Linux on the Desktop
General Procedures: These are the procedures that apply for any Linux distro.
antiX Linux: This is my main distro. I use version M8.2 for compatibility with a wireless card for a laptop used by a group I belong to. (Version M8.5 lacks this compatibility.) antiX Linux has low hardware requirements, is user-friendly, and has a top-notch software repository. This is the gold standard against which I compare other Linux distros.
Puppy Linux: This used to be my main distro but is now my backup distro. Puppy Linux has low hardware requirements and is user-friendly but has a weak software repository. I use Puppy Linux for interfacing with my scanner and digital camera and for burning CDs and DVDs.
Other desktop distros
Linux Mint: If you have never used Linux before and have enough RAM (512 MB or more required, 1 GB or more recommended), I recommend trying this distro first. This is a well-established, well-supported, and widely used distro, so it's easy to find the help you need. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, which is even more widely used. Linux Mint has the same top-notch software repository (over 30,000 packages available) as Ubuntu. I find Linux Mint more user-friendly than Ubuntu because it includes extra drivers and codecs not pre-installed in Ubuntu.
Fedora: Fedora Core 1 was my first Linux distro because the CD came with the book Linux For Non-Geeks. Fedora Core 1 showed me that Linux can be user-friendly, but there were many things that I couldn't get to work. It is a much-improved and better-established distro today. If you want the latest and greatest in software, this is a distro for you.
Damn Small Linux: This was my second Linux distro. Damn Small Linux showed me that a very lightweight Linux distro can be user-friendly. However, the software repository was weak there were still many things that I couldn't get to work. In my opinion, Damn Small Linux can't compete with Puppy Linux when it comes to supporting functions and hardware. It doesn't help that this distro has become dormant and out-of-date. Its old version of Firefox no longer works properly out-of-the-box.
Ubuntu Linux: Ubuntu has a top-notch software repository. Due to its popularity, support is excellent. Ubuntu has a reputation for being very user-friendly in its full installation, but that means high hardware requirements that my computers don't meet. Ubuntu is less bloated when you make a minimal command-line only installation and then add just the packages you need, but that makes it less user-friendly. If your computer has high enough specs, then Ubuntu will work for you, but remember that this distro has a track record of escalating hardware requirements and discontinuing support for the older, less bloated versions.
Debian Linux: Debian's strengths are its support, stability, and software repository. This is why so many distros are derived from Debian. However, Debian itself is NOT user-friendly. I had to download and install a package just to reboot or shut down properly. I like Debian on the server but not the desktop.