There are so many Linux distributions out there these days that it can be tough to sort through so many of them. Most of them are all great Linux releases and they all contain their very own design and software philosophy that give each of the distributions their own unique feel. How do you choose? Well, one thing there are more of out there than Linux distributions are lists about which one is better. Today, I will weigh in on this and give you my top 5 Linux distributions. Many, I’m sure, will disagree with my list and have their own list. But that is the great thing about Linux. It gives you the freedom to make your own choice with your computer.
How did I choose this list? Well, I took into account development maturity, features, ease of use and software availablility. This gave me a good overall list of what I think are the best and easiest to use which is especially good for the Linux novice out there. These are in no particular order and they are all great options if you are considering trying Linux.
1. Ubuntu
Perhaps the most well known Linux distribution, Ubuntu Linux is also one of the most mature and is quite easy to use. The Ubuntu software center makes it easier than ever to install any type of app you will ever need making this a great choice for a newcomer to Linux.
2. Fedora
The Red Hat Community distribution. This distro is quite mature and in many ways is Red Hat Linux for home use. Fedora, in recent years, has chosen Gnome 3 as the graphical interface of choice which many despise. But, in many ways, I enjoy Gnome 3, at least in small doses. You can always change the inteface, of course. Bottom line is, Fedora is quite mature and stable and offers a huge software library for any of your application needs.
3. Linux Mint
Mint is a great distribution if you are just starting in Linux after spending years using Windows. The Linux Mint team has gone to great lengths to customize the Cinnamon interface to work as much like Windows as possible making it quite easy for anyone familiar with Windows to find what they need to get to work.
4. Crunchbang Linux
The perfect Linux distribution if your computer is starting to show a little age. Crunchbang Linux’s graphical user interface is much more basic when compared to the others, but it also requires much less power to operate with any speed. This makes it a great Linux distribution for older computers out there.
5. PCLinuxOS
Never heard of this one? Well it doesn’t often make the lists. But it did start rising in popularity around 2009 and has had a steady stream of devout users ever since. PCLinuxOS started as a fork of Mandrake Linux but has gone to great lengths to streamline the KDE desktop interface making it smaller and quicker and also quite slick looking as well. Most hardware works out of the box with PCLinuxOS and the development team has even created many easy to use wizards to setup services such as a web server to give just one example. If you prefer KDE to Gnome or Cinnamon, I would suggest giving PCLinuxOS a shot.
There you have it. I’m sure some of you agree with some of these choices and disagree with others. There are so many distros out there that are truly great and will give you a wonderful computing experience there are almost too many to list. What Linux distro do you think should have made this list?
