Here is a great article from virtualhosting.com discussing some good resources for “getting your mom on linux”. Great idea!
By Jessica Hupp
For most computer literate children, a request from mom to get her set up on “this web thing†is met with panic and a feeling of drudgery. Are you about to expose your sweet mother to spam, phishing, viruses, or worse? Or perhaps more frightening, sign your life away as a 24/7 tech support center? Perhaps, but there’s a better way. By setting your mom up on a Linux machine, you can give her a safe, lean computing experience that will let her do all of the things she wants to do without giving you a nervous breakdown. Here, we’ve compiled over 50 of the best resources to help you get your mom on Linux without a whole lot of trouble.
Systems & Environments
With these systems and environments, you can get your mom set up with low maintenance and friendly interfaces.
- SimplyMEPIS: SimplyMEPIS is low-maintenance and great for Linux beginners.
- Linspire: Linspire is the “World’s Easiest Desktop Linux,†with a familiar look and feel for Windows users.
- Mandriva: Mandriva Linux was specifically designed to offer ease of use for new users.
- Ubuntu: One of the most popular Linux distributions, Ubuntu is stable and easy to use.
- KDE: The K Desktop Environment is easy to use, and offers basic desktop functions.
- Ximian Desktop: Ximian offers a simple layout, with large icons that are great for elderly users.
- Lycoris: This distribution looks a lot like windows, and offers great ease of use.
- SuSE: With SuSE, you’ll got lots of popular open source software like OpenOffice, Kaffeine, and more.
- GNOME: In this desktop environment, you’ll find an extremely usable GUI.