Anyone use Linux?

[Farmduck]

What's the appropriate Linux product for basic home PC - web browsing, downloading music, playing music, music recording.

 

I believe there are different Linux OS's depending on how complex your intended uses are. Anyone know?

[metallithrax]

Linux Mint would probably be a good place to start.

 

There are a few variations of it, but any of them should be a good starting point.  Lots of help and info in their forums as well.

[Farmduck]

Thanks. I noticed they seemed to have versions for developers and a Linux Scientific among others. I want my screen time to be about as complicated as boiling a kettle. Any more than that and I lose interest.

[metallithrax]

If you choose one of the 4 on the main page you should be fine.  If you need help, their forums are good and also the website neowin.net also have a good linux help sub-forum.

 

I have used Mint in the past and it is very good.  Haven't tried version 17 yet though.

 

Also, you can run Mint from the CD/DVD to try it out before any install, and can install it alongside Windows if you want.

[RidingPie]

I used to use Ubuntu and it was fairly decent.

[metallithrax]

I used to use Ubuntu and it was fairly decent.

I tried Ubuntu a while ago and liked it.  Mint uses Ubuntu as a base for most of its versions and also has a Debian based version.

 

Now that distro's are using software managers to install/uninstall programs it means that users don't have to worry about command line commands for the majority of things.  You just search for it in the manager and click the install button.  There is also the PlayOnLinux feature which is an easier to use version of WINE and allows some windows software to run on linux.