Hello all,
I would like to transition my GF to linux.
To make the switch easy I’ll go for Ubuntu, but what would be the most windows-like desktop ?
Thank you!
Edit : thank you everyone, I’ll go with Mint instead then 👍 Thanks for the help!
Check this distro in a VM first https://www.linuxfx.org
Not linuxfx, it’s a joke
It looks like a joke, but it’s actually scaring
Why scaring?
Cause it offers onedrive too. With latest wine it could replicate and replace win for real
KDE in my opinion but it require more resources than others like Gnome
Where is that info coming from? To my experience Plasma is even lighter than GNOME, or just a tiny bit more resource hungry than something truly lightweight like XFCE. It doesnt really need powerful computer.
Yeah on modern hardware, resource usage by the DE is negligable compared to what some applications use (for example web browsers, or chromium based apps).
300MB of RAM vs 400MB don’t make any difference on even fairly old systems. It might make difference if you try to squeeze your modern Linux distro on 512MB. In that case you might want to just use a window manager and distro with no systemd, something truly minimal like Apline. If we’re talking 4 gigs+, the desktop won’t make much difference anyway. On very old computers modern web browsers will always suck no matter the OS.
Agreed. I use older computers a lot and even use a 2008 machine for hours a day because I like the screen and I like where it is in the house.
I can say that with 8 GB of RAM or more, even older CPUs are quite usable for me. Less than about 6 GB and even basic web browsing is going I get fairly painful.
KDE used to be quite heavy. I am quite surprised how light it is these days.
Or maybe it just stayed the same while everything else got heavier.
That’s not true at all. KDE is comparable to XFCE in terms of performance.
Linux mint would be the best for windows user
KDE plasma and cinnamon
Out of the box, KDE has the most similar look and feel as Windows. That said, I do believe Linux Mint has Windows themed DEs that go one step further
Depends on Windows version I guess.
Win XP: XFCE
Win 7: Cinnamon
Win 10/11: KDE
Though you might choose Zorin OS, Ubuntu-based and looks like Windows out of the box.
I have an XFCE box that I dressed up as XP. Honestly, if it had the XP calculator, I would get confused sometimes.
If you want her hooked; make it better (not like). You’re taking away Adobe, Office, Games, Topaz and other proprietary software, and you want to make it ‘like’ windows to boot? Outside of conspiracy theories about privacy and stuff, and people expecting an OS to run smooth at minimum specs; there isn’t much reason to use Linux over Windows, besides dynamic tiling window managers. I’d think you were an idiot if I were her, and you gave me the popular response here.
Glad you’re not her then 👍
My GF is happy with Linux Mint Cinnamon! Even my parents use it :)
Go Kubuntu if you want Ubuntu and Windows-like. Otherwise, Mint is a solid choice for a Windows user too, I believe Mate and Cinnamon both are very similar UI to Windows. Sadly Mint only does LTS versions now, but maybe that’s for the best if your GF isn’t super into tech?
You can install the 6.2 kernel on mint through the upgrade manager gui. It’s just a couple of clicks.
On the other hand Mint has a reputation for “just works” because the defaults are indeed LTS
My dad also made the switch to mint cinnamon about 3 years ago and I only had to fix things once for him (which was something in partitioning/fstab he or the installer messed up), he has successfully updated and maintained the system for 3 major releases yet and is even happier with Linux on his home laptop than with windows on his work laptop
Edit: he’s not really tech savvy or something, he’s a teacher by profession
KDE is more similar to windows, Gnome is maybe closer to MacOS.
But generally, KDE felt always a bit “super user” to me, and I found the amount of customizability and features more overwhelming than useful. Gnome is simple, clean, and I prefer it for that reason.
Dont worry you don’t need any special compression. JPEG opens up fine in linux too.
KDE Neon or Linux Mint will be your best betnfor a Windows-style layout. Just keep in mind it still isn’t Windows so stuff will he different
I’d use mint instead
Why do you want to get your girlfriend mad at you?
Keeps the relationship interesting.
While Gnome can be shaped into something Windowslike with extensions ‘Arcmenu’ and ‘Dash to Panel’, for another user I’d suggest just using a DE that already works like that. Best choices IMO are Cinnamon or KDE.
Since you already want to use a Ubuntu desktop, I’ll stick to suggesting Ubuntu flavours. KDE on Ubuntu, you’ll want Kubuntu. For Cinnamon, there is a Ubuntu Cinnamon flavour.
KDE is somewhat more modern-feeling than Cinnamon but also uses more resources. If your GF’s system is a bit weak, maybe go for Cinnamon. Cinnamon is also a bit retro in it’s design, so it might be more comfortable for people used to older Windows versions.
I recommend downloading a live installer for both, showing her them and letting her pick the one she likes the most. (On that note, I hope you got her permission to do this…)
I am not a huge fan of KDE but it actually uses fewer resources than Cinnamon these days.
