When someone considers using Linux for the first time, they encounter a problem: which one to choose? There is not a single Linux-based operating system like Windows and macOS, which, at most, you have to choose a newer version or an older version. We can consult with acquaintances, on the web to see what is most popular or take a look at DistroWatch, where MX Linux it has been topping the list of most popular distros for a long time.
The first thing to know is how this list of DistroWatch. If instead of staying on the main page we click on "More statistics", we will go to what they call DistroWatch Page Hit Ranking. Apart from a bit of history, the explanatory text says that it is not related to usage or quality, and should not be used to measure the market share of distributions. They only show the number of times a distro's information has been accessed each day.
MX Linux, a more simplified Debian
MX Linux is based on Debian, and among its intentions is to make it easier to use. The desktop that it uses by default is Xfce, very popular among distributions and users who prefer something lightweight and at the same time customizable. It uses the latest version of Firefox, but other packages are kept at a more stable point. It has some of its own tools, such as its package installer, which supports the Debian or Flatpak Backports repository, a bootable repairer, creator of snapshots (backup copies) and to modify the design, among others.
Does all of the above explain the reason for its popularity? Well, DistroWatch already says that what your Page Hit Ranking shows does not reflect real popularity. It does show a kind of interest from its users for the distributions, but little else. In this link from Truelist we see that Ubuntu stays with 33.9% Linux market share, followed by Debian with 16% and CentOS with 9.3%. Far behind we find Red Hat with 0.8%, Gento with 0.5% and Fedora with 0.2%. The rest of the known remains below 0.1%, and a total of 39.1% is unknown.
Therefore, the most popular is Ubuntu, and then the Debian on which MX Linux is based. And for those of you who are thinking that you are part of that 39.1%, it would be easier to believe this if the list did not include Raspbian, now known as Raspberry Pi OS, which is also based on Debian.
Precisely what is popular arouses less interest
What's really popular is everywhere, so we tend to be well informed. If we have been saying that Ubuntu 23.10 will use GNOME 45 since April, we will not go to DistroWatch to look at anything about Ubuntu because we will already know. We click more on what we don't know, and if we add a little information here, a little doubt there and a little popularity, the result is the DistroWatch ranking.
Who uses MX Linux works with an operating system Easy to use, stable, light, customizable and with useful tools, and will talk about it. Those of us who hear or read this information, and we do it frequently, know that there is something there and then we will go to leave our clicks in any medium that offers information about the operating system that those who try it like so much.
A valid example is GarudaLinux, who we have written several articles in recent weeks and they have been well received. Garuda is less than 4 years old, it is relatively new, whoever tries it thinks well of it and it is beautiful, so we want to know more. I don't think it is used or liked more than KDE neon, which is three positions behind in DistroWatch, much less than Kubuntu, the official flavor that is in position 45, but we are more interested in it because there are fewer.
Good and a little less popular
And that would be what would explain why MX Linux is always there. There are users who they wonder why it is so popular, and among the answers we find, first, that DistroWatch should not be used as the best reference, and, second, users satisfied with the user experience that MX Linux offers. If it likes it and there isn't a constant bombardment it will go up, and we'll see if someone takes it down from there.
It's good that you clarify.
I've been having this discussion ever since Ubuntu switched to Unity and various bloggers insisted there was a mass exodus to Linux Mint using DistroWatch stats as an argument.
In general, those of us who have a preferred distribution download it from its official page or using torrents. I don't even that, I use releases.ubuntu.com
It makes sense that those distributions that, being interesting, are not known about them as much as the interest they generate, remain at the top at all... sense to a certain extent, because nevertheless Linux Mint has always been among the top positions for many years , Ubuntu and Debian and it cannot be said that they are distributions about which there is not much information.
I have been using linux since the last century, the article reads a bit gritty, although these are not usage statistics if it gives an idea of the trends, it is not for nothing that debian has been in the top 10 since distrowatch was created, distros come and go and solid debian has always been there but there is no way of knowing which one is more or less used with so much distrohopping, on the other hand linux does not have to be difficult, yesterday I installed Linux MX23 fluxbox to replace debian 10 mate, on my old core2duo and on The effect was very simple, while I was installing (it didn't take long) I remembered the adventure of installing debian in 1998, the installation process doesn't have to be tedious, it's just an installation and if you want more users you have to make it simpler, there are people who works on their computer and they can't waste so much time installing an OS, personally I was not going to wear myself out installing gentoo on a core2duo that I use occasionally, certain linux users believe that having a "complicated" installation makes them elite but at first problem they completely reinstall the system pfff the only thing you learn is the installation commands, don't change distros like you change socks, use one and master it then you will realize that they are all the same and only change userland things like the package manager..