I’ve tried countless Linux distros over the years, so many that I honestly can’t even be bothered to keep track anymore. And along the way, I’ve definitely made a few mistakes sticking to distros I really shouldn’t have used in the first place.
While there are many hard distros I wouldn’t recommend to beginners, there are also distributions that look beginner-friendly but aren’t something I would suggest to anyone. Especially if you’re new to Linux
Winux
Winux, Wubunutu, Linuxfx, it’s all the same
I’ve already written about Winux before, but if you’re unfamiliar, it’s basically a distro built to imitate Windows 11 as closely as possible. That’s their whole pitch. Their marketing revolves around the idea that this is the “easiest” Linux distro for Windows users because it looks identical to what you’re already used to.
This tactic has clearly worked, since I’ve seen plenty of mainstream sites recommend it in their “best Linux distribution” lists without ever addressing the issues.
What you should actually know is that Winux has gone through multiple rebrands over the years. It used to be called Linuxfx, then Wubuntu, and some other names as well. Chances are, by the time you’re reading this, it has changed names again (their website now redirects to a SourceForge download page, so something is definitely up). Despite these name changes, the developers behind it are largely the same, and so is its history.
Linuxfx, in particular, has had pretty severe security issues, including cases where user data was leaked. Instead of acknowledging the problem, the developers actually mocked the people who exposed the issue in the first place. On top of that, Winux actually includes a paid tier, which obviously includes AI slop features since we are in 2025 right now.
It even ships with some proprietary apps that I don’t trust at all. Overall, I’d strongly recommend staying away from any distro whose entire selling point is “we cloned Windows.” Projects like that tend to cut a lot of corners and make a quick buck.
If you’re switching from Windows, there are far better, far more reputable Linux distros you can start with.
Deepin
Too pretty to trust fully
I am not gonna lie, but Deepin has one of the best Linux desktops I’ve ever used. It feels like this weirdly perfect blend of macOS and Windows, taking the best UI ideas from both and merging them. The first time I actually tried it, I was actually pretty excited about keeping it as my daily driver.
But as great as the front-end is, Deepin carries enough controversy that it lands straight on my list of distros you should avoid. And yet, just like Winux, I still see it recommended all over the place by a lot of sites that clearly haven’t looked into its history.
One of the biggest issues actually showed up recently. The Deepin Desktop Environment was available as an option on openSUSE, which is another Linux distro.
Sorry, Linux fans: This OS is actually the better Windows replacement
Not Linux, not Windows. Something better.
But the openSUSE team put up a blog post this year explaining why they removed the desktop environment as an option. After discovering that the Deepin maintainers had tried to bypass security reviews. Later, several significant security vulnerabilities were found in the components/packages Deepin was using.
Now, you can still argue that these issues were not malicious but more a matter of negligence, but it doesn’t make their case any better. Deepin is actively developed in China, and because of how local laws work there, there is a non-zero chance that some of your data, whether it’s system logs or something else, is being stored on Chinese servers.
None of this automatically means Deepin is “spyware”, but considering its past, I don’t feel comfortable recommending it to anyone.
Ubuntu
Becoming the very thing it swore to destroy
Not recommending Ubuntu honestly hurts me a little, because it was the very first distro I tried when I was around 14. I used it for years, learned most of my early Linux basics on it, and for the longest time, I genuinely believed it was the perfect “first distro” for almost anyone.
And to be fair, Ubuntu isn’t inherently insecure or unreliable. It’s actually pretty stable and has excellent support overall. But I’m not a fan of the direction it’s been taking lately.
For starters, Ubuntu has slowly become surprisingly bloated, and its custom GNOME implementation isn’t exactly the cleanest I’ve used. Over time, other distros like Linux Mint have stepped in and basically replaced Ubuntu as the obvious beginner-friendly choice.
But the bigger problem for me is that Ubuntu is starting to feel a lot like Windows in ways I really don’t appreciate. There’s this subtle nudge toward proprietary tools and services, and nothing showcases this better than Snaps.
Snap is Ubuntu’s universal package format, and the backend is proprietary. The packages are often massive, they launch slower, the default Snap Store is fully controlled by Canonical, and snaps frequently lag behind their apt or flatpak equivalents. And despite knowing all of this, Ubuntu keeps doubling down on Snaps
In a weird way, Ubuntu perfectly fits that “you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain” trope. I still respect what Ubuntu used to be, but I can’t recommend it anymore in 2025, especially when you should be using better alternatives like Fedora Silverblue or Linux Mint.
RedstarOS
You and Kim Jong-un finally have a thing in common
This one is honestly more of a joke, because I don’t expect anyone to seriously consider using it. But I’ve still seen people spin it up in a VM just out of curiosity, thinking it’s completely harmless. It’s really not.
If you aren’t familiar with RedstarOS, it’s a North Korean Linux distro based on Fedora. And I probably don’t need to explain why you shouldn’t even entertain the idea of running a North Korean operating system on bare metal (if you somehow even get it running).
If you’re only planning to try it inside a virtual machine, you’re still not entirely safe. If you accidentally attach a network adapter or allow any kind of connectivity, you’re opening yourself up to risks that simply aren’t worth it. And especially if you’re new to Linux, I’d strongly recommend avoiding it entirely.
Everyone says Linux is better than Windows, but I’m not buying it
I get the love for Linux; I just don’t share it.
Even in a controlled VM setup. While there’s a chance nothing will happen since RedstarOS is designed for North Korea’s internal intranet, that’s not something worth testing just for fun.
All the leaked builds you’ll find are more than a decade old at this point, so we also have no idea what RedstarOS looks like today. I am curious myself about how the modern version looks, but definitely not curious enough to go around shady sites trying to find a newer leaked build. Some things are better left as mysteries.
Do your research before installing an entire OS, please
I’ve seen plenty of people assume that anything running Linux is automatically safe and completely free from malware or shady behavior. And while Linux is generally a lot more secure than Windows, that doesn’t give every distro a free pass.
If you’re new to Linux, I’d strongly recommend sticking to mainstream, well-maintained distributions with active communities and proven track records. And before you jump into a distro just because it looks cool, or a random site recommended it, take a few minutes to look through Reddit threads and other forums to get a better idea.