When people ask me for a "user-friendly" or newbie-friendly Linux Desktop experience, I recommend either Elementary OS or Mint Cinnamon Edition, depending if th

When people ask me for a "user-friendly" or newbie-friendly Linux Desktop experience, I recommend either Elementary OS or Mint Cinnamon Edition, depending if they are coming from macOS or Windows, respectively. This is true so long as they're not in some need to always be using the latest kernel or packages (e.g. casually curious desktop user, or developers looking to use standard interblag languages/tools). People who are setting up the machine for their parents or aunt or uncle, or who are just wanting to "get into Linux" by using it some of the time. Both of them focus on an approachable UX, OOTB functionality, and stability. Updates tend to be minor desktop-centric improvements, building on the same kernel and base packages over a year-and-some period, as they are both built on top of Ubuntu LTS. Things change less often, so they break less often. If they really do desire some newer software version that isn't backed by the Ubuntu LTS, the PPA system is there to fall back on. It's certainly no AUR, but for people who want a very middle-of-the-road experience, where the OS gets out of your way so you can get things done, it's a decent balance. I have not experienced the version upgrade experience in Elementary for a while, but in Mint I have had better experiences with version upgrades than with any other non-rolling desktop distro. Reliable version upgrades are an under-appreciated aspect by longtime Linux nerds (myself included) who think nothing of a quick backup and re-install because of segmented /home partitions, have self-hosted backup systems, or other such advanced configurations. It is the main reason I don't recommend the non-LTS Ubuntu desktops, because of the number of times I have seen the upgrade go awry for less savvy users, e.g. from 17.04 to 17.10. As a final note, the only reason I don't recommend Pop! or Ubuntu itself, is how unfamiliar the GNOME interface metaphors tend to feel to newbies. I realize other people completely disagree with this approach when recommending Linux distros.