DistroWatch Weekly |
DistroWatch Weekly, Issue 892, 16 November 2020 |
Welcome to this year's 46th issue of DistroWatch Weekly!
With so many Linux distributions available there is a lot of opportunity to find a system that is specifically crafted to optimize certain tasks. This week, in our Questions and Answers column, we talk about picking the right distribution for common tasks such as video conferencing. Just about everyone has a favourite distribution that they prefer to use day-to-day. When people ask you to recommend a Linux distro, do you suggest they use yours or another one which might suit them? Let us know how you approach recommending distributions in our Opinion Poll. In our News section we discuss Debian entering its feature freeze for Debian 11 and UBports putting work into getting Anbox running smoothly. Anbox runs Android software inside containers and may be the best chance for running Android applications on GNU/Linux systems so it is good to see the UBports team giving it priority. Plus we share tips from IPFire which aim to help prevent unwanted network traffic from negatively affecting your systems. First though we talk about Enso OS, a desktop distribution based on Xubuntu. Read on to learn more about the young Enso OS project. Plus we are pleased to share the releases of the past week and list the torrents we are seeding. We wish you all a wonderful week and happy reading!
Content:
- Review: Enso OS 0.4
- News: Debian nears feature freeze for version 11, IPFire shares tips for intrusion prevention systems, UBports looks to improve Anbox support
- Questions and answers: Finding a good distro for common tasks
- Released last week: MX Linux 19.3, Endless OS 3.9.0, Proxmox 1.0 "Backup Server"
- Torrent corner: Archman, ArcoLinux, CentOS, Clonezilla Live, Endian Firewall, Endless OS, Feren OS, MidnightBSD, MX Linux, Proxmox
- Upcoming releases: Tails 4.13
- Opinion poll: Do you recommend the same distribution you use yourself?
- New distributions: Expirion Linux, Gorizont Linux
- Reader comments
Listen to the Podcast edition of this week's DistroWatch Weekly in OGG (20MB) and MP3 (14MB) formats.
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Feature Story (by Jesse Smith) |
Enso OS 0.4
Enso OS is a Linux distribution based on Xubuntu. Enso features the Xfce desktop with the Gala window manager which is imported from elementary OS. Enso OS 0.4 is the project's latest release and the new version runs on 64-bit (x86_64) computers exclusively.
The 0.4 release offers a few new features. There is a new note taking application included by default called Pinny. The AppHive (sometimes written "Apphive") software manager has been updated and allows users to mark (star) favourite applications. Reportedly, AppHive's performance has been improved while it is processing queued actions in the background. This release also includes a new dark theme, though the desktop uses a light theme by default. While there are not many new features in this version's release announcement, the distribution does seem to be placing a focus on minor improvements and tweaks to the user experience.
Live media and installer
I downloaded Enso OS 0.4 which is available as a 1.8GB ISO file. Booting from this media triggers a self-check to insure the download was not corrupted. A short time later a graphical window appears and asks if we would like to Try the distribution or launch its installer. Taking the live option brings up the Xfce/Gala desktop which I will talk about later. Taking the Install option launches the Ubiquity system installer.

Enso OS 0.4 -- The default desktop is mostly Xfce with the Gala window manager
(full image size: 802kB, resolution: 1360x768 pixels)
Ubiquity is a graphical installer which will be familiar to anyone who has used the Ubuntu distribution or one of its many descendants. The installer quickly walks us through picking our language, keyboard layout, confirming our time zone, partitioning the disk, and creating a user account. The installer offers to show us the project's release notes. Clicking the provided link opens Firefox to display the Ubuntu 20.04 release notes.
Ubiquity gives us the option of installing third-party software packages such as media codecs and wireless drivers. It also gives us the chance to download software updates during the install process. When it comes to disk partitioning we have a few options. We can use guided partitioning to give a disk or partition over to the installer and have it set up the operating system as it sees fit. The guided option supports working with LVM and ZFS volumes. Alternatively we can take a more manual route and use Ubiquity's friendly, graphical partition manager to format the disk and assign mount points. When the installer finishes its work it offers to restart the computer.
Early impressions
Enso boots to graphical login screen and signing in brings up the project's custom desktop environment. Enso uses bright, flowery wallpaper and has a thick launch panel at the bottom of the screen. This panel holds the application menu, some quick launch buttons, and acts as the task switcher. A second, thinner panel appears at the top of the screen and acts as a unified application menu bar. A system tray and logout options can be found in the upper-right corner.

Enso OS 0.4 -- The welcome window
(full image size: 554kB, resolution: 1360x768 pixels)
Immediately after logging into my account the first time a welcome window appeared, followed a moment later by a second window for the update manager. The welcome window contains two screens. The first contains just a simple greeting. The second window offers us a series of shortcut buttons that open configuration utilities. One button invites us to edit our user's details (such as our address, phone number, and e-mail address). Another button offers to change system settings and opens the desktop settings panel. The button to install applications opens the AppHive software manager and the Learn Enso button opens on-line documentation in Firefox. The documentation mostly provides an overview of the Xfce/Gala desktop and its features. The last button invites us to "join the conversation" and it opens Firefox to connect us with an on-line chat room for Enso users. These buttons and their corresponding tools all work as expected.
The update manager is borrowed from Ubuntu and displays a list of available software updates. On my first day with Enso there were three updates listed, totalling 56M in size. One of these items was a group of packages which was described collectively as "Ubuntu base". These packages all downloaded and were applied without incident.
Hardware
I began experimenting with Enso in a VirtualBox virtual machine. The distribution did fairly well. The desktop was responsive and the system generally ran smoothly. There was one session where the operating system crashed and failed to cleanly shutdown when I tried to power off the virtual machine, but this error did not repeat itself.
Enso's desktop did not dynamically resize with the VirtualBox window, however I could adjust the screen resolution through the Display configuration module. Unfortunately, every time I restarted the virtual machine Xfce/Gala would forget the display resolution I had set, requiring that I set it again every time I logged into my account.
When I switched over to running Enso on my laptop the system worked well. My hardware was all detected, the desktop was responsive, and everything functioned properly right out of the box.

Enso OS 0.4 -- Trying a darker theme
(full image size: 188kB, resolution: 1360x768 pixels)
I set up Enso two different ways. When I ran the distribution on an ext4 filesystem the operating system consumed 475MB of memory when logged into the desktop. When I tried installing Enso on a ZFS volume the distribution's memory usage increased to 860MB. In either case the operating system used 3.2GB of disk space, plus swap space. When I used guided partitioning, Enso set up a 1GB swap partition.
Applications
The distribution's application menu is unusual. When we click the application menu button it opens a window in the middle of the desktop. The window contains a two-pane menu which works a lot like the typical Whisker menu often partnered with Xfce desktops. Unfortunately the window in which the menu is displayed cannot be moved or resized. I'm not sure why the developers chose to place the menu far away from the application menu button or place it in an unmovable window, but it is a bit inconvenient.

Enso OS 0.4 -- The application menu
(full image size: 825kB, resolution: 1360x768 pixels)
Enso ships with a small collection of open source applications. We find the Firefox web browser, Transmission bittorrent client, and Atril document viewer in the application menu. There is a launcher in the menu called Web Browser which just opens Firefox. There is another launcher called Mail Reader which doesn't launch any programs by default as no e-mail client is installed. Digging further we can find the Ristretto image viewer and the Parole media player. Enso provides media codecs, assuming we chose to enable third-party packages through Ubiquity at install time.
Enso also ships with the Xfburn disc burning software, the Gigolo remote file browser, and the GNU Compiler Collection. The distribution also includes manual pages, the systemd init software, and version 5.4 for the Linux kernel. Apart from the Gala window manager, the desktop identifies itself as Xfce and mostly uses Xfce 4.14 elements.
I had hoped to find tools included to leverage the features of ZFS, however I did not find any installed. It also looks as though GRUB does not integrate with ZFS snapshots, slightly limiting the usefulness of having ZFS as the root filesystem.
Xfce/Gala desktop
Perhaps the biggest drawing feature of Enso OS is its unusual Xfce/Gala desktop. This desktop environment has a few nice characteristics. It was fairly responsive during my trial and it looks nice. I wasn't a big fan of the default theme, which is quite bright and uses transparency, but I was able to switch to a dark theme and turn off transparent terminals.

Enso OS 0.4 -- The desktop settings panel
(full image size: 809kB, resolution: 1360x768 pixels)
One of the first things people are likely to notice is Enso defaults to placing window buttons on the left rather than the right. Personally, I like this approach as it requires less mouse movement most of the time. I looked to see if it would be easy to change this and did not find a clear way to adjust window button placement. There is a low-level settings editor that makes it possible to adjust button order, but it is archaic. There may be a settings module for adjusting button placement, but it was not obvious to me.
Speaking of defaults, when running Enso on my laptop the desktop set the mouse up with inverted (natural) scrolling. This is a matter of taste, but I really do not like it. I understand people who use mobile devices may find inverted scrolling more familiar, but it's going against 30 years of habit in my case. I also don't like that "scrolling up" on the volume control turns the sound down, and "scrolling down" turns the audio volume up. This behaviour can be adjusted in the settings panel.
When we first sign into the desktop the top panel shows directory locations: Documents, Music, Pictures, etc. Clicking on these menus shows files in the selected directory and clicking a file's name opens the selected file. This is a great shortcut But once an application opens the top panel becomes the application's menu bar. Sometimes, once all applications are closed, the last application's menu remains in the top panel, preventing access to the file/directory shortcuts. I found that if an application window is closed using the red close button, the top panel reverts to displaying file locations in our home directory. However, if the last application is closed using a quit option located in the panel menu, then the program's menu stays behind. This appears to be a glitch which will hopefully be fixed as I like using the location menu.

Enso OS 0.4 -- The application menu lingering after Thunar has been closed
(full image size: 1.1MB, resolution: 1360x768 pixels)
On the subject of appearances, programs installed from Snap packages do not match the desktop's theme. This makes the applications look oddly blocky and out of place in the otherwise sleek Xfce/Gala interface. This problem is certainly not unique to Enso, but it does make Snap applications look non-native.
Software management
Apart from its hybrid desktop, one of the few features Enso offers that sets it apart from other distributions is the AppHive software centre. AppHive begins by showing us three tabs down the left side of the window. These tabs show popular applications, categories of applications we can browse, and the third tab shows updates & new drivers.

Enso OS 0.4 -- The AppHive software centre
(full image size: 169kB, resolution: 1360x768 pixels)
On the surface, AppHive works much the same way as GNOME Software or Discover; it provides us with a slick interface for browsing collections of desktop applications and clicking on an item brings up a full page description. I like that AppHive tells us whether an application is provided by a classic Deb package or a portable Snap package. This information can be found on a program's description page.
In theory AppHive allows us to mark a program for installation and then continue browsing for additional software. However, in practise I found that the software centre's interface would lock up and fail to respond sometimes while I was browsing for more programs to download. The good news here is that even if we force AppHive to close when it locks up, the system will continue to download software in the background.
I don't feel as though AppHive is doing anything distinctive compared next to other modern software managers, but it doesn't really have any serious problems (apart from the responsiveness issues I mentioned already). It looks nice and gets the job done.
Conclusions
One thing I find interesting about the Enso project is it comes across as relatively humble. The distribution's website doesn't make bold claims about changing the computing landscape or leading the way in innovation. It doesn't claim to be especially easy to use or perfect for gaming. The project does mention a few things it does differently, such as its software centre and the hybrid desktop. This understated approach was one I found somewhat endearing. The project sets out to do a few things differently from its parent, but not with an apparent quest for glory.
The AppHive software centre, as I mentioned above, is a capable software manager. It mostly functions well and makes it easy to find new applications. I would have liked more status and progress information during the install process, but otherwise AppHive is a decent software centre.
To me the more interesting feature was the Xfce/Gala desktop. It offers most of the flexibility and performance of Xfce while serving up a more modern (or alternatively more macOS-style) desktop interface. Whether modern/macOS is a characteristic that appeals to the user will likely be entirely a personal choice. For me, the desktop did not introduce many features that really appealed to me. Though to be fair, it also didn't do anything that caused me serious problems. The application menu in a window concept never really clicked with me, but otherwise the hybrid interface worked well.
The top bar with its shortcuts to files in my home directory certainly appealed to me. On the other hand, having the top panel also act as a unified menu bar for the active application felt awkward. In the end, it mostly balanced out.
On the whole Enso didn't wow me, but it also functioned well. It provided a decent experience and mostly stayed out of my way while I was working. I can see how this style of desktop experience would appeal to people, especially those who like macOS or elementary OS style desktop environments.
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Hardware used in this review
My physical test equipment for this review was a de-branded HP laptop with the following
specifications:
- Processor: Intel i3 2.5GHz CPU
- Display: Intel integrated video
- Storage: Western Digital 700GB hard drive
- Memory: 6GB of RAM
- Wired network device: Realtek RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast
- Wireless network device: Realtek RTL8188EE Wireless network card
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Visitor supplied rating
Enso OS has a visitor supplied average rating of: 9.3/10 from 6 review(s).
Have you used Enso OS? You can leave your own review of the project on our ratings page.
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Miscellaneous News (by Jesse Smith) |
Debian nears feature freeze for version 11, IPFire shares tips for intrusion prevention systems, UBports looks to improve Anbox support
Paul Gevers has announced that Debian is entering the first phase of a new stable release. On January 12th 2021 the Testing branch of Debian will begin to "freeze" signaling a slowdown in development and placing a focus on fixing bugs and polishing the distribution's packages for a new release. "On 12 January 2021 we're hitting the first milestone of the Bullseye release: the Transition and (build-)essentials Freeze. If you made plans for the bullseye release, now is the time to evaluate if it's realistic to go ahead or if time is running too short. Remember you always have experimental to stage changes. If there is a unfixed bug that is nagging you, remember to fix it (e.g. via an NMU) now rather than later." Though the Debian project does not stick to a firm release schedule, final releases tend to take place around five or six months after this initial freeze.
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The IPFire project has been publishing a series of security tips and advice on their blog. The latest post deals with intrusion prevention systems (IPS) and how to address malicious network traffic. "IPFire comes with an Intrusion Prevention System named Suricata, which can be easily configured through IPFire's web interface. While an IPS extends, but cannot replace a packet filter - which recommended settings have been discussed earlier -, it needs more customisation in order to work effectively, and some tripping hazards arise in early stages of operation." The post goes on to provide advice for setting up and monitoring IPS.
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The UBports team has published an update on work going into their mobile operating system, new devices being supported, and improvements to their automated system installer. One point which came up in the report is an overview of the challenges faced when getting Android applications, like Whatsapp, to run on open source platforms: "When will UT support Whatsapp? Well, Facebook could create a UT app for us - but that is vanishingly unlikely. They could open their API - also highly unlikely. The only real option is Anbox and that is not at all in a good state. We do want to get it working properly though and the good news is that we have a developer who is about to join us, specifically to work on Anbox. That doesn't mean it will be fixed any time soon but at least we will make a start. 'Working' where Whatsapp is concerned means very basic message functionality, without push notifications, media etc. Very bare bones in other words. Whatsapp web via Morph is an option but it does require that you be running an authorized app on a device somewhere simultaneously."
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These and other news stories can be found on our Headlines page.
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Questions and Answers (by Jesse Smith) |
Finding a good distro for common tasks
Staying-connected asks: These days I hardly go a working day without a Zoom or Webex video call, maybe others are finding themselves in the same state. I would be interested to know which distros do well or poorly at video conferencing.
DistroWatch answers: I'm glad you asked, and not just because video conferencing is a popular way to keep in touch with family and work colleagues these days. This is the sort of question I get a lot, a variation of: "Which distribution would you recommend for ____?" where the blank is a common task. Often it's web development, sometimes it's image or video editing, occasionally it's gaming. Today it happens to be video conferencing.
My answer, in almost every case, is unfortunately boring yet consistent. Pick the mainstream Linux distribution that works best for you. That is, find any mainstream Linux distribution that offers a desktop environment you like and that works with your hardware. Chances are it will do the job well, whichever task you have in mind.
There are a few reasons I make this suggestion. The first is that most mainstream distributions have good hardware support. Many of them are even certified across a range of consumer hardware so it should be easy to find one that works with your computer. Most Linux distributions will run the same software, the problems people tend to run into are often hardware related. A sound card doesn't work, a video driver is too slow, or wireless networking drops - that sort of thing. Once you find a distribution that runs properly on your hardware everything else tends to go smoothly. Which brings me to the second reason for my advice...
The second reason is that the mainstream distributions have large repositories of software and will usually support at least one portable package format (such as Flatpak or Snap) which will make adding applications relatively easy.
Another reason I put forward this advice is the mainstream distributions have a lot of users and, should you run into a problem, the forums and mailing lists will almost certainly be populated by people who can help you should you run into trouble. Finally, most of the big name distributions support multiple desktop environments, meaning you can tailor your system to your tastes without switching distributions.
At this point you may be wondering what I have in mind by "mainstream Linux distributions". Typically when I mention mainstream projects I'm referring to the big (and often longer-lived) distributions. In particular Ubuntu and its many community editions, Fedora, openSUSE, and Debian. People who want a more cutting edge approach might want to look at an Arch-based project such as Manjaro. There is a list of capable, notable and (mostly) mainstream projects on our Major Distributions page. Though, since some projects are on the Major Distributions list for technical reasons or their strength as a base for other distributions, not all of them are great for general purpose desktop use. Often a good bet is to start at the top of the page hit ranking table instead and work down as the more friendly projects with better hardware/software support tend to float toward the top of the list.
In short, I don't have one specific distribution I recommend for tasks. My advice is to generally to go down the page hit ranking list until you find a project that runs well on your hardware and has a desktop that feels right. From there, just about any distribution will do as well as another when it comes to running a specific application, whether it is a video conferencing program, video editor, web development tools, or an e-reader program. The snag is almost always in hardware compatibility and, once that bridge is crossed, picking the right distribution for you is mostly a matter of taste rather than technical merit.
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Additional answers can be found in our Questions and Answers archive.
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Released Last Week |
Endless OS 3.9.0
Andre Magalhaes has announced the release of Endless OS 3.9.0, the latest stable version of the project's family-oriented distribution, based on Debian, designed for work, study and gaming. This release updates the GNOME desktop to version 3.38: "Endless OS 3.9.0. This release of Endless OS has been updated to GNOME 3.38, bringing new features, substantial performance improvements and bug fixes. During this development cycle, the Endless desktop team has focused on bringing features originally developed in Endless OS back to GNOME - such as the ability to drag-and-drop icons on the desktop, and applying parental controls to installed applications - so that our work on usability and safety can reach users beyond Endless OS. In hand with this initiative, we have streamlined the changes we make in Endless OS relative to GNOME to improve the quality of Endless OS and allow us to focus on the key changes which are most important to our users. For example, our desktop application grid now always displays all installed applications, just as it does in GNOME." See the detailed release announcement for further information and screenshots.
Feren OS 2020.11
The Feren OS developer has announced the release of Feren OS 2020.11, a major update of the project's desktop-oriented Linux distribution based on Ubuntu and featuring the KDE Plasma desktop. This release updates the underlying system to Ubuntu 20.04 and also brings about the discontinuation of the "Classic" edition with Cinnamon. The user interface has also been redesigned and updated: "The complete redesign of Feren OS's theme also makes its debut in this snapshot of Feren OS, sporting a darker theme, a new dark theme, a new maximise icon, a custom Qt 5 application style based on Adwaita-Qt, an Adwaita-based GTK 2 and GTK 3 theme, and way more improvements, mainly formed from user feedback on prior Feren OS themes. The default font used throughout Feren OS's user interface has been changed to the Inter font, having used Open Sans and Lato beforehand. This should give Feren OS's interface a fresher and more professional look while also adding to the freshness of the new Feren OS theme. Based on user feedback, Feren OS November 2020 Snapshot adds two accent colours to the pre-defined accent colours available out of the box - purple and banana." Continue to the release announcement for more information and screenshots.

Feren OS 2020.11 -- Running the KDE Plasma desktop
(full image size: 3.4MB, resolution: 2560x1600 pixels)
Clonezilla Live 2.7.0-10
Clonezilla Live is a Debian-based live CD containing Clonezilla, a partition and disk cloning software. The project has published a new release, Clonezilla Live version 2.7.0-10. The new version includes updated packages, a number of bug fixes, Korean language support, and some conveniences in dealing with device names: "Linux kernel was updated to 5.9.1-1. Add Korean support. Format the parameters of ocs-* command about the device name so that it can be with or without /dev/, e.g., /dev/sda or sda. Thanks to Tsutsukakushi and MichaIng. Do not suppress the stdout/stderr messages when running dd in ocs-restore-[em]br. ocs-expand-gpt-pt/ocs-expand-mbr-pt: No need to check since we are creating new partition table and should not care about the destination disk's format is GPT or MBR. Add prompt about the option -icds when failing to creating the partition table on the smaller disk. Save OS-related info in the image dir as the file name Info-OS-prober.txt." Further information can be found in the project's release announcement.
MX Linux 19.3
MX Linux, a desktop-oriented Linux distribution with a choice of Xfce or KDE Plasma and based on Debian's latest stable release, has been updated to version 19.3: "We are pleased to offer MX Linux 19.3 for your use. MX Linux 19.3 is the third refresh of our MX 19 release, consisting of bug fixes and application updates since our original release of MX 19. If you are already running MX 19, there is no need to re-install. Packages are all available through the regular update channel. The standard MX Linux 19.3 releases (32-bit and 64-bit) feature the latest Debian 4.19 Linux kernel and, unlike in the past, the kernel will now auto-update along with Debian sources by default. The AHS (Advanced Hardware Support) ISO image features a Debian 5.8 Linux kernel, MESA 20, as well as a new updated firmware package. The KDE ISO image has also been updated and, being based on AHS, also has the 5.8 Linux kernel, together with updated firmware and MESA packages." Here is the full release announcement.

MX Linux 19.3 -- Running the Xfce desktop
(full image size: 676kB, resolution: 2560x1600 pixels)
Proxmox 1.0 "Backup Server"
Proxmox is a commercial company offering specialised products based on Debian. The company has published their first stable release of Proxmox Backup Server, which carries the version number 1.0. "Proxmox Backup Server is an enterprise backup solution, for backing up and restoring virtual machines, containers, and physical hosts. With key features like incremental backups, deduplication, Zstandard compression, and authenticated encryption (AE), Proxmox Backup Server ensures that protecting your most valuable data is quick and effortless. With strong encryption and methods of ensuring data integrity, backing up data is safe, even to targets which are not fully trusted. Moreover, the available range of access control options means that you can offer a lot of flexibility for users, while retaining tight control of the system. Proxmox Backup Server is easy to manage, offering both command line and web-based user interfaces, and is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (GNU AGPL, v3)." Further information can be found in the company's release announcement and in the release notes.
CentOS 7.9.2009
Johnny Hughes has announced the availability of CentOS 7.9.2009. This is the current release of the legacy branch of distribution which is built from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.9: "We are pleased to announce the general availability of CentOS Linux 7 (2009) for the x86_64 architecture. Effectively immediately, this is the current release for CentOS Linux 7 and is tagged as 2009, derived from Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.9 source code. This release supersedes all previously released content for CentOS Linux 7, and therefore we highly encourage all users to upgrade their machines. Note that older content, obsoleted by newer versions of the same applications are trimmed off from repositories like Extras/ and Plus/; however, this time we have also extended this to the SIG content hosted at mirror.centos.org, and some older End of Life content has been dropped. Everything we ever release, is always available on the vault service for people still looking for and have a real need for it." See the release announcement, release notes and upstream release notes for more details.
Endian Firewall 3.3.2
Endian SRL has announced the release of Endian Firewall 3.3.2, the latest version of the project's Linux security distribution, based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and designed for home use, that can transform a hardware appliance into a full-featured Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution. The new version comes with a long list of improvements and bug fixes: "The Endian team is proud to announce the new Endian Firewall Community release. First, we're releasing a huge set of updates that has a ton of bug fixes and minor feature improvements. In addition, we're releasing a new ISO image for those who want a new install with all the latest and greatest packages. Last, we're switching our development cycle to use rolling releases which means you guys should be hearing (and receiving 'update goodies') a whole lot more from us on a much more regular and frequent basis. Changelog: add kernel module RTL8152/RTL8153; add NVMe support to kernel; fix igxbe compilation issue; bug fix - onedrive.live.com is blocked by DNS Proxy; bug fix - IMAP training fails if mail is incomplete; bug fix - cannot create backup if the remark field contains only integers; bug fix - body of HA notification mails are sent as attachments...." Read the rest of the release announcement for a complete changelog.
Oracle Linux 8.3
Simon Coter has announced the release of Oracle Linux 8.3, a new update of the distribution designed for enterprise deployment and built from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux: "Oracle is pleased to announce the availability of the Oracle Linux 8 Update 3 for the 64-bit Intel and AMD (x86_64) and 64-bit Arm (aarch64) platforms. Oracle Linux 8 Update 3 includes the UEK R6 on the installation image, along with the Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK). For new installations, UEK R6 is enabled and installed by default and is the default kernel on first boot. UEK R6, the kernel developed, built, and tested by Oracle and based on the mainline Linux Kernel 5.4, delivers more innovation than other commercial Linux kernels. Oracle Linux 8 Update 3 release includes: improved support for NVDIMM devices; improved support for IPv6 static configurations; installation program uses the default LUKS2 version for an encrypted container...." Read the release announcement and the release notes for more information.
Archman GNU/Linux 2020-11-12
Kararlı Sürüm Hazır has announced the release of Archman GNU/Linux 2020-11-12, a new version of the project's Arch-based distribution with the latest version of KDE Plasma as the preferred desktop. The developers of the distribution rotate the default desktop environment depending on the release, using Deepin, GNOME, KDE Plasma or Xfce. This is the first release or Archman GNU/Linux with KDE Plasma since February 2020. Some of the changes and package upgrades include: Linux kernel 5.9.8, Plasma Desktop 5.20.3, Plasma Framework 5.75.0, Qt 5.15.1, Pamac-aur 9.15.2, Archman Settings Manager 0.5.5, Calamares installer 3.2.33, Firefox 82.0.3; new Calamares slides and Archman wallpapers; latest drivers including some unsupported ones; AUR and Multilib repositories now enabled by default. The release announcement (in Turkish) provides further information, screenshots and upgrade instructions.

Archman GNU/Linux 2020-11-12 -- Running the KDE Plasma desktop
(full image size: 777kB, resolution: 2560x1600 pixels)
ArcoLinux 20.11.9
Erik Dubois has announced the release of ArcoLinux 20.11.9, a new stable version of the project's Arch-based distribution with Xfce as the default desktop. As always, the distribution is available in a vast range of other desktop environments through its community-built ArcoLinuxB editions. This version also delivers a new dwm variant: "dwm might be one of the most intriguing desktops we have in our collection. dwm stands for dynamic window manager and it comes from suckless.org. Let me copy/paste the intro of their website: 'dwm is a dynamic window manager for X. It manages windows in tiled, monocle and floating layouts. All of the layouts can be applied dynamically, optimising the environment for the application in use and the task performed. In tiled layout windows are managed in a master and stacking area. The master area contains the window which currently needs most attention, whereas the stacking area contains all other windows. In monocle layout all windows are maximised to the screen size.'" See the full release announcement for further details.
MidnightBSD 2.0
Lucas Holt has announced the release of MidnightBSD 2.0, a major new version of the project's FreeBSD-derived operating system developed with desktop users in mind. Besides providing package upgrades, security updates and bug fixes, this release also imports features from FreeBSD 11: "I am happy to announce the availability of MidnightBSD 2.0 for amd64 and i386 architectures. This is a massive release focusing on base system improvements. We've imported many features from FreeBSD 11.x as part of the release. Changes: LLVM updated to 8.0.1; ELF ToolChain updated; OpenSSL updated; ZFS now supports parallel mounting; kernel logs jail IDs when a process exits; network firmware updates. Updated DRM code is now in mports for 2.0 and later - this allows us to update it outside of a release. Due to the nature of the release, there are a few minor build issues when upgrading from MidnightBSD 1.2.x by source." Read the detailed release notes for a full list of changes, upgrade instructions and known issues.
PrimTux 6
PrimTux is a Debian- (and Ubuntu-)based distribution developed by a small team of school teachers and computer enthusiasts for educational environments. The project's latest release, PrimTux 6, is available in both Debian (32-bit) and Ubuntu (64-bit) editions. An English translation of the release announcement reads: "PrimTux6 is available in 2 versions: a version based on Ubuntu and intended for recent computers; a version based on Debian Buster, intended for older older computers, to meet its vocation of upgrading computers for educational purposes. Whichever version you use, PrimTux is designed to be extremely lightweight. Version 6 continues to build on what makes the strength of the distribution: student environments adapted to the different cycles of primary education, protected from bad handling; a selection of quality educational software adapted to the different ages of schooling; secure Internet browsing thanks to CTparental, which provides filtering since version 5, and to the Qwant junior search engine."
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Development, unannounced and minor bug-fix releases
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Torrent Corner |
Weekly Torrents
The table below provides a list of torrents DistroWatch is currently seeding. If you do not have a bittorrent client capable of handling the linked files, we suggest installing either the Transmission or KTorrent bittorrent clients.
Archives of our previously seeded torrents may be found in our Torrent Archive. We also maintain a Torrents RSS feed for people who wish to have open source torrents delivered to them. To share your own open source torrents of Linux and BSD projects, please visit our Upload Torrents page.
Torrent Corner statistics:
- Total torrents seeded: 2,223
- Total data uploaded: 34.7TB
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Upcoming Releases and Announcements |
Summary of expected upcoming releases
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Opinion Poll (by Jesse Smith) |
Do you recommend the same distribution you use yourself?
People who have been using Linux for a while often get asked to recommend a distribution for newcomers, for family, or for specific tasks, as we saw in this week's Questions and Answers article. Sometimes the distributions we, as more experienced Linux users, run are not ideal for other people. When someone comes to you looking for a friendly distribution or one suited to common tasks, do you recommend they use the same distro you do, or do you point people to another distro?
You can see the results of our previous poll on Material Shell in last week's edition. All previous poll results can be found in our poll archives.
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When it comes to recommending a Linux distro
I recommend the distro I run: | 1097 (57%) |
I recommend another distro in the same family: | 241 (13%) |
I recommend a distro I do not run: | 318 (17%) |
I do not make distro recommendations: | 259 (14%) |
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Website News |
New distributions added to database
Snal Linux
Snal Linux is a small Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. It features the i3 window manager and it includes the Firefox web browser, as well as a handful of network and filesystem utilities. It is intended to be used as a live image to troubleshoot hard disk, system and network problems.

Snal Linux 1.0 -- Running the i3 window manger
(full image size: 193kB, resolution: 1920x1080 pixels)
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New distributions added to waiting list
- Expirion Linux. Expirion Linux is an Xubuntu-based distribution which features Canonical's updated kernel (HWE) for additional hardware support.
- Gorizont Linux. Gorizont Linux is a live USB-bootable distro for plug and play MF HF VHF UHF radio and DVB-T TV/DAB DAB+/DRM reception.
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DistroWatch database summary
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This concludes this week's issue of DistroWatch Weekly. The next instalment will be published on Monday, 23 November 2020. Past articles and reviews can be found through our Article Search page. To contact the authors please send e-mail to:
- Jesse Smith (feedback, questions and suggestions: distribution reviews/submissions, questions and answers, tips and tricks)
- Ladislav Bodnar (feedback, questions, donations, comments)
- Bruce Patterson (podcast)
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Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • Distribution I Recommend (by Willie on 2020-11-16 01:05:18 GMT from United States)
I always suggest people new to Linux start with the distribution the person, friend, co-worker, buddy, etc runs since that will allow them to help them with problems and issues.
It's a lot harder to help on a distribution you're not familiar with.
2 • Zoom/WebEx Video Conferencing (by Btroy on 2020-11-16 01:16:26 GMT from United States)
I agree with Jesse on his recommendation. You will find that the major distros having installers for Zoom and possibly WebEx, thought looking at WebEx seems to point to minimal Linux support. FYI, I've used Zoom and Jitsi on Linux, not WebEx.
Also, look at browser support. Some video conferencing tools, such as Jitsi, work best on Chromium or require Chrome. Others will run on both FireFox and Chromium products, but you'll need to research. What you'll find is that one browser will probably perform better than the other.
The last thing, make sure your device has sufficient RAM, CPU, and a decent performing network. You may find yourself having issues because you are running out of any of these. For video conferencing I suggest you may need a minimum of 4 GB of RAM.
CPU - AMD - A6 or better - Intel - Pentium Silver, or a Core I3 or better.
You may be able to get away with less RAM if you use a lighter DE such as Mate or Xfce, but video takes some CPU performance and definitely bandwidth.
3 • Zoom, webex (by Andy Prough on 2020-11-16 02:24:48 GMT from United States)
Of all OS's I've tried, Zoom has worked the best on MX Linux in my experience. Webex doesn't have a client for Linux, and the web version works poorly, with almost no workable microphone. When I have to use WebEx for an important meeting, in my experience I've had to find a Windows machine at work. Wouldn't even work in a Windows VM on Linux for me, as the microphone would not work.
4 • Humble Pie (by vern on 2020-11-16 02:29:18 GMT from United States)
"Enso project is it comes across as relatively humble" I liked humble also. That's intriguing. Usually they claim to save the world.
I haven't herd of Enso before. It does have some interesting combinations.
5 • webex and recommendations (by Tim on 2020-11-16 02:42:31 GMT from United States)
@3 I've used the Webex web client on Debian 10 buster in Firefox with no issues at all.
As to recommendations, I think Jesse's strategy of going down a list until you find one that meets your needs is the most accurate description I've heard. The problem with recommending Linux to a friend is that they probably don't have the same machine as you and they might not want to use the same software as you, so a distro that works perfectly for you might fail for them.
For me at least, bugs and crashes seem to be hardware dependent and somewhat random in software- a bug that gets baked into a Debian stable might not be in the Ubuntu interim released a couple of months later, or might have already been fixed in testing. A good set of repos from an older Ubuntu might get a new kernel from the Mint team and suddenly for one specific computer Mint works better than Ubuntu.
Honestly I don't find that most acquaintances are very interested these days in trying a new OS. It's been years since I managed to convince a few people outside my family. But when I've been successful I've come with Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint and played around with all three until I got one of them working.
6 • recommending a Linux distro (by Andy Figueroa on 2020-11-16 03:43:30 GMT from United States)
None of the four lame choices fit. My main Linux is Gentoo, which I have never recommended to anyone. But, when asked, I always recommend a distribution I have significant experience with on one or more other computer.
Survey selections need to be inclusive. Notably, "I recommend the distro I run," reading "THE distro" strongly implies only the distro one runs for their everyday work or play.
7 • Recommending distributions (by Bobbie Sellers on 2020-11-16 06:45:07 GMT from United States)
One must considered the attitude and interests of the people making the request. I run a rolling release and having run full update releases in the past find the rolling release friendlier but only if the user will commit them selves to doing updates on a regular basis.
I see people using the commonly recommended full update models seem to have a real fear of updating fearing the loss of data, poorly backed up if at all. I have tried to help them in the past but at 83 will have to give that up.
I used to use Mandriva 2006-2012 and spent a fair bit of my disposable income paying for those PowerPacked updates. Now a spend a bit more donating to TexStar's inimitable PCLinuxOS 64. There is a fine forum with contributors to the code and contributors to the forum that lighten the mode with their own unique contributions. Before the Mandriva I used the Amiga OS 1.2- 3.9 where running as root essentially I wrote short scripts and modified longer ones to my satisfaction, before that I used C=64 and 64/128 using both GEOS and CP/M as well as the native modes. I did basically book keeping and word processing in all OSes but CP/M which I did not care for at all but which taught me a good deal.
bliss - “Nearly any fool can use a computer. Many do.” After all here I am...
8 • I recommend... various? (by In The Same Boat on 2020-11-16 07:53:00 GMT from United States)
I find myself in a very similar boat to a couple of the posts above me, also not having an honest answer in this week's poll.
If I'm recommending something to someone who is interested in the idea, but not particularly technically skilled, then I tend to lean more towards the 'buntus. With work/school stuff, which packages are needed will change whether I think to go the 'buntu route or suggest something more RPM-based. If I'm talking with someone technically skilled who isn't interested in switching everything over (yet), but wants to learn more, I regularly find myself pointing at Arch because it makes *you* be thorough and deliberate in your setup, but it *has thorough and comprehensive documentation* regarding how to go about that.
I remember *learning* on openSUSE, but these days I run a 'buntu variant (though I've been mulling over going up to Debian over some... "disagreements" between snap and myself, and a few programs that the Ubuntu alterations cause to break in my non-standard setup in ways where I know upstream the same breakage isn't happening), and I remember a time when I had the free time to play and I would just occasionally throw just about any distro that didn't require compiling in a VM to play with it, so how exactly "the distro I run" is defined matters in my case.
About the only consistent thing in my recommendation is that I tend to gravitate towards the better-known distros, but even that is up in the air depending on who's asking for advice.
9 • Distribution recommendations. Thanks for articles, (by ViamoIam on 2020-11-16 07:56:01 GMT from Canada)
I'll ignore the stuff I agreed with :D and skip to to things I disagree with. I think I can offer another view.
__Opinion Poll: Recommending a Linux Distribution:__
The poll asks the wrong questions. Yup, none of those options fit for what matters. I've worked with software support teams in the past. I run construction teams now. Software distributions or equipment for construction are tools. What tools to use needs to address 2 issues. For every possible solution you must still evaluate 2 questions: (1) Will it work for their needs? (2) Will they get support for their issues?
These questions are off the mark and have the above underlying: 'I recommend the distro I run' - thought is people can support what they know themselves, and maybe friends have similar needs (3rd parties my teams think, which one?) 'I recommend another distro in the same family' - thought is same (3rd party teams like mine think, which families? Also there was one major family unsupported when I left of four/five) 'I recommend a distro I do not run' - thought is my needs are different (3rd party teams like mine thought "yup that happens too:) 'I do not make distro recommendations' - last option and still doesn't fit; hmm There is to much 'I' and not enough of them. Our team never looks at us we look at their needs and how they will get support.
(eg) Even today if a personal friend asks me what I run, I would instead find out their needs and support needs. Tools/software/equipment have different features, strengths, support options, service life and different response times for service and support levels. Mission critical business needs are totally different then home needs. Server, container, embedded and desktop have different use cases. Even in there own categories a general distribution could be developers/ or office workers/ home users/ gamers/ different genre of games/ visual artists .....etc...
Only one time people asked what we run, and now run the same thing. That wasn't a Linux distribution :( , that was equipment because they do similar work.
P.S. Have run or helped admin Red Hat 8 (not RHEL) and 9, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Suse Enterprise Linux, Debian, Slackware, Suse, Mandrake, PCLinuxOS, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Bodhi, Linux Mint, Mageia, Ubuntu Studio, Xubuntu, Fedora, Ubuntu Mate, openSUSE and also used and/or supported Windows/Mac/Windows Mobile/iOS AOSP distributions eg /e/ (mostly general purpose mobile hardware often lineageos, but I've seen a bit Ubuntu touch) I'm probably missing some and have included some that were only tried or supported by teams not directly working with me especially once you get away from larger major distributions, which is what 3rd parties often only officially support. These days in construction we do commercial and a bit residential
10 • Re:9 • Distribution recommendations. Thanks for articles - Small Correction (by ViamoIam on 2020-11-16 08:37:30 GMT from Canada)
I made a mistake, I said: 'Only one time people asked what we run, and now run the same thing. That wasn't a Linux distribution :( , that was equipment because they do similar work.'
I remembered one time way back a person asked what I ran for a distribution and then started running the same thing. I don't even remember who it was as this is feels like over 10 years back to me. MkLiveCD allowed people to create a copy of a Mandrake based distribution. I ran it to make bootable system backups. I Would throw them out eventually the system rolled along. I had local and remote /backups of /home and private stuff. I gave a copy to someone. They asked as I had a backup on me but it was old. The were a friend/coworker and they did start to run it. I don't know if they stayed with it till today.
11 • Finding a good distro for common tasks (by whoKnows on 2020-11-16 09:08:55 GMT from Switzerland)
"My answer, in almost every case, is unfortunately boring yet consistent. Pick the mainstream Linux distribution that works best for you. ... At this point you may be wondering what I have in mind by "mainstream Linux distributions". Typically, when I mention mainstream projects I'm referring to the big (and often longer-lived) distributions. ... Often a good bet is to start at the top of the page hit ranking table instead and work down ..."
The problems here are "recommending" something to somebody and the "page hit ranking".
Now, I assume that the recommendation gets somebody who actually can't use the computers (yeah, it can turn on the Windows, but if "Documents" lies on "D:\", than it's already an overkill "problem").
To such user, one can recommend exactly "2 1/2" Linux distributions - while even the "prime time mainstream projects" are partially broken.
You wouldn't really want to recommend something that comes broken OOTB (MX Linux, Pop!_OS) and the first thing the user has to do, is to fix the bad pre-configuration, something that uses "alternate package managements" [WTF is 'eopkg'?] (Clear OS, Solus, Void), something where you have to check the update packages before you start the update (Arch, Manjaro), something that compiles (anything using AUR Repository, Gentoo), something where you have to manually 'chase the dependencies' (Slackware), something missing the very basics, that randomly fails to update itself properly (OpenSuSe), something that randomly looses the partitions (CentOS / Red Hat / Springdale) ...
That would be like recommending somebody to jump down from the first floor - it would survive it, but very probably land in hospital with broken legs. ;)
That leaves us as the "2 1/2":
1. Fedora - Auto-UPGRADE, reasonably fresh SW, but less SW choice then Ubuntu. 2. Ubuntu LTS - Auto-UPGRADE, old SW, but if some third party has Linux SW, then for Ubuntu. -- 3. Mint - NO Auto-UPGRADE and "dusty" Windows 7 look & feel (and [see 2.]). 4. Rosa (KDE 4) - See 3. and there're no forums to help you in trouble.
12 • distro choice (by Any on 2020-11-16 10:09:59 GMT from Spain)
Every case is different. A colleague, the son/daughter of a colleague, a young person, a senior person, a kid, a photographer, a facebook person ... But generally I prefer recommending or directly install for someone a distro from the Ubuntu family or some flavour of it . And if I had to install the distro I would prefer the Ubuntu mini iso file.
13 • What distro? (by Someguy on 2020-11-16 11:32:28 GMT from United Kingdom)
It's a moveable feast! Not just a mixture of personal tastes/PHRs &co., but the distro versions keep moving the goal posts, too. A decade back PCL was top-of-the-list for months, then they change the DT and a bunch of other things; Mint became dominant but v.20 ain't too hot, so the beautiful MX has been hard to shift off the top slot recently. Even with Linux there's an element of conspiracy theory. The hardware guys need to get smaller-or-bigger/faster/etc. to keep sales & profits buoyant. Software developers get plagued by requests for new and wondrous drivers, apps., functions. All very déjà vu. Of course, folks now want to zoom, stream and stuff, but it's sobering to note that surveys over the last several decades suggest that most regular folks only use a tiny percent of the facilities on their PCs. Remember, Apollo only had 2K RAM - not sure about hard drive? if any? So, recommendations? - best just expose neophytes to a range of known options and have them match against their list of requirements, capabilities and tastes.
14 • Distro Recommendations (by jrussell2415@gmail.com on 2020-11-16 12:03:52 GMT from United States)
The options for the poll are rather limited. I think that I, like most people, make a recommendation that is based on the skill level of the intended user as well as how they're planning to use the system. Without knowing those two things, one really cannot make a reasonable recommendation.
15 • Distro choice (by Eijie on 2020-11-16 12:33:17 GMT from Belgium)
I run 3 different distros on my machines. One is a Gnome3, one a KDE and one a XFCE machine. I let the new user play with the different distros and let him/her decide wich version they like the most. I then suggest the Ubuntu flavor of that DE as their first distro.
16 • Poll: (by dragonmouth on 2020-11-16 12:49:50 GMT from United States)
The distro I recommend depends on the level of computer savvy and skill of the individual asking. Also on what the individual will be using the distro for.
17 • Distro recommendation (by kks on 2020-11-16 12:51:11 GMT from India)
I run fedora but i recommend linuxmint
18 • Distro Reccomends (by stillnoar on 2020-11-16 13:22:20 GMT from United States)
I rarely recommend my daily driver, as it is not particularly a beginner friendly choice. I do however recommend a beginner friendly, solid, stable distro that I have run full-time in the past, and revisit with all new releases to re-aquaint myself with an old friend - MXLinux. While my personal needs have evolved over time to a slimmed down enviornment, MX will hopefully offer the newbie a rewarding experience, which is what we all want them to have.
19 • Bold claim by Enso (by Tim on 2020-11-16 12:56:01 GMT from United Kingdom)
Hi. I tried Enso OS awhile ago. Thought it was ok.
Surprised a bit that reviewer likes that the distro's websiteteam doesnt make bold claims though. It says Enso is:
"Green. Built on Linux, Enso is able to run on nearly any machine that exists, including those that are no longer supported by Windows or Mac"
Well every linux distro can say that and Enso is one that only runs on 64-bit so not on lots of old machines. I thought that was a pretty spurious claim.
20 • @11 (by Andy Prough on 2020-11-16 13:35:35 GMT from United States)
> "Now, I assume that the recommendation gets somebody who actually can't use the computers (yeah, it can turn on the Windows, but if "Documents" lies on "D:\", than it's already an overkill "problem")."
The people who ask for a distro recommendation are the people who''ve actually heard of Linux. A person who can't find their Documents folder on Windows needs a fundamentals course in using a mouse and a keyboard, not a new OS.
>"something that comes broken OOTB (MX Linux, Pop!_OS) and the first thing the user has to do, is to fix the bad pre-configuration"
Factually those two run better out of the box on more desktop hardware which is why they are so highly ranked. I've seen them boot a number of devices that the *buntu's and Fedora will not, and the reviews are consistently in agreement with this fact. Similar to Mint - Mint works well out of the box in the vast majority of instances.
This is the difference between a desktop focused distro (Mint, Manjaro, MX, Pop, Elementary, Solus) and the big general purpose distros and cloud focused distros (*buntu, Fedora, Clear, openSUSE). The desktop focused distros are more popular because they work better in more desktop settings.
21 • Long and involved (by Friar Tux on 2020-11-16 13:50:01 GMT from Canada)
Having read all the previous comments... wordy comments, I'm thinking, what is the big deal? Obviously, if you're on a Linux distro, you've tried a few. If you've tried a few, you've found one or two that work. Period. If someone asks you for a recommendation it's because they know you have a distro that works for you. AND they know they can (and will) come to you if issues show up. So to answer the question - Linux Mint/Cinnamon. It is the ONLY distro that consistently worked out of box (on various machines), and allowed me to go right to work without any post-install fiddling. I have notes on a few dozen distros I've tried, and only three actually make the grade - Linux Mint (all three flavours, LMDE excluded), Q4OS, and Trisquel (Triskel excluded). All the rest failed. Sad but true. And now to get wordy myself. While there are a lot of distros that dress themselves up to mimic MSWindows, none of them actually work out of box. Maybe due to the fancy glitz and glitter, I don't know - or care. Linux Mint is unassuming and has no fancy, showy stuff. And it just works. I've installed and re-installed it many, many times and have never had an issue, so it wins out on that experience alone. OK, 'nuff said.
22 • recommend distro I run (by wally on 2020-11-16 13:53:42 GMT from United States)
But I run 5 (currently) and the recommended one will depend on the person and hardware.
23 • Recommending distros (by SA on 2020-11-16 14:02:34 GMT from France)
I do not recommend distros.
I use aside from online Linux, an old computer offline with a few Live USB.
Someone has mentionned Gentoo, and A Sabayon Live is one of the Lives which work the best .
That Live is running with a good system load on this computer, and some of my older computers have been trash because of that.
24 • Erratum nbr23 (by SA on 2020-11-16 14:07:00 GMT from France)
Sorry, I meant
... Have been trash because of a Bad system load.
25 • Recommending distros (by Dino on 2020-11-16 14:20:30 GMT from Denmark)
I run Debian Testing (XFCE) and Ubuntu, but I always recommend Linux Mint (Cinnamon) to newcomers. It just works.
26 • Distros I (do not) recommend (by Stefan on 2020-11-16 14:21:50 GMT from Brazil)
My first distro was Slackware, and I can say it was a terrible experience... Today, I use Devuan, only at work. At home, my wife and my son use MX Linux and Peppermint LXDE, respectively. I'm posting this from my wife's laptop.
When a friend of mine wants to become a Linuxer, I do NOT recommend any distro in particular. What I do is giving him a bunch of LiveDVDs to be tried by himself (without my help) and then installed/configured by me. In general, the chosen one is something very "Windows-like".
The last four converts have chosen PCLinuxOS XFCE, PCLinuxOS TDE, Linux Mint MATE, and MX Linux. And they are not having any special difficulty to deal with those distros.
As said in post #11 (by whoKnows, of Switzerland), MX Linux is not the most stable distro in existence, but I think it isn't so bad to be considered "broken". Fedora and Ubuntu are certainly buggier. Yes, MX-19 is a little bit buggy, but MX-17 is fine and MX-18 is acceptable. By the way, the version I install in friend's computers is MX-18.3 with Firefox Quantum 67. Not as good as Pale Moon and Opera, but it does the job.
And MX Linux is a lot better than Fedora/Ubuntu for "common tasks" and any other stuff. In reality, it is a true "desktop oriented" distro with tons of useful applications and device drivers. The exact kind of software everybody needs to get rid of Windows.
27 • Run better ... (by whoKnows on 2020-11-16 14:34:06 GMT from Switzerland)
20 • @11 (by Andy Prough)
"The people who ask for a distro recommendation are the people who've actually heard of Linux. A person who can't find their Documents folder on Windows needs a fundamentals course in using a mouse and a keyboard, not a new OS."
Imagine - that person in case even had a certificate as a PC-Supporter. Sad but truth. And yes, it asked for recommendation.
The point in the case was installing some mods for his games, but he was unable to install them properly, because the internet manual wrote that the files should be in C:\something path (and in his configuration, it means that the files should be on D:\). Files were not there any way - because to get them, one has to start the game first ... However ... We have (too) many such cases in support every day.
"Factually those two [MX Linux & Pop!_OS] run better out of the box on more desktop hardware which is why they are so highly ranked. I've seen them boot a number of devices that the *buntu's and Fedora will not, and the reviews are consistently in agreement with this fact. Similar to Mint - Mint works well out of the box in the vast majority of instances."
Run better ... This is very HW dependent. I've seen the opposite also - where Fedora would boot without any issues, but Pop!_OS (which is *buntu) couldn't (secure boot certificate). And then we get their looks that has to be fixed first too ... one doesn't have to fix Ubuntu.
"This is the difference between a desktop focused distro (Mint, Manjaro, MX, Pop, Elementary, Solus) and the big general purpose distros and cloud focused distros (*buntu, Fedora, Clear, openSUSE). The desktop focused distros are more popular because they work better in more desktop settings."
The problem is that except Mint, none of the first group can be used "as is", without fixing them first or not at all (Solus), and the Mint without auto-upgrades also can't seriously be recommended. Ubuntu and Fedora are pretty usable OOTB; Clear OS has a package management problem and OpenSuSe is a pure chaos - with multiple software update tools, unreliable package management and missing multimedia codecs.
Of course, if one knows how to and is willing to learn and cope with the OS, (almost) everything can be done, however, that's not an average user we talk about anymore - they only want their applications to work.
Auto-Upgrade is the nicest example here. It can be done by changing the repositories and from the command line, but the average user DOESN'T CARE for the OS - they maybe know, it's Mac, Windows or Linux Mint, but don't even try to ask them is it a 10.13.6 or 10.15.2, 2004 or 20H2 ... Auto-Upgrade will do the job for them - or they'll run in trouble, like the guy who passed by a couple of days ago.
"Google Chrome doesn't work anymore!" Well ... no wonder. It changed a lot during the last couple of years, since the Mint 17 got released and the Chrome on Ubuntu 14.04 (Mint 17) got unsupported in the meanwhile ...
28 • @27 (by Andy Prough on 2020-11-16 14:55:49 GMT from United States)
> "Imagine - that person in case even had a certificate as a PC-Supporter. Sad but truth. And yes, it asked for recommendation."
That is sad. If a person can't figure out the basics of file management on Windows, they are going to be completely lost on any distro. I would ask what their certification was and tell other people NOT to pursue that certification.
29 • Video conferencing on Linux (by CS on 2020-11-16 16:51:49 GMT from United States)
I completely agree mainstream is the way to go for anything like video conferencing. Even so I tried Skype video calls on Linux Mint 19.3 running on a 2013 MacBook Pro and was getting < 10 fps. I don't know if it was hardware or software related but quickly gave up. Considering Skype has pretty good Linux support I was curious what others' experiences were. Hardware support is always a crapshoot and Mint has not handled that laptop very well.
Based on Andy's experiences maybe I'll give MX a spin when it's time to reinstall that laptop.
30 • What distro? (by hotdiggettydog on 2020-11-16 16:52:02 GMT from Canada)
I do not recommend any distros except to nameless people online. In fact, I don't recommend linux at all to family and friends. It's not worth the hassle. People automatically think it is a geek only thing and put up barriers. Funny thing is they will happily use MacOS and think its the greatest thing since sliced bread when realistically its horrible.
If I were to recommend anything it would the buntus. The buntu update and upgrade process is mostly bullet proof. Debian based distros, though rolling, will not reliably upgrade. Last thing I need is someone phoning me complaining their computer will not startx.
Don't get me wrong. I love linux. Linux has challenged me for 20 years and supplied me with endless hours of enjoyment and satisfaction.
31 • Distro recommendation (by David on 2020-11-16 17:28:02 GMT from United Kingdom)
So Jesse would recommend a beginner to try one of the "major distributions" or "work down the page hit list". Anyone who followed that advice could easily end up with endless change (Fedora), the installation from hell (Arch or Gentoo), or on a software hunt (Slackware).
I recommend beginners to decide what sort of look and feel they like and then pick a well-supported desktop that gives it — Mate (traditional), Gnome (phone-like), or KDE (wow, eye-candy!) Then pick a well-supported distro that uses that as a default — Mint, Ubuntu, or SUSE respectively. Of course, that assumes they have a modern computer and don't need AntiX.
Incidentally, I use PCLinuxOS with Xfce. I don't recommend that to *beginners* because the default is KDE and if a rolling-release distro is going to have problems, KDE is where you'll find them. Xfce needed a bit of adjustment, but it's as solid as a rock. Why PCLinuxOS considered less "major" than, say, Gentoo (famously dismissed as pointless by Linus Torvalds) is one of the mysteries of this site!
32 • Do you recommend the same distribution you use yourself? (by Robert Brenner on 2020-11-16 17:28:53 GMT from United States)
Linux Mint is always the distro I recommend, and it is the one I use for the most part. I play with other distros, but none have supplanted Mint for long term use. Mint has it's own frustrations (fonts!!!), but it works after install with minimal to no additional effort required, its tools are useful and easy to understand, and its community support is second to none. Pop OS is a newer build that uses readable fonts and pretty icons, but is Gnome shell, and, while I personally like the Activities overview for managing open apps, it is quite a culture shock for Window's refugees, so it still does not top Mint as a recommendation.
33 • Distro I use (by Roger on 2020-11-16 18:34:55 GMT from Belgium)
I always recomment the distro I use and that is Linux Mint Mate. Mint is something I use from 2006 and is my main system from 2009 ( Isadora )
34 • What Distro do you Recommend. (by Rev_Don on 2020-11-16 18:52:26 GMT from United States)
I don't recommend distros for the most part, except for Live Rescue distros and such. I've found that once you recommend Linux to someone you just signed yourself up to provide lifetime support to them. I got tired of 20 phone calls a day from people who never should have been using Linux (or any computer) for that matter. These days I tell them to get a tablet or Chromebook.
If someone is insistent on wanting to try Linux I tell them to go to YouTube and watch various Linux for Beginners videos and go from there. Other than that I stay out of it. It's just not worth it to get personally involved as 99% of them aren't computer literate enough to even attempt to install or run Linux.
35 • Recommend Distro (by GreginNC on 2020-11-16 21:48:37 GMT from United States)
While my answer "recommend the distro I run" is literally true at the moment it is not as cut and dried in reality. I have always recommended PcLinux to anyone I knew looking to switch over to Linux and it has always been my personal fallback distro. In a perfect world i would be running Slackware but as the Devs have chosen to keep it in a perpetual alpha state I'm currently back running PcLinux as although it isn't Slackware it is consistent and reliable, and it is the only distro I know of that is both "rolling release" and stable since their version of rolling release doesn't mean "cutting edge".
36 • When it comes to recommending a Linux distro (by Geo Savage on 2020-11-16 21:49:30 GMT from Canada)
Mint all the way home. Anyone who's run Windows can use it. It will do all the ordinary everyday things the average user might need.
If resurrecting a retired machine, I lean to AntiX.
For knowledgeable free spirits I'd go with MX Linux.
37 • choices=decisions, good or bad... (by spongebob on 2020-11-16 21:52:59 GMT from United States)
I prefer not to be put in a situation to recommend anything to a newbie "just because" i use it...if a person is willing to "convert" (from whatever) it should be a personal choice and commit to testing it out for the purpose of deciding what is best for their experience and needs...I think i would go along with those that say LIVE distro is way to go...personally i think the current puppy linux EASYOS (Barry Kauler creation) and works well OOTB for reasonably older and current H/W...runs live or install to USB memory stick (yea I know it runs in ROOT...to all the "Karens" out there, then put on a mask)...it runs my daily casual stuff...my other machines run MX (since 14)...DIY Devuan...still sweet ol' PEPPERMINT (9?)..I've given up on FEDORA, MINT and all DE flavors of 'BUNTUS...too much "dessert toppings" for me...I decided I only need the "floor wax" Cheers!
38 • Recommending distros (by eco2geek on 2020-11-16 23:19:16 GMT from United States)
I currently have 8 different Linux distros on my computer, plus Windows. (It's a 2TB hard drive, so why not. Plus I enjoy playing with them.) But in my lazy middle age the only Linux distro on my computer that isn't Debian-based is openSUSE. I mainly use either KDE neon or Kubuntu.
It would seem strange to me to have only one (or two) operating systems on one's computer, unless the hard drive was minuscule.
But I recommend Linux Mint for anyone who asks, as they seem to really listen to what their users want, and there's plenty of help available for new (Linux) users. Unfortunately they no longer have a KDE flavor available, or I'd recommend that, but their Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce versions offer some choice and they all run well on my hardware. (Most Debian/Ubuntu based distros have run well on whatever I installed them on, in my experience.)
39 • @9 Question 0: DOES it work? (by Alex Smart on 2020-11-17 00:26:36 GMT from Germany)
>For every possible solution you must still evaluate 2 questions:
No matter how much you hate Windows, it *nearly always* gets to basic GUI. You may have to hunt for drivers on rare / new hardware (while avoiding spyware), but that's a separate problem.
But Jesse often writes reviews of "Linux" distros that simply don't work for the very basics, may not boot, even with his expert skill level.
And every week, the regulars mention distros that simply don't work.
Some like new and to "experiment" but that doesn't make Linux popular as needs to be.
We need to get real answers on what distros do *nearly always* work just by putting the DVD in and clicking a few times. -- So far as I've seen for self and read here just today, that's PCLinux.
40 • Distro I install to someone else (by Jyrki on 2020-11-17 08:38:55 GMT from Czechia)
Difficult to answer. When I install a system a family member, I install distro I use (Artix), because I know that I will be managing it in the future too. But if a colleague of mine asks me to install Linux for him/her I use something that is very easy to maintain by him - so a major distro like Mint.
41 • Same distro (by Dxvid on 2020-11-17 12:41:39 GMT from Sweden)
I often recommend one the distros I frequently use OpenSUSE, Ubuntu or SUSE, because I know that if I recommended something to someone they will be asking questions later on how to do this and that. So recommending something I know well makes support easier and will ensure they get as little trouble as possible.
42 • @39: (by dragonmouth on 2020-11-17 14:02:51 GMT from United States)
"distros that simply don't work" Posters generalize based on their experience with a distro. If they have problems with a distro, then EVERYBODY must be having problems. If they do not like a distro, then it must be disliked by EVERYBODY. If they have a problem with a distro, it MUST be the distro, not their hardware or skill. Take any distro, some users swear by it and some users swear at it. If any distro was as bad as posters portray it, it would not stay around for very long.
I have used many of the distros that posters authoritatively state are "broken" and "just don't work". On a daily basis, thousands of users use those "broken" distros without problems. David (@31) said that "if a rolling-release distro is going to have problems, KDE is where you'll find them". That may be HIS experience but it is nopt everybody's experience. I have used PCLinuxOS KDE as my daily driver for the past 4-5 years without any problems. However, I would not categorically state that will be everybody's experience.
There are currently close to a 1,000 distros with over 200 active ones in the DistroWatch database. Each and every one of those distros has those that praise it and recommend it, and those that hate it and claim it is "broken" and "just does not work". Bottom line is that with so many distros and their various versions and with all the possible hardware combinations, when you pick a distro YMMV.
43 • antiX (by Andy Prough on 2020-11-17 22:51:26 GMT from United States)
Probably the most frequent request I get is a recommendation for a distro that will run fast on older hardware, so I end up recommending antiX more than any other. antiX is a speed demon and is very light on memory, yet still manages to provide a full Debian experience (plus all those great antiX extras).
44 • Distro Recommendations (by Simon Wainscott-Plaistowe on 2020-11-18 03:34:56 GMT from New Zealand)
I tend to recommend mainstream distros which I use myself. Mainstream because answers are generally easier to find on forums etc. Also for ease of installing a wider variety of packages. And distros I use myself because familiarity makes support easier when I'm asked to help. My main three are Linux Mint, LibreELEC & IPFire.
45 • distros that simply don't work (by whoKnows on 2020-11-18 05:45:50 GMT from Switzerland)
@42 • @39: (by dragonmouth)
"Posters generalize based on their experience with a distro. If they do not like a distro, then it must be disliked by EVERYBODY. Take any distro, some users swear by it and some users swear at it. ... thousands of users use those "broken" distros without problems."
Posters can not generalize on somebody else's experience. "Liking" something does not imply that something works properly OOTB. Not everybody is able to see or cares for ... whatever. Yup - see the previous sentence.
Let's take a car for example. One decides to buy one of 1000 models. It comes with a cigarette lighter in place of the light switch beside the steering wheel and the window can't be opened on the drivers side.
Now, if the driver is a smoker who never drives at night, he'll find it handy to have a cigarette lighter in place of a light switch that he never uses. Who never opens the window, might even never notice that the window up/down mechanism doesn't work.
However, that does not mean that the product is good, just because SOMEBODY didn't notice its fault or because of SOMEBODY didn't care or even finds it more suitable for his way of doing the things - it's still a bad product - and the fact that one could simply remove a couple of screws, remove the panel, take the piece of plastic that blocks the sliding mechanism out, mount the panel back and say: "Where's the problem? It woks, you see?", doesn't make it better overall.
The point is that anything we use has to fulfill a basic set of requirements. Since different people have different needs and requirements, and since they have different ability to notice or judge, the experiences will vary.
But, there's also objective criteria that does not depend on somebodies taste. If one buys a house, a car, a computer or the pair of shoes, one has a predefined set of requirements that has to be fulfilled. The same goes if one tries to develop a product.
In case of an operating system, there is also such set of predefined set of criteria which is predefined by specialists and takes care that one product meets the minimal basic requirements and is optimized for its purpose for the needs of MOST users. This is called "Standards".
As example, that's how the No. 4 on the list comes OOTB:
https://ibb.co/drjFRqt
https://ibb.co/mtfGhPX
There are two things to conclude:
1. The product does not meet the basic economic requirements - it's "broken".
2. The sole fact that something like that was let out from the alpha, shows the neglect of its developers.
Conclusion: Avoid.
* And no, it doesn't make it better if a couple of clicks can fix it or not.
Black on black - change the default theme and it's fine ... Text editor doesn't show underscore - change the default font and it works ... BUT - that's exactly the job of "distro bakers" - to bring out something that works OOTB, without users having to fix it first, to make it to work.
46 • Correction: (by whoKnows on 2020-11-18 05:52:20 GMT from Switzerland)
"1. The product does not meet the basic economic requirements..." Should have been: "1. The product does not meet the basic ERGONOMIC requirements"
47 • Salix vs. antiX (by whoKnows on 2020-11-18 06:16:59 GMT from Switzerland)
@43 • antiX (by Andy Prough)
"Probably the most frequent request I get is a recommendation for a distro that will run fast on older hardware, so I end up recommending antiX more than any other. antiX is a speed demon and is very light on memory, yet still manages to provide a full Debian experience (plus all those great antiX extras). "
The problems here are the "old hardware" and "antiX extras".
How old is "old"? If I take a look at my old MacBook (2009) or ThinkPad 510 or 420 ... they've no problem to run Fedora 33 whatsoever. Are we talking about Pentium III? Nobody is doing any serious work on a 10+ y/o computers.
"antiX extras" is exactly one of the things that renders antiX useless for the most average users - they get a bunch of unnecessary crap preinstalled, and they get multiple WM which all work very different from what they were used to.
Salix would be much better recommendation in such case. It runs very well on old machines, it comes clean preconfigured with "one application per task", and it also comes with XFCE, which is light years ahead of IceWM or Fluxbox, when it comes down to usability.
48 • @47 - Salix (by Andy Prough on 2020-11-18 06:43:07 GMT from United States)
Salix is dormant according to DW, and based on their last release being 4 years old and their packages in the repos being quite old.
Sparky Linus and BunsenLabs Linux are probably a couple of the fast, more minimal distros that some would prefer over antiX for older computers. For me, a distro like antiX with a lot of tools in the menu is not a bug - that's a feature.
49 • How old is "old"? (by whoKnows on 2020-11-18 06:58:42 GMT from Switzerland)
@48 • @47 - Salix (by Andy Prough) Salix is dormant according to DW, and based on their last release being 4 years old and their packages in the repos being quite old.
Sparky Linus and BunsenLabs Linux are probably a couple of the fast, more minimal distros that some would prefer over antiX for older computers. For me, a distro like antiX with a lot of tools in the menu is not a bug - that's a feature.
Dormant Distro with too old packages for a dormant hardware that one can't rely on as a daily driver. Did you notice?
"With a lot of tools" might be a good argument FOR YOU, but is generally a bad argument FOR THE MOST. See @45.
All these tools a great for the nerds and fiddlers, who still use some ancient stuff for fun, but that makes 2 % of 2 % (ancient HW) of 2 % (Linux) of all users.
The point here is, it doesn't really help much if the OS is using 180 MB of RAM, if the browser with a couple of open tabs already uses over 600 and if it can't play 240x320 px YouTube video, because the HW is too weak / missing HW decoders.
50 • RE:49 How old is "old"? (by denPes on 2020-11-18 08:46:13 GMT from Belgium)
Salix 14.2 is still supported and actively maintained. For example, Slackware only has the unsupported Firefox ESR (68...) version, and Salix 14.2 has the latest Firefox ESR (78..) release. Yet, Slackware is not considered dormant, and Salix is.
4 years is not really old. debian gives 5+ years support on their releases, centos/redhat 10 years. LTS releases are being used for production. Not everyone wants to upgrade every 1 or 2 years. Having a stable base, and being able to update some key software (like browsers) is fine for production and pc's, unless you are a developer that needs the latest frameworks.
Dormant is just an arbitrary term, based on some parameters. The first example (slackware/salix) shows you that in that case it is not really logical.
On the subject of a lot of tools, I think that some cater to the more familiar software sets. And some rely on smaller tools or their own bash/python scripts. I would not consider myself as a nerd. Yet I prefer the smaller tools and my own scripts. A lot of users do the same. whether it be bash/powershell/python or a specific tools for a task, it often provides better flexibility.
51 • No, I don't recommend distros anymore (by OstroL on 2020-11-18 09:16:07 GMT from Poland)
There was a time I recommended distros to friends and relatives, but I won't now. Anyone interested has to get into the pond by himself and wade through. It is easy to show Linux distros to the very young, but not to the grownups. Most of the grownups don't even want to open their laptops anymore, for they are immersed in smartphones.
52 • out of which box? (by Tim on 2020-11-18 11:20:21 GMT from United States)
@45 I’ve been running distros in the Debian family for nine years, and in all that time I’ve never had trouble finding some flavor of Debian, Ubuntu, or Mint that worked fine on whatever computer I wanted it on.
No distro is ever going to meet the standard of “this works out of the box perfectly on every system any user in the world might decide to put it on.” These are not OEM installs and although support is really good, some kernels and some setups are going to cause some machines problems. Fine, we just try again with a different kernel, release, or distro.
The car analogy doesn’t really work for three reasons:
1. Free operating systems are not cars. You can and should try several until one meets your needs. And to be clear, this will be different for each device. My family has five different computers and each at the moment is running a different release of Debian, Mint, or Ubuntu, because whatever is on there now is working, and when one stops working well I’ll put whatever is best for that machine at that time on. 2. People absolutely drive cars with problems if that problem doesn’t affect how they use the car. 3. The stuff you mentioned, changing fonts and moving icons, isn’t equivalent to doing repair work, it’s equivalent to adjusting the mirrors and moving the seat to fit yourself.
I’ve noticed one thing over the years: if I grow really fond of a release, and maybe think it’s my favorite ever, someone else will think it was the worst release ever. And the ones I’ve detested had their fans. We’re just different. It’s ok.
53 • It's NOT ok! (by whoKnows on 2020-11-18 13:21:55 GMT from Switzerland)
@50 • RE:49 How old is "old"? (by denPes)
“Salix 14.2 is still supported and actively maintained.”
This you have to explain to @48 (by Andy Prough) - I know very well how the Salix/Slackware works.
When Fedora uses LibreOffice 7, Ubuntu still uses 6 and the Slackware has 5. That was always so and will never change.
52 • out of which box? (by Tim)
“No distro is ever going to meet the standard of “this works out of the box perfectly on every system any user in the world might decide to put it on.””
“The car analogy doesn’t really work for three reasons: ...”
The car analogy works - if you understand what I wrote properly and “No distro is ever going to meet the standard of “it just works”” has three different reasons:
1. There is no big company who cares behind the Linux as is the case with Mac and Windows. They both work perfectly OOTB on every Hardware they are certified for.
2. Linux's developers are a couple of people who know what they do and the rest is amateurs who do or do not understand something more than their own project.
3. Linux's users are themselves taking care that Linux can never get a chance to improve and get better - TELEMETRY!
Telemetry is the only way to improve the products, because the developer can clearly see how the products get used - that's why Mac and Windows work.
And one more thing about “No distro is ever going to meet the standard of “it just works”” - what I referred to wasn't that every Distro must work on every HW - that's completely impossible without fixing the whole Linux Kernel concept and impossible if not all HW producers are willing to help.
I talked about the SW not working OOTB - wrong default presets which are wrong/false/broken FOR MOST users (even if they might fit some or fixed with only few clicks - that's the job of the “Distro-Baker”).
With other words, one has to ensure that the default presets meet the needs of most users - who wants something else is free to exchange the default light theme for the dark one, and replace the default black font, default system theme ... and “break” it for himself until it gets something like this:
https://ibb.co/4K8gRqQ
https://ibb.co/KDdpsds
https://ibb.co/drjFRqt
If already black default (== broken OOTB), why not at least:
https://www.pling.com/s/Gnome/p/1012041/
This obviously “broken” - regardless of somebodies taste (or the lack of it).
By defending them and call that “diversity”, you're only insuring that Linux will forever stay what it currently is - a project instead of product!
This has very little to do with “We’re just different” - and It’s NOT ok!!
54 • Poll question (by Otis on 2020-11-18 17:14:18 GMT from United States)
Given that distro recommendations posted in here vanish rather quickly (I've posted a few and seen a few), I gather that the query has to do with friends/co-workers etc. Or perhaps at another site.
Perhaps it's the wording, or an out of context to the ongoing discussion perception. It's too easy to come across as a fanboi, especially for the distros at the top 10 or so of the PHR list.
I think MX Linux solves just about every problem a linux user may have encountered on other distors. Plus, no systemd unless you want it.
55 • 51 • No, I don't recommend distros anymore (by OstroL (by James on 2020-11-19 11:20:41 GMT from United States)
I agree, I don't recommend distros. If someone is interested in Linux, I point them to Distrowatch and the search page. They can plug in what they want, and get a list to read through and decide. I will help them with any technical questions about the search page as a lot of Windows users won't understand they have choices, but that is it, their decision is their own.
56 • Every problem ... (by whoKnows on 2020-11-19 12:04:05 GMT from Switzerland)
@54 • Poll question (by Otis)
"I think MX Linux solves just about every problem a linux user may have encountered on other distors."
I don't know about "every problem a linux user may have" ... maybe if you're blind or ...
The first problem I encountered was - it wouldn't make me a coffee ...
But otherwise, I really love MX. Seriously!
Whenever I show it to the people, we always have a good laugh.
And so, I still keep my secretary. By the way ... she's hot - MX not. She gets styled by professionals.
https://ibb.co/zJWt0kv
🥴 🤢 🤮
whoKnows, maybe I should have been called iSee. 😉
57 • Response to this week's poll (by Jacob A. Tice on 2020-11-19 18:30:41 GMT from United States)
SparkyLinux is not a great beginner distro imho. Stick to Ubuntu-based distros if you're a beginner, but if you're advanced than sure, try SparkyLinux. Get used to needing to find Debian-specific packages, as Ubuntu ones don't always work on Debian.
58 • Distro recommends (by cykodrone on 2020-11-20 13:01:47 GMT from Germany)
I run two, a noob friendly, multimedia powerhouse, and an old school bolt it together yourself. I mostly use the latter, because I like it, not one for frills, and cpu cycle guzzling GUI pretties. All that being said, it depends on who I'm talking to, that's the one I recommend.
59 • Distro recommendations (by Basil Fernie on 2020-11-21 08:29:31 GMT from South Africa)
I started my computing experiences on an IBM 704 programming in Fortran II (punchcards) back in 1965, Seen a few changes since then. Called the upcoming change to (desktop) PCs and became very familiar with Olivetti's DOS when I started building my own PC-clones for customers, then changed ro DR-DOS with no MicroSoft drawbacks (whether financial or techonogical) attached. Had a brief look at Very Early Linux, concluded supporting it on user desktops would drown me in support queries, switched to OS/2 round about when one could get a 386 (avoided Intel, used Cyrix or AMD). Bliss - until around Y2K, after which MS manipulated IBM out of providing OS/2, let alone as a free download, and one had to wait for eComstation, which would have priced me out of my target market.
So I fiddled around with this and that, had to buy a couple of laptops in the process with Windows on them which I usually replaced with Win2K Server due to the long-term project I was busy with (but Win7 wasn't quite as bad as I expected) until I managed to install one or Linux distros on desktops/laptops, mainly SuSE. Disappointed at the tedious complications in getting printers running.
Long story short, I now on my own had had installed and was supporting a few hundred of my homebuilt PCs with my own software package on. Not something to fiddle with.
Waited some more until (cue South African anthem!) Ubuntu arrived, then started serious distro-hopping. Mint, Peppermint, Lubuntu (for quite a long time), LXLE (very stable, not too resource-hungry), Q4OS, 4MLinux etc, until one day I saw the classic splashscreen (two anglers on the beach, early morning or evening) of, as I recall, MX14 and I was hooked.
Download wasn't too big, installation was straightforward, sound and wireless connection etc were all easy. It became my daily driver in spite of occasional forays into Puppies (use Fatdog on a stick for many system functions, Fatdog64 even more so), CrunchBang of beloved memory, some other 'bangs, and now Bunsenlabs Lithium for minimalistic elegance (inspired by MX including Fluxbox as an alternative user option). Even stuck with MX when it went through some big changes (just after MX17, IIRC) which may have deterred some previous posters. Now it's all settled down and running very smoothly. Don't think they'll forget the traumas of that upheaval.
What would I recommend to an enquirer? I think a few USBs with a range of distros (Ubuntu or Debian-based) to try, just to sort out their aptitude level. MX19 would be a good approach. Depending on the user's reactions, I might drop the whole idea of supporting them, or I might proceed cautiously.
60 • Distro recommendations (by FRC on 2020-11-21 20:25:44 GMT from Brazil)
I recommend one of the distros a have used.
61 • Recommended distribution for newcomers (by Jay on 2020-11-22 13:16:04 GMT from Belgium)
I use Linux Mint Mate and that is what I tell people to use and I demonstrate it first so they can see how good it is.
Number of Comments: 61
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• Issue 1101 (2024-12-16): GhostBSD 24.10.1, sending attachments from the command line, openSUSE shows off GPU assignment tool, UBports publishes security update, Murena launches its first tablet, Xfce 4.20 released |
• Issue 1100 (2024-12-09): Oreon 9.3, differences in speed, IPFire's new appliance, Fedora Asahi Remix gets new video drivers, openSUSE Leap Micro updated, Redox OS running Redox OS |
• Issue 1099 (2024-12-02): AnduinOS 1.0.1, measuring RAM usage, SUSE continues rebranding efforts, UBports prepares for next major version, Murena offering non-NFC phone |
• Issue 1098 (2024-11-25): Linux Lite 7.2, backing up specific folders, Murena and Fairphone partner in fair trade deal, Arch installer gets new text interface, Ubuntu security tool patched |
• Issue 1097 (2024-11-18): Chimera Linux vs Chimera OS, choosing between AlmaLinux and Debian, Fedora elevates KDE spin to an edition, Fedora previews new installer, KDE testing its own distro, Qubes-style isolation coming to FreeBSD |
• Issue 1096 (2024-11-11): Bazzite 40, Playtron OS Alpha 1, Tucana Linux 3.1, detecting Screen sessions, Redox imports COSMIC software centre, FreeBSD booting on the PinePhone Pro, LXQt supports Wayland window managers |
• Issue 1095 (2024-11-04): Fedora 41 Kinoite, transferring applications between computers, openSUSE Tumbleweed receives multiple upgrades, Ubuntu testing compiler optimizations, Mint partners with Framework |
• Issue 1094 (2024-10-28): DebLight OS 1, backing up crontab, AlmaLinux introduces Litten branch, openSUSE unveils refreshed look, Ubuntu turns 20 |
• Issue 1093 (2024-10-21): Kubuntu 24.10, atomic vs immutable distributions, Debian upgrading Perl packages, UBports adding VoLTE support, Android to gain native GNU/Linux application support |
• Issue 1092 (2024-10-14): FunOS 24.04.1, a home directory inside a file, work starts of openSUSE Leap 16.0, improvements in Haiku, KDE neon upgrades its base |
• Issue 1091 (2024-10-07): Redox OS 0.9.0, Unified package management vs universal package formats, Redox begins RISC-V port, Mint polishes interface, Qubes certifies new laptop |
• Issue 1090 (2024-09-30): Rhino Linux 2024.2, commercial distros with alternative desktops, Valve seeks to improve Wayland performance, HardenedBSD parterns with Protectli, Tails merges with Tor Project, Quantum Leap partners with the FreeBSD Foundation |
• Issue 1089 (2024-09-23): Expirion 6.0, openKylin 2.0, managing configuration files, the future of Linux development, fixing bugs in Haiku, Slackware packages dracut |
• Issue 1088 (2024-09-16): PorteuX 1.6, migrating from Windows 10 to which Linux distro, making NetBSD immutable, AlmaLinux offers hardware certification, Mint updates old APT tools |
• Issue 1087 (2024-09-09): COSMIC desktop, running cron jobs at variable times, UBports highlights new apps, HardenedBSD offers work around for FreeBSD change, Debian considers how to cull old packages, systemd ported to musl |
• Issue 1086 (2024-09-02): Vanilla OS 2, command line tips for simple tasks, FreeBSD receives investment from STF, openSUSE Tumbleweed update can break network connections, Debian refreshes media |
• Issue 1085 (2024-08-26): Nobara 40, OpenMandriva 24.07 "ROME", distros which include source code, FreeBSD publishes quarterly report, Microsoft updates breaks Linux in dual-boot environments |
• Issue 1084 (2024-08-19): Liya 2.0, dual boot with encryption, Haiku introduces performance improvements, Gentoo dropping IA-64, Redcore merges major upgrade |
• Issue 1083 (2024-08-12): TrueNAS 24.04.2 "SCALE", Linux distros for smartphones, Redox OS introduces web server, PipeWire exposes battery drain on Linux, Canonical updates kernel version policy |
• Issue 1082 (2024-08-05): Linux Mint 22, taking snapshots of UFS on FreeBSD, openSUSE updates Tumbleweed and Aeon, Debian creates Tiny QA Tasks, Manjaro testing immutable images |
• Issue 1081 (2024-07-29): SysLinuxOS 12.4, OpenBSD gain hardware acceleration, Slackware changes kernel naming, Mint publishes upgrade instructions |
• Issue 1080 (2024-07-22): Running GNU/Linux on Android with Andronix, protecting network services, Solus dropping AppArmor and Snap, openSUSE Aeon Desktop gaining full disk encryption, SUSE asks openSUSE to change its branding |
• Issue 1079 (2024-07-15): Ubuntu Core 24, hiding files on Linux, Fedora dropping X11 packages on Workstation, Red Hat phasing out GRUB, new OpenSSH vulnerability, FreeBSD speeds up release cycle, UBports testing new first-run wizard |
• Issue 1078 (2024-07-08): Changing init software, server machines running desktop environments, OpenSSH vulnerability patched, Peppermint launches new edition, HardenedBSD updates ports |
• Issue 1077 (2024-07-01): The Unity and Lomiri interfaces, different distros for different tasks, Ubuntu plans to run Wayland on NVIDIA cards, openSUSE updates Leap Micro, Debian releases refreshed media, UBports gaining contact synchronisation, FreeDOS celebrates its 30th anniversary |
• Issue 1076 (2024-06-24): openSUSE 15.6, what makes Linux unique, SUSE Liberty Linux to support CentOS Linux 7, SLE receives 19 years of support, openSUSE testing Leap Micro edition |
• Issue 1075 (2024-06-17): Redox OS, X11 and Wayland on the BSDs, AlmaLinux releases Pi build, Canonical announces RISC-V laptop with Ubuntu, key changes in systemd |
• Issue 1074 (2024-06-10): Endless OS 6.0.0, distros with init diversity, Mint to filter unverified Flatpaks, Debian adds systemd-boot options, Redox adopts COSMIC desktop, OpenSSH gains new security features |
• Issue 1073 (2024-06-03): LXQt 2.0.0, an overview of Linux desktop environments, Canonical partners with Milk-V, openSUSE introduces new features in Aeon Desktop, Fedora mirrors see rise in traffic, Wayland adds OpenBSD support |
• Issue 1072 (2024-05-27): Manjaro 24.0, comparing init software, OpenBSD ports Plasma 6, Arch community debates mirror requirements, ThinOS to upgrade its FreeBSD core |
• Issue 1071 (2024-05-20): Archcraft 2024.04.06, common command line mistakes, ReactOS imports WINE improvements, Haiku makes adjusting themes easier, NetBSD takes a stand against code generated by chatbots |
• Issue 1070 (2024-05-13): Damn Small Linux 2024, hiding kernel messages during boot, Red Hat offers AI edition, new web browser for UBports, Fedora Asahi Remix 40 released, Qubes extends support for version 4.1 |
• Issue 1069 (2024-05-06): Ubuntu 24.04, installing packages in alternative locations, systemd creates sudo alternative, Mint encourages XApps collaboration, FreeBSD publishes quarterly update |
• Issue 1068 (2024-04-29): Fedora 40, transforming one distro into another, Debian elects new Project Leader, Red Hat extends support cycle, Emmabuntus adds accessibility features, Canonical's new security features |
• Issue 1067 (2024-04-22): LocalSend for transferring files, detecting supported CPU architecure levels, new visual design for APT, Fedora and openSUSE working on reproducible builds, LXQt released, AlmaLinux re-adds hardware support |
• Issue 1066 (2024-04-15): Fun projects to do with the Raspberry Pi and PinePhone, installing new software on fixed-release distributions, improving GNOME Terminal performance, Mint testing new repository mirrors, Gentoo becomes a Software In the Public Interest project |
• Full list of all issues |
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Random Distribution | 
KahelOS
KahelOS was a Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. Its desktop edition comes with pre-configured GNOME as the default desktop environment, GNOME Office productivity suite, Epiphany web browser, GIMP image manipulation program, and other popular GTK+ and GNOME applications. Like Arch Linux, KahelOS maintains a rolling-release model of updating software packages using its parent's repositories. The distribution comes in the form of a live DVD which includes a graphical installation program.
Status: Discontinued
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Star Labs |

Star Labs - Laptops built for Linux.
View our range including the highly anticipated StarFighter. Available with coreboot open-source firmware and a choice of Ubuntu, elementary, Manjaro and more. Visit Star Labs for information, to buy and get support.
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