There are many reasons for Linux Mint holding onto that top-five status month after month. Mint is based on Ubuntu, which is already one of the most user-friendly distributions available. Mint then opts for a default desktop environment, Cinnamon, that is much more familiar to the masses.

Unlike Ubuntu’s GNOME GUI (which is a more modern take on the desktop), Cinnamon goes out of its way to retain a very familiar design that offers just enough modern design to keep it from looking like a desktop from the early 2000s, while retaining everything that made interacting with a PC so simple in those days.

But what is Linux Mint? With this TechRepublic Premium guide, you’ll find out what makes the distribution so popular and easy to use.