How Welcome Apps Improve the New Linux User Experience

There are literally hundreds of Linux distributions competing for people’s attention these days. Even if you remove the lesser-known boutique projects from the equation and stick with the more recognizable hitters like Ubuntu, Fedora, Pop!_OS, Linux Mint, and Manjaro, there are still dozens of them to consider. In order to gain some semblance of loyalty and mindshare (and maybe donations or community contributions in the future), they need to make a great first impression when they manage to take up some space on your disk.

Enter the Welcome Screen. The Welcome Screen after installation can be an incredible catalyst for discovery. It can be a collection of social links and support documents, a guide to the interface, or a portal to useful system tools, software, and instant customization.

Today we want to celebrate the introduction of the Welcome screen and highlight two of them that go the extra mile to make users feel comfortable with the new operating system.

Anyone who has installed a major update to Modern Windows (or installed it from scratch) has likely been greeted with a big “Hello” followed by about 16 more screens — half of which prompted them to purchase various Microsoft subscriptions or sign in to existing ones.

This… isn’t exactly the type of vibe most Linux splash apps try to capture. Let’s take a look at two that really give you that first boot experience.

Ubuntu Budgie 24.04

This “variant” of Ubuntu—which uses the Budgie desktop environment instead of GNOME—has one of the most comprehensive welcome apps I’ve seen. Sure, it elegantly outlines the operating system’s basic features while also weaving in some of the principles that guide its creators. But in the “Getting Started” category, it goes beyond that.

From the “Browser Ballot” area, you can directly install a range of alternative web browsers, add Flatpak support, create additional user accounts, and update your system. If you need to satisfy your gaming cravings, take advantage of the simplicity of installing Steam, RetroArch, Lutris, Discord, OBS, and many other tools. And it all happens within the Welcome app itself. No websites to visit, no separate installers to wade through.

Where Ubuntu Budgie (and others like Zorin OS) shine is in the “Makeovers & Layouts” section. Here, you can instantly change your desktop layout to one that feels more familiar (“Cupertino” for macOS, “Redmond” for Windows 10, etc.). You can also download and apply one of several new global themes to spice up the visual look. Again, this all happens in the Welcome app. There’s still a lot to discover in Ubuntu Budgie, but let’s shift gears to a distro that appeals to my inner gamer.

Garuda Linux

Garuda is an Arch-based Linux distribution aimed primarily at gamers, streamers, and content creators. Its welcome app focuses less on providing you with a guide and more on getting you up and running in no time. It may not be flashy, but it’s certainly comprehensive.

The setup assistant will first ask you to update your base system, then check for updated Nvidia drivers (AMD’s drivers are open source and built into the Linux kernel itself). Then you can use the tabbed interface to install (gasp!) printer support, additional wallpapers, specialized kernels, office suites, 12+ browsers, multiple email clients, seemingly every messaging app under the sun (including Teams, Slack, and Zoom), audio/video players, virtualization software, development tools like VIM, Ansible, Docker, and Visual Studio. Literally hundreds of useful apps, all installed in one package, without even having to launch a browser. Amazing!

But games have a dedicated section due to their massive scale. Absolutely everything you need is here. Steam, Heroic (for Epic Games and GOG), Itch, and Lutris. Don’t forget GameHub to gather your entire library across multiple stores and launchers. Need a specialist version of Valve’s Proton? It’s here. As are various apps for creating custom fan curves, overclocking, and controlling AMD and Nvidia hardware, tools for using Android as a webcam, remote desktop software, almost 100 open-source games, and every emulator you’ll ever need to enjoy your collection of retro ROMs.

Yes, I repeat this drumbeat over and over, but what’s so refreshing is the fact that you can effortlessly install a ton of software by simply checking boxes and sitting back while Garuda does the rest. I can’t express how valuable it is that I can be up and running with any software I need just a few minutes after a clean install of the operating system.

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Windows and macOS could learn a lot from these humble tools. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what’s available in the vast, diverse world of Linux distributions. Is there a welcome app that you find particularly useful? Talk to me on X or Mastodon or comment below and let me know!