With so many distributions available, navigating the Linux-distro waters can be daunting. Many new users stick with what's safe, the big distros – Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE, Mandriva, Mint or Debian. Some new users get brave and download a difficult or minimalist distro like Crunchbang (#!) and swear off Linux forever, but there are quality distributions beyond distrowatch.com's top ten. Here are a few of the best.
Full-Featured Distibutions for Linux Newbies
Among the dozens of smaller Linux distributions, there are several that stand out for ease-of-use. The software that comes standard fills almost any need, and everything is easy to find. New Linux users won't be lost when it comes time to load a new piece of software, and they'll be able to change the desktop background if they want to.
- gOS "Gadgets" has been a stable "enlightenment" distro for several years, now. It has gradually climbed the ranks of distributions. It is a light distro, and it offers a good set of programs for typical computer-users. Its integration of Google add-ons/gadgets for the desktop works right out of the box (ootb).
- Igelle is a relatively new distribution, a rather unique one at that. Its software is almost all unnamed. The browser is just named "Igelle Web Browser." It's the same with much of Igelle's software.That's different for a Linux distro. Most use similar software: Firefox, and Openoffice.org, and Brasero, and Avidemux, to name a few. Igelle's software, with no brand names, is hard to rate, but it certainly works and it certainly sets Igelle apart.
- Knoppix maybe shouldn't be on this list. It's certainly not unknown, but it doesn't fall in the top ten, either. Knoppix holds the distinction of being one of the best hardware-detection distros out there, and it works with almost any computer made in the last ten years.
- MoonOS is a Cambodian distribution that utilizes the Englightenment window manager. Enlightenment gives moonOS themability and custom desktop graphics like few distros have done. It's also fast and works on older hardware without a problem.
- Elive is another distro that uses Enlightenment. Elive isn't free, however. A small fee will get users an activation code and a working install of Elive. Very similar to moonOS, Elive is one of the most phenomenal-looking Linux distros available to users today.
Slimmer Linux Distros for Experienced Linux Users
Older hardware often gets bogged down running the more full-feature systems. The following Linux operating systems, most of them XFCE and LXDE-based, all rehabilitate older hardware and make it work like new again. Older computers will work faster and more smoothly than they'll ever work running Windows(r) systems.
- Masonux is one of the most fantastic LXDE distros ever created. Its speed is simply remarkable. On a two-year-old Acer, it boots from power button to ready-to-go in 35 seconds.
- DreamLinux is another distribution running XFCE that wows new users. It's fast, it's clean, and its Firefox startpage is one of the coolest ever created. It carries all of the major software necessary for almost any normal
- Xubuntu is the XFCE branch of Ubuntu, and after trying it, users might never go back to the vanilla, Gnome version of Ubuntu. It takes the best of Ubuntu, its hardware detection and easy software downloads, and adds speed and even more class.
- For netbooks needing a new system, Jolicloud can compete with any out there. Even though still in testing, Jolicloud's "cloud" button offers a fascinating interface to do social networking differently.
- PC/OS Linux might be one of the most industrial-looking distributions on this list. It's "Workstation" and "Webstation" releases sound like systems that might be found on cubicle PCs, but using PC/OS is an journey through efficiency and productivity. Everything is fast, and everything is right where users would expect to find it. The beauty of PC/OS is its ease of use and speed.
- Salix is another XFCE system, based on Slackware, fully backwards compatible with it, and it's a joy to use. It's more polished than some Slackware variants, boasting plenty of software and losing the blocky look that some Slackware variants seem to have.
With so much older hardware available today, all these distributions are available to resurrect it for free. Instead of fighting bulky operating systems that bog down these computers, Linux makes them last, and does so with style. And these distros have style. For those interested in trying new Linux varieties, these are definitely some of the best of the best. They're all very different, but that's what's so great about Linux, its difference, and the variety available to those tired of vanilla.
Ben Lingenfelter - As an intinerant writer, I've found freedom to write and learn about a variety of topics. That fits me perfectly. I've been an English ...
Join the Conversation