You Should Try At Least One of These 7 Leading Linux Distros

Let’s face it, Linux has come a very long way. I recently installed Linux on my little brother’s old computer and the only thing he said about it was that “Windows” was running much faster and that it looks different now. What he thought was a different looking, newer Windows XP was actually Linux Mint 4.0.

Once I explained what Linux was, and how it was a completely free alternative to Windows, it was as though he felt like he had the inside scoop on how to get the best speed out of his computer while sticking it to ‘the man’ at the same time.

Through my journey to discover the right Linux distro to install on his computer, I tried nearly every reputable distro I could find.

These are 7 of the best Linux distros out there, especially if you are looking to install this for someone new to linux. The best part is that you can try one by running it off of the LiveCD without having to install anything.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distro these days, and for good reason. It is very user friendly, and it detected nearly all the hardware without the need to install drivers. I was online right after putting in the live cd, and I hadn’t even installed it yet. It comes with enough bundled software to get you going right away.

Find out more about Ubuntu here, or download it here.
Linux Mint

Linux Mint was originally launched as a variant of Ubuntu. It has grown into one of the most user friendly distros. It is Debian based, and it comes bundled with Firefox, Open Office and more. On the Mint website, it says that “There is a strong focus on making things work out of the box.” This is definitely true because the only thing I had to do after installing it was tweak the sound settings to get it to play.

Get more info about Linux Mint here, or download it here.
OpenSUSE

OpenSUSE is a worldwide community program sponsored by Novell, that “promotes the use of Linux everywhere.” OpenSUSE is definitely well built, and most of the hardware was working automatically right after I installed it. The goal at OpenSUSE is to have the most widely used and easily attainable linux distro.

Get more info about OpenSUSE here or download it here.
Fedora

According to their website, “Fedora is all about freedom and rapid innovation.” I would have to agree, and the new features in Fedora 9 definitely back that up. It features a clean interface, and it didn’t take long to configure everything on my brothers computer. In fact Fedora is so good it is used for applications such as NASA and Roadrunner, the worlds fastest supercomputer. Fedora was also used in the OLPC.
Find out more about Fedora here or download it here.
PC Linux OS

PCLinuxOS was originally based on Mandriva and it has some of the same features such as the Draklive installer and the control center. This distro is one of my favorites, and it I am currently running it on my Gateway laptop also. It ran very smoothly, even off of the LiveCD, on my little brothers computer and it is a well rounded distro.

Get more info about PC Linux OS here or download it here.
Mandriva

Mandriva is one of the older linux distros, having been around since 1998. Mandriva took the command line dominated world of linux and integrated a graphical user interface. Mandriva gained a lot of popularity due to its renownd ease of use. It looked good right out of the box, and it was very easy for my little brother to adapt to using it. There were some problems configuring a few things but the Mandriva forums helped resolve all of that.

Find out more about Mandriva here or download it here.
Debian

Debian is officially called Debian GNU/Linux and it is a very solid distro. According to their website, Debian is more than just an Operating System. “It comes with over 18733 packages, precompiled software bundled up in a nice format for easy installation on your machine.” After getting this installed, I found myself stuck looking through the 18000+ packages as there were so many good apps I wanted to try.

Get more info about Debian GNU/Linux here or download it here.

Other great linux distros include Sabayon, SimplyMepis, Puppy Linux, Gentoo and many many more. Tell us what you like most about your favorite linux distro in the comments below.

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Published in Computers, Software on 09/01/08
By Mustafa

Reader Comments (Add Yours Here)

Eugene said:
On 10/21/08

Now everyone is talking about the American economy and eclections, nice to read something different. Eugene

Jim said:
On 11/14/08

Fatal error, didn’t mention the best one (Arch).

Spuffler said:
On 11/17/08

While similar underneath, one major difference between distributions is the philosophy behind their motives. We could debate the benefits of a package manager which is only available for a certain distribution of Linux, but miss the finer points of total user experience. All the distributions in the list offer something that can be claimed as being beneficial to the Linux neophyte. To ensure the best possible first time experience with Linux, be sure to research the details of the experiences of users who share similar computing philosophies as compared to your own philosophy… what is simple to one user is a shortfall for another user.

Uncle B said:
On 11/20/08

Used Microsoft at work for many years, retired, wasn’t legal to use Ms any more, went to Ubuntu, pulled hair for a few weeks, learned to love it, will stay with Ubuntu now! Suggest that older computers can be revived for “have nots” mostly poorer kids - by installing Ubuntu on them and giving them away, at churches, scouts etc. To keep legal according to Ms’s own rules, Ubuntu must erase all Ms stuff, and it does! Most manuals and operating information for Ubuntu are freely available on net, and Yes, you can do your homework with OpenSource word processors! Fewer older computers in the landfills, charities with work to do, underprivileged children given computers! a win-win- win for America in hard times!