For newcomers to the open source world, selecting a Linux desktop from the many available choices can seem overwhelming. But don't let that stop you! There's plenty of free expert advice available online to help you narrow the field and figure out which distro is likely to best suit your needs.

I can’t begin to tell you how many people over the years I have consulted with about choosing a Linux distribution. And even with my own personal loyalties to one distribution or another, it always amazes me how certain distributions are better suited to various users and needs.

Start your search by checking out the distribution Web sites. Read the the FAQ and Wikis pages to learn how the different distros work. Check out the features and read what sorts of requests for help have been made on the community forums, and how those requests were answered. This approach will help you to narrow down exactly what you are looking for in terms of support and ease of use.