What is a good Linux distro for a beginner?

Ubuntu.

It has great hardware support, it is easy to install, and lots of people can help if you have a problem.

Ubuntu.

Thank you, is there a way to customize the OS I think i’ve heard about being able to change different aspects but I’m unsure what this fully means.

Ubuntu, like most Linux distos, is customizable in more ways than it would be possible to explain.

Is there a good website that could explain?

I don’t know what you’re looking for. Linux is open source. You are allowed to do anything and everything (literally) to it. Not everything is easy, but everything is possible. Ubuntu has some nice GUIs that let you change themes, change the look of your panels, etc.

Ubuntu.

Pretty much everybody uses it unless they needs something more specialized. And its very customizable. Also its good practice for using a terminal which is somethings every linux user needs. Also pretty much any open source application works on it.

Everyone is saying Ubuntu, but that was a little overwhelming when I first started using Linux. The one that worked great for me when I first started was Linux Mint In fact I ended up liking it a lot more than Ubuntu.

I’ll have to check out Mint but if you’re on Windows try using Wubi to install it since that might simplify the process.

This Ubuntu pocket guide helped me in the passed to get started.
http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/index_main.html

If you want to run Ubuntu next to windows just to try it out then go for Wubi
http://wubi-installer.org/

If you do not mind a little learning I would very much recommend Arch Linux.

Main principle is “keep it simple, stupid” and well it is not bloated unlike Ubuntu which has stuff installed by default that you will never need. Arch is bottom-to-top, you build your system from the ground up with the help of a really good manual (somewhere in the Wiki).

I’m not a Gnome person so I would recommend Kubuntu, which is also installable through Wubi if you want to go that route.

I’m a Gentoo person.

btw, Mint comes with a wubi-like installer too.

As far as customization goes check out www.Gnome-Look.org

You definitely want to ignore everybody who doesn’t say Ubuntu, because the only reason they mention that is “because <other distro> worked great for them”. Fact: no distro has worked best for as many people as Ubuntu has, so you’ll have the highest chance of that working for you best by trying that.

What I liked most about the customization thing is that you slowly discover more ways to customize it as you get to learn your way around the system. The first thing you want to do, though, is read the included documentation (when you don’t know how to do something). Get to know the system (this will take a while), then start taking advantage of it :)

if you want to really learn linux and have the mindset for learning oses, slackware. if you plainly want to learn the basics of the linux os, ubuntu or fedora

while what @Vincentt said is true about having the largest base of beginner users, this isn’t any kind of indicator of making it the absolute best distro for beginners. it’s only the most common because word-of-mouth has made it wildly popular. the truth is, the distro you use will depend on your learning style and what exactly you want to learn. there isn’t any harm in trying more than one, so look into getting live cds.

Debian is my distro of choice and I believe one not so difficult for a beginner. It has been my experince that it is more stable then Ubuntu. Also, Ubuntu is a derivitive of Debian. Buy the dvd set and if you are new to linux; STUDY THE INSTRUCTIONS on the installer dvd, especially if you are wanting to set up a dual boot machine. [this is true for a Linux nube installing any distro] When you first boot from the dvd, check out all the features and ways you can do an install. There was a time when Debian was considered a Linux Guru’s distro; not any more! Their installer is very easy to use. The hardest part is deciding where to install and short of not having a hard drive at all the installer will give you options. You won’t be sorry you went this way. Any distro can have glitchs and bugs. Debian though, I have found, has very few; its pretty much rock solid; and being mostly trouble free makes it a great place to learn linux. One reliable place to buy distros and find out where to download them is http://www.frozentech.com/. Here is a link to the live cd list web page. http://www.livecdlist.com. Another good point about Debian is it comes with over 25113 software packages ready to run, and the package manager is pretty easy to use. Check it out!