I’ve heard a lot of people say it. “There’s just too many choices,” they say. These people are those that are not experienced with Linux, and don’t want to try it because of too many choices. Now, the great thing about open source is that you have choices. But too many choices can bamboozle beginners. Is there a solution that makes Linux easier for beginners, AND keeps the choices open for those that want them?

The first solution that people come up with is to trim down the choices. This obviously doesn’t work. Removing the choices makes it easier for beginners, but like I said above, choices are what makes open source great. Let’s take the example of desktop environments. If Xfce was to be removed, people with older computers wouldn’t benefit. One of the bonuses on Linux is that it can run on a variety of platforms, and that includes older computers.

The second solution is to not have the beginners choose and just give them the default. The choices would still be kept open for people that wanted them, but some looking is necessary to find them. This solution makes the assumption that only the skilled will want the choices. This is true in some cases, but not all. While this solution is an improvement from the previous one, as it keeps the choices, I still don’t like it. I think that there has to be a better solution for beginners to not be so confused by the choices.

The reason that I don’t like the second solution is because it doesn’t really show the other choices that might be a better fit for some of the beginners. I’m going to use desktop environments as an exaple again. I am a KDE fan, but only after I had tried GNOME. Had I not seen the option of KDE, I might be using GNOME or Xfce. I’ve tried all three, and believe that I work best with KDE. Had I not seen it, I might be a little less happy with Linux.

The first two words in the title of this post say “My solution”. So, what solution do I propose? I say that all of the options (or some of them, if there are too many options to display) should be displayed, along with a very short description. This makes the choices easier, and there can be a recommended choice if the user is still having trouble choosing. Why do I believe this is the best? Well, it allows beginners to be exposed to multiple choices, and it helps the beginners choose the choice that is best for him or her.

So, do you have your own solution for beginners facing too many choices? Post it in the comments.