One more year from LxA we make a new Linux distribution analysis for this 2016. So you can choose which is the most appropriate of the distros seen this year. As you already know, the flexibility of GNU / Linux is extreme, giving the possibility to choose between hundreds of different distributions. This can be an advantage, but for some it becomes a problem because there is such a quantity that it is difficult to choose the best one in each case.
That is why we present you this article in which we will help you choose the best one in each case. The flavors available mean that there is something for all tastes and needs, many development philosophies that perfectly fit the enormous number of different demands and tastes of the users so that no one feels uncomfortable with their work or entertainment environment.
Well, so far in 2016 it is enough to analyze the distributions of which we have to check which one is more interesting. In order not to make this a simple list, I would like to create some categories and cite the "winner" of each category, making the choice for our readers easier. However, many of you will not agree with some choices, it is a matter of taste and I always say it. Everyone can choose the distro they like the most or the one they feel most comfortable with.
It is not about saying that one is better than anotherIt is simply a matter of comfort and knowledge. If you are an expert in Debian, for example, you may be interested in choosing this one over another for any of the categories that we will cite, since experience is an extra. I say this before some users get upset that their favorite distro is not on the list or has not been selected in a specific category. I apologize, but you have to select a winner and that does not mean that you are confused, I repeat, it is a matter of taste.
Well, the categories we have selected from LxA and the "winning" Linux 2016 distributions are:
More customizable: Arch Linux
If you need a flexible distribution, which you can customize to your liking, that is Arch Linux. Although it is not an ideal distribution for beginners, because it is not the simplest by far. Its installation and certain aspects may be rough for the inexperienced, but its strengths are admired by experienced users.
Prettier: elementaryOS / Deepin OS
If you want a nice environment and you are concerned about the visual aspect, you should try elementaryOSIt is an Ubuntu base to which certain aspects have been retouched, such as the Pantheon desktop environment. It is a graphical environment based on GTK + that will visually remind you of Apple's Mac OS X, both in design and functionality. For example, Plack is a Dock similar to Apple OS X.
Linux Deepin or Deepin OS is another distribution that has recently become very popular for its visual appearance. It is based on Debian and comes from China, where its developers have done a great job creating their own desktop environment called Deepin Desktop Environment based on GNOME. It is undoubtedly one of the simplest, most beautiful and functional.
Most innovative: SolusOS and PapyrOS
If you want modernity, SolusOS it is a new distro with interesting innovations. A Debian-based GNU / Linux distribution that a lot of work has been put into developing the Solus project, with a minimalist desktop environment called Budgie and an eopkg package manager.
On the other hand, papyrOS I think it is a very interesting project as well and that follows a similar trend to Solus, providing a distro with an independent and innovative desktop environment. In this case, its GUI is created using Material Design, the same that Google implemented in Android Lollipop for its interface, giving a minimalist touch and lightness.
More cloud-friendly: ChromiumOS / Chrome OS
If you want a friendly environment with a well-integrated cloud, that is ChromeOS, but of course, we find a product similar to Apple. Google, through its manufacturers, offers hardware + software, therefore having ChromeOS without buying the hardware is a difficult mission. But that's what ChromiumOS is for, the open variant of ChromeOS that you can test on your computer. It was created based on the Google Chrome project and created by and for the cloud, in an environment with apps available from an App Store that are easy to install, similar to what Android is.
By the way, for the picky eaters, Chrome OS, although I have included it in this post, is not a GNU / Linux distro, just like Android is not ...
Best for Windows: Zorin OS
If you are a Windows lover or you come from the Microsft operating system, perhaps you should know about the existence of Zorin OS, a Linux distro with a very friendly environment that will remind you of the Redmond company's OS. The windows, menus and other visual aspects have been taken care of enough to make it look like it ...
Best for those coming from Mac OS X: PearOS
Pear OS, also known as GMac Linux or SnowBlack Linux, is your distro if you want something similar to Mac OS X. If you are a user of Apple systems, PearOS will offer you a work environment similar to that of the apple and in which you will feel very comfortable , yes, with Linux under the hood. If you want, you can also look for other similar alternative projects to this one, which there are and we have already talked about them in LxA.
Best for newcomers: Ubuntu / openSUSE
Ubuntu It is a great distro for everyone (even the most professional), but above all it is Canonical's "Linux for humans". This company has made great efforts to create a complete, functional distro, integrating the latest news and technologies. But all this without losing its simplicity and distinguished essence with its Unity (based on GNOME Shell). Its huge community will not leave you alone in the face of danger and with a base that could not be better, Debian ...
Another easy-to-use distribution due to YaST is openSUSE. It is robust, functional and powerful, it has everything you need, another of the greats next to Ubuntu and therefore it deserves a place in this article. Behind it is the companies SUSE and AMD as the main development pillars, therefore you must consider it as a serious project to trust.
Best for FreeBSD: Gentoo
If you come from FreeBSD, for example, then maybe you miss your revered ports, therefore the best distribution for you is Gentoo, with the Portage package manager that has similarities with these ports we are talking about. The distro is pretty good, but unfortunately not suitable for beginners due to its complexity.
Best for "old dogs": Slackware
Slackware it is one of the most primitive distributions. They have been accompanying the Linux kernel almost since its inception. It was one of the first to be created and it still continues to evolve to this day. It is not simple, so I say in the title that it is appropriate for "old dogs", people who are already seasoned in the Linux world, like Gentoo or Arch Linux, these being three of the most difficult.
Best for Laptops: Ubuntu MATE
Ubuntu has many flavors as you know, one of these flavors is Ubuntu MATE. These flavors are simply nothing more than the Ubuntu base to which different desktop environments are integrated, in this case MATE. Therefore you have the best of Ubuntu, but with different environments and officially maintained. MATE was created from the GNOME 2 code, due to disagreements with the GNOME 3 changes, not being very heavy but complete for use on portable computers.
Best for old hardware: Lubuntu
Lubuntu is another of the flavors of Ubuntu with the LXDE desktop environment (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment). It is a lightweight environment that can be supported on low-resource computers or older hardware. So if you want to resurrect an old team or have a less than speaker team, install Lubuntu and you will bring it back to life.
Best for IoT: Snappy Ubuntu Core
Here comes the great Snappy Ubuntu Core, to combine it with other gadgets such as SBC boards, etc., making your connected projects come true. Since the arrival of the IoT or the Internet of Things in Spanish, a multitude of projects are becoming fashionable. IPv6, substitute for IPv4, brings more complex and much more numerous IP addresses. IPv4 was running out and now with the availability of endless IP addresses, all kinds of connected devices can be created, from TVs, home appliances, wearables, connected cars, smart toys, drones, robots, etc. That is why the greats like Canonical and Microsoft have seen the vein that this supposes, the latter has created the Windows 10 IoT Core project but, it is not because this is a website on Linux, the project is quite limited and it is a total disappointment ...
Best for Desktops: Linux Mint (Cinnamon)
As we recommend Ubuntu MATE for laptops, I think one of the best distros for a desktop is Linux Mint with Cinnamon environment. Linux Mint is another of the great distros, fantastic and you will be very happy for the experience it offers. By the way, for those who do not know much Cinnamon (cinnamon), it is a fork or fork of GNOME Shell that was initially developed for Linux Mint, although it is now available for other distros. Keep a more traditional environment like GNOME 2, with Muffin as the window manager (fork of GNOME 3 Mutter).
Best for gamers: SteamOS
Valve has always been very committed to the Linux world. He has already released major titles of his video games for the penguin platform and has created projects such as SteamOS and Steam Machine, the first being an Ubuntu Linux distribution designed for video games and multimedia with proprietary drivers for graphics cards, with support for Steam Controller and with the Steam environment pre-installed by default to offer the best experience. This way you can access the more than 2200 titles available on the Steam store so you don't stop playing.
Best for privacy: Tails
Tails is a LiveCD (or USB Live) that we have talked about on numerous occasions. As it does not need installation, it does not leave a trace, but in addition to having everything necessary for its use in live mode, the distribution relies on projects such as Tor for anonymity when browsing the net. They say it's the distro that Edward Snowden uses ...
Best for multimedia production: Ubuntu Studio
Ubuntu Studio is an Ubuntu distribution to which a series of packages for multimedia production (audio, video and graphics editing) have been added that will come in handy if you dedicate yourself to this. In the past it used the GNOME environment, but as of version 11.1o it started using Xfce, a lightweight environment to dedicate power to editing, without wasting resources on its GUI. Among the packages you can find are those for audio: Ardor, Audacity, Hydrogen, JACK Audio Connection Kit, JAMin, LyLyPond, Mixx, MusE, Rosegarder, TiMidity ++, Wired. For video there are: CinePaint, PiTiVi, Kino, Stopmotion, VLC, etc. While for graphics we have: Agave, Blender, Enbled, FontForge, GIMP, Inkscape, Scribus, Synfig, etc.
Best for business: SLES and RHEL
SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 11.3
Red Hat and SUSE they have this sector well mastered with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. I honestly can't tell you which one is better, that's why I include them both. Both have insurmountable greatness, but differences between them. Therefore, depending on what you need one thing or the other, you can choose between the two, although both enhance your abilities to manage servers and large computers, the virtualization features that are so demanded and of course without forgetting the cloud.
Best for servers: Debian / CentOS
Again there are two big ones for servers: Debian and CentOS. Nor would I know how to choose one of the two. They are two strong competitors that cannot be taken away from the title, two that represent the two faces of the world of Linux packages: DEB and RPM. Debian is an immense, stable, secure, robust and powerful macroproject that can be a great ally to install on your server, with a huge development community and to turn to when problems arise. On the other hand CentOS (Community Enterprise OS) is a fork based on Red Hat code and sponsored by this company, therefore you can count on a free "Red Hat" to boost your server and with great features ...
Best for mobile: Plasma Mobile
Plasma Mobile It is a very new project that may end up failing like others or do not get the attention it deserves, as has happened to Ubuntu Mobile, TizenOS, Sailfish or FirefoxOS. But it could also be a great success in the future and it succeeds. KDE has re-created another great project, it is a Kubuntu-based operating system for mobile devices. It uses the basic Android drivers and the Kwin / Wayland window composition manager.
The good thing is that you can use both native apps for Android like the native ones that can be found for Ubuntu, creating a somewhat more universal system. As expected, KDE has integrated support for Plasma widgets and at the moment it can be installed on Nexus 5 from Google and LG, although little by little it will be ready for more devices ...
Best for ARM devices: Arch Linux ARM
ARM has become an architecture to be taken into account due to its performance / consumption. It is ideal for today's world because it offers good energy efficiency, having displaced other architectures such as MIPS in devices such as routers, modems, controllers, etc., but it has also been known to make a niche in tablets and smartphones, as in many SBC boards and even small laptops… Therefore, having a good operating system to control these devices is essential, and that is ArchLinux ARM.
Best for Freedom Lovers: Tirsquel / Fedora
It is a Spanish project, a Galician project. triskele It is a well-known distribution and quite well considered by the FSF as it does not use proprietary software and has cleaned the distro of codecs, drivers and closed blobs in the kernel, being 100% free. You can find it in three editions: Trisquel, Trisquel Edu and Trisquel Pro.
Fedora
Fedora it is also free, therefore it represents a good alternative to the Spanish project. It is based on the RPM package system and is supported by Red Hat. It is similar to what happens with openSUSE and SUSE. The project arises with the aim of including only free and open source software, being the fourth most popular distribution after Mageia, Linux Mint and Ubuntu.
Do not forget to leave your comments with suggestions or doubts. I insist again, there are many, you can find yourself more comfortable with some other, but this is our selection. If you have a different opinion, leave it in a comment, it will be very welcome.
If you have been wanting to know the Linux distributions 2017, click on the link that we just left you.
Okay the list of distros I would have put Manjaro somewhere.
Very good contribution!
Thank you
And Mageia ??
It seems to me that the best distro for servers is Fedora, I have been using it for a long time and compared to Debian or CentOS, Fedora is very simple and robust at the same time, in addition to its adaptation to different environments.
RHEL's test center… best for servers?
something does not add up.
The most beautiful distro is not elementary for my taste, I prefer Deepin 15.2, it is beautiful wherever you look at it.
A greeting.
And KaOS?
The best KDE
I also. (Although I use Elementary, I recognize that Deepin looks much more attractive)
Hello,
Sorry, I already said it in the article. There are too many good distros and too many different opinions. You cannot include all of them, I have been left with some important ones such as Mageia, KaOS, etc.
Greetings and thanks for following.
PS: that's why it's good that you leave comments
Go currada you have hit!
Just one question. I think that since the Debian image with Cinnamon exists, this distribution I think we could consider it worthy of the desktop. After Lubuntu better for old hardware… Ok, in case you're inexperienced. But I think that when we really want to resurrect old hardware, I bet on Debian as well, without the need for LXDE. XFCE and even MATE have worked much better for me on Debian than Lubuntu's LXDE.
Congratulations for the post greetings.
Thank you for your very successful WEB Congratulations.
I would add a good KNOPPIX
Greetings from Bogota DE Colombia
Balompie Champions
I love Linux Mint with Cinnamon, Mate, and XFCE.
Greetings also from Bogotá DC
I love Linux Mint with CInnamon, MATE, and XFCE.
Also greetings from Bogotá
And what about Fedora? Nothing for a 100% free distro with the best GNOME experience?
Well, this is the space where we all cry out to heaven because something important to us has been excluded. So this is what I'm going to do:
And Deepin? and Manjaro?
Not taking into account Fedora seems poor to me. There are many distros that come from Ubuntu
As a more windowscera distribution I would put Deepin configured with the dock in efficient mode. I am using it with my students on netbooks in the state (Argentina) because it consumes few resources; has a modern, lightweight desk; with effects, and the boys like it more than Huayra and even more than Win himself
As usual, the biggest drawback is the big ones (other teachers who don't want to learn something new because they don't have the desire or the time. Time they waste too much working with a computer full of viruses, slowed down by adware, spyware, magic speed accelerators, etc that are installed "alone")
the one I like the most to play is steamOS what I would like is to be able to have it with ubuntu tb
I'm with Alex and Jonathan, what's up with a fedora? After trying various distros, some of which you mention, I have been with it for about 5 years on the laptop in its desktop version and it is luxurious, 100% guaranteed stability, and not to mention the packages available for dnf ...
Hello,
I forgot, my mistake. It is already added. Bear in mind that there are too many and many different opinions… It never rains to everyone's liking.
Greetings and thanks for following.
Isn't it a little early? How do you know that a better one will not come out between now and December? ;-)
Hello,
Well, it's already been a few months to see many of this year's projects. However, if new important distributions appear, we will add them. I mean, it is not a static article, but a dynamic one that will grow if there are news.
Greetings and thanks for following.
As the article said in its introduction, obviously there will not be all the distros that one would like, because only one or two can be the best and that of the best is relative to each taste and application, many were left out, if enough but as a starting point for someone who wants an input opinion, that comparison is fine.
They called me an old dog ...
It seems that in this article there is only Ubuntu
Hello,
Sorry, we can't put all of them in and it's true that there are many based on Debian and Ubuntu, but… that's not my fault.
A greeting and thanks for reading.
I would like to say a couple of things.
The first: please, that "customizable" hurts the eyes. In our language there is the word "customizable" which is exactly what you are looking for.
Second; I'm already a bit tired of hearing that Ubuntu is the best for newbies. Anyone who has used OpenSUSE can find it infinitely easier to use. For many reasons, but most of all, YaST.
Hello,
First of all, as the RAE does not respect, I do not respect the RAE much either. To say that I am from science is not an excuse to throw when I make mistakes. Whenever I have made mistakes I have asked for forgiveness and I have rectified. And you are absolutely right, that the word personalize exists and I am the first to defend our language when they start saying things like "I'm having a coffee" or "by the face". And do not take that of the RAE as a personal attack, it is a direct attack on them because they admit certain terms as valid pass, that they put on the table the debate of laism, well, but what is unforgivable is that they admit definitions like the one they play as a «hacker» who seems to have come out of a kindergarten and leads you to doubt if those who are there are really intelligent beings or if the smartphone they hold in their hand is more intelligent than them (which is nothing more than a device electronic programmed to do a number of things).
As for the second, I can not add all ...
Thanks for reading us. All the best.
I think that the newcomers should include Linux Mint (Any desktop version) because I feel it is more complete and lighter than Ubuntu.
Hello,
As I said in the article, I apologize. There are many and very good ones and not all of them can be in the different categories nor have I wanted to repeat ... Of course Linux Mint is very simple and fantastic for any user.
Thanks for reading, greetings!
Good afternoon. Please, would you be so kind to guide me in this regard, I have a laptop dell i5 processor, 6gb ram, 350gb hard disk, Intel hd 3000 graphics, which do you consider is the best I can install? clear based on linux, my doubt is that they say that ubuntu 10.xx, 11.xx versions damage laptop batteries
my e-mail is eamconejo@gmail.com . from Costa Rica thank you
It is clear that I am not going to bother about the RAE, heh, but yes, as we say about Extremadura, the indiscriminate use of modified anglicisms gives me a lot of courage ... In my work, every time I hear that "mergear" or "forking" the demons take me away. :-D
With the issue of "hacker", I understand that you put that definition. The RAE does nothing more than collect what is spoken on the street and, as much as it hurts, you talk to a guy on the street about a hacker and the first thing he thinks about is that.
For a newcomer to GNU / Linux Linux Mint, in any flavor, is quite (but quite) friendlier than Ubuntu and I say this from my own experience. And positions to claim, made of less Antergos, ChaletOS, Manjaro or Pippermint, each one in its corresponding section ...
I claim that Slackware is included, its years deserve respect, and note that by stating that "it is one of the most primitive distributions", it is not saying that the included packages are. At this very moment there is incessant activity from the Slackware team, and almost daily updates of its Current branch in view of the imminent release of version 14.2
—
An "old dog"
"Makulu-Linux" is worth a look at it is already integrated and tested and is ideal for newcomers to Windows.
You would be missing the category of distro for children. They can also use linux. I would put ubuntu with sugar. Greetings
Please help, I have a machine that supports maximum Win XP, and with a 70% Wi-Fi access (200kbs) in an INFINITUM MOBILE access that reaches my house you can see well You tube at 360p; I did a test with Linux mint the connection is reduced to 62% and does not load any page with a USB wifi With Realtek 8187l chip and 24db Tplink grid antenna, is it the drver? Where do I get the Linux driver or distribution? better performance with this card?
It's rare that not a word is said about Manjaro. In the distrowatch it is positioned as the third most preferred, but although I understand that it is not a comparison of preferred distributions, it should at least be explored why it is placed within the most preferred. It's just a respectful opinion, nothing more. Thanks for the article, which is very good. Greetings.
Tastes like colors, that is clear. my small contribution to the subject and for those who are interested is that I have installed Ubuntu Mate in an almost prehistoric Acer Aspire 1650 and it is very loose better than with LXLE which is the one I had until this change.
I solved my problem of pc crashes thanks to manjaro that allowed me to find out my problem with the 4.4 kernel, changing it for another and problem solved !! Greetings.
Regards: I started on Linux in 1993. I started with Esware. I went through Mandrake, Mandriva, RedHat, Fedora, Suse, and finally Debian. I have used it since the Potato version. I have used FreeBSD and tried DragonFlyBSD, OpenBSD, and NetBSD. I love BSDs but sometimes I have compatibility issues. At home there are three laptops and a desktop computer and I manage a computer lab with 15 computers. I have recently "discovered" Slackware and am not switching to any more versions of Linux. It is solid as a rock. Not having to resolve dependencies I see a huge advantage against the mainstream. That gives you freedom and avoids endless problems and it is not that complicated, nor does it take that long. You just have to check the SlackBuilds website what a package depends on and start installing from bottom to top. The sbopkg tool that compiles is fantastic. It is the Linux that most resembles BSD UNIX and I love that. Boots an LXDE desktop in just 200MB vs. Debian's 600MB. I have managed to run OpenBSD (my favorite) in just 45MB with the same software. I think Slackware is very powerful because it simplifies a lot of things that really only consume memory and cpu. For me the best distro of all and by far. The time it has been evolving is very noticeable in its solidity. Debian is starting a wrong path in my opinion and that is to try to resemble Windows at ease by sacrificing other things. Undoubtedly influenced by Ubuntu ... To taste the colors !!!
Peppermint Os and Linux Lite are missing, which are precisely for newbies (the ones I use) ... light, stable, easy and highly configurable. Also another one that is quite good is Q4OS based on Debian, there are more but I don't remember all greetings.
Good contribution, congratulations
Hello good!! I was very happy with my ubuntu a few months ago, until a series of crashes on my pc made me start a forced distro-hopping thinking that another distro would solve the problem for me, and so it was. After installing linux Mint and seeing that the problem persisted, I tried Manjaro and thanks to its tool to change the kernel comfortably, I discovered that the 4.4 kernel caused my pc to crash due to an incompatibility with my processor. So I would add to the blog: Best distribution to test a kernel: Manjaro !!!!!! Greetings!!
I stay with OpenSuse KDE ... stable, complete and very intuitive. There is almost no touching the console which is the terror for the newcomers of Win
Hello good!!! I highly recommend manjaro because thanks to him I knew the cause of the crashes on my desktop computer which was the 4.4 kernel and with the ease that manjaro has to change the kernel I solved my problem. Greetings
As another reader says ... the best distribution for children would be missing. Ubuntu with sugar? I will see it…
Hello, question ... if I want to purchase and install the elementaryOS operating system that you mention and I have seen it in several videos on YouTube that many have it (it must be very good) do I have to pay for it? on its website it mentions that I must donate to be able to download it… is that so? Thank you
Well no, click on "custom" and put a 0. At that time the download will open.
No Miguel, it is not necessary to pay anything. Only if you want to collaborate with the distribution.
Click on Custom and put € 0 and the download opens anyway.
Greetings.
Please
You can guide me in the following, download the gmc linux 10 × 64 distro from the official website but I try to burn it to a dvd and I tried with different programs but it does not boot, it gives problems, I also tried to make a live usb with a pendrive and neither guide me about it or know of a program or procedure that works.
The last opensuse happened to me the same but in the end I managed to install it successfully, but from 0 with a formatted or clean hard disk. Thank you
What kind of m…. is this? PapyrOS is a dead project (it has been inactive for years), PearOS was abandoned in 2014 ... oh my god!
Good afternoon, who can help me set up some equipment with Lubunto in Chapinero, Bogota, thank you
It would include Zorin, it has an excellent interface, its graphical environment looks similar to the updates made to the android on mobile phones.
Good afternoon, excellent article, thank you very much.
What is truly impressive is that the author has to apologize in advance in the article and then have to continue doing so in the comments and thanking us anymore… A great job and thanks for your effort.
We all have opinions about which is the best but few constructive comments are seen.
Have a very good morning, I am writing to you from the Argentine Republic, to consult you, I have a laptop with 2 Gb of ram memory, Intel® Pentium (R) CPU B940 @ 2.00GHz × 2 and Epson LX 125 printer, which distro I can install to get the most out of the equipment and above all have good sound, I clarify that I have Ubuntu Mate installed. Thank you very much in advance and go ahead with the blog, it is extremely interesting. Gustavo Romagna Egido.
Hello:
I would like to migrate to Linux. I am a Windows user and it seems to me that I am going to opt for the Zorin distro, but my question is the following: Can I change the district and keep my files?
Thank you
I work in a marketing agency and we have been using elementary OS for several years, currently Freya 64bits and we are very happy, the only thing I am missing is Adove, which we supplied with Gimp. But there are not many advanced tutorials. The distribution of elementary is not only the most beautiful but it suits us like a shot.
Someone who knows what the arch linux wallpaper is called, or who can pass it on to me.