We ask ourselves and the readers what is the new Ubuntu?
For a long time, Ubuntu was the distribution that most of us recommended when advising those who wanted to start on the platform. True, there were some haters who reacted like Dracula to garlic. But, in general, the consensus existed.
Since the launch of Unity here, various decisions by Canonical have moved Ubuntu away from user preferences and, although it continues to retain its popularity, it does not usually appear very often in the lists of recommended distros for beginners.
That is why it occurred to me to ask myself and the readers. What is the new Ubuntu? That is, what is the distribution that you think is the most recommended for new users. The feedback form is at your disposal.
What distribution is the new Ubuntu?
Without stating any particular order of preference, this is my list:
Ubuntu
La version 22.04 from Ubuntu achieves excellent integration with the GNOME desktop, which itself reached a point of maturity with version 40 of the 3 branch. Sure, experienced users may balk at decisions like making Snap the default format for pre-installed programs like Firefox, but novice users won't notice the difference.
The installer is still the easiest in the Linux world, making the configuration of dual boot with Windows without major difficulties and, an important fact, most of the available tutorials are based on Ubuntu.
Manjaro Linux
If I didn't make a living producing content, this would probably be my distribution header. It has a very easy to understand installer and has a wide software base not only because it is based on Arch Linux but also because it has move support for the Snap and Flatpak package formats.
Manjaro gives us the option to install proprietary drivers for our hardware and the codecs necessary to play multimedia content. In addition, it allows us to forget about having to reinstall every six months since it works with the Rolling Release mode of continuous updating.
KDE Neon
Among the distributions that have the possibility of being the new Ubuntu, without a doubt there are those based on Ubuntu that are not under the control of Canonical.
KDE Neon is based on a stable version of Ubuntu, but includes the latest software releases from the KD projectE. Maybe it shouldn't be on this list, since it's only interested in KDE software, but on the other hand this makes things easier for new users who don't have to mess around with the variety of options.
Pop! _OS
Originally created by a computer manufacturer for their Linux machines, it is based on Ubuntu and comes with a custom version of GNOME with its own features.
Pop! _OS provides fast navigation, easy organization of the workspace, and a smooth and comfortable workflow.
Elementary OS
other distribution based on Ubuntu. But, with its own desktop environment that is somewhat reminiscent of macOS.
It does not come with many pre-installed applications, but from its application manager, users can download everything they need. Several of them are modified to fit the look of the operating system.
Linux Mint
This is the first alternative the one everyone thinks of when they leave Ubuntu. Although based on it, for a long time they have been following their own path iIncluding its own desktop (Cinnamon) and an entire ecosystem of applications designed especially for distribution.
In addition to Cinnamon you can use the Mate desktop and the XFCE desktop. They also have a Debian-based distribution.
I'm new, which one do I install?
It is something that depends on many factors. Some are:
- Hardware Resources: If you have an older PC, any of the above distros that use the Mate or LXQt desktop.
- Preferences: If you're looking for a more Windows-like desktop, Cinnamon or KDE desktops may give you a more similar experience.
- Fearlessness level: Want something out-of-the-box or something that requires you to investigate? Manjaro or Ubuntu leave you some leeway to do things manually.
I always end up going back to Linux Mint Mate.
I would recommend Linux Mint with Xfce for beginners.
Easy to use, stable and works wonders.
Hi Diego, well, I prefer KDE Neon, it seems elegant, versatile and very configurable, in fact it is my distribution. And you, which one do you use?
Excellent article. When someone talks about Manjaro, it is tempting to try it once and for all.
But getting out of the comfort zone of Ubuntu or Debian-based systems is hard.
Regarding Elementary, could it be that the project is abandoned? Although this statement is not true, I think it is a good offer.
Ubuntu Studio
Regarding those distros that you have put (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, ElementaryOS, etc.)… what if we sacrifice a little aesthetics for greater stability? The more solid a distribution is, that is, something close to Debian Stable, and the novice user sees that after the passage of months he has zero problems, that is when he will have no doubt that GNU Linux is his operating system. That's what happened to me when I installed Lubuntu (look how ugly it was!) on my Mac Mini, together with the apple operating system and realized that it was much faster and more robust than the latter.
I am now with MX Linux for about 4 years now and ZERO problems.
Well, it's very clear, the new Ubuntu has been Linux mint for a long time, I don't see the doubt anywhere, for a novice it's the best.
As always, the best of the user-friendly distributions that I know (and I've tried them all) is missing, and I don't understand why it is not taken into account for users who come to GNU/Linux. Mageia in any of your desktop environments is a marvel, in terms of hardware detection and ease of use.
Many of those that you indicate here need more terminal for things, in which in Mageia everything can be done easily and graphically. Only the Control Center that it has makes any of these pale for many configurations….
I have a question, what is missing from Manjaro for content creation?
Nothing.
But Ubuntu Studio comes pre-installed with everything I need and is core optimized for multimedia production.
I think you have not tried Fedora, otherwise, it would be the first on the list.
It is simply a super polished system, I dare to say that in GNU/Linux it is the only distribution capable of standing as a (real) alternative to Windows or MacOS.
It doesn't have any inconsistencies, which can't be said for the other distributions on the list:
– Ubuntu and its modified GNOME with inconsistencies due to Dash to Dock, etc. By modifying GNOME, which has its own way of working, you create precisely inconsistencies everywhere.
Add the Snap crap and the usual Ubuntu errors, as always XD.
– Manjaro, trying to adapt something created without a doubt for advanced users (rolling) for new users = after updates… BREAK SYSTEM!!!!!!
It is not feasible for new users (or production teams), who will not know what to do in such cases.
Also, it has many bugs, translation errors, they modify everything they touch (creating visual inconsistencies), it's full of bloatware. In conclusion, an unprofessional system.
Shame to see how there are people who recommend Manjaro for users who are new to Linux.
– KDE Neon and Pop!_OS, if they have their own well-earned merit. But it should (KDE Neon) stop relying on Ubuntu and go directly to Debian stable and Pop!_OS in Debian testing.
There are tons of reasons for these changes, for example the future that Ubuntu wants to bring with its distro (everything (literally) packed into Snap)
– ElementaryOS, filler distro saved by Pantheon DE.
– Linux Mint, great distribution back in time. Renovation, old.
Yes I tried it.
The reason it's not there is because I find the Anaconda installer a bit confusing. Ditto installing additional repositories.
Fedora is not on the list because the article is about newbie distros and Fedora is a great distro, but it is nowhere near the new Ubuntu. To a novice you cannot recommend a distro that is not super stable and stable and many are all Ubuntu or based on it. Fedora is my favorite distro, but look where, even though it's my favorite distro, I don't use it, why? Because Fedora breaks, sooner or later it's going to break, because it's a distro that innovates a lot and goes Very close to the knife edge, it is practically a rolling, although it is not supposed to be, but it is, because it is as innovative as or more innovative than arch. Arch breaks, fedora breaks. And the Ubuntus LTS do not break, so ideal for a novice. You don't have to sell smoke to newbies, you have to go with the truth ahead of them and if you advise Fedora, they will run away, one thing is that you like it and another is to be a fanatic and not see reality, I love Fedora, but sooner or later it's going to break, just the same, they take more care of the package and they take it out 2 weeks later than arch, because they check it, but it's still going to break sooner or later. Manjaro let me down at the time and Fedora too. But the Ubuntu LTS have never let me down. If you want to be more or less up-to-date and not be broken, Debian testing is obviously not for newbies, neither testing nor stable. But it doesn't break, test has only the name, the test packages are highly reviewed, the test packages, at best, can give you small problems, but it is serious that your system will never break, because those packages are the ones that later they will go to the stable version, example in arch or in Fedora you will walk with the 5.17 kernel and in testing we are in 5.16, they are always one kernel behind more or less, they are more careful. I know people who have been testing for 20 years and have never had a single problem, I have been testing for years and still zero problems, but it is clear that it is not the new Ubuntu.
I have been using Fedora faithfully since version 34 and it has never given me a single problem, it has never broken, on the other hand, Ubuntu yes, Manjaro yes.
I recently bought a modern gaming laptop, with the Fedora 36 beta no problem, on the other hand with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, quite a few problems.
In Fedora it is easy to update from the store to a new version (developers care a lot about it), in Ubuntu… difficult.
Wayland, PipeWire, BTRFS, zram, Fatpak, GNOME (the desktop that represents Linux), atomic updates, etc… all of these solve great historical problems in GNU/Linux.
Meanwhile, Ubuntu continues to use the X11 ballast and other technologies that should have been dead for years.
Fedora is the only distribution that takes care of every aspect of itself and with each new version they only get better. It's just neat.
There is no other distribution capable of standing as a real alternative to Windows or MacOS.
Having Red Hat as a sponsor weighs heavily.
I have always installed the xubuntu LTS of the moment, and it is also the distro that I use both personally and professionally. I won't say that it's the best (for that I have to compare all of them and it doesn't give me the time), but it is stable and that no "novice" user has had problems using it. The graphic part is modified with themes to make it more beautiful and work.