Ubuntu
The most widely used desktop Linux, with a huge community and a new LTS every two years.
Best for: Beginners who want the most support and tutorials available.
- Base
- Debian
- Package manager
- apt (plus Snap)
- Release model
- fixed
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Desktops
- GNOME
Pros
- Huge community and documentation
- Five years of free support on LTS releases
- Wide hardware and software support
Worth knowing
- Firefox and other default apps ship as Snaps, which some users dislike
- Higher recommended hardware than lighter distros
- Less customizable by default
Try Ubuntu before you install it
Download the official image from ubuntu.com, write it to a USB stick with a tool such as balenaEtcher or Ventoy, restart, and pick the USB stick from your boot menu. Choose the “try” option and nothing on your computer changes.
Last verified October 28, 2026 (high confidence). 26.04 LTS released April 23, 2026 with 5 years of free support and GNOME 50 (no X11 session). Official flavors such as Kubuntu and Xubuntu exist separately.