23 Aug 2012

6 Linux Distros Worth Checking Out

One of the best things about Linux is that its distributions come in all shapes and sizes. There’s a distro for every taste and skill level.

Below is a list of some of the most popular Linux distributions. Be sure to check them out and let us know what you think. If you’re familiar with these distros, feel free to tell us about your experiences and share your recommendations.

1. Ubuntu

(Linux Expertise Level: Beginner)
This is one of the most popular Linux distributions because of its user-friendliness. Ubuntu has a lot of documentation and support from official documents as well as user contributions.

However, one of the most common complaints about Ubuntu is that you sometimes need to download software and codecs in order to get the other programs to work. Other than that though, this one is a good choice.

2. Linux Mint

(Linux Expertise Level: Beginner)
Known as the most popular Linux distribution, Linux Mint focuses on what’s best for its users and offers (for the most part) what its users demand. Linux Mint 13 has four editions: Xfce, KDE, Cinnamon and MATE. Cinnamon has a more familiar and traditional layout and includes a Gnome 3 desktop, while MATE includes a Gnome 2 desktop.

Linux Mint’s popularity is due to the fact that it’s extremely user-friendly and works well out of the box. In fact, this distro is becoming so popular that talks about how Linux Mint is set to overtake Ubuntu have been circling for quite some time now.

3. Fedora

(Linux Expertise Level: Intermediate)
Formerly known as Red Hat Linux, this particular distro is a great one to start with if you’re a beginner Linux user that wants to try a more advanced distribution. Fedora is a little more complex than the above-mentioned distros, but it’s still simple enough for a techy person to get the hang of.

4. Debian

(Linux Expertise Level: Intermediate)
Similar to Fedora, Debian can be a little too complicated for beginners, but it’s easy enough to learn if you have enough tech experience. This Linux distro is known for its stability, and it supports a lot more processor architectures compared to other distros. Additionally, Debian has more than 20,000 software packages.

5. Slackware Linux

(Linux Expertise Level: Advanced)
If you’re an advanced (or even semi-advanced) user that wishes to learn more about the ins and outs of Linux, then this one is for you. With Slackware Linux, you’re given more freedom to tinker with the OS. Power users will also be pleased to know that this distro is very stable and powerful.

6. LFS (Linux From Scratch)

(Linux Expertise Level: Advanced)
If you want true user freedom, then this one is for you. As its name clearly indicates, LFS will allow you to build your operating system from scratch. This is only for advanced users, so if you want a distro that you can just pull out of the box, you’re better off with the above-mentioned distributions. However, if you’re up the challenge of exploring the nuts, bolts, and cogs of the OS, then by all means, check this one out.

You can order CDs with different Linux distributions from BuyLinuxCDs.co.uk site, where most of these distributions listed. If you want to order an unlisted one, you can still request it via the contact form.


Author bio: Francesca StaAna is from AdMedia, an ad network that connects advertisers to consumers through ad retargeting, affiliate programs, pay per click advertising, and more. Learn more at http://www.remarketing.com/

15 comments:

  1. From what I know (So I might be wrong) Fedora isn't necessarily the disro that is literally the one that was Red Hat. It was simply a distro based on Red Hat. Once Red Hat was discontinued, though, people started looking at Fedora the way they once looked at Red Hat. Maybe the same will happen to CentOS one day, or perhaps ClearOS or Scientific Linux.

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    1. Quote from Wikipedia: The Fedora Project was created in late 2003, when Red Hat Linux was discontinued. Red Hat Enterprise Linux was to be Red Hat's only officially supported Linux distribution, while Fedora was to be a community distribution.

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    2. Dark Duck People like yourself have this notion that Ubuntu and Linux Mint are the be all and end all of a Linux distributions, I download and try out every distribution that hits Distrowatch, there are some distribution that put Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, OpenSuse to shame, It is becoming a fact that Canonical are trying their best to control their users into doing things Canonicals way, they are getting like Apple, control freaks. Mint on the other hand have lost their way, They to don't know which way to turn for the best way to control their users,

      Then we have the biggest Linux controller of all time Google, who not only wants to control everything people do on the Internet they also want to control users computers, so they can throw adds in their faces every minute of the day, Yahoo is getting the same way, Only tonight I switch my system on and one third of my screen was taken up with advertisement, which was blocked, and because of that the page would not go to my email until I activated the advertisements animation Your web page is no better when it comes to adverting, You could do with getting Canonical, and Red Hat Fedora to advertise on your web page for all the support you give them, but then again they have no need to pay Your advertising freely for them

      Getting back to what this is all about, Community distribution put the Commercial distribution to shame and my choice would be Ultimate Edition, ZorinOS, LuninuxOS for the top three Linux distributions. You need to support the community distributions more,

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    3. Open your blog and put whatever advertisements you like there. This is my blog and I do what I like. Thanks!

      As for the article, this is a guest post. I gave tribune to someone who had something to say. Write your own post, and I will give tribune to you too.

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    4. Fedora is Red Hat's community project -- in some ways it is more advanced than Red Hat -- kind of Red Hat's "beta" program. This is where future Red Hat features get tested and accepted or rejected. CentOS and Scientific Linux are designed to be clones of the latest Red Hat releases (CentOS more so, Scientific Linux is a little more specialized for the Scientific community).

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  2. No Mageia Love? www.mageia.org

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    1. This is a guest post, so selection of distros is author's own. Of course, my set would include Mageia.

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  3. I wouldn't call LFS a distribution, it's just a instruction how to build a Linux based system, after that it's all up to you to keep things up to date.

    Then Gentoo and SourceMage is better for those who wants something advanced and still have the distribution to check for updates and fixes and support when things don't work.

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  4. For a Debian-stable distribution that is simple to set up and use, SalineOS is a real treat. Hardware detection is fantastic and the forum is super-friendly. The software selection is everything you need for a start and more, including Libre-Office and Gimp. I had to add firefox to get the latest version but that is the only big issue I found.

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  6. I vote for Zoppix and RedHat Mint.

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    1. What are they? Links, if you can?

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    2. The best is......
      http://www.backtrack-linux.org/

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    3. Backtrack is definitely not for beginners. Actually, for a rather small target group.

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  7. Arch...that is all

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