What is a Distro?
Think of Android as the base operating system, like Linux. Just like there are different Linux distros, there are also different versions of Android made by different companies, such as Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi. Each version of Android has its own features and design, just like each Linux distro has its own features and design.
Some Android versions are more popular than others, just like some Linux distros are more popular than others. For example, Google’s Android version is used on many devices and is well-known, just like Ubuntu is a well-known Linux distro.
Just like you can customize Android by downloading apps, you can also customize a Linux distro by downloading different software and tools. Some Linux distros may have more or less software available, just like some Android versions may have more or less apps available.
Overall, Linux distros are like different versions of Android, each with their own unique features and design, and they can be customized by downloading software and tools.
Who should try Linux?
People who use their computers for basic tasks like web browsing, email, word processing, and watching videos may not notice much change when switching from Windows to Linux. This is because many popular web browsers, email clients, and productivity software, like LibreOffice, are available on both operating systems.
Moreover, Linux distros often come with pre-installed software that is similar to what is available on Windows. For instance, Linux distros typically include a file manager, media player, and system settings app, just like Windows.
However, users who depend on specific Windows-only software or have extensive experience with Windows-specific tools may find the transition to Linux more challenging. Additionally, some hardware components may not be fully supported by Linux, which could cause issues for certain users.
For example, Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite don’t have Linux ports, and many games don’t have Linux ports either, although some unsupported games can be played through Steam Proton.
If you enjoy experimentation, testing, and getting technical, you would likely appreciate Linux because it lets you customize almost every aspect of the GUI, desktop environment, and even the terminal appearance.
As a beginner in Linux myself, I am learning as I write, and I haven’t delved into desktop environment and terminal customizations yet. Some good starting points for Linux would be:
Linux Mint: It’s really similar to Windows in appearance and naming of settings, and it was the distro I tried first and played with the most.
Elementary OS: It looks more like macOS, and I haven’t used it much, but it doesn’t overwhelm you with tons of settings and stuff.
POP!_OS: It is one of the most popular distros, and although it may look a bit strange at first, it is quite polished. I have yet to try it myself, though.
Manjaro KDE: It is currently the distro I am testing, and first of all, it looks really good to me. It also has ALL the customizations in the settings, which may be overwhelming, and I have yet to try even a quarter of those settings. But it is quite good out-of-the-box.
I will be going into more detail on distros and my experience with Manjaro and Mint in a different article.
