What linux distro to get for programmer/pentester

[halo_fan]

My computer has 8Gbts of RAM, intel i5, and 500Gbt SSD. In other words, i don't need a light weight like puppy linux or lubuntu. I will be programming in multiple languages, such as C, C++, Java, Python. It also need to support proxy and tor browsers as well. I also would like to have metasploit, wireshark, and other pentesters on it as well. I know that kali linux has many of those features, but kali linux is installed as a liveCD, and i want to just do a fresh OS installation. I don't have a preference for GUIs, i dont care if its window's friendly, as long as it does not resemble MAC OS X. I am familiar with GNOME, but dont care if its KDE or another environment.
On another note, i hate firefox, and chrome is my preferred browser

I've heard of arch linux and its customizability, and it sounds interesting, but I am newer to linux and i don't know if it will be too difficult.
I also have been recommended Mint, but i am skeptical that it will perform smoothly with all the packages that i will install.
I don't care for Zorin either because i don't need it to be windows friendly
ubuntus is alright, but i don't need it to be that user friendly
fedora sounds fine
debian seems to be able to handle the software that ill be running, but i might have to try debian testing or debian unstable if the software is out of date

These are the ones that i have heard of, but i do not know which will fit my specific needs. I am new to linux, but i am a fast learner and do not neccesarily need a beginner distro. I've done a bunch of my own research, but would like to hear from actual linux users. Thanks!

[camerongray]

If you are just getting started I'd suggest sticking with something such as Ubuntu/Mint/Fedora - There's big communities around them with loads of support.  I'd always go for a distro like that instead of going for some random distro someone threw together which will have very limited support and information.  Don't worry about what software a specific distro comes with, you can change absolutely everything to suit your needs.

In the end, it's Linux, it's completely customisable to what you want - If you don't like the desktop environment you can totally rip it out and put something different in. There is no point discounting a distro just because it's seen as "beginner friendly", that's a good thing!  Arch is great but you would really be best to start off with something simpler to get familiar with how Linux works, with Arch things WILL break and you WILL need to work out how to fix them  .

Personally, I run Debian Sid (the unstable, rolling release.  This is a similar idea to Arch).  I then installed everything on top manually including i3 as my window manager of choice.  This is not the sort of set up I'd recommend for someone just starting out though, it takes a lot of work to get everything working, a lot of manual tweaking is required.  Then, when things break, you are basically on your own when it comes to fixing it.  I ran Arch in the past with both i3 and KDE and really liked it - I just fancied giving Debian Sid a go for a change.  That said, I certainly didn't start off running a crazy custom setup, the first time I ran Linux as my main OS I used either Fedora or Ubuntu (can't remember which first).

The best advice I can give is to just download several different distros and see what you like best - In the end it comes entirely down to personal preference.

[Geek-9pm]

Don't underestimate the value of the Ubuntu community. Even if you are using another bistro, they can answer many question you have about Linux programming.

Here is a link relevant to the question.
http://www.tecmint.com/10-linux-distributions-and-their-targeted-users/

Do you know from where does the power of Linux comes from? Well Linux is getting richer everyday with the presence of so much distros and every distro possessing a large group of users and developers working voluntarily on the project. Linux distributions come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re aimed at addressing every conceivable need. This article aims at briefing why a certain distro exist, who are the targeted user of the distro, and what special features it has as compared to its’ counterpart.

Take a look at Fedora.