Why you should start Linux with minimal-installation distros?

"Umm... which linux distro should I start with?"

"My beloved friend, have you heard of Archlinux?"

"Err, I think I heard this name from people, this is for those advanced linux users right? Is there anything easier?"

"Hmm, then I think you need Gentoo."

I know, I know, when I say this, people are going to be "Ah you dumb f**k", "f**king c*nt", "a*sh*le" and start throwing N words and C words at me, just like another day of my regular life. However, I am going to say it, Archlinux, Gentoo or other minimal distros are never there only for those angry "advanced" linux users with loads amount of the ego, getting pissed for every single word that new users come to linux, besides that, especially Gentoo, they both have an amazingly friendly community that can be super helpful to any level of the linux users. Despite this stereotype is biased like hell, simply because "everyone" on this planet says so, it becomes a thing and a reason for someone to look down upon on others. Thought it never means that these options are actually golden for many new-learners just get to Linux, since they will pave a more smooth path for these learners a much clearer future PC experiences, which the regular come-and-go distro will never give to you.

Please notice I am not saying that any regular distros/spins are not great for beginners, as the matter of fact, being Linux, a free and open source operating system, already means these distros/spins comes with packs of advantages that making them hard to be denied. But using minimal installations, especially these I mentioned before, will be more beneficial. This advantage can be so significant and deal-breaker to those who are not quite a quick-catcher. Luckily, to prove this point, there is absolutely no better example comparing to the one from the most stupid c*nt in this world: Me.

I started getting in touch with Linux in like 2011 or 2012. When I was young, I always found computers, websites, software programs were such fascinating things and I still am. Problem was, before 2011, I didn't have continuous access to any devices. I think it was middle of the year, somehow my school started doing online courses - one of the best reasons to stick with my home PC - a Dell Inspiration 530s.

At that moment, Windows 8 was just dropped and the preview was completely free, I jumped on the boat without any second thought. Soon, I realized that preview was expired, and the system became super limited, you was not able to install any program, use exes and even change the wallpaper. And I surely didn't know how to get another activated Windows running at that time either for free or via product key, since I have absolutely no money. I remember the devastating even today, do reminder I still had a online class to go, panic alarm arose and I just had no idea how to deal with this Windows shenanigans. Don't know when, somehow I realized: since Windows was the big boy asking me, a cunt ass kid for CNY$800 so I can have my computer working, is there any operating system that is not Windows?" So I started searching: "operating systems that are free". Guess what, that's when Ubuntu pops out! This is my official first date with Linux.

I could handle system installation with graphical menus pretty well, it's quite like Windows. But after then, I found out every single thing on this system is different: I couldn't use any method that I used to use a computer here! So naturally I started search for things, but you can kinda imagine what was going on: there are thousands of answers, billions of solutions, you can copy them into the terminal, and mostly they will work, surely, but do you get to know any reason why like that? No, and the reason is because, while you looked at their answers, they tried to explain what's going on based on lots of things that your system was based on, and because you enjoyed your cup of tea while waiting for your graphical installer, you know actually sh*t about any of these. In the end, you just got dizzy and looking at your system: "Oh, it behaves like this post said. Oh, it did like other post said." but once the slightest thing you want to change, and even you searched the results, you would get mountain-level of the errors that. Not to mention if you failed at the very first space! I managed to get my whole DE and grub disappear after 2 weeks of this system, and I have no idea how did I do it, till today!

The other thing of being honeyed of using painless installation at the first place for new-learner, is you really has Z-E-R-O confidence about any information you have. This is simple to explain: a new-learner wouldn't even know what is a DE and WM if they just enjoyed their Anaconda graphical system installer. While looking for helps, they will be told that: "Oh, KDE did this in that way, maybe you should try out." and they will get panic, looking for KDE, and they cannot understand you can install the DE on your current system, and they just found "Wa! I need to install Kubuntu!" Now what is that? Our beloved Distro-Hopping! Which for a new Linux learner is nothing but wastes shit ton of their time! I know I am using "they", but it's actually an "I" as well!

My point here is: for new-learners, minimal installation comes to play the role that arms and trains the users to be ready with what is coming, and it is totally worth it. Yes, you did spend more time on installation, but everything after then is just requiring you to stand on your toe-tip, otherwise you will need to search again and again for most stuff you might already know how to do during the installation process, for example, finding Download files. It is like concentrating your troubleshooting time into a centered chunk and less trouble for future, instead of anywhere you go.

Another obvious reason is these distros have their non-replaceable advantages, especially for package variances and compatibility. You might notice already, my nominated candidates are all minimal core distros that built from scratch, which is not something like Ubuntu, built from Debian. This means when it comes to switching to other options, you have way less things to worry about. Personal story: I distro-hopped literally every Debian/Ubuntu based distro to look at their DE and default configs, and I always tried to install another DE/WM on it. Guess what, I ended up losing my original DE, xorg server and grub at this time! (I think is trying to install Pantheon not on elementary OS) While in Arch, you can even use a toggle panel to quick switch from them (logout-login needed). If you have lots of packages that are quite unique, like I am Chinese, actually there is no service in China is optimised for Linux, you use them heavily based on electron-packed apps or wined apps (No, browser itself won't work). You most likely will get them on this distro's first n' easy without any pain, since you know every single step how you made there, and these distros comparing to others, keep really tight with upstream software providers, making less errors and bugs can happen simply because your system was not made this way. (Gentoo might be a bit off here.)

Finally, is the rolling release, even Debian has a rolling release now. You might heard some sayings about rolling-release distros, like someone forgets to update for months and the whole system snaps to crash by just one fat update, and this kind of distros are not "stable" yadayadayada. However, the thing is, Linux Desktop is not at advantageous position like Linux on Server, lots of the historical problems, mainly for proprietary and governmental reasons, Linux Desktop does not get that much of support. That means if you are using Linux as desktop, there is no reason not to use a rolling release distro since they will provide latest new software that comes with better coverage, security or even turn things from dead to working! Fortunately, Linux Desktop is rapidly growing since lots of stuffs are not there before, and you always want to latest to have the best performance or even availability, but the result is convincing, and you surely won't be missing Windows any soon.

If you watched here, I would like to show all my appreciations for actually caring what I wrote. One more thing I would like to claim here, since you are probably new to Linux my friend, is to NEVER DISTRO HOP. NEVER listen to others "Oh this distro has yadayada better so you should switch" once you have already jump on one of the distros. Keep working on what you have, let the system grow with you, and none shall be obstacles for your improvements on your Linux journey.

Happy Tuxing!