Welcome to Linux!

Given how heavy Microsoft has started trying to integrate generative-AI "features" in Windows 11 and the other sketchy things Microsoft has done, as well as the popularity of Steam's Steam Deck and—to a lesser extant—the Steam Machine it is no surprise that Linux has started rising in popularity as an Operating System (OS).

That being said, if you really want to stick with Windows 10 or Windows 11, do yourself a favor and switch to either Tiny10 or Tiny11. I have a short guide on where to find links here.

Here, I'll provide a non-comprehensive list of Linux distros and their default desktop environment(s) ranked by their out-of-the-box experience for beginners. When you have an idea for what Linux distro you want to use, go check out Toasty's Linux Install Guide to install Linux onto your system.