Confused on which Linux distro to install? This guide should help point you:
1. I am a Linux noob. I can't tell the difference between a Linux distribution and a piece of toast and have no idea what "/dev/hda1" means.
2. I am familiar with Linux and am eager to try a distribution with the latest, bleeding-edge technologies.
3. I am a fairly advanced Linux user interested in a distribution that is stable and proven.
4. I have an extensive knowledge of Linux and am interested in a bare-bones, no-frills, extensible distribution
5. I own a small business and am interested in a Linux distribution that is stable and easily scalable to my needs.
6. I am a Linux expert. I eat Linux for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I want to create a Linux distribution that revolves around me, does what I want, and runs on my hardware.
7. I have a PC that has the computing power of a rock. I don't need anything fancy, but would like a usable desktop Linux.
1. I am a Linux noob. I can't tell the difference between a Linux distribution and a piece of toast and have no idea what "/dev/hda1" means.
Ubuntu
Ubuntu is a distribution based off of Debian. It has a stable base and is frequently updated. It also has a strong focus on usability and simplicity. In addition, the Ubuntu community is one of the biggest in the Linux world.
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Linux Mint
Linux Mint is based off of Ubuntu but uses a new graphical environment and a simplified bootloader designed to appeal to those new to the Linux operating system.
http://www.linuxmint.com/index.html
Ubuntu is a distribution based off of Debian. It has a stable base and is frequently updated. It also has a strong focus on usability and simplicity. In addition, the Ubuntu community is one of the biggest in the Linux world.
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Linux Mint
Linux Mint is based off of Ubuntu but uses a new graphical environment and a simplified bootloader designed to appeal to those new to the Linux operating system.
http://www.linuxmint.com/index.html
2. I am familiar with Linux and am eager to try a distribution with the latest, bleeding-edge technologies.
Fedora
Fedora is a distribution based off the widely popular, now defunct Red Hat Linux. It contains new bleeding-edge software not seen in other distributions such as KDE4 and OpenJDK. Many of these technologies are later implemented in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat's commercial implementation of Fedora.
http://www.fedoraproject.org/
OpenSUSE
OpenSUSE is a distro based off the retail SUSE Linux. It also includes many new technologies like KDE4.
http://www.opensuse.org/
Fedora is a distribution based off the widely popular, now defunct Red Hat Linux. It contains new bleeding-edge software not seen in other distributions such as KDE4 and OpenJDK. Many of these technologies are later implemented in Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat's commercial implementation of Fedora.
http://www.fedoraproject.org/
OpenSUSE
OpenSUSE is a distro based off the retail SUSE Linux. It also includes many new technologies like KDE4.
http://www.opensuse.org/
3. I am a fairly advanced Linux user interested in a distribution that is stable and proven.
Gentoo
Gentoo is a distribution designed to be flexible and optimized. It is based off of many FreeBSD technologies, making it ideal for transitioners from FreeBSD. It is also popular for its lightweight-ness and speed.
http://www.gentoo.org/
Gentoo is a distribution designed to be flexible and optimized. It is based off of many FreeBSD technologies, making it ideal for transitioners from FreeBSD. It is also popular for its lightweight-ness and speed.
http://www.gentoo.org/
4. I have an extensive knowledge of Linux and am interested in a bare-bones, no-frills, extensible distribution
Slackware
Slackware is one of the oldest currently maintained Linux distributions. Regarded for its stability and Unix-likeness, Slackware has been the basis of many Linux distributions.
http://www.slackware.com/
Slackware is one of the oldest currently maintained Linux distributions. Regarded for its stability and Unix-likeness, Slackware has been the basis of many Linux distributions.
http://www.slackware.com/
5. I own a small business and am interested in a Linux distribution that is stable and easily scalable to my needs.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a commercial distribution based off Fedora. It is built off of proven technologies used in earlier versions of Fedora. A subscription to RHEL includes access to Red Hat's technical support and the Red Hat Network, a large repository of updates and patches.
http://www.redhat.com/
CentOS
CentOS is a free distribution rebuilt from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Though lacking in Red Hat's support and the Red Hat Network, CentOS is 100% binary compatible with RHEL and it has a devout community.
http://www.centos.org/
Solaris
Though it is a Unix system and not a Linux one, Solaris does a good job at where RHEL leaves off. It's is well known throughout the industry for its high scalability and support for a variety of implementations.
http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a commercial distribution based off Fedora. It is built off of proven technologies used in earlier versions of Fedora. A subscription to RHEL includes access to Red Hat's technical support and the Red Hat Network, a large repository of updates and patches.
http://www.redhat.com/
CentOS
CentOS is a free distribution rebuilt from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Though lacking in Red Hat's support and the Red Hat Network, CentOS is 100% binary compatible with RHEL and it has a devout community.
http://www.centos.org/
Solaris
Though it is a Unix system and not a Linux one, Solaris does a good job at where RHEL leaves off. It's is well known throughout the industry for its high scalability and support for a variety of implementations.
http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/
Linux From Scratch
Linux From Scratch is a guide to build your own Linux system from the ground up. Though naturally, it is complicated and not for the faint of hearted, LFS allows you to create a Linux tailored to you, the main goal of Linux itself.
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/
Linux From Scratch is a guide to build your own Linux system from the ground up. Though naturally, it is complicated and not for the faint of hearted, LFS allows you to create a Linux tailored to you, the main goal of Linux itself.
http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/
7. I have a PC that has the computing power of a rock. I don't need anything fancy, but would like a usable desktop Linux.
Xubuntu
Xubuntu is a variant of Ubuntu with the XFCE Desktop Environment, a lightweight GUI for Xorg.
http://www.xubuntu.org/
Damn Small Linux
DSL is a very light distribution that can run on hardware as old as a 486. Despite its small size, It has nearly all the features of a full distribution.
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
DeLi Linux
Desktop Light Linux is a linux distribution that can run on hardware as old as a 386 and smoothly on a 486. It requires only 400mb of HDD space.
http://www.delilinux.de/
Knoppix
Possibly the most popular LiveCD distribution, Knoppix can also be installed to the hard disk for a minimal desktop system.
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
Feather Linux
Feather Linux is a lightweight distro that can fit in under 128Mb of space. It uses the Fluxbox window manager and includes many GTK+ apps such as AbiWord.
http://featherlinux.berlios.de/
Xubuntu is a variant of Ubuntu with the XFCE Desktop Environment, a lightweight GUI for Xorg.
http://www.xubuntu.org/
Damn Small Linux
DSL is a very light distribution that can run on hardware as old as a 486. Despite its small size, It has nearly all the features of a full distribution.
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
DeLi Linux
Desktop Light Linux is a linux distribution that can run on hardware as old as a 386 and smoothly on a 486. It requires only 400mb of HDD space.
http://www.delilinux.de/
Knoppix
Possibly the most popular LiveCD distribution, Knoppix can also be installed to the hard disk for a minimal desktop system.
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
Feather Linux
Feather Linux is a lightweight distro that can fit in under 128Mb of space. It uses the Fluxbox window manager and includes many GTK+ apps such as AbiWord.
http://featherlinux.berlios.de/