Ubuntu’s popularity often makes it the default choice for new Linux users. But there are tons of other Linux operating systems that deserve your attention. As such, I’ve highlighted some Ubuntu alternatives so you can choose based on your needs and requirements—because conformity is boring.
alpine is great if you don’t plan to use a gui and just want to set up command line stuff. not all new linux users are looking for a desktop replacement. some just want a server for file sharing or running plex, etc.
I use OpenBSD, and Alpine is the only Linux distro I can recommend :)
It is somewhat like FreeBSD (not having X by default), and they are both not friendly to newbies when compare to OpenBSD.
People should start with a free and sane default and gather knowledge, not start with a beautiful desktop environment (integrated graphical environment) and use browser and libreoffice and proprietary software on their device.