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| Reader Comments • Jump to last comment |
1 • Debian Rules! (by Mr. Peabody on 2025-07-07 00:15:35 GMT from United States)
Debian rules!
Accept no substitutes . . .
2 • Next steps (by Brad on 2025-07-07 00:24:57 GMT from United States)
"Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux,BSD"
For me, that says it all - that's why I voted for "Create a beginner section...". When I first encountered this website years ago, I was fairly new and looking for recommendations. I had used Caldera years ago and liked it - after a long hiatus with macOS and Windows, I was ready to get back in to the UNIX/Linux world.
I think that at one time, you had a section running down the most "popular" (easiest, perhaps?) distros - I used those suggestions to start hopping, until I found something I liked.
I realize that creating a section like this might be a lot of work, but the goal is worth it - there will be people who want to continue using hardware, but will be shut out of Win11 or the Mac ecosystem for lack of funds or up-to-date systems - these are the people who could benefit the most from helping hands.
Perhaps to start with, the beginner's site could have a link with each distro that points to the most recent *user* reviews for that distro - you would probably need no more than 10 distros - Debian-based, Arch-based - curated for ease of learning.
MHO only.
3 • Next Steps (by Brad on 2025-07-07 00:40:23 GMT from United States)
Found it - it's called "Major Distributions" under the "Find/Submit Distro" pull-down near the top of the website - perhaps just a few tweaks here and there to help the Linux/BSD newcomer find a good match.
4 • Poll (by Slappy McGee on 2025-07-07 01:13:20 GMT from United States)
@2 Yes I felt intimidated a bit coming here for the first time... and for quite a bit of time, come to think of it. A beginners section is a very nice idea. I vote please do.
5 • Poll: "What should we complete next?" (by R. Cain on 2025-07-07 02:43:59 GMT from United States)
Find a way to __prominently__ display---with the ability to be found VERY EASILY---information regarding the approximate number of people who work on all the distributions mentioned on this website.
This information would be a great help to everyone (well...perhaps not *everyone*).
This would also provide you with a good listing criterion; a 'gating; feature: someone doesn't want to give you / us that information? Fine. Don't give their distro any of your valuable print space---a.k.a 'advertising'---on your superb, much-read venue.
6 • Beginner's section (by Keith S on 2025-07-07 02:49:55 GMT from The Netherlands)
I voted for the beginner's section. Recommending easier distros is simple, and you've already done it in the Major Distribution section. Ubuntu, Mint, and MX Linux have always worked out of the box on any hardware I've tried them on over the years.
I think what I would want to see included is a general overall orientation to the world of Linux.
For instance, explain the difference between Windows or Mac or the BSDs which all develop and ship the kernel and userland together, and Linux which has a choice of kernels with various flavors of userland bolted on. This is both freeing and creates problems at times. I think it helps new users to understand why. From there, it is easier to explain why there are so many choices of desktops, filesystems, utilities, etc.
What would be helpful in those areas is maybe to explain the different impulses and tendencies that different groups of Linux developers have, such as somewhat strictly dictating how things are going to be in one distro on the one hand to offering endless choices in another distro on the other. Or maximum apps shipped with base for every kind of computing need on the one hand to minimalist distros on the other. Explain too why some distros strictly adhere to the GPL and free software and others focus on maximizing usability from the start, even if it includes non-free software and binary blobs.
My two cents. Thanks for all that you do.
7 • Debian rules... among others. (by Friar Tux on 2025-07-07 03:28:58 GMT from Canada)
@1 (Mr.Peabody) While I would normally, heartily, agree. I do make exceptions. When I was a new comer, I tried all the Grandpa Linux distros - Mandrake, Fedora, Suse, Debian, Slackware, and Arch. None of them worked, some were impossible to install, and some died after reboot. Then, I tried the "buntus, a few of the "open-distros", but, again, no luck. Nothing that would last and NOT give me lost time issues. Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and try a few dozen derivatives of ALL of the above. Some I tried multiple times - if they showed promise. Of the hundred, or so, I tried ONLY one worked consistently, every time, with no post install fiddling. And that was Linux Mint/Cinnamon. Somewhere I read that Ubuntu took Debian and improved on it, the Mint took Ubuntu and improved on that. Whatever Clément Lefèbvre did with Mint has worked out for me. I have not had any lost-time issues in a decade since I started using Mint. Over time I have retried a lot of the other distros I tried before but found very little improvement (except for some of the 'buntus, and a couple of Arch derivatives). (I've kept notes on all my tryouts for comparison.)
As a qualifier, I do need to say this, I do not/will not use CLI as I suffer from "fat finger syndrome" and have made some killer mistakes. Also, we're in the 21st century so, come on people, modernize. Also, my number one, important, test result is that I need to be able to install the OS, reboot, and be able to go right to work - no tweaking or fiddling about. Mint has consistently won out there.
8 • @1 @7 "FAT FINGER SYNDROME" for beginners. (by Greg Zeng on 2025-07-07 04:33:53 GMT from Australia)
Distrowatch and its fanboys seem uncaring about beginners. GUI is disliked. CLI with so much intense learning and then unprompted learning. Fasttouch typing only. A well-designed GUI eliminates the need for all this learning and remembering. GUI should second-guess and error-correct the user.
Unknown to fanboys, most users prefer Windows, Apple, and Android because these platforms are designed to be application-based, catering to the user’s needs.
User-friendly operating systems are invisible. No CLI. No compiling of source code. Avoid changing the default settings.
Before installation, the setup may attempt to determine the underlying user configuration, including drives, partitions, display settings, ports, input devices, and output devices. Is this setup an update, replacement, or a tweak to an existing system?
When installed, the setup should auto-detect the time zone, user settings (metric, paper sizes, languages), available communication options, and offer easy user creation (identities from Google, Facebook, and other registration services, etc.).
After installing, the operating system might determine if error corrections and updates are needed. If multi-booting is an option, it might assist with this creation and GUI maintenance.
Before my medical accident, fast two-handed typing was easy & automatic. Most novices and computer users may be unfamiliar with and use a standard WIMP interface (Windows, Apple, and Android). Keyboards might be GUI: virtual, auto-user, and swipe-sensitive.
Virtual keyboards can also be AI error-correcting, AI-predicting, and various versions of grammar and spelling detection. A prominent example is my keyboard entry in this section. Grammarly has these user assistance options listed here, as I type this Distrowatch comment with one finger.
Eventually, the user defaults might be made into an ISO standard of GUI acceptability. Linux is not yet able to meet the user demands of the three better operating systems, at this time in Internet history.
9 • The worst is the best? Or is it vice versa? (by lobster on 2025-07-07 06:51:48 GMT from France)
Are they friendly is my best experience. I agree CLI is no fun except for hardcore autistic spectrum types and the smuggery.
I also agree with a world wide and large developer base.
And...
I too will not provide names of the scams, corporate interference, enshitification and moneterisation of:
- 'Support' structures
- Designed for crypto main frames. (Yeah I have several of those in the Bat cave)
- Data scrapers
It is a bit like, open a dialogue and then... slowly but surely put them on a franchise, advert support basis etc.
10 • Search Criterion (by picamanic on 2025-07-07 06:59:24 GMT from United Kingdom)
In an era of change, I would find it helpful to be able to Search for distros, based on the display Architectures they use: Xorg, Wayland, etc.
11 • Average rating by version / in the last year (by deeplurker on 2025-07-07 08:10:55 GMT from Switzerland)
I would enjoy the possibility to view the average rating of a distro calculated with the ratings of a version. For instance, EasyOS is still a work in progress. The average rating doesn't tell me enough about the current state of the distro. Likewise, a catastrophic recent release could taint the average rating even if the distro itself is solid.
I understand the value of a section for beginners, but what would a newcomer need? I am no Linux guru, but my advice would be short : 1) Use Linux Mint. 2) Don't waste time distro-hopping before three month on Mint. 3) Remember all OSs are trash so learn to enjoy your distro's strength and put up with its shortcomings.
I am not trying to make a point. I truly wish to understand what newcomers want and need.
Regarding GUI vs. CLI, I sympathize with the command line averse. It helps to remember that the Unix/Linux/BSD/etc shell is so powerful that it is often quicker to find a one line instruction than finding a GUI program that does the same task. This is a natural disincentive to GUIs for simple tasks.
12 • Next steps & worst distro (by Patrick on 2025-07-07 08:30:04 GMT from Luxembourg)
I would appreciate to have a clear view about the cycle of distros, specifically
1. the average duration between new version (for people looking for a more up to date distro that is not rolling) - ideally with a "distribution by average release cycle"
2. same for the average duration of support.
Regarding the "worst distro", you suggest to stick to the list of "major distributions" to avoid distros run by one single person. I don't see how Slackware fits in there. I know that Pat has a plan for when he will not be able to maintain it anymore, but it's still a big risk on comparison to Fedore, FreeBSD. (This is not Slackware bashing, I used for years and I loved it).
13 • Poll (by dachshundman on 2025-07-07 09:09:31 GMT from United Kingdom)
I voted for "create a beginner......". Perhaps you could give distros a score for ease of use based on a few factors such as ease of use, ease of install, usability out of the box, GUI use vs CLI use, ease of updating, good user forums, etc etc. The higher the score the better it is for a beginner.
Actually, I would have voted to make the site responsive so it works well on a mobile phone and small tablet. Unfortunately this was not an option.
14 • 1 • Debian Rules! (by Jake on 2025-07-07 09:40:29 GMT from United States)
I tried and liked Debian until I had a problem I needed help with from the forum. The Debian forum is far from friendly. RTFM is not helpful. I found Ubuntu Mate just as good, it had all the hardware support out of the box and a very friendly and helpful forum. I would put Zorin in that category too.
15 • Ubuntu snapshots (by DLCBurggraaff on 2025-07-07 09:46:18 GMT from The Netherlands)
Please update the dates for the Ubuntu snapshots in the "Upcoming Releases and Announcements" paragraph -- refer to https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/questing-quokka-release-schedule/36462
:D
16 • stuff to work on (by Dave on 2025-07-07 09:51:00 GMT from Australia)
I sort of agree with the majority, but I would like to see the site more mobile friendly and a little bit prettier. No not necessarily fancy super modern with cyan to purple gradients and rounded corners on everything etc, just a little bit nicer.
17 • Tooltips (by Madison on 2025-07-07 09:52:04 GMT from Czechia)
Great job with the tool-tips.
18 • Search for Wayland or X11 (by Jesse on 2025-07-07 10:54:52 GMT from Canada)
@10: "I would find it helpful to be able to Search for distros, based on the display Architectures they use: Xorg, Wayland, etc."
Whether a distro has a Wayland or X11 session is not a function of the distro or a specific package. It is a function of the desktop. So if you want to run (or avoid) Wayland then search for distros with a Wayland desktop.
In other words any distro can run Wayland, any distro can run X11. The choice is up to the desktop environment.
19 • New logo ? (by PiafJaune on 2025-07-07 11:08:32 GMT from Belgium)
Hi, I worked for a new logo for Distrowatch. Maybe you would be interested. It's purely a hobby and its base is an opensource image, so it'll be free of course.
https://i.postimg.cc/Z5S4c0hX/Distro.png
20 • Vanilla/KISS Tag (by ~hellfire103 on 2025-07-07 11:21:52 GMT from The Netherlands)
I think adding this tag would be a good idea. At the moment, I tend to filter by Independent, which isn't perfect as it includes less minimal distros (such as openSUSE) and ignores unbloated non-independent distros (such as Artix).
21 • Next Steps (by Anis on 2025-07-07 12:03:22 GMT from United States)
I am now in my mid-30s, and I first discovered Linux around the age of 14 or 15 through Distrowatch. Since then, Distrowatch has remained my primary resource for Linux and BSD resources, providing news, reviews, and comprehensive information on a vast array of distributions. Despite its critical role in the Linux world, the site’s design and user experience have remained largely unchanged since those early days.
In today’s digital landscape, this outdated interface no longer reflects the innovation, accessibility or ease of use. For someone exploring Linux for the first time (for example my child), imagine encountering a website that looks vintage compared to the sleek, modern platforms of the tech giants. This disconnect can create a barrier to engagement and discovery and force young people to not even try Linux.
It would high be suggested that Distrowatch undergoes a thoughtful, modern redesign, one that preserves its legacy while enhancing usability and engagement for current and future users.
Anis
Just for fun this is DW around the time I found it:
https://web.archive.org/web/20030213212135/http://www.distrowatch.com/
22 • @18 X11 and Wayland (by picamanic on 2025-07-07 12:12:00 GMT from United Kingdom)
@18: X11 and Wayland. There is no way to find this information by searching on Desktop Envirorment. If I search on Sway [well-known Wayland DE], it doesn't even select Redhat or Fedora. Maybe any distro can use both X11 and Wayland, but a few are trying to make X11 "dissppear".
23 • Wayland and X11 (by Jesse on 2025-07-07 12:20:44 GMT from Canada)
@22: " X11 and Wayland. There is no way to find this information by searching on Desktop Envirorment. If I search on Sway [well-known Wayland DE], it doesn't even select Redhat or Fedora."
I think you're coming at this backwards. Sway is not one of the desktop environments available (by default) on Fedora, so Fedora is naturally not going to show up in search results. (Yes, you can install Sway on Fedora, but it's not one of the default options.)
But if you know Sway is a Wayland platform then you know that installing it (on whichever distro you want) will give you a Wayland session. My point was that it doesn't matter which distro you are using, if you install Sway then you have a Wayland session.
24 • Worst Distro (by Always_curious_about_FOSS on 2025-07-07 12:24:46 GMT from Germany)
For me self I have an straight clear answer to the qustion about the worst Distro:
Its Elive Linux.
Its listed here on Distrowatch and got a Rating of 5.1 by 37 reviews.
I tried it out a few years ago. The usability and the look and feel are such jumpy and over-excited.
Its based on the Enlightment Desktop. Do someone knows an other distro using the Enlightment Desktop?
Did someone know the distro with the worst rating here on Distrowatch?
25 • enlightment (by peer on 2025-07-07 12:29:27 GMT from The Netherlands)
The most popular distro with enlightment is Bodhi Linux. It has a modified version of enlightment.
And with the search function you can find more distros with enlightment here on Distrowatch.
26 • Worst of majors? (by Vic on 2025-07-07 12:37:21 GMT from United States)
For me personally it's Slackware (and its branches). That is perhaps the only distro that I was not able to install on ANY of my computers through in the last 25-30 years. It always came to some kind of HW compatibility (most often mouse drivers I believe). No other distro failed all attempts to install... Finally I gave up on it and do not even pay attention to its new releases.
27 • download sizes (by Dave Postles on 2025-07-07 13:22:33 GMT from United Kingdom)
Are some distro download sizes becoming too large?
28 • Nexr step... (by Friar Tux on 2025-07-07 13:36:15 GMT from Canada)
While reading these comments, I happen to look up at the box my new recliner came in and *bing* a light bulb came on. On most boxes, with new stuff in them, you find little symbols like a screwdriver, drill, hammer, etc. (Heck, I've seen one with a coffee mug, a plug and wall outlet, and a Start button (on a coffee maker box, if memory serves me). Why not have small symbols, symbolizing the difficulty of the distro - installation, upkeep, maybe default DE (even if any DE can be installed), ease of configuration, maybe version turn over rate, etc.. Might be helpful to not just noobies.
By the way, was it just me or did anyone else read "next step" as "NeXTSTEP"? Got exited there for a minute... oh well...
29 • @26 • Worst of majors? (by Geo. on 2025-07-07 14:00:20 GMT from Canada)
Agreed. Slackware was nothing but heartache for me too. That's why I'd like to see it merge with Arch instead of just die a sudden death when the main developer leaves. Or become a zombie distro like ReactOS, Haiku, KolibriOS, or RISC OS.
30 • @26 Slackware (by crayola_eater on 2025-07-07 14:01:57 GMT from United States)
My first foray into the linuvsphere was via a Walnut Creek cd with Slackware 1 (or there-abouts) and a intel 486 processor and maybe 4 megs of memory. I was totally thankful for the included HowTo guides (remember those) and quite rapidly had a cli based install (and I think maybe a dual-boot with windows via lilo). When I actually got an X11 session up and running, I high fived myself, Learning to install, and traverse the 'dependency hell' taught me a whole lot about how things worked. I remember even creating a couple of customized packages for myself. I was sold on this new linux thing, until I ran into the dearth of software for us non-tech guys.
So I left to travel to OS/2 but had the same ups and final letdown as with linux, so had to bite the bullet and return to windows and the vast array of software/freeware available. But I always kept an eye to linux, and finally when Slax and Mepis hit the scene, I returned and have never looked back.
The last time I installed and ran actual Slackware was probably ver 10, but by then I had become lazy with the ease of package updates from other vendors. Though now that my distro-hopping has slowed way down, to almost nil, I think from time to time to going back and trying Slackware again - I loved it's KISS and stability, and it's ability to make me learn and grow in the linuxverse. Sometimes tough love is best.
Wosrt for you, sorry to hear that. Was my first love, and will always be sweet on it. And it never hit me with the travails that found you. Others have, and even Jesse seems to run into a lot of non-starters on his Feature reviews.
31 • GLF OS (by John on 2025-07-07 14:02:08 GMT from Canada)
Hey Jesse - you may not have noticed, (it's kind of buried on their site) but GLF uses custom NIX commands - they've made aliases that perform NIX stuff, but a little more streamlined. Could be why you had trouble with straight NIX commands.
I tried GLF for a couple of weeks, and the system itself worked great, with the exception of the background updates 5 minutes after boot. On one of my laptops, it made the system completely unusable until the updates finished - which would take like a half hour. Also ran into some issues when trying to install new software (not through Flatpak, but using NIX packages). So I went back to Tuxedo OS.
I think GLF would be perfect if someone wanted to use it like a gaming console - just take it for what it is, and run your games without trying to modify / add stuff.
32 • What is a beginner? (by Jobbar on 2025-07-07 14:31:15 GMT from France)
Once someone has installed (after burning the USB key) Linux on a computer and activate few options and doing some maintenance, s/he is still a beginner?
What about the 20+ year of Linux experience veteran that never tried Nix/NixOS, s/he is still a confirmed Linux user?
And what about "putting the fun back into computer" and trying a random distro out of the blue?
Well, we all are beginners at something and at some point, and giving the all 1032 distro listed here, we've all got many things to learn.
So maybe distros should get even more categories (IoT, lightweight, privacy, bare-bone... besides stable, atomic, declarative, forensic...) with a guide of each of these keywords and what theses distros can do (that others cannot or differently), so anyone could experiment with ease.
Maybe that's the path to enlightening, not sticking with the last working distro we've managed to install, but trying few other ones from time to time, because users have different needs, and theses needs (and offers) may varying. And many are hopping due to specific needs/devices that are not fulfilled with major distros.
33 • Nix (by jesse on 2025-07-07 14:37:52 GMT from Canada)
@31: "Hey Jesse - you may not have noticed, (it's kind of buried on their site) but GLF uses custom NIX commands - they've made aliases that perform NIX stuff, but a little more streamlined. Could be why you had trouble with straight NIX commands."
Do you have a link for this? I've read through the GLF FAQ and Documentation pages and didn't find anything about overriding Nix commands or any suggestion that normal Nix commands should not work on GLF OS.
34 • PCLinuxOS (by David on 2025-07-07 15:00:21 GMT from United Kingdom)
Since the news section here was written, PCLinuxOS has got a permanent home for the forum at https://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/. The Wiki is being reconstructed at http://www.neverus.co.uk/pclinuxos/ bit — that will obviously take more time. Our position as the only distro with a magazine survives, and the July issue is available, via the forum for now.
35 • LangitKetujuh OS (by tomas on 2025-07-07 15:37:17 GMT from Czechia)
I never had any luck with Void and even tried some distro based on it without success.
Now it is the same with Langit - did not even manage to download it.
First the download said it will take hours then breaks.
I said to myself try and see if there is something similar (based on Void).
Here the Search on DW does not help - Void is not in the list of "based on".
Seeing there Tiny Core made me test this and there are no results !?
36 • What should we complete next? (by Jayden on 2025-07-07 15:42:07 GMT from United States)
I've shown Distrowatch to multiple Linux newbies who are looking to switch from Windows or macOS. Invariably, their first reaction when they see Distrowatch is something like, "why does it look so old, it's like from the 90s". I don't know anything about writing websites, or how much work it would be, but my vote for what to do next would be website modernization/aesthetic improvement. Distrowatch is a fantastic website with so much helpful information, but the look is easily its biggest downside.
37 • What should we work on next? (by Silvio on 2025-07-07 16:17:38 GMT from Brazil)
Review all the material published in the Q&A section; those answers that are still up-to-date and relevant could be compiled into a PDF book which would be available for download.
38 • "Worst" Distro (by Robert on 2025-07-07 16:23:52 GMT from United States)
Barring the kinds of shady behavior outlined by Jesse, I think a choice of "worst" Linux distro is going to be a very personal thing. Both in what sort of behavior and setup one prefers, and just what even works on your computer.
For me I have a tie between 2 distros, for similar reasons. And 1 honorable mention.
Opensuse Tumbleweed. Now I liked classic OpenSuse. I like Leap when its ancient software isn't causing one issue or another. But Tumbleweed? Multiple install failures. The one time I got it to boot, but was unable to get a graphical session working. I then updated it, and it no longer booted.
CachyOS is similar. Tried 2 or 3 times to download the iso and install it. Every time it runs through the installer, claims success, and I reboot to an empty disk.
(Honorable mention) Slackware. This one I only ever tried to install once in a VM years ago, after which I found that at the time there was a known issue that prevented it from booting in a VM. Never bothered again, as I was only trying it to say I did with no expectation of running it as a daily driver. I'm sure it wouldn't be for me, lacking a package manager and all.
And I know other people happily run all of these. Maybe only single-digit numbers of people in the case of Slackware, but still. So its hard to say they are objectively bad, but they certainly don't work for me.
39 • Worst Linux distro (by Matt on 2025-07-07 17:25:11 GMT from Canada)
Slackware is objectively the worst linux distro. It ships outdated software and its package manager does not resolve dependencies.
40 • None of the above (by Roger on 2025-07-07 19:04:37 GMT from France)
None of the above, but kill windows !
41 • Worst Linux distribution (by Microlinux on 2025-07-07 19:17:40 GMT from France)
As someone who started out on Slackware 7.1 some 25 years ago, allow me to raise an eyebrow when reading comments of folks having trouble with Slackware. Not only has it been the first actually usable Linux distribution out there, it's also a steady haven of sanity in a sea of half-assed technology previews that will make any sysadmin's blood pressure go up a few notches.
On a personal note, I'd say Ubuntu is the worst, because when you take a long hard look under the hood, it's essentially Debian with bugs. But then, "Ubuntu" is an old african word meaning "I can't configure Slackware". :D
42 • Sway NOT a default Fedora product? (by Scott Dowdle on 2025-07-07 19:21:09 GMT from United States)
@23 - Actually, Fedora does offer pre-built Sway media among the 14 different DEs and WMs they offer "Spin" media for. I'm not sure what the current count is, but Fedora has ~60 different DEs and WMs in their repos, and they obviously have no desire to turn every single one into a separate "spin", but Sway... yes, they have that.
43 • Sway (by Jesse on 2025-07-07 20:06:40 GMT from Canada)
@42: "Fedora does offer pre-built Sway media among the 14 different DEs and WMs they offer "Spin" media for."
Fedora doesn't provide or support spins, the community does. They are not official flavours of Fedora.
44 • Poll: What should we complete next? Add more distros/clean waiting list (by Patience=virtue but sloth=vice on 2025-07-07 20:44:36 GMT from The Netherlands)
And even more urgently than adding distros from the "Projects waiting evaluation" backlog, let's get those "Projects with locale, language or trademark concerns" resolved. Because half of them were submitted over a DECADE ago! What's the hold-up? Either add them or exclude them already. Chop chop!
45 • Desktop Environments (by That Guy on 2025-07-07 21:30:06 GMT from United States)
Just a small thing but I think it would be great if, somewhere in the Search, you could differentiate between distributions that go to great lengths to customize a desktop environment with non-default settings, fonts and colors and those that simply make a vanilla version available.
Searching for a distribution offering almost any of the most popular desktops will return Debian, Fedora and the other usual suspects at the top of the list as they offer almost every desktop but sometimes they are so basic as to make your eyeballs bleed.
Obviously, anyone can, and probably should, customize their own systems as they see fit but sometimes it is nice to look at what other people have done to get a feel for what is possible.
46 • Worst Linux distribution (by Jyrki on 2025-07-07 21:31:21 GMT from Czechia)
@41 - I have to agree with you. I am not Slackware user anymore. In the past I used to run it on my webserver. On desktop I was lazy so I tried Salix. Currently I am happily running Artix and various BSDs.
But I never ever had trouble with Slack, it did just was it should do.
Worst distro? Ubuntu is definitely strong candidate.
47 • Comparing AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux to each other (by Frenchie on 2025-07-07 21:38:46 GMT from France)
Hi, Jesse,
I noticed in your AlmaLinux review last week you compared it to RHEL.
But to this day i still cannot figure out which of Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux will replace good old CentOS (when it was built from RHEL and not the converse).
Would it be it asking too much that each time you review one of them both, you also add a comparison of each one to the other too - not just to RHEL ?
(Just a suggestion. At any rate, do what your workload can bear.)
48 • You are flooding your linux distros database (by Martins on 2025-07-07 21:45:13 GMT from Portugal)
I found this comment on the internet which I aggree:
"Distrowatch used to be a solid reference point—focused, with a manageable list of meaningful distros worth considering. Now, it feels like they’re throwing in every half-baked or barely maintained project under the sun. That flood of obscure or niche distros just clutters the database and makes it a pain to sift through.
Back in the day, distros had to prove their worth with stability, community support, or unique value. Nowadays, anyone can slap together a fork or minor variation and get it listed. The signal-to-noise ratio has dropped sharply.
This trend is frustrating. It doesn’t help users find solid options; it just overwhelms them. Ideally, Distrowatch would introduce better filters, categories, or maybe a “recommended” list that keeps the spotlight on distros with real staying power and user bases."
49 • Description tool tips (by Gilb on 2025-07-07 21:55:28 GMT from Germany)
I think your introduction of "Description tool tips" is a great idea - thank you. This is also true for the "Major distributions list" (in English and German, too!) you mentioned above, even if it would benefit from a little refreshment after ten years.
50 • GLF OS... so French (by Frenchie on 2025-07-07 22:07:14 GMT from France)
Readind Jesse, it seems GLF OS is so much the French way of doing things.
It was all summed up in a conversation between 2 automotive engineers of German Mercedes-Benz and French Renault, when both companies were preparing the use of Renault Motors in lower-priced versions of Mercedes cars. Said the German to fellow French: "You do great engineering design, it's a pity you don't spend enough time in the fine-tuning phase."
51 • website theme (by Piaf_Jaune on 2025-07-07 22:34:21 GMT from Belgium)
@21 :
Hi Anis,
It would be great if we had a dedicated space to speak about that and make some suggestions (like my logo refresh proposal).
52 • Distrowatch (by JKL on 2025-07-08 00:35:00 GMT from United States)
When I was a 14 yo novice, I went onto DistroWatch to keep up to date what’s new in the world and to find distros that had a specific version of software. Looking at major distros was helpful to discover new ones. Having a beginner section would be helpful, but beginner me would probably not want to swallow their pride to read the guide tho. Being able to have more fine grained search like X11 or Wayland might be useful to some folks.
I think making this site better UI wise would make things more welcoming to the newbies, especially if viewing it on mobile.
53 • Website redesign and logo suggestions, #21 and #51 (by Barnabyh on 2025-07-08 01:13:31 GMT from Germany)
We already had this a couple of years ago, seems you missed it. After this was implemented a poll was done among the readers of DW who with overwhelming majority voted to keep the old logo and look.
It´ s also more responsive this way. No need for fancy javascript and bling. I wouldn´t want to imagine the nightmare with all the queries in the background.
54 • Worst distro (by TheTKS on 2025-07-08 01:41:48 GMT from Canada)
I’ll counter some of the “Slackware worst distro” posts, since I love the stability (among other features) of Slackware stable (version 15.0 now.)
@26 “That is perhaps the only distro that I was not able to install on ANY of my computers through in the last 25-30 years.”
That is a… remarkable track record. I have only been using Linux since 2016 and Slackware since 2017, but in those 8 years, I haven’t yet encountered hardware on which it wouldn’t install for me.
@29 “That's why I'd like to see it merge with Arch”
They wouldn’t fit together. They have fundamentally different approaches to so many things.
@39 “It ships outdated software and its package manager does not resolve dependencies.”
If you need newer software, there is Slackware -current. The default installation doesn’t need dependency management. When (not if) you need or want software that’s not in the default installation, there are reliable sources which include installation instructions and notes about handling their dependencies, and even some tools to help.
55 • Slackware (by Barnabyh on 2025-07-08 01:46:19 GMT from Germany)
Slackware is a fine distribution. I ran it for many years and it never let me down. It´s ultra stable and you could upgrade and downgrade it as many times as you wanted, no problem. It does exactly what it says on the tin and works reliably in the same way from version to version BECAUSE it does NOT incorporate the latest hype.
It´s also far from ancient. If you switch to the current channel it can be as up to date or even more so than Arch. Btw, those who are suggesting for the two to merge have absolutely no idea what they´re talking about, the two are completely different in design, target group and philosophy.
On top of that Slackware is not really a one man show and has not been for a long time, there are several other people involved who are helping Pat out so it´s more a small group.
Slackbuilds has you covered with plenty of software outside the core system. It´s completely understandable if people do not want to compile packages on their machines before they can use them but then they probably also wouldn´t run Gentoo or any other ports system. But there´ s also pre-compiled packages available from other repositories like AlienBOB´s.
May I suggest that someone who has been using Linux distributions as they claim for 20-30 years but never succeeded in installing Slackware has a problem and it´s not Slackware but perhaps willingness to learn, research a bit and read. Yes, it´ s not Linux Mint, that much is clear.
I mean, even I figured it out nearly 20 years ago and I´m not an IT pro. Never heard of a mouse not working in Slackware or any Linux distro unless it was faulty. Perhaps in 2005 when you still had to configure X.
56 • Sundry preceding (by grindstone on 2025-07-08 04:15:05 GMT from United States)
Blaming hardware compatibility on linux just reveals the linux user as...not so long-term :) Dial boxes and serial mice were a less-fun in the early days, but that was a while ago. It is a different "spirit" of helping, now, and something has been lost. I am sorry the person had a bad experience.
In re the site, screw the bling (like the new XF). Efficient content delivery w/ minimal visual workload is the thing, IMO.
I propose a hall of shame subfeature for most RAM usage at boot.
57 • Poll sugestion. (by DivestOS on 2025-07-08 04:42:28 GMT from Canada)
I voted for appliance.
As it was not an option, I would encourage to continue to increase to focus on mobile linux for phones. Several months ago there was a poll about mobile OS, and Armbian was one of them. I was unable to get any web hits so an instruction how to do it would be helpful.
Also in the mobile side, a general summary about "VoLTE" would be helpful as Ubuntu Touch & PostmarketOS only mention their own efforts.
Keep up the great work.
58 • New Feature - Head-to-Head distro comparisons (by Andy Prough on 2025-07-08 04:59:04 GMT from Sweden)
In place of some of the weekly reviews of one distro at a time, I'd like to see some Head-to-Head distro comparisons, especially for distros that use different system internals. For example, Mint vs MX would give a comparison of a pure systemd distro vs a hybrid sysvinit+systemd-shim distro.
Void vs Arch could give a comparison of several technologies, including runit vs systemd, xbps vs pacman, possibly even musl vs glibc.
Devuan vs Debian would be interesting, as would Fedora vs openSUSE, and Slackware vs Gentoo. Alma or Rocky vs CentOS Stream would be highly interesting. Or antiX vs Bodhi.
Pick distros that you know are for sure going to install and run without breaking errors.
That would be the change I'd like to see.
59 • @54: slackware dependency management (by picamanic on 2025-07-08 08:50:53 GMT from United Kingdom)
@54: the reason Slackware doesn't need "dependency management" is that, by default the ISO includes ALL shared libraries, regardless of whether they are needed. That explains why the ISO file is 4x bigger than most other distros. Apart from that, I have much respect for Slackware, which I used decades ago. But, the world has moved on.
60 • next steps (by HeroicTux on 2025-07-08 09:12:30 GMT from Croatia)
stop spamming your website with zillion ubuntu remasters.
When new ubuntu comes out you dont have to list every remaster.
ok, things like mint and zorin and popos can be considered separate distros but you hhave so many respins it is insane
61 • Create a beginner section with Linux intro and recommendations (by eb on 2025-07-08 09:54:50 GMT from France)
The best advice I could give to newbies is :
OK, choose an easy distro, like Mint ; but ...
Do not be afraid by command-line interface ++ It does not bite !
Linux without CLI is not Linux. Plenty of very useful softwares run on CLI, and probably one day you will be glad tu use several of them. CLI is *not* outdated.
Go slowly ; from time to time, try to understand a command-line. Your reward will come promptly.
CLI will give you freedom and power on your system.
Eventually, you will be able to install Slackware !:-).
62 • Minimalism (by CJ on 2025-07-08 10:41:32 GMT from United States)
@19 yeah, sorry, you did a good job, but I don’t like the logo- minimalism and flat design has really been inhuman and against any kind of joy or anything- I really would’ve thought that stuff would go into the dustbin of history after the COVID-19 pandemic and more people embracing human values of joy, color, etc., and not the sterile, dumbed down, ugly looking stuff that minimalism and flat design are.
I commend you nonetheless for making that. :)
63 • Comparison of similar distros to choose one. (by Jagdeesh on 2025-07-08 11:24:31 GMT from India)
Compare at least 3 distros of each category, i.e. best for domestic use, just for browsing, SOHO, beginner friendly, learners, servers, enterprise, developers, android etc and your winner among them. These expert's findings will ease the selection of a distro for particular purpose. This can be done periodically.
64 • Worst Distro (by dragonmouth on 2025-07-08 12:08:11 GMT from United States)
Once one discounts the type of distros Jesse mention in his commentary, the choice of "worst" distro is a matter of subjective personal dislike. Since we all have different requirements for the distros that we use, a feature I may consider important, others may/will consider a total waste. The discussion of Slackware is a very good example. Some praise it and others want to bury it. My Most Disliked Distros are, for many reasons, Ubuntu and its derivatives. Yet, going by the DW download counts, they are the most popular.
As far as the site design goes, I vote for functionality over bling. It has been my experience that when people say "modern" they mean "pretty" with a lot of visuals.
65 • Does this answer make sense ? (by pepper on 2025-07-08 12:23:59 GMT from Spain)
>"Create a beginner section with Linux intro and recommendations"
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the average Distrowatch lurker is a beginner. Unless the idea is to bring attention to the site from newbies, I don't see how that would be useful.
66 • "..average distrowatch lurker..." (by Slappy McGee on 2025-07-08 13:28:19 GMT from United States)
@65 I landed here a couple of decades ago sent by webcrawler or altavista or whatever after typing in "linux."
NOW I'm a lurker, but then I was a beginner.
67 • Worst of majors? (by Vic on 2025-07-08 14:31:43 GMT from United States)
@55 Yes those were the times of X, but my installs never even reached that step. Everything was started and crashed while in CLI. And as I noticed most often crashes happened right after configuring the mouse. Different animals in different computers, and all of them working fine with either MS Windows or other flavors of Linux...
68 • Worst Distribution (by Flavianoep on 2025-07-08 14:46:16 GMT from Brazil)
I my opinion, a bad distribution is one that is derivative and change the distro it's base on with different package managers. I mean, if a distro is based on one of the major distributions and then change to another, how can a user update?
69 • New to Linux - Start Here Button (by 32298 on 2025-07-08 16:10:28 GMT from United States)
With the end of support for Windows 10, many people out there are wondering what to do with their laptop or system that does not have enough horsepower for Windows 11.
With that in mind, having a “ New to Linux” resource button, might be a consideration.
It can list valuable “ How to’s” in a step by step approach to get them up and running.
From downloading the .iso , checking it, flashing, and how to get the usb working in the bios.
Having pictures along with step by steps, or even reference excellent web videos would be beneficial.
Granted this probably was not the intent of Distrowatch in the first place, however, it certainly would assist and build an even larger Linux community.
70 • @62 (by MCBuhl on 2025-07-08 19:25:35 GMT from Germany)
@62 I like the logo as proposed.
71 • Worst major distros. (by hotdiggettydog on 2025-07-08 20:41:07 GMT from Canada)
I never cared for Ubuntu Unity. I still dislike Gnome 3 in pretty much anything. So its not so much about the OS for me.
72 • Distro sizes (by eco2geek on 2025-07-09 02:39:41 GMT from United States)
@27 -- "Are some distro download sizes becoming too large?"
Funny you should ask that. I downloaded Ubuntu and several community editions of Ubuntu, and noticed that Edubuntu and Ubuntu Desktop won't fit on a one-sided DVD any more. You either need to get a double-sided DVD, or put them on an 8GB or larger USB key (recommended). They used to say that the fact that Ubuntu Desktop no longer fit on a regular CD was a bug, and now look how ridiculous it's gotten.
It's not the download time that's the problem, given broadband internet. It's the crazy size of these live installers. (Which, in Ubuntu's case, is probably due to the use of snaps.)
73 • Tags (by Alter Furz on 2025-07-09 09:00:09 GMT from Germany)
I voted "Create KISS/Vanilla tag for distros" but actually I mean "create a tagging system" and tag distros. "KISS" is nice, "Appliance" is nice, "Respin of X" is nice or "Based off X" is nice. Get more structure into the mass of data and you can start generating insights.
74 • Worst Distros (by kc1di on 2025-07-09 11:33:00 GMT from United States)
I would like to suggest that there is no worst or best distro only the ones that suite your needs and taste best or those that totally miss the mark for you.
another op might find your worst his/her best. It has a lot to do with personal taste and needs.
Most of the distros I've used over the years since 1996 have either been useful to me or not. Easy or difficult to keep up with or just would not work well with my hardware at the time. That did make them the worst just not for me.
75 • Search topics (by Clarence Perry on 2025-07-09 11:34:20 GMT from United States)
I'm a retired, former computer programmer who enjoys ease of use, logical working, and reliability in my computer.
Looking for topics for search:
I've discovered that many distros aren't logical in their menu workflow. The menu systems jump around without seeming to have thought it out. an example jusr under Linux Mint is the difference between the MATE menu and LMDE Cinnamon. The reviewers opinion on menu logic could be used.
I'm not sure how many would be helped by display systems. I've been using Linux for x number of years and know my display system is XORG and I have seen something called Wayland mentioned a lot of late, but I have no idea why I might want it. Or NOT want it Controversy makes for a topic.
Systemd is the same thing. Lots of controversy but little actual factual debate. Eventually, for whatever reason, Systemd seems to have won out. And my Linux Mint still works, without me having to learn the reason why. Some might want to search on it.
The latest controversy is a "logical" renaming of the standard UNIX file system naming conventions. This is one area I would have to object to. I trained on and used UNIX as a DBA back when and can see no reason to upset the existing users for the benefit of a relative few new users to make Linux more like Windows. The few times I still need the terminal usually involve editing a file in a known location.
I've been retired fifteen years and my memory does not work as well at learning an entirely new file system, Let the relatively few Windows users learn Linux idiosyncrasy. They probably won't NEED it any more than they did under Windows. I'm told the few MAC users are already using the same naming conventions. But a controversy might mean some would search, so another topic .
Scanning thru the comments section each week might pick out a new topic for search.
76 • PCLinuxOS (by Doug in sunny Australia on 2025-07-09 11:40:05 GMT from Australia)
Sad to not see PCLinuxOS on the major distros! Perhaps you need a second tier, well established list.
I love PCLinuxOS because it just works! Tex & the team have done a wonderful job developing a distro that is a little different. Personally, I have been using PCL for well over 15 years+!, in fact from the time Tex left Mandrake. There have been times when I have needed a package added, & if it is a reasonable request (as in needed by other users too) it gets added. The Magazine is an excellent resource, & the forum is very helpful.
I have stuck to PCL through thick & thin. The backbone has always remained strong.
Sad to see the website down, but it will Pheonix again!
77 • Worst distro (by Clarence Perry on 2025-07-09 12:41:42 GMT from United States)
Going back to the beginning, I visit the Micro Center store in Houston and go thru the cheap
cd rack. Bring home Slackware & Red Hat cd's.Install Slackware and now what? There was no Internet. I didn't have another computer, so no network. And I was never able to get Red Hat working.
My XT clone with a whopping 40 meg HD never could run any version of Red Hat.
Slackware has always been a unique install which solved the needs of a few.
And today looks terribly old fashioned, just like Distrowatch.
But both solve the needs of users.
78 • Worst distros exist (by BillGatez on 2025-07-09 14:31:02 GMT from Italy)
Those are the ones that just promise but not maintain: distros which are a major one plus some candies only (shouldn't users be able to get them by themselves?), or distros which simply don't work because they're poorly implemented (should users be treated as alfa testers?).
Linux is beautiful in that it approves and acclaim freedom and variety, but using them as an alibi for not being able to provide a fairly good result is misbehaving. Some developers should simply admit they're not ready for what they just pretend to do.
79 • For Newcomers to Linux (by Chris on 2025-07-09 15:43:04 GMT from Canada)
I have been using Linux (various flavors) for over 20 years and have been running MX for a few years.
For a Windows user who wants to try Linux:
- a system that allows him to do everything he does on Windows
- a distro that works out of the box
- do not want to have to fool around to fix problems
(most Windows users are not familiar with fixing problems)
- Linux is a jungle (so many distros ... too many in my view). Which one to choose?
Although Distrowatch is an excellent tool, it could turn him away
From this said, I think It would be a good idea to put a "For Beginners" large button in header linked to a page (or pages) containing the following:
- would suggest only a few 'main' distros which work out of the box.
- for each distro, a short list would compare programs to use:
Internet explorer -> Firefox
Outlook -> Thunderbird
Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) -> LibreOffice (Writer, Calc, Impress).
And a few more ....
- would give a short indication on how to install and link to more specific detail
- at this step, not necessary do describe where it came from, who maintains it, etc.
- possibly, add comments from users
If we want Windows users to switch to Linux, it has to be simple and attractive.
80 • @79: Why do we want Windows users to switch to Linux? (by picamanic on 2025-07-09 16:18:26 GMT from United Kingdom)
@79: Do we really want Windows users to switch to Linux? I don't.
81 • Either or Thinking (by vmclark on 2025-07-09 16:43:02 GMT from United States)
@80 I use them both! I will never stop using installing Windows and Linux. It makes no sense otherwise.
Some programs install and run better in Windows. Some better in Linux.
I just don't understand the either or mentality. Either Windows or Linux or some other OS, but not both.
82 • PClinuxOS and Xorg (by rhtoras on 2025-07-09 18:02:37 GMT from Greece)
What happened to pclinuxos is sas...and we are talking for e gerat distribution that was not only systemD free b ut also elogind free... it has some flaws here and there but it works fine
hope to see them soon
As for Xorg hopefully openbsd uses a fork of it called Xenocara... we have AN option at least, in the wayland era guys...
for those interested there is a new project based on NIXOS withoud systemD called Sixos which apparrently uses S6 init
83 • @79 Chris: (by dragonmouth on 2025-07-09 18:54:58 GMT from United States)
If you listen to the Windows refuges, Linux must look & feel, work l Like windows and run Windows programs natively to be simple and attractive. Otherwise it is not worth bothering with. They want a version of Windows that is not from Redmond.
I agree with picamanic - do we really want Windows users to switch to Linux?
If they do, they should learn Linux, not try to change it into a copy of Windows
84 • Worst distro (by Unscript on 2025-07-09 19:46:30 GMT from Belgium)
For me, it's definitely Ubuntu, with the privacy issues and the weird decisions Canonical has repeatedly taken against the interest of its users.
85 • Worst distro... (by rhtoras on 2025-07-09 20:47:56 GMT from Greece)
I have to admit which are for me the worst distros....obviously all are systemD ONES.
Fedora, Ubuntu and Opensuse but i have to make a top 5 i could easily add Mint and Arch (after 2013). Don't be scared of the truth. The reason i am not adding Debian is Antix.
86 • @76 (by kc1di on 2025-07-09 22:12:50 GMT from United States)
PCLinuxOS will be strong again. Tex and the team is working on it and the new forum is up and working great. It's a solid distro. home page should be back soon :)
87 • @1 (by Tad Generic on 2025-07-09 22:24:12 GMT from Canada)
And the Spiral Linux project is simply the best way to get a full Debian system up and running.
Debian, otherwise, has a history of being very unfriendly, starting with their horrid website that made finding the right iso to download (ie the one with all of the useful “non free” stuff) daunting.
Otherwise - *buntu or mint - systems that are probably the easiest for a new user to set up and manage
88 • What should we complete next? (by Céline Dion Fan on 2025-07-09 23:33:53 GMT from The Netherlands)
Hi, You can add ''file system'' to search criteria. Like ext4 Btrfs zfs
89 • @83 dragonmouth (by Fedup 17 year veteran of Linux on 2025-07-10 00:20:38 GMT from The Netherlands)
Given that Windows is objectively superior to Linux in every possible way except that it comes with spyware (telemetry, web apps, cloud integration, AI integration, integrated advertising, forced "security" updates, programs that cannot be uninstalled, etc.), and given that all these forms of spyware are increasingly making their way into Linux as well, who can blame them?
Everybody who wasn't part of Linux from the very beginning but came from Windows, actually just wants to use old Windows (95, 98, XP, Vista, 7). Why? Because unlike Linux, Windows "just werks" right "out of the box" and "what you see is what you get"!
What all Windows refugees want, is essentially React OS but finished.
What they do not want, is Linux copying the only thing where Windows is worse while retaining everything else where Linux is worse. Yet that is exactly what we are currently working toward!
Ask not whether Linux "wants" Windows refugees, ask what Linux can offer them that isn't even worse than what they trying to escape!
90 • @89 so true (by Frankletit on 2025-07-10 08:08:04 GMT from Australia)
Themajority of people want to use their PC to do minimal tasks and turn it off and walk away until it's next needed.
Most people using computers today don't want to touch the CLI and don't want to learn a whole new way of doing things. They just want GUI and easy to find apps.
If a Linux distro could run the same apps and games WITHOUT the current level of interaction required to get them working you would surely stand a better chance of converting more people.
Those trying to gatekeep their elitist nerd hobby are what has held the whole process back. You can still rub your kernel and pore over countless lines of code to make yourself feel better but that shouldn't stop others from trying to make it easier for the normal people.
91 • @89: (by dragonmouth on 2025-07-10 10:36:48 GMT from United States)
There is no objective evidence that any O/S is easier or harder to learn or that any O/S is "better" than all others. Any arguments in favor or against are just that - emotional arguments. After having learned 10+ different O/Ss, I can tell you that the learning curve for all was about the same.
92 • PClinusOs @82 (by kc1di on 2025-07-10 10:44:58 GMT from United States)
PCLinusOS is still there might be hard to find for some though But they are working on coming back with new home page.
in the meantime their new forum is here https://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/
The download page is here. https://ftp.nluug.nl/pub/os/Linux/distr/pclinuxos/pclinuxos/iso/
As I said they are working hard to get a new home page back up and running.
Cheers!
93 • @33 @Jesse GLF OS Custom Nix (by John on 2025-07-10 12:20:47 GMT from Canada)
Hi Jesse - as mentioned above, I found these custom GLF NIX commands listed here: https://gaming-linux-fr.github.io/GLF-OS/pages/documentation/firstOverview.html
glf-update = sudo nix flake update --flake /etc/nixos
glf-build = nh os build /etc/nixos -H GLF-OS
glf-switch = nh os switch /etc/nixos -H GLF-OS
glf-boot = nh os boot /etc/nixos -H GLF-OS
glf-systeminfo = bash echo -e "\n--- Infos ---"; \ inxi -M; \ echo -e "\n--- CPU ---"; \ lscpu | grep -E "(Architecture|CPU op-mode|Vendor ID|Model name|Mode\(s\) opératoire\(s\) des processeurs|Identifiant constructeur|Nom de modèle)" | awk "{print \$0}"; \ echo -e "\n--- GPU ---"; \ lspci | grep -E "VGA|3D"; \ echo -e "\n--- Disque ---"; \ df -h; \ echo -e "\n--- RAM ---"; \ free -h
94 • Nix commands on GLF (by Jesse on 2025-07-10 12:24:43 GMT from Canada)
@93: Thanks for the link.
The aliases shown here are just shortcuts for more complex Nix commands, they don't do anything to replace normal Nix usage, like installing new packages or applying updates. From what I can tell from the documentation page, normal Nix commands should still work, but as I showed in my review, they don't.
95 • @91 You are projecting (by Bestos on 2025-07-10 15:40:41 GMT from Poland)
There is "objective evidence ... that any O/S is 'better' than all others," and "any arguments in favor ... [of Linux] are just that—emotional arguments."
However, it's not even necessary to look for "objective evidence" at all. The "best OS in the world" is the one that has more apps, as nobody cares for the OS.
96 • "no worst distos" (by Slappy McGee on 2025-07-10 18:30:08 GMT from United States)
Yes, there are worst disros, and not merely by opinion, but by functionality. Often the lack of functionality is pointed out in reviews, here and various other linux oriented sites, and some just tech sites looking around at various OSs out there.
When a distro is installed (if that goes well as to functionality, which is a bit of a crap-shoot at times) the user has the expectation of clicking something or otherwise invoking something and having that something function. Some reviews of some distros highlight a lack of that basic functionality. We've seen it here as often a large portion of the review is taken up with reported workarounds and/or frustrations as to this or that being clicked and nothing happening, etc.
Those are bad distros, at least temporarily, and we do know that bug reports and bad reviews can help with that, but some distros persist in just being very difficult to get to working as expected by any reasonable user. We could make a list of those "worst distros," I suppose, but I'm more in favor of exploration.
97 • @8 re Linux inferiority (by Simon on 2025-07-11 03:36:17 GMT from New Zealand)
GNU/Linux is a vastly better OS than those revolting commercial operating systems: their being more widely used is no more evidence of their superiority than a Prius being more widely used makes it a superior car to a Lamborghini. Yes, their being more widely used means that some requirements, like yours, are more easily met on them: that's great, you've got a legitimate reason to prefer what's otherwise just an overpriced pile of junk, and so you're probably right that the investment in learning a free OS is not worth it for you.
On the other hand, this free, open-source operating system used by nearly all the world's supercomputers, IT labs and major scientific installations, and by many military and government systems, because of its configurability, security and trustworthiness, is not inferior to horrible unreliable commercial garbage like Windows (that's opaque to users and increasingly shoving ads in their faces and spying on them) just because it doesn't meet your specific needs. It's a great OS, and for most people, investing a bit of time in learning how to use it is well worth it.
98 • 1 (by 1 on 2025-07-11 07:30:19 GMT from Singapore)
Debian rules!
1
99 • Worst distro (by Hopper on 2025-07-11 08:51:51 GMT from Australia)
Jesse, i get it that you don't want to list those distros you were talking about. And i think there would be a flame war (do people still use that term, or am i old school?) - and like many things with linux, ask 100 people and you can get a whole spectrum of answers since it is based on people's own needs, likes, comfort, etc.
What i would like to ask is, is there a way to list ones to avoid because they are bad - bad not as in need polishing or working on as such, but outright bad, scammers and such? the reason i asked this is that i went to try elive and donated to download it. after reading your comments, it made me wonder if they are considered one of those in your unlisted list. I'm coming from a point of helping others to not fall for scams and such more than anything else. Or is that still too controversal to do?
100 • Good, Better, Best (by El Guapo on 2025-07-11 10:07:05 GMT from United States)
Here we go again. There's no such thing as "best" without qualifiers. Best for what? Desktops? Laptops? Servers? Mobile? Best for whom? You? Me? Casual users? Developers? Gamers? Musicians?
@95, "The "best OS in the world" is the one that has more apps, as nobody cares for the OS." That would be Android, but it would be crap on my desktop. I use about two dozen desktop apps, less than ten on a regular basis. The best desktop OS for me is one that presents me with an efficient and pleasant UI, has the least downtime, requires the least maintenance, and runs the apps I use quickly and competently. Whether it has a thousand or a million apps is irrelevant. I wear a smartwatch to keep track of some health markers. I bought a Samsung with Wear OS (Android). It was not only unreliable, but it needed daily charging. Replaced it with a Huawei running their HarmonyOS. Same functions, but works much better, and it goes 8 or 9 days between charges. The OS does matter.
"Prius being more widely used makes it a superior car to a Lamborghini" For most use cases, a Prius is a much superior car to a Lamborghini, (although it can vary depending on which Lamborghini). Durability, quality, comfort, fuel economy, etc. Granted, a Revuelto will destroy a Prius around the Nürburgring, but take it out on potholed narrow roads and you'll wish you were in the Prius. For a plumber or electrician, a Ford F-150 pickup beats the hell out of a
Lamborghini.
The best OS/distro in the world is the one I'm using.
101 • (fill in the blank) RULES! (by Slappy McGee on 2025-07-11 14:25:19 GMT from United States)
I'm on AlmaLinux now, and everything is setting up and working fine. AlmaLinux RULES! Last week I was on MXLinux, and I had no glitches and the upgrades went well. MXLinux RULES! Tomorrow I'll be back on my Macbook Pro for an Arcade Gaming project that is always fun and problem free. Mac RULES!
Diversity RULES!
102 • What should we work on next? (by Jay on 2025-07-11 14:52:56 GMT from Canada)
What should be worked on next is not any of those options- it should be remove the popularity contest of distribution rankings and how inaccurate and biased it is.
I guess you’re blind not to address any of this site owners.
103 • @70 (by Kenny O. on 2025-07-11 15:17:53 GMT from Canada)
@70
The logo proposed by that person is too plain, too basic, and I agree is definitely minimalistic- none of which I like either. There’s a lot of people who do not like the dumbing down of logos and such
104 • Wayland and X11 (by tomas on 2025-07-11 16:10:32 GMT from Czechia)
@23
In one of my previous comments I boasted by my smooth transition from AntergOS to Arch-Ex-AntergOS. Maybe too soon. After yesterdays update I got a system I could not boot into.
It took much time to find out that Arch-Ex-AntergOS running Plasma X11 session was updated to Arch not running Wayland. To overcome this hurdle I had to reinstall plasma-x11-session.
Not all distros and/or desktops run Wayland and X11.
As far as I know Cinnamon and Mate do not support Wayland yet.
The time to make them search criteria is yet to come.
Maybe later the distinction could be achieved by "desktop running on protocol".
105 • "Popularity Contest" (by Slappy McGee on 2025-07-11 22:50:11 GMT from United States)
@102 that list is Page Hit Rankings, and there is a link to its explanation in the menu at top-right.
https://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=popularity
Any "bias" as to the position of each listed distro would be generated by multiple clickings to a distro by some nefarious user, to the tune of one click alowed per day per nefarious clicker.
106 • Minimalist (by Kenney Eh on 2025-07-12 00:21:22 GMT from Canada)
@103 (Kenny o) I agree, there is way too much minimalism. The one that bugs me is the colours used in the GUI's. Especially the dark ones. Those ugly "flat" dark grey themes. Can people really work with those? I much prefer themes with depth and colour - character. I did find some really good GUI's with character if you guys are interested. On pling.com, check out the work by "nestort" and "sewbej". Some great stuff there. The DW logo proposed just looks like some novice's quick mock up for a school project. What DW has been using looks great. (By the way, I'm from the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" group, so, Jesse, I like DW just the way it is.)
@104 (tomas) Linux Mint/Cinnamon (22.1) uses Wayland (optionally, if you want). I ran it for a while with no issues. I'm back to X, at the moment, just to compare. (I don't know about Mate.)
Number of Comments: 106
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| • Issue 1162 (2026-03-02): AerynOS 2026.01, anti-virus and firewall tools, Manjaro fixes website certificate, Ubuntu splits firmware package, jails for NetBSD, extended support for some Linux kernel releases, Murena creating a map app |
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| • Issue 1121 (2025-05-12): Bluefin 41, custom file manager actions, openSUSE joins End of 10 while dropping Deepin desktop, Fedora offers tips for building atomic distros, Ubuntu considers replacing sudo with sudo-rs |
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| • Issue 1119 (2025-04-28): Ubuntu MATE 25.04, what is missing from Linux, CachyOS ships OCCT, Debian enters soft freeze, Fedora discusses removing X11 session from GNOME, Murena plans business services, NetBSD on a Wii |
| • Issue 1118 (2025-04-21): Fedora 42, strange characters in Vim, Nitrux introduces new package tools, Fedora extends reproducibility efforts, PINE64 updates multiple devices running Debian |
| • Issue 1117 (2025-04-14): Shebang 25.0, EndeavourOS 2025.03.19, running applications from other distros on the desktop, Debian gets APT upgrade, Mint introduces OEM options for LMDE, postmarketOS packages GNOME 48 and COSMIC, Redox testing USB support |
| • Issue 1116 (2025-04-07): The Sense HAT, Android and mobile operating systems, FreeBSD improves on laptops, openSUSE publishes many new updates, Fedora appoints new Project Leader, UBports testing VoLTE |
| • Issue 1115 (2025-03-31): GrapheneOS 2025, the rise of portable package formats, MidnightBSD and openSUSE experiment with new package management features, Plank dock reborn, key infrastructure projects lose funding, postmarketOS to focus on reliability |
| • Issue 1114 (2025-03-24): Bazzite 41, checking which processes are writing to disk, Rocky unveils new Hardened branch, GNOME 48 released, generating images for the Raspberry Pi |
| • Issue 1113 (2025-03-17): MocaccinoOS 1.8.1, how to contribute to open source, Murena extends on-line installer, Garuda tests COSMIC edition, Ubuntu to replace coreutils with Rust alternatives, Chimera Linux drops RISC-V builds |
| • Issue 1112 (2025-03-10): Solus 4.7, distros which work with Secure Boot, UBports publishes bug fix, postmarketOS considers a new name, Debian running on Android |
| • Issue 1111 (2025-03-03): Orbitiny 0.01, the effect of Ubuntu Core Desktop, Gentoo offers disk images, elementary OS invites feature ideas, FreeBSD starts PinePhone Pro port, Mint warns of upcoming Firefox issue |
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Eagle Linux
Eagle Linux was a Linux distribution that boots and runs from a floppy or a CD-ROM, saving you the trouble of having to install Linux on your system - and you build it yourself! There was no longer a need to repartition your hard drive or uninstall your current operating system. This was a great feature for academic sectors who may have had systems donated by companies who don't allow the format of the hard drive to be changed (repartitioning). Eagle Linux was also a great embedded systems learning tool, and since you build it yourself, it can easily be created to run on any processor family. What's unique about Eagle Linux? It does not use a compressed file system for standard files, making file access faster. It detects and mounts your IDE and SCSI hard drives in write mode, allowing read/write media access. It also offers an easier way for less experienced Linux users to create their own bootable floppy or CD from scratch using the HOW-TOs available on the downloads page.
Status: Discontinued
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