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The other day I was considering switch my mom's PC from Windows to Linux. She is the type of user who do almost everything on the browser (Gmail, Google Docs, G

The other day I was considering switch my mom's PC from Windows to Linux. She is the type of user who do almost everything on the browser (Gmail, Google Docs, Google Photos, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, read stuff), off the cloud maybe some MP3, photos and documents; I mean, no command lines, no read tutorials to do something, no annoyances, easy to give up on something with too much steps. I was considering installing the distro Elementary OS or Ubuntu. Do you think that Fedora can be a good option too? Which of the three is best for that user case? A thing to consider is that her laptop is a bit old, from 2005-2010 I think. I remember that has 2 GB of RAM. She upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and say that now runs faster than before. The new OS shouldn't run slower than Windows 10. I'm on a decision paralysis because on Elementary OS I see most simplicity (OS X in mind), in Ubuntu more speed and trust that is not going to crash (large user base), and now I discover Fedora and see that can have a good mix of both. Let me know what you think. Thanks! Links: http://elementary.io http://elementary.io http://ubuntu.com/desktop http://ubuntu.com/desktop http://getfedora.org/en/workstation/ http://getfedora.org/en/workstation/

okasaki 11y ago
I'd recommend Xubuntu LTS. It's has Ubuntu's big community, is fast and stable, and comes with a familiar interface.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  Second person that recommends Xubuntu, I will check it ;) Many options to evaluate is stressing me out haha.
kragniz 11y ago
My parents use linux mint, which has a familiar feeling desktop (cinnamon) if you come from the windows world. It has a big enough user base in it's own right, and being an ubuntu (and derivatively debian) based distro, it's easy to find help on issues.
- escherplex 11y ago
  aside: a useful accessory for a mixed OS environment where a not-overly-tech-savvy couple want the ability to transfer files between Linux Mint and Win machines via a router live is an app called Dukto URL: http://www.msec.it/blog/ http://www.msec.it/blog/ heaven forbid the neighbor typing a to-do list on a linux laptop by the pool would have to physically get up and show the list to her mate who's web surfing on Win8 in the air conditioned den :-) And a lite samba server would not have been a good solution in this setup. Dukto transfer rate appeared to hover around 25MB/s.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  I will check Linux Mint too. OMG so many options to evaluate. Remembers me the Guardian's article Why too much choice is stressing us out http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/21/choice-stressing-us-out-dating-partners-monopolies http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/21/choice-s...
thewhitetulip 11y ago
elementary is awesome, but chromebook is what you should be using
reidrac 11y ago
Fedora is a nice desktop distro, but the versions are supported for 18 months and that's really inconvenient. Upgrades to the next version have improved, but is not as smooth as Debian/Ubuntu (in my experience). For my mom, I use an Ubuntu LTS :)
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  +1 to Ubuntu on my list :) Thanks!
sandGorgon 11y ago
Try each one! I'm not sure if you are aware, but Linux allows you to run any desktop as a liveUSB. This means that you plug a specially created USB drive (that take 5 minutes) into your PC and boot from the USB drive. You get to try out the Desktop for as long as you like and it does not touch the OS that is installed on your hard disk. Its a great and addictive way to try out a lot of different Linux flavors!
xorcist 11y ago
Some have an infatuation with constantly trying out distributions that I don't understand. They are the ones who compile your software, so you need to trust them. On my personal PCs I've run Debian since almost 20 years (has it really been that long..?). It needs to work, all the time. For parents and other relatives I've installed Ubuntu, though. Mostly because it's seen an incomparable amount of third party support. Spotify, Chrome, and some other tools publish Ubuntu repositories, so those things Just Work. You can then set up them with whatever desktop you find useful, but the farther you stray from vanilla default the more you risk things to break on upgrading, and you're the one doing the support. How do you know something called "Elementary" can even be upgraded? That it'll be around in five years? I briefly look at Mint, as it was essentially Ubuntu, but they don't support upgrades at all. So I'd say install Ubuntu or Fedora, and go with what you know and what has the most users. Do all the upgrades yourself when you have time for it. They're usually straightforward, but might inform the user of things or ask questions a casual user is not prepared to understand.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  Thanks for your opinion, +1 to Ubuntu on my list :)
noja 11y ago
Get her a Chromebook
- zxcvcxz 11y ago
  Why?
  - noja 11y ago
    She does almost everything in the browser, user support is a breeze, automatic backup, updates, etc. Cheap.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  She is fine with Windows 10. My intention is switch her to an nonproprietary OS that can match her current experience on Windows.
embik 11y ago
As an elementary OS contributor _and_ Fedora user, I guess this is my time to shine, hu? It really depends on your use case. I've heard quite a bit positive feedback about elementary OS for "computer illiterate" (parents, old people, etc). It seems to "just work" for them after installation (bear with me I really can't judge about "ease of use" after years with Linux) and it's running on Ubuntu LTS versions. You're running apt-get to install security fixes, the current version of Firefox/Chrome and fixes provided by the elementary OS team, and that's basically it. Fedora on the other hand is "the latest hot thing". It has by far the best GNOME3 integration and it previews technical features worked on by Red Hat and GNOME. It also features recent kernel versions which might be important for new-ish hardware. All that is quite awesome for technical-minded people like me. I'd like to say "it's unstable", but in my experience, it's not. I did not do the 22 -> 23 transition yet though. You have to do some additional work for the frequent new versions (backup everything in case it breaks, try the transition, etc). You also have to fiddle around with GNOME addons, font rendering and media codecs (RPMFusion as third-party provider) to make it usable as "personal computer" IMHO. In the end it's up to you. I do believe your mom will be able to work with both (you'll need to tweak GNOME a bit IMHO, but that's up to discussion I guess), but you'll have to deal with different administrative workloads.
- izacus 11y ago
  I've started vastly prefereing eOS for my family members not because of technology, but because the bundled eOS applications have greatly stripped down functionality and UI - I've noticed that the dock with essential apps coupled with simple interface of "Files" makes people more comfortable.
  - embik 11y ago
    To be fair, GNOME is heading the same direction. And I love it! A lot of Linux users are unhappy with this trend because it takes away features they use. But it's great to click through very intuitive and easy-use applications to do common tasks and everyday use. I don't need any manuals for GUI applications because their UX is so great! If I need to do something more complex, I'm just switching to Terminal. It's a symbiosis I really enjoy, even as an "power user".
reitanqild 11y ago
I gave up on fedora around 17 I think after it broke again for no obvious reason. (I'm not a expert sysadmin but I have been running Linux servers in production since 2009 and used Linux workstations on and off since 2003-ish.) Happy to hear if anyone knows if stability has improved since then.
rogeryu 11y ago
Upgrade the laptop with an SSD if you haven't already. If you do that at the same time when you switch to Linux, it will boost her experience and trust. I'm thinking about this as well. My mother uses Windows 7 with Firefox, Thunderbird for mail, LibreOffice and Windows Photo Gallery. I think Ubuntu LTS with the Unity desktop is the best choice. Mint is an option. In my experience Fedora/Centos is much more work installing applications. That may be my lack of experience with using Centos for desktop. If it's only about the browser, it won't matter much, and then your experience is leading. I have a Lenovo laptop with 2GB RAM and Ubuntu 14.04 installed on SSD. It stalls many times. You need 4GB RAM. It will work on that laptop, but with issues, probably the same issues she has now. Better buy a new cheap laptop and make sure it has at least 4GB RAM. Be careful with UEFI - it can cause many headaches when you want to install Linux. It took me more than a month to get it working. Last tip: Try to find a laptop that has a proven record to work with Linux. Not all laptops qualify, have a modified motherboard or graphics card etc. The old laptop can be tested with a live stick.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  Thanks for your opinion and tips. Upgrade the PC (SSD or more RAM) I think is not an option, because if she/I spend any money/time on that is better to buy a new one, buy individual parts on my country is a little bit expensive. +1 to Ubuntu on my list :) I will try with the Live CD/Stick if the PC qualifies.
mhd 11y ago
My mom moved from a Mac Mini (PPC) to an old Core2Duo with Fedora not too long ago, and I'm pretty happy with the result. As I got her to use Chrome before, anything browser based wasn't a big switch, but I was worried a bit about moving on from iPhoto. But shotwell is pretty great in that regard, being a bit of a clone in the first place... I don't see a big advantage in Elementary when it comes to simplicity. GNOME itself ain't exactly overloaded with options, it's just that E tries very hard to appease the Mac folks. So it's mostly aimed at already computer literate minimalists, more than the computer semi-literate. I'm also not too excited about the support, even compared to other alternative desktops. And with GNOME extensions & tweaks, it's quite easy to adapt to different usage patterns, e.g. if someone really wants desktop icons, a fixed dock or a taskbar. I was really surprised about how easy it went. Definitely recommend it. And if something goes wrong that you don't know anything about (odd hardware probs, software you're not using yourself), it's always easier to find help for Fedora and Ubuntu distros and default desktops. Someone should really make a distro spin intended for relatives and friends, where everything just comes ready with remote support, desktop sharing etc.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  Thanks for your opinion, +1 to Fedora on my list :)
andor 11y ago
Take the one with the longest support period. Instead of Fedora, you might want to try CentOS.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  CentOS, OMG other option to evaluate, this is getting crazy. Thanks for your suggestion. I have to set priorities on each OS to test, I don't have too much time to install/test different distros. Also I don't want to make her try many distros and have to experience different learning curves, she will hate me and say "fuck off with your nonproprietary software and bring me back to Windows 10" hahah.
noir_lord 11y ago
Switched my mum to Xubuntu over two years ago, so far I've had two support calls (down from about one/two per month plus totally breaking it fairly regulary with Windows). 9/10 - Would penguinise again.
- pablo-massa 11y ago
  Then I will check Xubuntu too. Thanks.
  - noir_lord 11y ago
    Xubuntu has been exceptionally stable for me, my mum is on 14.04 (which was the last LTS) since she doesn't do anything exotic, I'm on 15.04 and will likely move to 16.04, I tend to avoid the x.10 before a LTS as they shove lots of stuff in to make the LTS release so I'd suggest 14.04 or 15.04 with a view to upgrading to 16.04 at some point early next year.
z987 11y ago
Installed Ubuntu 11.10, had no tech calls since... Now I would rather advice to go Debian w/ Mate desktop. Debian testing is stable and very reasonable, Mate seems golden middle between XFCE/GNOME/Cinnamon.

okasaki 11y ago

I'd recommend Xubuntu LTS. It's has Ubuntu's big community, is fast and stable, and comes with a familiar interface.

pablo-massa 11y ago
Second person that recommends Xubuntu, I will check it ;) Many options to evaluate is stressing me out haha.

kragniz 11y ago

My parents use linux mint, which has a familiar feeling desktop (cinnamon) if you come from the windows world. It has a big enough user base in it's own right, and being an ubuntu (and derivatively debian) based distro, it's easy to find help on issues.

escherplex 11y ago
aside: a useful accessory for a mixed OS environment where a not-overly-tech-savvy couple want the ability to transfer files between Linux Mint and Win machines via a router live is an app called Dukto URL: http://www.msec.it/blog/ http://www.msec.it/blog/ heaven forbid the neighbor typing a to-do list on a linux laptop by the pool would have to physically get up and show the list to her mate who's web surfing on Win8 in the air conditioned den :-) And a lite samba server would not have been a good solution in this setup. Dukto transfer rate appeared to hover around 25MB/s.
pablo-massa 11y ago
I will check Linux Mint too. OMG so many options to evaluate. Remembers me the Guardian's article Why too much choice is stressing us out http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/21/choice-stressing-us-out-dating-partners-monopolies http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/oct/21/choice-s...

thewhitetulip 11y ago

elementary is awesome, but chromebook is what you should be using

reidrac 11y ago

Fedora is a nice desktop distro, but the versions are supported for 18 months and that's really inconvenient. Upgrades to the next version have improved, but is not as smooth as Debian/Ubuntu (in my experience). For my mom, I use an Ubuntu LTS :)

pablo-massa 11y ago
+1 to Ubuntu on my list :) Thanks!

sandGorgon 11y ago

Try each one! I'm not sure if you are aware, but Linux allows you to run any desktop as a liveUSB. This means that you plug a specially created USB drive (that take 5 minutes) into your PC and boot from the USB drive. You get to try out the Desktop for as long as you like and it does not touch the OS that is installed on your hard disk. Its a great and addictive way to try out a lot of different Linux flavors!

xorcist 11y ago

Some have an infatuation with constantly trying out distributions that I don't understand. They are the ones who compile your software, so you need to trust them. On my personal PCs I've run Debian since almost 20 years (has it really been that long..?). It needs to work, all the time. For parents and other relatives I've installed Ubuntu, though. Mostly because it's seen an incomparable amount of third party support. Spotify, Chrome, and some other tools publish Ubuntu repositories, so those things Just Work. You can then set up them with whatever desktop you find useful, but the farther you stray from vanilla default the more you risk things to break on upgrading, and you're the one doing the support. How do you know something called "Elementary" can even be upgraded? That it'll be around in five years? I briefly look at Mint, as it was essentially Ubuntu, but they don't support upgrades at all. So I'd say install Ubuntu or Fedora, and go with what you know and what has the most users. Do all the upgrades yourself when you have time for it. They're usually straightforward, but might inform the user of things or ask questions a casual user is not prepared to understand.

pablo-massa 11y ago
Thanks for your opinion, +1 to Ubuntu on my list :)

noja 11y ago

Get her a Chromebook

zxcvcxz 11y ago
Why?
- noja 11y ago
  She does almost everything in the browser, user support is a breeze, automatic backup, updates, etc. Cheap.
pablo-massa 11y ago
She is fine with Windows 10. My intention is switch her to an nonproprietary OS that can match her current experience on Windows.

embik 11y ago

As an elementary OS contributor _and_ Fedora user, I guess this is my time to shine, hu? It really depends on your use case. I've heard quite a bit positive feedback about elementary OS for "computer illiterate" (parents, old people, etc). It seems to "just work" for them after installation (bear with me I really can't judge about "ease of use" after years with Linux) and it's running on Ubuntu LTS versions. You're running apt-get to install security fixes, the current version of Firefox/Chrome and fixes provided by the elementary OS team, and that's basically it. Fedora on the other hand is "the latest hot thing". It has by far the best GNOME3 integration and it previews technical features worked on by Red Hat and GNOME. It also features recent kernel versions which might be important for new-ish hardware. All that is quite awesome for technical-minded people like me. I'd like to say "it's unstable", but in my experience, it's not. I did not do the 22 -> 23 transition yet though. You have to do some additional work for the frequent new versions (backup everything in case it breaks, try the transition, etc). You also have to fiddle around with GNOME addons, font rendering and media codecs (RPMFusion as third-party provider) to make it usable as "personal computer" IMHO. In the end it's up to you. I do believe your mom will be able to work with both (you'll need to tweak GNOME a bit IMHO, but that's up to discussion I guess), but you'll have to deal with different administrative workloads.

izacus 11y ago
I've started vastly prefereing eOS for my family members not because of technology, but because the bundled eOS applications have greatly stripped down functionality and UI - I've noticed that the dock with essential apps coupled with simple interface of "Files" makes people more comfortable.
- embik 11y ago
  To be fair, GNOME is heading the same direction. And I love it! A lot of Linux users are unhappy with this trend because it takes away features they use. But it's great to click through very intuitive and easy-use applications to do common tasks and everyday use. I don't need any manuals for GUI applications because their UX is so great! If I need to do something more complex, I'm just switching to Terminal. It's a symbiosis I really enjoy, even as an "power user".

reitanqild 11y ago

I gave up on fedora around 17 I think after it broke again for no obvious reason. (I'm not a expert sysadmin but I have been running Linux servers in production since 2009 and used Linux workstations on and off since 2003-ish.) Happy to hear if anyone knows if stability has improved since then.

rogeryu 11y ago

Upgrade the laptop with an SSD if you haven't already. If you do that at the same time when you switch to Linux, it will boost her experience and trust. I'm thinking about this as well. My mother uses Windows 7 with Firefox, Thunderbird for mail, LibreOffice and Windows Photo Gallery. I think Ubuntu LTS with the Unity desktop is the best choice. Mint is an option. In my experience Fedora/Centos is much more work installing applications. That may be my lack of experience with using Centos for desktop. If it's only about the browser, it won't matter much, and then your experience is leading. I have a Lenovo laptop with 2GB RAM and Ubuntu 14.04 installed on SSD. It stalls many times. You need 4GB RAM. It will work on that laptop, but with issues, probably the same issues she has now. Better buy a new cheap laptop and make sure it has at least 4GB RAM. Be careful with UEFI - it can cause many headaches when you want to install Linux. It took me more than a month to get it working. Last tip: Try to find a laptop that has a proven record to work with Linux. Not all laptops qualify, have a modified motherboard or graphics card etc. The old laptop can be tested with a live stick.

pablo-massa 11y ago
Thanks for your opinion and tips. Upgrade the PC (SSD or more RAM) I think is not an option, because if she/I spend any money/time on that is better to buy a new one, buy individual parts on my country is a little bit expensive. +1 to Ubuntu on my list :) I will try with the Live CD/Stick if the PC qualifies.

mhd 11y ago

My mom moved from a Mac Mini (PPC) to an old Core2Duo with Fedora not too long ago, and I'm pretty happy with the result. As I got her to use Chrome before, anything browser based wasn't a big switch, but I was worried a bit about moving on from iPhoto. But shotwell is pretty great in that regard, being a bit of a clone in the first place... I don't see a big advantage in Elementary when it comes to simplicity. GNOME itself ain't exactly overloaded with options, it's just that E tries very hard to appease the Mac folks. So it's mostly aimed at already computer literate minimalists, more than the computer semi-literate. I'm also not too excited about the support, even compared to other alternative desktops. And with GNOME extensions & tweaks, it's quite easy to adapt to different usage patterns, e.g. if someone really wants desktop icons, a fixed dock or a taskbar. I was really surprised about how easy it went. Definitely recommend it. And if something goes wrong that you don't know anything about (odd hardware probs, software you're not using yourself), it's always easier to find help for Fedora and Ubuntu distros and default desktops. Someone should really make a distro spin intended for relatives and friends, where everything just comes ready with remote support, desktop sharing etc.

pablo-massa 11y ago
Thanks for your opinion, +1 to Fedora on my list :)

andor 11y ago

Take the one with the longest support period. Instead of Fedora, you might want to try CentOS.

pablo-massa 11y ago
CentOS, OMG other option to evaluate, this is getting crazy. Thanks for your suggestion. I have to set priorities on each OS to test, I don't have too much time to install/test different distros. Also I don't want to make her try many distros and have to experience different learning curves, she will hate me and say "fuck off with your nonproprietary software and bring me back to Windows 10" hahah.

noir_lord 11y ago

Switched my mum to Xubuntu over two years ago, so far I've had two support calls (down from about one/two per month plus totally breaking it fairly regulary with Windows). 9/10 - Would penguinise again.

pablo-massa 11y ago
Then I will check Xubuntu too. Thanks.
- noir_lord 11y ago
  Xubuntu has been exceptionally stable for me, my mum is on 14.04 (which was the last LTS) since she doesn't do anything exotic, I'm on 15.04 and will likely move to 16.04, I tend to avoid the x.10 before a LTS as they shove lots of stuff in to make the LTS release so I'd suggest 14.04 or 15.04 with a view to upgrading to 16.04 at some point early next year.

z987 11y ago

Installed Ubuntu 11.10, had no tech calls since... Now I would rather advice to go Debian w/ Mate desktop. Debian testing is stable and very reasonable, Mate seems golden middle between XFCE/GNOME/Cinnamon.