EndeavourOS is the best! 
4 Likes
Hey there,
Iâd probably try Fedora or Linux Mint. Especially the latter has made it easy to change from Windows. EndeavourOS is great and it is easy to install, but you will probably spend quite some time reading up on stuff and solving issues. Itâs not a big deal, but itâs something to keep in mind. It is also a rolling release, getting updates a lot⌠sometimes several times a week⌠some of them can break your system, so you need to pay attention to RSS feeds and Announcements, before updating your system.
I love using EndeavourOS, or Arch itself for what itâs worth, and I would probably not move away from it on my every day computer. But it does take some time to manage and update and you need to do system maintenance. On the other hand, I run Fedora on my laptop (which is mostly used by my wife, who has no computer skills at all), and itâs stable a great⌠very few updates and GNOME for my wife is much easier to use (I donât like it personally). That said, she has been using the laptop for months, without complaining about popups, asking her for updates or about other stuff not working.
To be honest, I quite like Fedora, even more than Mint. But I am quite invested into Arch with its AUR and pacman, to change away from it. Should my system break, I would probably go back from Arch to EOS, since I donât think, I gonna spend all the time again to go through Arch install, when EOS does basically the same.
I would not recommend Manjaro⌠I used it for like 5 years and it was my first contact with Arch based distros⌠I used to recommend it to people who wanted a more stable Arch experience. But: Over the past months or maybe even years, Manjaro has become quite problematic⌠it would occasionally break or would break stuff and since it holds back packages, it can cause issues for users, taking advantage of the AUR.
That said, I would try Mint or Fedora, if you want something that just works. If you donât mind doing some research, reading and system maintenance and getting your hands dirty, then give EOS a try. The advantage is, that you will learn a lot about Linux and the OS and there is a nice community, so if you run into issues, you will most likely find a solution quickly or get quick help.
You can always downlaod a live ISO from Fedora, Mint or EndeavourOS, boot into it and try it out.
I hope this helps, and welcome to the forums. 
I just have to say Iâm not sure why anyone using Arch would recommend using any other distro such as Fedora or Mint or any other of the hundreds of Linux distroâs out there. Most Arch users have a certain mind set and itâs one of the reasons why they like Arch and use it. One reason is because it is a rolling release. The other is because of the AUR. Many like myself do not like snaps, or flatpak, app images etc., although these can be used. I try to stick as close to the Arch eco system as possible so that i have a stable Arch platform that can be used and maintained without issue. Distro hopping is a phase that one gets over eventually. Some never do ⌠Once you use EOS you always endeavour!
2 Likes
Well, it depends on the use case⌠I did install Fedora on my wifeâs laptop, with Gnome⌠She loves it and itâs stable, doesnât need much attention and isnât going through updates every day or every other day.
Donât get me wrong⌠I love Arch (With KDE Plasma) and I have been using either Arch or EOS since 2016, or so. I love it, and I am not really used to other distros myself⌠the hassle of having to add repositories and looking for software. But thatâs me⌠I had put openSUSE Leaf on my wifeâs laptop, she didnât like it⌠she didnât like KDE and well, openSUSE caused some issues over time. So I did of course put EOS on it⌠she didnât like it. She wasnât happy about having to update the system every day⌠she wants to turn it on, use it and turn it off⌠or leave it on for days, without rebooting and without any issues. Fedora and Gnome does just that for her, and itâs fine.
All depends on your skills and use case. I do disagree, with the rumors of many users around, claiming, that Arch as a daily driver is risky, because it breaks⌠it very rarely broke for me and when it did, it was usually my fault. Still, an Arch system does require significantly more system maintenance and in some occasions, tinkering, compared to other distros.
That said, the average user, like my wife or regular Joe, who doesnât know much about a computer, wants to just turn it on and use it and wantâs to avoid the command line, something like Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Fedora is probably the better choice. I picked Fedora for my wife, because it does get newer packages than Mint does, but itâs still not rollingâŚ
Has nothing to do with mind set or with not loving Arch⌠just depends on what people like or need⌠I love Arch, I wonât switch⌠my wife is happy with her Fedora and I have had a much more relaxed time, without her complaining constantly about her computer, asking me for help.
4 Likes
I agree with most of your points, except for this one.
I gave a pinebook pro to my mom to watch youtube videos and do some browsing. Over the 5 months she was visiting me, I rarely updated and it ran without any problems. Once you have a stable system and donât need to add any new packages, there is no need to update frequently. My mom usually hates computers, because she thinks that theyâre too complicated and tries to avoid using them but she was fine with a PineBook.
2 Likes
Iâm a hands on person. I like to try several variances of things when there is option to see which I like the best. I think its important to get dirty with something before you know if you really like it or not. I mean yeah we can all feel great the first time we type a command and it runs without and error and our system doesnât explode. However that doesnât mean that is the computing experience we are after.
I believe one of the biggest advantages that Linux has over Windows is it will allow you to discover more about what your likes are. While I like things one way Others like them another way and Linux gives you that. Some want a full fledged desktop like KDE and others want a really cool Window manager like Hyperland while others just want a functioning minimal system. To me this is the same as trying new food, You donât know you donât like it until you actually eat it.
I encourage one to try several distroâs before sticking to one. Use a distro for a month try another one. Same with desktops and window managers. Linux allows you to Explore and Experience a very different way of computing than the Corporate offerings.
4 Likes
This is exactly what I done before starting linux. I trialed out 9+ different distros of which EOS was one of them in virtual machines. EOS won in the end (Even then I tested 6 DEs in Endeavour), and was the only Arch based distro I had on the list. Other than this I also researched the differences between distros, how they get software, how they get updates etc, and information behind the groups or companies behind them and what their vision or idea was when creating the distro they supported. There were many other things too but I wonât bore everyone with a long message it would end up 4 times longer to write it all.
But I used to read this stuff on my phone while traveling to work by train or during lunch break, and a bit more when I got home in my free time too as I saw transitioning to linux as an important step to get right first time and understand.
1 Like
Itâs all about a well âoiledâ machine. . . weighting out the proâs and conâs a satisfying way to see expected outcomes. Easy to break, intelligent by design, a community of like minded who marvel at itâs workings while it evolves. Thatâs what brought me finally âhereâ to this disto.
Rich
Much of my qualifications for an ideal distro is that I can more easily find all the software I need (AUR fulfills) and how fast I can rebuild in the case of disaster (mine or other).
Good points. . . . these things make it a satisfying experience.
Rich;)
I canât do Gnome. Sorry! Itâs KDE all the way! Turn it on and use it, update it, what ever. Just works!
3 Likes
Same here⌠Mine is highly customized too and I depend on stuff coming with KDE. And Plasma 6 is just cool.