Which Linux should I use?

[wallyg]

With Windows 10 coming to an end, I started to look to buy a new computer to replace my current older computer that I have extensively upgraded. I am retired and just cannot justify the costs required to duplicate what I have. So I thought that maybe I would convert the current machine to Linux.

I have been programming PCs since DOS 3.0. I even remember the original win 1.0. Still play solitaire.

I have never used Linux, so I am looking for a version that is similar to what I have used all these years and easy to convert my windows 10 machine and easy to keep up to date. I do not need a lot of software. A good version of FreeBasic, a good browser similar to Chrome that I use. I already use LibreOffice. A good media player that can rip CDs to a hard drive and play ripped songs. I also use GTK 3.24 a LOT.

Suggestions would be most helpful. And why the recommended version is what I should use. And suggestions on additional software that I might add would be nice.

Thank you in advance for any help you might provide. I am sure I would be asking many questions during and aftr the process.

Wally

[SMC]

I like Linux Mint. When I made the jump myself I was using Win 8 and was just looking for something that worked like Windows XP. Linux Mint has a bootable USB you can play around with before you install it. You might take a look at Zorin OS and Linux Lite also.

[PaulSquires]

I've used all sorts of Linux distributions. Debian based, Arch based, and RedHat (Fedora) based.

Debian based distros are always a great choice for a new user to try. Ubuntu or Mint seem to be the most popular.

Arch is a rolling release so the packages and kernel get updated all the time. Probably too often because updates can break your installation and then you're struggling to fix it.

RedHat / Fedora. A good middle ground between Debian and Arch. Updates are frequent enough that the system is not stale, but not so often that it risks breaking. I personally use Fedora Workstation.

Once you decide on an underlying distribution, you need to decide on a desktop manager. The most popular are KDE Plasma and Gnome. There are others like XFCE, Cinnamon, and tiling/floating window managers. For an ex-Windows user, KDE Plasma will feel very familiar. Gnome has more of an Apple Mac feel. Personally, I use KDE Plasma but you can easily install both and switch between them. Keep an eye out for the Cosmic desktop that is currently in alpha. That may prove to be a good substitution to replace Gnome.

The display manager / compositor situation has evolved to where Wayland has taken the lead and is fast becoming the standard. X11 will be phased out from most distros.

The FB Compiler packages are prepackaged for various Linux flavours. On Fedora, I was getting a annoying message every time I executed FBC (missing symbol table information) so I simply compiled the FBC compiled from source. The FB Help file has a good section in it that outlines the various packages that you need to install before you run the make script.

I don't have software recommendations because there are tons of free open source stuff available and it is fun to play with all the different options.

These are simply my opinions. Ask me again tomorrow and I'll probably feel different.

[RetardedAndProud]

You could also search for some flavour that has a live CD/DVD/USB image that you can try to get a basic idea of what might be good for you before you jump into an install.

[dmontaine]

CachyOS has freebasic in it's repositories. Easy install.