I currently use Windows 10 and I’d like to try out Linux. My plan is to set up a dual boot with OpenSUSE tumbleweed and KDE Plasma. I’ve read so many different opinions about choosing a distro, compatibility with gaming and Nvidia drivers, and personal issues with the ethos of different companies like Canonical. I value privacy and I’d rather avoid a Linux distro that’s implementing something like ads or telemetry…if that’s even a thing that’s happening?

As a complete beginner, what sort of advice would you all have for me? Should I avoid OpenSUSE or KDE Plasma for some reason? Are there any ‘10 things to do first when installing Linux for the first time’ recommendations?

Despite all the ‘beginner friendly’ guides and tutorials around, I still feel a little lost and like I’m going into this blind.

EDIT: Thanks to everyone who’s offered advice, I really appreciate all the help and the patience with my dumb questions! There’s a lot to look through and it’s been a busy day for me, but I’ll get back to reading through everything and replying as soon as I can!

  • Free Palestine 🇵🇸@sh.itjust.works
    41·
    10 months ago

    I’d rather avoid a Linux distro that’s implementing something like ads or telemetry…if that’s even a thing that’s happening?

    Fedora has some telemetry, but as far as I know, you can turn it off during the installation. Some desktop environments like KDE Plasma also have options for telemetry but it’s disabled by default. If you want it, you manually have to enable it in the settings.

    Should I avoid OpenSUSE

    Some software might not be available on openSUSE

    or KDE Plasma

    Not really, Plasma has a shitload of features and customization options, if many options tend to overwhelm you, you might be better of with a different desktop environment, if you are fine with customization options, Plasma is great for you.

    Are there any ‘10 things to do first when installing Linux for the first time’ recommendations?

    Since you said that you want to install openSUSE, I recommend this video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ajVqJ1nl9bM

    • Nokinori@pawb.socialOP
      3·
      10 months ago

      Why would some software not be available on OpenSUSE? Would it be available on other distros due to a different way they handle packages, or do you mean in comparison to Windows?

      • TheMissingBit@lemm.ee
        3·
        10 months ago

        I’ve been using openSUSE for a while now and haven’t come across any software that was not available for it. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s a pretty good OS in my opinion.

      • Free Palestine 🇵🇸@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        10 months ago

        openSUSE is rather small, not everything is packaged for it. Arch is the best in terms of software availability, thanks to the AUR.

        The only distro that even comes close is NixOS, but I really wouldn’t recommend it for beginners. You can explore it in a VM though or maybe at some point actually try it out. It’s very very different than other distros though.

        • Nokinori@pawb.socialOP
          1·
          10 months ago

          Ok, let me see if I’m starting to understand.

          If something is packaged for a disto, then I can download it using the package manager and it should theoretically be compatible with the distro and the other packages available through the package manager. But if something isn’t available via the package manager, I could still find it online and download and install it, but it might cause issues because it hasn’t been verified by the people who maintain the distro’s package manager accessible repositories. Or I could still install it with flatpaks or snaps and something something container and it should still work? Or might cause compatibility issues?

          And you’re saying that AUR has more packages that have been verified for arch than OpenSUSE has with Yast?

          Did I get all that right?