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Beginner Distro recommendations
(startrek.website)
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Given your background and interests, I recommend starting with Ubuntu or Linux Mint. These distributions are user friendly for those transitioning from a Windows environment. Setting up a dual-boot with Windows would allow you to maintain your current setup while exploring Linux. Both Ubuntu and Linux Mint have guides to help you get started with dual-booting.
For getting started with Home Assistant or trying out large language models, I'd recommend Docker. You can keep these services separate from your systems files if you install them in container.