Guide to Picking a Linux Distribution

There's been a lot of interest in Linux, and awareness of Linux seems to be rising. Consequently, we have been getting more and more questions about which Linux distribution to choose.

The answer is not easy- there's a lot to consider. Some distributions (also known as 'distros') are made to be simple to use an install to help new users. There's still much to learn, but the drawback of these distros is that you don't learn too much about Linux itself. Some distros are the opposite, they expect you to know a lot and you are thrown right into the thick of things. There's a lot you can learn from these, but it's also easy to get bogged down in all the technical issues involved.

Another fundamental choice is the interface. The two more common and most graphical interfaces are KDE and Gnome, and the choice between the two is down to user preference. Other interfaces are not as graphical nor as friendly to new users. These include IceWM and Fluxbox.

• Here is a guide to help choosing a GUI.

Here's a few popular distros in these forums, and a few that are often recommended:

• SuSE

Our own Quantum Skyline did a review of SuSE 9.1. Be careful when reading reviews though, as the version reviewed may not be the most recent version.

• Mandrake

Another review by Quantum Skyline.

• Slackware
• Gentoo

That's a very short list. The first two are better for new Linux users, the last two are better for people who have some experience or want to really jump in and understand what's going on.

Yet that really doesn't provide a lot of detail. Want more information? Well, that's not easy to supply here- there are far too many Linux distributions. If you find one you want to research more, however, or are looking for downloads, try LinuxISO.org. Some of the information there can be a little technical too, but there's always Google, and any reviews that LinuxISO links to.

Fortunately, Daniel André and the good folks at zegenie studios have put together a small questionnaire to help new users choose a Linux distro. It's by no means a scientific test, but it will help point you in the right direction by narrowing down the seemingly endless possibilities to a few that fit your needs and current abilities, allowing you to research those few better and make a choice. Of course, you can try as many Linux distros as you like The questionnaire can be found here.



So, to recap:

• Get a little information of the available GUI's in Linux. Read this for some more good information and to learn about availability- many distros come with more than one GUI, some may need you to install the GUI you want to try.
• Take the questionnaire at zegenie studios to help figure out where you are with your current abilities and what distros are recommended for you.
• Research the suggested distros a little bit to get a better idea of what you're looking at. It's always good to check the distro's homepage for information and instructions to aid in the installation.
• Check LinuxISO for another description of the distro and for places you can download it.
• Ask questions. If you're unsure of what something means, if you need some advice, some help setting up, don't be afraid to use the resources here in the form of the forum search and the ability to post your own question if you can't find an answer by searching.

Comments on this guide, if constructive, are appreciated. If there's something we need to add, or a way to improve it, feel free to say something




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Okay, that's a rough draft. Comments, suggestions, additions, more info on the distros listed here to add back up in there, anything, post it. This is obviously aimed at newer users, so keep that in mind.

I don't know if I'm happy with the layout or not, but there's much to improve. Looking forward to your input.

Wikipedia has a comprehensive comparison of Linux distributions here.

Also check out the other Wikipedia article links at the bottom of the page... I've found the operating system and filesystem comparisons to be particularly useful.

See DistroWatch for a list of Linux distributions (And a few other operating systems - mostly Unix-based). Each operating system/Linux distribution has its own page containing general information as well as links to some reviews.

Finally, LinuxQuestions has a section for user reviews of Linux distributions. Especially here, beware of bias.

Here's a quick overview of the major Linux distributions by TipMonkies (Stripped from another thread in this forum, I know - Data consolidation is good, people).

These are all fundamental resources, but, hey, everybody must start somewhere.

Chandler

* Edited a few times for integrity and completion

i say Ubuntu it is prob the most the best way to go with much community support great .deb based system easy way of accessing applications and did i mention community support

it is rising high above the others, and Mepis is currently thinkin of dising Debian as there base system and takin up Ubuntu, also it is biggest growing distro at the moment most people look into Ubuntu along with others before choosing and many decide that Ubuntu is the way to go , also in April i think the latest version is coming out go LINUX!! (Ubuntu 6.04 Drapper Drake)

http://www.ubuntulinux.org
URL

Excuse the necro, but I was reading about TLB while coming across this link, which might be helpful:

Linux vs Linux

Thanx for digging this one out... i woulda missed on some good info elsewise.

To dig another post out of the grave this is an interesting one i found and puts across a very valid point.

What linux needs if it wants to win the hearts of the masses is to regroup and centralize its efforts... trim the branches so to speak and get everyone behind a few distros for desktop, server, portable and dumb terminal setups. the hardest part about linux is the research... theres so damn much to look at just to decide what you want to start with it hurts and that scares alot of people away. The learning curve has to start with a basic and easily used OS which graduates into more advanced configuration as the user decides how they want it to run. You dont get this far when you have to frequently ask, 'whats the best Linux distro today?' It cant be a good thing for commercial developers either with so many variations...

What i recall as being the best features of any linux distro form my limited exposure, is you can change component features or completely shut others off. If you dont want a desktop, dont use one... with wndows you get what you get wether its what you need/want or not. You can trim off services and features until it will run on the most anciant behemoths in computer technology, heck, you dont even need a harddrive !!

I want a free and configurable OS, i dont mind paying for games and decent apps.