I remember back in the day when Linux was a challenge, even for computer scientists. It was all text-based; you had to manually format the hard drive, understand how networking functioned, and use the command line like a magician.

Today's Linux is a far easier experience. In fact, there are some Linux distributions that are so easy to install that anyone, regardless of skill, can do it. With that particular breed of distribution, the hardest part is burning an ISO to a USB drive. Even so, from the start of the ISO download to logging into your new Linux system, it should only take about 10 minutes -- depending on the speed of your internet connection for downloading the ISO and the performance of your machine.

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So, which distributions are the easiest? I've chosen five, all of which you can install without knowing anything about Linux.

1. Ubuntu

You may or may not love Ubuntu, but there's no denying that the development team has created one of the easiest OS installers on the market. With the latest iteration, 25.04, installation has become even easier. Prior to 25.04, Ubuntu used the Ubiquity installer, but with 25.04, Canonical released the new Ubuntu Desktop Installer. I love what the team has done with this and wish every distribution's installation process were this painless. 

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In addition to being painless, it is also one of the fastest OS installations available. I've installed Ubuntu on virtual machines with only 3GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores, and from start to finish the installation took 2 to 5 minutes. Installing that OS on a machine with double that power will almost always veer toward the lower end of that range. But speed is not the only selling point. It's easy on a level that most operating systems cannot touch -- even the others on this list. 

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Installing Ubuntu for the desktop is a point-and-click affair that your child or your grandparents can handle. Seriously, what Canonical has done for the Linux installation process should have the open-source community jumping for joy.

2. Zorin OS

Unlike Ubuntu, Zorin OS sticks with the Ubiquity installer, and there's nothing wrong with that. There are few installers as easy as the Ubuntu Desktop Installer, and I would place Ubiquity just below Canonical's new installer. Because of that, Zorin OS earns a spot on this list. 

Also: Zorin OS is exactly what a desktop operating system should be

The Ubiquity installer is very similar to a traditional app