Now that you have the Linux operating system up and running on your computer, it’s time to decide which one is the best. You might be wondering: “What is the best Linux-based operating system? And what should I use?” There are literally thousands of distributions available and choosing one can be an intimidating task. So I will answer these questions by sharing with you some of the best Linux-based operating systems currently available.
1. Ubuntu Linux: Ubuntu linux is an open-source operating system for computers, mobile devices and tablets. It is a Linux distribution based on Debian and uses the GNOME desktop environment by default. Ubuntu has its own software repositories and offers additional software packages not available in the official repositories of Debian. The Ubuntu project also provides officially supported third-party applications through snap packages. The name “Ubuntu” comes from a Tahitian word meaning “human-ness.” The name was chosen because of its relevance to traditional Māori values and beliefs, including its emphasis on community, simplicity, accessibility and collaboration. The Ubuntu project is developed by Canonical Ltd., a U.S.-based company founded in April 2004 by Mark Shuttleworth. Canonical’s current CEO is Jane Silber, who replaced Mark Shuttleworth after his resignation from Canonical Ltd in June 2018.
2. Mint Linux: Mint Linux is a Linux distribution that is based on Debian and Ubuntu. It’s a great choice for beginners and intermediate users who want to have a simple, easy-to-use operating system. Mint is one of the most popular distributions among new Linux users. It’s not as flashy as other distributions, but it does offer some powerful tools for home users. Mint comes with attractive themes, a great desktop environment and an extensive collection of programs preinstalled on your computer. It also offers a wide range of software packages from outside developers so you can get access to new applications that are usually not available in the repositories of other distributions.
3. Fedora Linux: Fedora is a Linux distribution based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It is a community-supported project and is the most popular of the distributions derived from RHEL. Fedora contains software packages written specifically to run on the x86 architecture that were not included in the base distribution. Fedora contains applications and components from RHEL, as well as other free and open source software. Fedora’s desktop environments include GNOME 3, KDE Plasma Workspaces 4, Xfce4, Cinnamon, MATE and Pantheon Desktop Environment. Other desktop environments can be installed via the dnf-plugin-desktop-environment tool for Fedora. Fedora’s server environment includes installation media for various server operating systems including CentOS 7, Scientific Linux 7, Oracle Linux 7 Server, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Server, Oracle Solaris 11 (SPARC Platform Edition), Oracle Solaris 10 (SPARC Platform Edition) and Oracle Solaris 9 (Intel 64 Platform Edition) along with many other options.[1]
4. Debian Linux: Debian is a Linux-based operating system and has been called the “universal operating system”. Debian is named after its creator, Ian Murdock. It is developed by thousands of volunteers located around the world and funded by donations from individuals, organizations and corporations. Debian packages are composed of software programs and documentation written by hundreds of programmers and packaged together into individual packages that can be installed or removed with a single command. The packages are made available through a web-based repository (or archive) at http://www.debian.org/distrib/packages, as well as through FTP servers.
5. Elementary OS Linux: Elementary OS is the most popular Linux distro for users who want a classic desktop experience. It’s based on Ubuntu and uses the same core code, but it has been optimized for speed and ease of use. Elementary is available in three editions: Elementary, Luna, and Freya. Each comes with its own unique look and feel as well as some extra software that you can install from the App Center or Software Center. Elementary is available for 64-bit Intel computers running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. The Elementary team has developed a custom kernel called pfSense that runs on top of Linux kernel 4.1 and provides additional security features like port forwarding that aren’t found in standard Ubuntu kernels. Elementary OS supports almost every type of computer including laptops, desktops, tablets, and phones. The elementary OS website lists support for all major operating systems including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS, Fedora Linux and more.
6. Zorin OS Linux: Zorin OS Linux is a lightweight and fast Linux distribution with a custom flavor of the Ubuntu operating system. It is based on Debian and uses a rolling release model that guarantees to keep the OS up-to-date with the latest updates from Debian. Zorin OS Linux is designed for both advanced users and beginners who need an easy-to-use distribution that can be ready for use in minutes. The main advantage of using Zorin OS Linux is that it comes with all necessary tools, applications and drivers preinstalled. This means that you do not have to search for them yourself, but simply install them straight away. In addition, you can also install third party software on your computer faster than ever before using this operating system. Zorin OS Linux provides users with several useful features such as TrueType fonts, support for multiple languages, automatic updates and more features. The desktop environment used by Zorin OS Linux is KDE 4 which has been optimized to run well on older computers or laptops.
7. Arch Linux: Arch Linux is a popular, lightweight Linux distribution that runs on x86_64 computers. It’s based on the Arch Linux project, which is a rolling-release distribution that emphasizes simplicity, elegance, and functionality over stability. Arch Linux uses pacman to manage its packages, but it also includes its own package manager called AUR (Arch User Repository). AUR allows users to install software from other sources as well as from official repositories. The Arch Linux project was started in 2004 by Judd Vinet and Aaron Griffin. The project’s name comes from the term arch-based, referring to the four main components of Arch: base (Arch), community (community), i686 (Base), and x86_64 (x86_64).
8. Open SUSE Linux: OpenSUSE Linux is a Linux distribution based on the SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) enterprise distribution. It has been released in two versions, one for desktops and one for servers, since 2006. The project’s goal is to provide an enterprise-class desktop-oriented operating system with easy installation and maintenance of both software and hardware. The project also aims to create a community that can help users with their technical problems. openSUSE was originally called SUSE Linux Professional But it was changed because the name “Professional” was already used by the project SuSE Linux Professional, which moved to form SUSE Enterprise Linux (SLES) in 2004.[1] Another reason for changing the name was to avoid confusion with the similarly named but unrelated commercial vendor SUSE.[2]
9. Gentoo Linux: Gentoo Linux is a Linux distribution that has been designed for easy system and software configuration, as well as for easy installation and maintenance. It provides many features useful in a desktop environment, such as the ability to install just the applications you need, rather than a full operating system. Gentoo supports both 32-bit and 64-bit processors. Gentoo is a portage based Linux distribution. Portage is an automated package management system which enables users to easily manage their software collections. The source code for portage is publicly available under the GNU General Public License (GPL). The Gentoo project began in the late 1980s when Finnish programmer Daniel Robbins started adding free software packages to the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). He then started providing support services for emerging open source projects including those of Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds, who were already working on their own distribution projects at that time: Debian GNU/Linux and Linux kernel respectively. In 1992 Robbins created the first official Gentoo website at www.gentoo.org/. Gentoo has many features that are useful in a desktop environment such as being easy to install, configure and maintain with its modular architecture, supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit processors
10. Google Chrome OS linux: Google Chrome OS is a Linux-based operating system developed by Google, available for the x86_64 architecture. This operating system can be used as a replacement for Windows, MacOS or Android. Google Chrome OS is based on Linux kernel version 3.18 and uses the Chromium web browser as its default browser. Chrome OS runs all applications inside a sandbox and does not allow any third-party software to access your data or other resources. Chrome OS is designed to run most applications on the same level as an Android smartphone or tablet, with many features of traditional desktop operating systems. This makes it possible to use the same applications that you would use on your laptop while working in a more mobile manner.
11. RedHat Enterprise Linux: Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is the flagship product of the Red Hat Computer Corporation. It is an enterprise-class Linux distribution that can be used for server and desktop computing. Red Hat Enterprise Linux was originally written by Red Hat founder Bob Young in 1993, and released as Red Hat Linux 1.0 in September 1994. The first version of the distribution was based on Slackware Linux version 4.0, which had been released in February 1994. The name “Red Hat” was originally intended to be an acronym for “Red HAT”, but it has since become a trademark for any kind of Linux distribution bearing the name Red Hat Enterprise Linux. In addition to being a mainstream Linux distribution, it is also widely used as an operating system running inside virtual machines (such as VMware Player or VMWare Workstation).
Final Verdict: The best Linux-based operating system depends on what you need it to do.
