While there are many Linux-based operating systems to choose from nowadays, not all of them are great. Quite frankly, there are probably only a handful of distributions that I would truly recommend.
My absolute favorite Linux-based operating system is Fedora, but understandably, it is not ideal for all beginners. While I like the focus on free software only, some folks need some non-free stuff. Adding repos and setting up some of this software can be tricky for some. Luckily, Korora is a distro that takes the work out of setting up Fedora for beginners. Today, it achieves version 24, code-named 'Sheldon'.