People wanting to try Linux for the first time are often confused because there are literally hundreds of distributions. Since Linux is open source software, anyone can modify and distribute it.


While they are all somewhat similar, like anything else there are some Linux distributions preferred by those in the know.

Majorgeeks member ‘rustysavage’ just asked about this in our forums and the geeks immediately responded.

Some of the favorites suggested include Puppy, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Mint, SuSe, and Mandriva if you want to test some out. Don’t forget to look for what are called “live” versions meaning you can boot and run Linux from a CD or DVD and not be commited. It’s a fun way to test it without risk. A good place to start with your first Live CD here would be LinuxLive USB Creator which is an easy to use application designed to enable you to create a bootable Live USB key with a Linux on it.

However, it was also pointed out that there is a Linux Distribution Chooser at http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/ and that’s one of the coolest ideas I have ever seen. You answer a series of questions and it will help you pick the distribution that’s right for you. I tested it out, changing my answers and watched how it led me in the right direction.

If you have any further questions, or just want to see what the other geeks have to say, check out the thread on our forums at http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=282191