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General Use
Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Lubuntu/etc One of the most popular general-use distributions with one of the largest selections of software. Based on: Debian Download | Full review |
Fedora The most cutting-edge general-use distribution on a 6-month release cycle. It’s cutting edge in two ways: new versions of software, and it uses new software before other distributions use them. Based on: Itself; Originated from: Red Hat Download | Full review |
openSUSE A stable, general-use distribution for everyone that excels in enterprise environments. openSUSE includes a few different defaults such as it’s package manager and the KDE desktop environment Based on: Itself; Originated from: Slackware Download | Full review |
Debian One of the most stable distributions in existence, with a large selection of software. It is often used as the base of many other distributions. Based on: Itself Download | Full review |
Linux Mint A highly-customized distribution that includes many features out-of-the-box that other distributions do not, including codecs. Linux Mint has such a large following that it’s starting to look toward going in its own direction. Based on: Ubuntu, Debian Download | Full review |
PCLinuxOS Another general-use distribution that combines technologies from different distributions to present an overall great experience. Originated from: Mandrake Linux Download |
PinGuy OS A general-use distribution that comes with a number of customizations to make an easier out-of-the-box experience. Based on: Ubuntu Download | Full review |
Slackware One of the oldest living distributions, Slackware allows plenty of configuration and is a great general-use distribution. It requires some knowledge of Linux and isn’t recommended for new users. Based on: Itself; Originiated from: Itself Download |
Gentoo A general-purpose distribution that is centered around machine-specific optimization. Until recently, all software was compiled on the system rather than installing binaries. Not recommended for new users. Based on: Itself Download |
Hybryde Evolution An Ubuntu-based distribution which lets you switch between desktop environments without restarting. Based on: Ubuntu Download |
Minimal
Arch Linux A minimal rolling-release general-use distribution where you install only what you want or need. It’s highly cutting-edge and there are no default installations. Most customizations are done manually in text files. Based on: Itself; Originated from: Itself Download | Full review |
Puppy Linux A very small distribution that uses an extremely low amount of resources. Great for older systems or those that need every drop of power for their tasks. Based on: Itself; Originated from: Itself; Compatible with: Slackware, Ubuntu, others with Woof tool Download | Full review |
Bodhi Linux A great lightweight alternative for systems that can’t run other desktop environments. Still very functional and relatively elegant. Based on: Ubuntu Download | Full review |
Tiny Core An extremely minimal distro which you can build up yourself. Download |
Commercial
Red Hat Enterprise Linux A commercial solution from Red Hat for a great enterprise system, both desktop and server. Costs of the distribution come from support packages. Based on: Fedora; Originated from: Itself Download |
SUSE Enterprise Linux One of two preferred enterprise systems for most Linux administrators. SUSE includes plenty of tools to make the admin’s job a lot easier. Based on: openSUSE Download |
Enterprise
CentOS A great, free clone of Red Hat Enterprise Linux for a pure, stable enterprise system. Based on: Red Hat Enterprise Linux Download |
Specialised Purpose
Joli OS A distribution aimed for use on netbooks and working with different cloud services. Who needs ChromeOS? Based on: Ubuntu Download | Full review |
ArtistX A specialized distribution that includes virtually every single multimedia application for Linux that you can think of. Great for work on images, sounds, and videos. Based on: Ubuntu Download |
GParted A distribution made especially for partitioning hard drives. The distribution comes as a LiveCD only and contains only the GParted partitioning software and a console. Based on: Debian Download | Full review |
Parted Magic A distribution aimed specifically at partitioning your hard drives, but includes plenty of other features that make it more of a rescue disc than a lone partitioning tool. Download |
Backtrack Linux A fantastic distribution that is specialized for network penetration testing and security auditing. It includes all kinds of software and needed patches to do the job. Based on: Ubuntu; Originated from: Whoppix Download |
For Mac & Windows Users
PearOS A very beautiful general-use distribution that mimics the look, feel, and functionality of Apple’s Mac OS X. Based on: Ubuntu, Debian (soon) Download |
ZorinOS A general-use distribution that mimics the look, feel, and functionality of Windows. This is geared for those who prefer the Windows interface or need an easier way to transition from Windows to Linux. Based on: Ubuntu Download | Full review |
