---
title: There are no beginner GNU/Linux distributions
topics: ["gnu/linux", "linux", "free software", "opinion"]
DATE: 2024-11-10
---

I see this so often and it's so wrong. That if you know GNU/Linux, you must
switch to Arch, Gentoo, Fedora, OpenSUSE or at least Debian. That if you use
Mint or Ubuntu, you're not a real GNU/Linux user.

These distributions happen to be perfect for someone who hasn't used GNU/Linux
before: everything can be done graphically, they have lots of apps in the
repository and a large community. But this isn't Android; you aren't forced to
not use the terminal, add your own repositories, modify the kernel, or compile
your own software.

I use Linux Mint, but not because I can't use Debian or Arch. I use it because,
besides being user-friendly and having introduced me to GNU/Linux, it is very
stable, Cinnamon is a good desktop (not perfect, but good), it has a good
community, supports most hardware, is very customisable, and most importantly,
the developers are really nice, and not doing stupid things for profit.

Distribution 'difficulty' is not about how smart you have to be to use it, but
about how much time you're willing to spend in order for it to work. You can
still customise any (regular) distribution to your liking; the 'beginner' ones
are just easier to get started with. But there's no reason why one should be
ashamed of using a 'beginner-friendly' distribution, if they like it.