Linux distro for install alongside Windows

[anirbandutta01]

Ubuntu / Kubuntu / Ubuntu Mate which is the best distro to install alongside Windows 10 based on my desktop configuration ?

Desktop configuration -
8 GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB HDD, 128GB SSD (installed Windows 10 Pro X64 22H2 on SSD) Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz 3.09 GHz

Please suggest. Thanks in advance.

 

[ForgottenSeer 109138]

Ubuntu / Kubuntu / Ubuntu Mate which is the best distro to install alongside Windows 10 based on my desktop configuration ?

Desktop configuration -
8 GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB HDD, 128GB SSD (installed Windows 10 Pro X64 22H2 on SSD) Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz 3.09 GHz

Please suggest. Thanks in advance.

They all require at least a dual core at 2GHz and 4GB Ram and at least a minimum of 25GB Hard drive.

This said Ubuntu and Mate usually both feel lighter the KDE, although I'm hearing KDE is becoming smoother and lighter recently. So it would depend on your uses and needs as well as your preference. It might be best to try them out as Live Linux "without installation" on flashdrive.

 

[lokamoka820]

I tried them all and other Ubuntu flavors too, and from my experience I can tell the following:

Kubuntu and KDE Plasma in general the heaviest of them, it make my CPU hot faster than any other desktop environment.

Ubuntu Mate by far is the lightest between them, but if feels old compared to other two, and its development is the slowest between them, so you will not get new features with every release, it aims to continue the Gnome 2 for people who used to it and don't like to change for something new.

Ubuntu on the other hand is heavy compared to Ubuntu Mate, but I feel Gnome is way better in managing resource usage more than KDE Plasma, and here I mean usage in general not when cold boot, to make it more clearly, when you open Kubuntu it may take about 600 mb RAM but usage will be sluggish and RAM will rise fast, but with Ubuntu it will start about 1 GB, but everything will be smooth all the time, CPU usage is better in Gnome (Ubuntu) than Kubuntu (KDE Plasma) all the time.

So if you look for lightest it will be: Ubuntu Mate > Ubuntu > Kubuntu.

Personally I am in love with Gnome desktop, but you have to know it is made for shortcuts users not for mouse or touchpad, if you want to use Gnome features in a traditional way (with mouse) I recommend you check Ubuntu Budgie, it takes Gnome and make it lighter and traditional, it combines Gnome and Mate somehow and add more features with every release.

 

[Azazel]

Ubuntu / Kubuntu / Ubuntu Mate which is the best distro to install alongside Windows 10 based on my desktop configuration ?

Desktop configuration -
8 GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB HDD, 128GB SSD (installed Windows 10 Pro X64 22H2 on SSD) Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU @ 3.10GHz 3.09 GHz

Please suggest. Thanks in advance.

Why not use Windows Subsystem for Linux?​

 

[ForgottenSeer 109138]

Why not use Windows Subsystem for Linux?​

That would be nice be way to approach this unless the user is looking for a full Linux distribution experience.

 

[Victor M]

Why not use Windows Subsystem for Linux?

A full Linux distro running in a VM is more secure - it is isolated. Especially if the user is inexperienced in Linux security. Linux is not infallable.

 

[Brahman]

I would suggest Fedora. It's updated more regularly and have the most up-to-date kernel and updates are mostly error free. I have faced much less issues with fedora than Ubuntu. If you want to dual boot install on two different hdd/SSD as it would not mess with efi partition of windows.

 

[ForgottenSeer 109138]

I would suggest Fedora. It's updated more regularly and have the most up-to-date kernel and updates are mostly error free. I have faced much less issues with fedora than Ubuntu. If you want to dual boot install on two different hdd/SSD as it would not mess with efi partition of windows.

Not only does fedora require a steep learning curve compared to Ubuntu but because it's cutting edge can require more resources, and it's not easy to install proprietary drivers, where as in Ubuntu makes this task much easier for those starting out in Linux.

 

[lokamoka820]

Not only does fedora require a steep learning curve compared to Ubuntu but because it's cutting edge can require more resources, and it's not easy to install proprietary drivers, where as in Ubuntu makes this task much easier for those starting out in Linux.

I never liked Fedora for the reasons you mentioned and more, and it was the heaviest among all distros I tried, and it is not for home users.

 

[arknoah]

why all that when you have debian..

debian is love, debian is life.

 

[Victor M]

Core(TM) i3-2100 CPU

For a machine that old, of that performance class, you should take a leap of faith and install your chosen Linux onto hardware, unless that is your main PC. You are going to struggle with it in VM unless you only restrict yourself to very basic tasks like browsing.

 

[Brahman]

Not only does fedora require a steep learning curve compared to Ubuntu but because it's cutting edge can require more resources, and it's not easy to install proprietary drivers, where as in Ubuntu makes this task much easier for those starting out in Linux.

It doesn't. Rather I find it easier than Ubuntu. In Fedora everything works, especially the app store. Just search for "ubuntu snap store issues" and you will find unending problems with it. The only one benefiting from a default Ubuntu installation is nvidia users. For others if they have an hour to spend Fedora offers lot more with less hassles.

 

[anirbandutta01]

I tried them all and other Ubuntu flavors too, and from my experience I can tell the following:

Kubuntu and KDE Plasma in general the heaviest of them, it make my CPU hot faster than any other desktop environment.

Ubuntu Mate by far is the lightest between them, but if feels old compared to other two, and its development is the slowest between them, so you will not get new features with every release, it aims to continue the Gnome 2 for people who used to it and don't like to change for something new.

Ubuntu on the other hand is heavy compared to Ubuntu Mate, but I feel Gnome is way better in managing resource usage more than KDE Plasma, and here I mean usage in general not when cold boot, to make it more clearly, when you open Kubuntu it may take about 600 mb RAM but usage will be sluggish and RAM will rise fast, but with Ubuntu it will start about 1 GB, but everything will be smooth all the time, CPU usage is better in Gnome (Ubuntu) than Kubuntu (KDE Plasma) all the time.

So if you look for lightest it will be: Ubuntu Mate > Ubuntu > Kubuntu.

Personally I am in love with Gnome desktop, but you have to know it is made for shortcuts users not for mouse or touchpad, if you want to use Gnome features in a traditional way (with mouse) I recommend you check Ubuntu Budgie, it takes Gnome and make it lighter and traditional, it combines Gnome and Mate somehow and add more features with every release.

So, Ubuntu MATE is lightest & better ?

 

[lokamoka820]

It doesn't. Rather I find it easier than Ubuntu. In Fedora everything works, especially the app store. Just search for "ubuntu snap store issues" and you will find unending problems with it. The only one benefiting from a default Ubuntu installation is nvidia users. For others if they have an hour to spend Fedora offers lot more with less hassles.

I agree that Ubuntu have problems and it is not the best, but for a home user RPM distros are not the best, Debian based distros are more comfortable and easier to find solutions and support compared to Fedora, and if you want latest updates, Arch based distros like Manjaro way better than fedora too, but I think with Flatpack packages you can get the latest software on any distro now, so stability is more important for a distro.

 

[lokamoka820]

So, Ubuntu MATE is lightest & better ?

Yes, Ubuntu Mate is the lightest and the most beginner friendly between all of them.

 

[Brahman]

I agree that Ubuntu have problems and it is not the best, but for a home user RPM distros are not the best, Debian based distros are more comfortable and easier to find solutions and support compared to Fedora, and if you want latest updates, Arch based distros like Manjaro way better than fedora too, but I think with Flatpack packages you can get the latest software on any distro now, so stability is more important for a distro.

Arch based distros like Manjaro way better than fedora

Not with stability, Arch based ones are not for beginners.

 

[lokamoka820]

Arch based ones are not for beginners.

Manjaro is very stable even if it is Arch based.

Here are a poll result from DistroWatch the most famous website for Linux user showing that Debian and Arch the most favorite parent distros among the others: Poll results for: My favourite parent distro is.

 

[Brahman]

Manjaro is very stable even if it is Arch based.

Here are a poll result from DistroWatch the most famous website for Linux user showing that Debian and Arch the most favorite parent distros among the others: Poll results for: My favourite parent distro is.

Distro watch is archaic. All they ever watch is just page hits nothing more. If that's the benchmark for you are going for , Good Luck with that. I'm Done.

 

[ForgottenSeer 109138]

As far as ease of use and hardware compatibility Ubuntu has always been better for beginners. This is to not state Fedora is not a good choice once a user becomes familiar with Linux and would want to run bleeding edge applications and OS.

When I first started with Ubuntu I generally used Synaptic Package Manager, I would install it first thing. I found most of them time, I could find packages much easier and install them this way then on Fedora which was limited on options in the Repos. This may have changed over time, but it is what I remember and why I went with Ubuntu over Fedora back then.

 

[lokamoka820]

As far as ease of use and hardware compatibility Ubuntu has always been better for beginners. This is to not state Fedora is not a good choice once a user becomes familiar with Linux and would want to run bleeding edge applications and OS.

When I first started with Ubuntu I generally used Synaptic Package Manager, I would install it first thing. I found most of them time, I could find packages much easier and install them this way then on Fedora which was limited on options in the Repos. This may have changed over time, but it is what I remember and why I went with Ubuntu over Fedora back then.

This is exactly my point of view, me personally don't like Ubuntu and use it for 2 months before moving to Debian and then never look back again, all statistics shows that Debian based distros are better for beginners.