stillOS gives probably the greatest Linux onboarding experiences I’ve ever seen

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• stillOS is a brand new Linux distro aimed toward customers.
• This distro makes it extremely simple to begin utilizing Linux.
• You may customise the desktop with out having any Linux expertise.

Each Linux distribution approaches the onboarding course of in a different way. Some take a minimal strategy, whereas others maintain new customers’ arms each step of the best way. 

After which there’s the uncommon distro that finds the candy spot the place it makes it simple to take your first steps with Linux, however does not make long-time customers really feel like they’re utilizing a distribution with coaching wheels.

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stillOS is a distribution that nails the method of organising Linux for the primary time. Here is how the stillOS web site describes the distro:

We acquired aggravated with Home windows making us the product, and Linux being too sophisticated. So we made stillOS. We imagine stillOS is the primary really client prepared Linux distribution. Due to atomic updates, stillOS is ready to keep as steady as a rock whereas nonetheless bringing you new options. App and OS updates are automated, so there is no want to fret about preserving your OS and apps updated.

Let me tackle that description for individuals who’ve by no means used Linux in any respect.

First, let’s take atomic updates, a characteristic that new customers needn’t fear about. Why? These updates occur within the background, doing precisely what the outline says: making the OS as steady as a rock. As a result of the updates are atomic, you do not have to hassle concerning the replace course of, which can by no means trigger the OS to go bonkers on you or (worse) break. This all occurs within the background, and the subsequent time you reboot, these updates are utilized. Easy, protected, and steady.

OK, let’s return to the primary assertion — that “stillOS is the primary really consumer-ready Linux distribution.” The thought of being consumer-ready is intriguing. From my perspective, that goes a bit past simply being an choice for individuals who are new to Linux and into the realm of, say, “This OS is one which may very well be put in and offered on machines to customers.”

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Does stillOS stay as much as that daring declare? Nearly. 

If the builders can work out the problems I’ve surfaced (extra on that in a bit), that declare may very nicely come true. Even so, I might say that stillOS is already very near being the primary consumer-ready Linux distribution. 

stillOS is acquainted

Familiarity is a declare that will get bandied about with sure Linux distributions. It appears each distro that configures KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, Xfce, GNOME, COSMIC, LXDE, and so on. to appear to be Home windows can declare that the desktop shall be instantly acquainted to those that’re coming from Home windows.

Over time, I’ve claimed that quite a few distributions could be immediately acquainted to new customers; distributions like ZorinOS, elementaryOS, Linux Mint, and Kubuntu. I nonetheless stand by these claims. 

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Sure, stillOS takes the GNOME desktop and configures it like Home windows out of the field. It has a panel, desktop icons, a system tray…all the standard suspects. In reality, it is so acquainted that it is boring. That is not a nasty factor; nevertheless, if you happen to’re hoping for a singular, tricked-out desktop, stillOS is not what you need. Nonetheless, stillOS is straight away acquainted as a result of it sticks with the tried-and-true desktop format. 

After set up, you will expertise a number of items of the puzzle that contribute to stillOS’s declare. First, you are knowledgeable that an replace is occurring within the background, and you may proceed with out interruption. That ought to assist give customers a way of reliability.

Subsequent comes the power to pick which purposes to put in. This goes past the everyday net browser and workplace suite. With stillOS onboarding, you possibly can choose apps to put in from a number of classes, comparable to net browsers, productiveness, music listening, gaming, artistic work, utilities, and LLMs. Develop every class and choose any/all apps you need to set up. You are not restricted to a single app in every class. For instance, you possibly can choose as many net browsers as you need, or as many workplace suites. 

Take, for example, the productiveness part, which lets you set up issues like OnlyOffice, LibreOffice, Planify, Todoist, Trello, monday.com, ClickUp, and HubSpot. 

After you full that course of, you possibly can select to open the First Steps app instantly.

stillOS is well customizable

One other factor that makes stillOS consumer-ready is the First Steps app, which has similarities to what another distros would possibly name a Welcome app, solely it contains fairly a bit extra. With First Steps, you possibly can:

• Set up apps
• Configure shows
• Customise the format and extensions
• Handle on-line accounts
• Add Bluetooth gadgets
• Configure printers
• Join the stillHQ boards

As an example, click on Launch for “Customise the layouts and extensions,” and you may choose from a number of pre-configured layouts, together with ones that resemble totally different Home windows releases, a MacOS choice, a GNOME format, one which resembles elementaryOS, a format that appears like ChromeOS, and extra. 

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In case you swap layouts, you will be prompted to sign off and log again in. After switching to the elementaryOS format, I discovered I could not log again in till I rebooted the OS. As soon as I logged in, the format was fairly good.

I attempted a number of layouts and located that with each change, I needed to reboot. That is almost definitely a bug that can (hopefully) be fastened within the subsequent replace. After a couple of format switches, I ended up with an unresponsive desktop, which pressured me to do a tough reboot. After the reboot, all was nicely.

Past the rebooting problem, there’s one different factor to deal with. As a result of the builders declare that stillOS is the primary consumer-ready Linux distribution, one would assume they’d at the least point out putting in or utilizing a Home windows app. Do not get me mistaken, I don’t imagine that the dearth of Home windows apps must be a deal-breaker, as a result of there are greater than sufficient apps (particularly web-based) to make up for it. But it surely would possibly behoove the builders so as to add to the welcome app one thing like, “In case you usually use particular apps on Home windows, likelihood is good you will see their equal in our app retailer.” 

With ZorinOS, if a consumer makes an attempt to put in a downloaded .exe or .msi utility, a window pops up informing the consumer of the open-source equal. I am not saying that stillOS ought to go that far, however they might definitely be taught one thing from ZorinOS.

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What I believe Linux newbies will recognize is that stillOS is pretty simple to customise to work for them, with out having to leap by way of hoops. Every part with stillOS makes good sense, and all of it comes collectively to create probably the greatest Linux onboarding experiences I’ve ever seen.

Does that imply I might place stillOS at or close to the highest of my finest distros for brand new customers? Give stillOS a bit extra time to work out the kinks, and you may guess it should leap into my prime 10 checklist of finest Linux distributions for brand new customers.