Linux Distro "User Levels"

I'm sure you've seen the reviews that proclaim Distro A is perfect for new users or Distro B is ideal for recent Windows Migrants. Perhaps Distro C is for "advanced" users. Saw one just today that proclaimed Distro Q as perfect for "intermediate" users.


To be honest. There are Linux distros that are made for out of the box productivity and then there are those designed for high customize-ability.

Beyond that, Linux is simply Linux and once a user has gained some experience with the apps and controls of various distros ( or simply the one distro they have chosen or been given to work with ) one will find themselves able to transition themselves between distros without too much trouble overall.

True, each distro has its own "personality". Those special scripts and apps that they feel will make them stand out for attention. Each of those nuances will have to be learned for each distro one spends any amount of time in. Still, the basics are the basics. Once one has a feel for Linux in general, it isn't a great stretch to adapt to other distros.

Perhaps the biggest difficulty in transitioning between distros is in documentation. Linux documentation, depending on distro and it's team and community can differ greatly. If you want to learn how to do something specifically in that distro or in Linux in general, you will look to that distros wiki pages and forums for direction. Some distros have volumes of great information, but if you don't know exactly what you are looking for, it can be a bit daunting trying to figure out how to find what you're looking for.

No matter what "user level" you fit in, remember to be patient. Ask clear, specific questions and be prepared to wait for an answer. After a while, after one gains some idea of terminology and concept, searches become easier to do and you don't find yourself waiting long, if at all, for the answer you seek.

I personally don't subscribe to the "user level" idea. I look instead for how productive is the distro. if it can be installed and used for the intended and expected purpose in a reasonable amount of time, the more I like it.

Even the most experienced techs and admins can appreciate a distro that is ready to go and usable in as short amount of time possible. It makes the task and job of getting and keeping user systems up and running while at the same time keeping users doing things, being productive an almost enjoyable job.

Yes, it is nice to get hold of a Linux distro that, speaking in "techie" terms, can provide an opportunity to really get your hands dirty fine tuning and customizing every possible part of the OS to that particular machines capabilities and the users intents. It is educational and even "fun" if the person is in the particular frame of mind.

I would venture to say though, that 95% of all computer users just want to perform certain tasks, they want to use the computer and not see it crash or falter or simply, stubbornly, not work.

For the home user, productivity can be even more important. The "average" computer user is mostly looking for a computer to do certain things. Browse the internet, download files, play games, play multi-media, use email and so on.

They don't want so much to tweak and configure things, although the home user will do that more likely than an office user will, it's more important to just turn the PC on and get to doing what thye set out to do.

Productivity knows no "user level" though. It is either usable and productive or it isn't. The more time one spends trying to find fixes or hacks to do something, that takes away from productive time in actually using that machine. That's not fun or helping one to get their job done.

There are some distros that even go too far in trying to make a distro "newbie" friendly and in the interest of making a few things super easy to find or do, actually remove some of the capability or productiveness overall. That isn't productive either.

So, remember, when you are looking for a Linux distro that will get what you want done, don't focus on what "user level" someone thinks it best fits. Instead, look for descriptions and keywords that tell you how little time it took to get everything up and running with as few post-install issues as possible.

Remember, when Linus Torvalds started working on the Linux kernel, his goal wasn't to make a new OS that was super easy or intricately ultra complicated.

He wanted to simply make an OS that would just work. Linux can do that. It can be productive for you no matter what "user level" someone thinks you might be. You just have to know what you're looking for.