Of all the Linux distributions, the consensus is beginning to become clear that Ubuntu is, hands down, the most user friendly of the Linux distributions. Naturally there are people that claim other distributions like PCLinuxOS, and Linux Mint are even more user-friendly than Ubuntu. But what exactly makes a Linux distribution user-friendly?

For some time now I have watched Canonical grab headlines touting its ‘buntu releases, such as Ubuntu and Kubuntu, as “newbie” friendly. Much of the IT press goes along with this marketing scheme. But, is Ubuntu truly the “best” new user distribution?

So recently I have written a lot about how user-friendly Linux has become. Naturally the nay-sayers have spoken loudly and insisted that Linux is far, far behind Windows in the user-friendliness category. So, I decided I wanted to figure out a way to test this argument to see which operating system was, in fact, more user friendly.

Before Ubuntu there was Mepis. At that time it one of the most user-friendly Linux distribution available. Despite being overshadowed by the popularity of Ubuntu in recent years, SimplyMepis is still one of the most friendly desktop distributions in the Linux landscape.

Ubuntu is a popular and widely used Linux distribution today. Ubuntu is simple, easy to use, and user-friendly. Its my personal favorite GNU/Linux distribution. Ubuntu is the best alternative to Windows operating system. If you consider switching from Windows to GNU/Linux, I would personally recommend Ubuntu.

Let me admit that I’m not an Ubuntu fan. This is not because that it’s getting all the limelight in the Linux world and I am a Fedora user. I don’t use it much becuase it’s too user-friendly. Yes, it’s so user-friendly that I’m not getting the fun of using Linux. No doubt after a brief stint with RedHat9 in my teens, it’s Ubuntu 6.04 which made me Linux lover again.

If a quick test of the beta by LinuxTrends is any indication, this new Ubuntu version could be the most user-friendly, full-featured desktop Linux distribution ever.

Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth has big dreams for Linux. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who's been following the progress of Ubuntu, which releases a major update every six months and keeps getting more and more user friendly. But user friendly is just the beginning. Shuttleworth wants Linux to be prettier too.

PC/OS aims to be an easy-to-use Linux distribution right out of the box. Being Ubuntu-based, it has a head start on being user-friendly, but PC/OS goes above and beyond Ubuntu's measures to ensure ease of use by having common third-party non-GPL software included in the install.