10 best Linux distros: which one is right for you?
Introduction
Choice and flexibility are the hallmarks of a Linux distribution, and by extension the Linux ecosystem. With the proprietary Windows and OS X, you’re stuck with the system as designed and can’t make changes no matter how unpleasant you may find the experience. Linux distributions are free of such limitations.
Each distro has the Linux kernel at its core, but builds on top of that with its own selection of other components, depending on the target audience of the distro. Most Linux users switch between distros until they finally find the one that best suits their needs. However, for new and inexperienced users, the choice of hundreds of distros, with seemingly little to distinguish them, can seem challenging to say the least.
Largely speaking, Linux distros can be grouped into seemingly endless categories such as the default graphical environment, the underlying package management system, single developer distros or distros backed by large billion dollar enterprises, and so on.
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In this feature we’re focusing primarily on the desktop. Some desktop distros aim to keep things as simple as possible, while others give you more control. These distros have different installation routines, along with different desktop environments, package management schemes, and administration tools.
For users well versed with the Linux way of working, and hoping to better understand the internals of Linux, we’ll also look at distros for skilled users and one distro that has been labelled as advanced by the Linux community.