other than being constrained to only one or two operating systems.

Linux is growing evolving to a wider audience and can only be good.

[quantumleap]

I've been using Zorin OS for the last few years and quite enjoy it. Thanks for this video Rob, it was nice to see your take on these distros.

[Foche_T._Schitt]

The icons in Mint can be changed quickly so you can get a standard Firefox icon. The welcome screen guides you there.
First Steps > System Settings > Themes > Icons > Mint-X [Pick a Color]
Or search for Themes and then change the Icons.
The Mint-X themes have the icons we recognize, Mint-Y themes have the funky icons.

[rfdiego]

I've tried almost all of those distros, personally I recommend Linux Mint (it neved crashed and didn't give me any trouble with any daily task, also I found it really intuitive), but in the end any of those is pretty stable and easy to use

[johnnyblue]

I use Mint and happy with it. I was a long term Fedora user, but abandoned it this summer when it had troubles properly using an external monitor attached to my laptop. However, not everything is peachy in the Linux world. For instance it's a struggle to get the remote sound played on my machine when connected to my office Windows machine via xfreerdp. Things which just work in Windows are sometimes a chore to set up in Linux.
Also, one point that was not touched in this video is that there are apps which will run only in Windows... but for the vast majority of users, Linux is ready to be discovered and enjoyed.

[PieterWycoff]

I like your final choices. Zorin was an initial favorite of mine, but Pop completely reeled me in. Great video overall!

[markanderson]

So far after watching this I can now get better explanations on which Distro to start with. Zorin sounded great when I first heard of it now I'm convinced to start there as a new user.

[ArtOfHealth]

Thanks for stimulating MORE healthy conversation and ideas Rob. I made it through all "8" ads. Gee whiz. Thanks to all you other contributors that use Linux stuff regularly. Much appreciated at my age and Linux exposure.

[kenm]

Real;ly Really good to see you do this Distro review and this is a GREAT Shootout #1: Waiting with baited breath for the Shootout #2 that includes the many distros that are advertized as focused on Old hardware line Lubuntu, Puppy, Xubuntu, Mint XFCE, and others that I certainly have not found yet

[josephdegarmo]

The easiest distro for everyone is Linux Mint. Great hardware driver support, very stable, and great performance.

[skatcat]

I think it is unfair to use the virtualbox for performance characteristics. As on real hardware (especially ssd) I would say you'd be hard to find an instance where these linux systems would feel slow or have graphical artifacting.

[inkball]

Been a Linux user since 2007 mostly Ubuntu, recently changed to Pop OS . Pop is really great for productivity , love it.

[jean-pierrea]

I switched to Manjaro this year. Pretty good experience overall, I recommend it if you use your computer for gaming.

[cliffordpace]

Thank you rob for this vid. I am 61 and very new to Linux. Looking forward to learning more. I have to admit you are over my head on some of the terms you use. I will try to get myself up to speed. Thank you again.

[gxcfotq]

Great video Rob. Nice selection of distros and desktop environments as well 👍

[reagle_]

Rob. Thanks for this video. It really helps when one tries to find the right Linux desktop for them.