There is no such thing as the perfect Linux distro. There is no such thing as the perfect operating system. What is important is that you find a distro that works well for you and that you love.

OP, it looks like you have found your first Linux love, and I don't think anything else will compare. Enjoy it.

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Debian is a base model pickup truck with tow package painted white. Mint, like Ubuntu, and many (if not most) other distros, is the same brand of pickup truck, but delivered by a dealer with air conditioning, geolocation, sound system, cup and cellphone holders, deluxe interior, bedliner, metallic multi-color paint, tape stripes, gun rack, opening rear window, and wider tires on alloy wheels. All those extras can be added to the base model by those with the interest and talent. Either way, they are capable of carrying the same load, built on the same chassis and powertrain.

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That's a very romantic way of putting it! haha! Thanks for your reply

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Haha, thats an interesting vehicle-based metaphor! Gun rack! But the key words you say there are "interest and talent", I don't have that inclination. Thanks anyway.

Well, it could be interpreted that way: or it could be interpreted as, as explained in my original post, I don't want any technical challenges, and I'm just after other distros that have similar attributes that Mint offers. In order to qualify my question further, I gave an example of Flash installation. That's all, nothing sinister or underhand.

If we all over-think too much, we won't see the wood for the trees.
As Freud once said, Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
As Bruce Lee once said, don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.

Thanks

Or as the famous Zen/Taoist parable ..."when I see smoke over the hill I know there is a fire, when I see horns over the fence I know there is an ox, when I see a donkey in the field I know there is an ass..."

Thank you CT

OK it looks like the final answer given to me, especially from ChunagTzu, Linus72 and Hydrurga, is that Linux Mint is, by a mile, easily the best distribution out there for the average, basic, non-technical user, and that nothing comes close to it. So massive thanks to you all, ChunagTzu, Linus72, Hydrurga.

Of course I say the above with a hefty dose of tongue-in-cheek.

Right, well. some feedback to you all. In real life people say I'm a difficult person, asking strange difficult, childish questions - this probably comes across online too. I ask these questions because my brain works like thatm I just want full clarification, with no ambiguity whatsoever, I rush in, go crazy ... There are tons of different kinds of people out there, all walks of life, all different intellects, maturities, etc. I'm just being myself. I'm not a bad guy, never killed anyone, never robbed anyone. you know, just trying to live a happy life. That sort of thing.
In this thread, I've been insulted directly by being called an ass. I've also seen little posts between posters with underhand digs - I'm not sure if you think you're being clever or if you think that by not saying the comment to me, I'm blind to it. Some posts I have to scratch my head to.

this one from Linus72 ...
I'm uncertain how the above relate to my original question.


This one also from Linus72 ...
Linus72, you know the above is not a hidden post. What do you think I would be thinking when I read the above?

From ChuangTzu ...
And what do you think I would be thinking when I read the above?

And this one from Hydrarga ...
Is this defending an accusation? I interpreted it so.

And this one ...

They say that LinuxQuestions is a friendly forum. This does not appear to be the case in my experience. I understand you all must get frustrated with seeing hundreds of the same stupid questions and nooby posts over and over and over again, and it looks like we haven't read the rules, etc. However, as I already said, we are all different in real life, and you all need to be thinking about the person at the other end. Perhaps they recently had a bereavement in their family, perhaps they've been bullied at work or school, perhaps they are victims of abuse. Who knows? I'm not saying you should wear oven gloves or hold their hands when handling noobs and users. But maybe layoff the ascerbic underhand belittling attacks. If you have nothing helpful or useful to contribute, it really is better not say anything.
Linus72m ChuangTzu, Hydrarga, you threee should think about taking a break from posting at all in any noob-orientated forum. You don't have the right psyche.

In fairness to LQ, I've got worse answers in Debian Forums about 7 or 8 years ago. After that, I swore never to post on their forums ever again and uninstalled Debian immediately.
And in fairness to all linux forums, you get this more all kinds of forums.

I don't think I've done anything wrong. You guys need to be less rude and more tolerant.

Best Linux Distro 2019, desktop (Sorted by: easy, satisfying, challenging)

OP, I'm citing this article because as well as being up to date, it gives you some of the answers that you're looking for in the context of the overall Linuxsphere. This way you get answers and you also get to learn a little bit extra too. Have fun.

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You seriously got offended because I said Slackware rocked and offered you advice about antix and debian?
Are you on medications?
Grow up OP this ain't kindergarten

You uninstalled debian simply because some users at the forums upset you?
Cmon man this sounds very childish...

The comment I made to CT was as a joke, he was upbraiding me for endorsing debian over slackware- have you ever heard "I'm just busting your balls"?

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Contrary to everything you say, this was the post of yours that caused my initial reaction. You had a direct go at a valued and long-time poster as a result of a comment that could have been reacted to with humour instead of with prickliness.

I actually thought that you were doing well. You turned this thread around into quite a friendly one after this initial reaction of yours. However your most recent post shows that, unfortunately, you may come across problems here on LQ, or indeed on other forums that require interaction with folk who have different ways of thinking, senses of humour, and attitudes to yourself.

What you forget is that the posters here are all volunteers who give up their time willingly to deal with a very large number of questions relating to Linux. Many of those questions are naïve, many posters are belligerent, some even trolls, but we do our best all the same to help those who genuinely need help. But, remember we're all human. We try to do our best but we can't be pussy-footing around scared of saying the smallest thing wrong in case we offend someone's sensibilities (which differ enormously among people anyway). In return, as a poster, you have to learn not to react at the smallest "slight".

In the future, I would kindly request that you approach your interactions here with broad shoulders. We try our best to have broad shoulders and to make this place friendly, and you should too.

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OP, I've thought about your post a little bit while having my latte [a crime against coffee, I know, but I was in the mood for one]. I'll try to explain what's going on here as best as I can. From my subjective perspective.

As far as I can see it there are [at least] there types of Linux user. There may be more, but for simplification let's call it three. This list does not apply to everyone, it generalises to give you an overview of what can happen - not what always does.

Firstly there is the new user or the user who wants no challenge. Let's call him or her type A. This user may have come from Windows and wants a distro that just works. This is great. The more the merrier. This user may not like a challenge at all and may just want to get on with things while enjoying their OS. More power to them, as they say.

Then there is type B. Type B is probably interested in intermediate distros like Debian. Type B users can be a massive pain in the arse. A lot of them think, because they've graduated from the noob distros, that they are better than other users. This is not the case. They are just different. They may know a little bit more but that's it. It's like the middle classes being more snobby than the aristocracy: they look down but are unable to look up with any experience or authority.

Finally there is type C. Type C has used one or some of the harder distros. They may still be using them or they may have gone to a simpler distro for their own reasons. They are generally older, more experienced and more laid back. However, because they have a longer-term experience of Linux and Unix, they have a birds-eye view of its advantages and disadvantages. They want people to have good, fun experiences but to learn too because they know what good it can do for the user. They want people to respect and enjoy Linux the way they do/did. They also realise that hard work yields great results.

You're seeing a few type Cs in this thread. Over the years there are more and more type As coming to Linux, which is fantastic but often the type As just don't listen. They have a set idea of what they want, or can't explain themselves properly or get impatient. Seeing as they have come from Windows or Mac, which holds your hand all the way and from whom they can get paid support, type A users often want immediate answers. This is the kind of thinking that Windows encourages - in fact - wants. It wants people to depend on it, to be at its mercy, so to speak, therefore and thereby it can control its users.

Things don't work like that in the Linux world. If type As want answers from the type Cs [of which there are many on LQ] they have to explain themselves properly, be respectful and be patient. In this thread you have been praising Mint a lot, which is fantastic, but not really explained why you'd want to move on. If you like it that much, stay with it. But you're curious, I understand that. I absolutely love salmon, and I can ask round for similar fish to see if there's one I will enjoy more than salmon, but the enjoyment may not be the same because it's about the sensation and experience, not the source [or as a sommelier said to me once, "I have all this expensive wine and some people just want Blossom Hill, but if that's what they like, so be it, it's doesn't mean they're wrong"]. The more distros you try, the more you will experience the paradox of choice and the less likely you will be to be happy. Little gives one the same feeling as the first Linux distro one loves.

We've had to do a bit of detective work in this thread because you haven't been all that clear about what you wanted, hence the impatience. It's for this reason that the famous article on how to ask good questions was written. Have a look around, you'll see threads with titles like "Help me, urgent!!" and "How to install Linux??" or some things like that. It gets tiring and has a cumulative effect. We'll help people but we won't hand them answers on a platter unless they're clear and specific about what they are looking for, what they want and what they've tried.

When I first went to the Debian forums I had the book thrown at me. But I took it to heart and learned about Linux. I realised that I had to learn from people who knew more and be a bit humble. It's like the new recruit who starts a job and wants to revolutionise the company from the ground up. It never works. In the end people have to bow to experience. Forums are like life, as you say. So, apologies if you feel got at, but here at LQ we will be polite, but we will not hold your hand all the time because Linux works best when the user does the work for themselves. You're starting to see the first signs of that. For instance, you could have easily Googled "distros like Mint", could you not [when I first starting learning about Gothic metal years ago I Googled "bands like Nightwish" and went from there, same kind of thing].

If you want to be a good Linux user, get into the mindset of doing things for yourself. Come to the forums to have fun, discuss things or get support for problems [after you've tried solving them yourself]. It's different to being in the Windows world, where you will get endless hand-holding because MS and their cohorts want your money. Here it's not the same - but you will find more friends, get more experience, get more control over your OS and maybe get a whole new interest. Please post more, because I think this could be the start of something good for you.

I'll finish this rather prolix post with the last words of a very good friend of mine [RIP] who said, "no one can be an expert on everything, but yes, I firmly believe that developing one's own expertise is an inherently worthwhile thing".

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Try Void.

Anyway, if you want something that's "like Mint", you'll want Mint. Just like anyone who wants something that is "like Windows" will need to use Windows, anything different will make a huge difference in the long run.

For example, GhostBSD is probably a close contender to Linux Mint, despite its superior kernel, but I still don't recommend it because it's not Mint. (But if you're willing to try something different, I'd recommend it anyway.)

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The OP does not really want something like MINT in specific ways, what is wanted is another distro as pretty and easy as mint.

One might suggest there there is also Mint-DE, Q4OS Linux, and Elementary.
Others might also suggest FEDORA, OpenSUSE, or others. I might disagree, but there are many well polished options.

I recommend you have a research the current and supported options at https://distrowatch.com/ for ideas.

Well:

• Void Linux (one of the preconfigured desktop ISOs)
• GhostBSD ("Mint for FreeBSD", basically)
• elementary OS (based on Ubuntu though)