What are the best Linux distributions for the latest Mate version?

Default Desktop Environment:GNOME

Release Schedule:approximately every 24 months

Almost any software that is available for Linux provides a Debian package. See More

Top Pro

Widely supported

Top Pro

The Debian Social Contract

Guaranteed commitment to adherence to values, principles, priorities, requirements and guidelines by the Debian project. See More

Top Pro

A lot of ways to install software

You can either use aptitude, apt or apt-build to install software from the Debian package archives. See More

Top Pro

Standard vanilla Linux desktop

Debian runs standard Gnome, XFCE, KDE - it doesn't use its own special desktop environment, which means that users benefit from the work of the whole Linux community, Debian developers can focus on the distribution itself, and any support for your desktop environment on other distributions should work on Debian as well. See More

Top Pro

Highly secure system

Known for being consistent in maintaining a highly secure system. Several other popular distros use Debian as a base or core for their own Linux OS, the security being one of the main factors why it's so commonly used. See More

Top Pro

Rolling or Release based

Every Debian Release can either use a Rolling or Release based model. See More

Top Pro

Well-working team

The developer works very well, so the code is one of the best written out there. See More

Top Pro

Easy to find help with any problem

Debian is one of the oldest and most popular distros out there. Debian's popularity means that you will always be able to find a solution for your problem just by searching on Google, or if by chance nobody has had the problem you are having it's very easy to ask the community and quickly get a solution. See More

Top Pro

Big open-source project

The Debian project is the biggest open source project with over 5000 active contributors. See More

Top Pro

Live install images for CDs, DVDs and USB thumb drives

Debian releases live install images for CDs, DVDs and USB thumb drives, for the i386 and amd64 architectures, and with a choice of desktop environments. These Debian Live images allow the user to boot from a removable media and run Debian without affecting the contents of their computer. See More

Top Pro

Has small amount of today's bugs (e.g. no duplicate web cameras in Skype - likely not Skype's fault)

But has quite a few bugs from 2016-2017, apparently for long term. See More

Top Pro

Great choice for returning Linux users

If you haven't used Linux for a long time, say 5-10 years, it's a great distro in which you can quickly get in the boat again. You don't have to worry about falling back. Everything is in its place. See More

Top Pro

A real installer

Unlike other distributions that just extract their Live image, Debian offers a real traditional and modular installer to customize the installation. See More

Top Pro

Debconf

Depending how it is configured debconf does the most of the hard work for you and only asks you with configuration /file conflicts. See More

Top Pro

Apt-build

It is possible to rebuild the entire system and optimize it for your hardware (of course it is not detailed as Gentoo's USE flags). See More

Top Pro

Very stable

Debian has a Stable branch, where packages are thoroughly tested before release. Furthermore Debian is know to be the definition of stable when it comes to production systems. See More

Top Pro

Supports SecureBoot

You don't have to disable SecureBoot if you use it, which is useful for LiveUSB or dualboot setups. See More

Top Pro

Strict separation of non-free software

Debian is one of the few distros that let the user choose if he wants a free system or not. See More

Top Pro

Wide choice of hardware platforms

Debian has the widest choice of hardware platforms, including: amd64, armel, armhf, i386, ia64, kfreebsd-i386, kfreebsd-amd64, mips, mipsel, powerpc, sparc, s390, s390x, source, multi-arch. See More

Top Pro

Great for gaming

As Debian is the base for SteamOS and because Ubuntu is based on it, it's almost certain that all Linux games will run properly and require no hacks like creating symbolic links because of some hardcoded paths. See More

Top Pro

Strict seperation of non-free software

Debian is one of the few distros that let the user choose if he wants a free system or not. See More

Top Pro

Unique release cycle

The most Linux distros have one or two stages before a release, but Debian has five before a new stable version is released (experimental > unstable > testing > code-freeze/bug hunting > stable). See More

Top Pro

Many ports

Debian supports almost any Kernel maintained CPU instructions set. It has also a few non Linux Ports. See More

Top Pro

Comes with over 55.500 packages

Because of its popularity, Debian has a lot of applications available which range from productivity programs to business software, games and development tools. It comes with over 55.500 packages (software that is precompiled and ready to be installed on a local machine) -- all of them for free. See More

Top Pro

Standard archives

Debs are normal ar and tar archives with shell scripting and additional gz, bz, lzma or xz compression. See More

Top Pro

TUI installer

The Debian installer can still be launched as text/curses-like installer which is more compatible and keyboard-friendly than the graphical version. See More

Top Pro

Wide choice in desktop environments

Debian offers stable and testing CD images specifically built for GNOME (the default), KDE Plasma Workspaces, Xfce and LXDE. Less common window managers such as Enlightenment, Openbox, Fluxbox, GNUstep, IceWM, Window Maker and others can also be installed. See More

Although some derivatives such as Manjaro and ArcoLinux exist. See More

score 27 · Answer 2

Arch Linux

Top Pro

All desktops available including mate

Top Con

No graphical installer

IndustriousTusholi's Experience

good cli an dinstaalled mate on it worked fine See More

Specs

Based On:NONE

Default Desktop Environment:N/A

Arch's goal of simplicity means there's usually one preferred way to get things done - through organized and well documented configuration files. This focus, combined with the community's recognition that configuration files can be intimidating, has resulted in excellent documentation that's accessible to newcomers, and very instructive about how Linux actually works. The documentation is often so thorough that, when searching for solutions to problems while using other distributions, such as with video card drivers, oftentimes you'll find the most effective solution in the Arch Linux wiki or on the forums. See More

Top Pro

Excellent documentation

Top Con

You have to install everything by hand on a command line

This may be a CON for a lot of people that are new to Linux but a PRO to those who actually want to learn something new. See More

JollyTefnut's Experience

Arch does not have caja-admin so you can't open a folder with root out of the box See More

Top Pro

No restrictive handholding, pure control over everything

Arch is mainly aimed at experienced Linux users, there is no hand-holding and not much in a way of UI elements when trying to install or tweak settings. See More

Top Con

Worst OS for beginners in Linux

Very bad OS for beginners as there is no graphical installation and it is a manual installaton process. So, either you have to follow the documentation (that half of the beginners don't understand) or a video (gets outdated on every release). When I was a beginner, I thought that Arch is better and it had graphical installation. I downloaded the iso flashed it in pendrive. After that when I booted I saw ther is a "$Install--". I was so suprised because I moved from Windows to Linux. It looked like a console. Bugs -- With every release there are bugs. AUR -- Pacman is fully dependant on aur and installing from aur for beginnera is a painful process. See More

Top Pro

Cutting edge rolling release

Arch Linux follows a rolling release model which allows users to stay on the most up-to-date versions of the software they are using. See More

Top Con

Instability can be an issue

Sometimes you can have a surprise, but in most cases it can be fixed quickly. See More

Top Pro

A package for almost everything

If you need to install something, chances are someone in the Arch community has already made a package for it. This makes it incredibly easy for you to install and maintain all of the non-media content on your computer. See More

Top Con

Fragile packages

Updating an Arch system is always a gamble. The problem could be as simple as a package having a bug causing a program to crash on start or it may be something bigger like the WiFi or Bluetooth no longer working. There is also the slight chance the system may not even boot at all after a large update. If the user does not plan to read the forums weekly/daily or update fairly often, things can go wrong very fast. See More

Top Pro

Simplicity is absolutely the principal objective behind Arch development

The design approach of the development team focuses on elegance, code correctness, minimalism, and simplicity, and expects the user to be willing to make some effort to understand the system's operation. See More

Top Con

Occasional upstream package bugs

Most package maintainers look for issues that the packages might have ispecifically for arch. Which means if a package has a bug that applies to all linux distros regardless of the flavor, the maintainer may not be able to: A) catch it before pushing a update or B) have to wait for the packages developers to fix it. This is a minor issue because most issues are often patched before the end of the day if many users rely on it, or if its a less used package there will be specific troubleshooting instructions on the arch site. See More

Top Pro

As slim or copious as you want it

Arch keeps its core repositories slim and free of unnecessary dependencies. At first installation only a bare system is set up. You can easily get the other applications through the package manager. The repositories are nearly as full as those of Ubuntu, while they are often more up to date. That way you don't have to waste time with software you don't need or want. See More

Top Con

Not so great overall

Apart from the ArchBuildSystem/AUR, which brings you very quickly newer package versions, there is not really much where Arch Linux shines. You get better package managers with other systems. The most Linux distributions are far more stable than Arch. You learn more about Linux by using LFS or a source based distribution. You can customize the system much more in LFS or Gentoo. See More

Top Pro

Support for a large variety of hardware

From latest wacom pads to obscure wireless cards in laptops Arch's hw support has been and continues to be good. It has worked on laptops where other leading distro's like debian/ mint/ ubuntu failed to detect and work with all hardware. See More

Top Con

Too many package upgrades that require manual intervention

Every year or so there is a update to ArchLinux that will break your system unless you first read the front page of archlinux.org. This happened with SystemD and with a few other updates that require you to do prior steps befor pacman -Syu. See More

Top Pro

Excellent package management with the AUR

The AUR is a repository with a very extensive catalogue of build/install scripts that are contributed by users. While these scripts are inherently less secure than conventional packages maintained by a distro's authors, it's still way easier to verify the security of install scripts than it would be to write them yourself. It's very usefull. See More

Top Con

Lost its way

It aimed to be KISS but it has lost its way and is getting more and more complex, for example, it uses systemd which is anything but KISS. It also has now some kind of package post configuration included. See More

Top Pro

Helpful community

If searching through the wiki or the forums for any problems turns nothing, any question on the official forums, Arch subreddit or the IRC channel will be answered within minutes. There will probably be no hand-holding however, Arch users prefer to point anyone to a resource that may help them instead of trying to outright solve their problem in a forum thread. This is quite helpful for people who want to really learn how their system works but also for other people who may stumble in that thread considering how most problems don’t have a universal solution. See More

Top Con

Not really for desktop

More like for posting screenshots on Reddit. See More

Top Pro

Stripped down to the bone

Since its stripped down. its fast and you dont have to deal with bloatware. See More

Top Con

Works only on AMD64

It is the only official supported instruction set of CPUs. See More

Top Con

pacman is a slow package manager

Compared to other distribution packages the extracting of a pacman package archives is taking ages. See More

Top Con

Not ready out of the box

You have to install your day-to-day software requirements manually. See More

Top Con

Manual install process

The installation process for Arch Linux is not as streamlined as it is in other distributions. You have to install the OS, Desktop Environment, Network software and configure everything by yourself. See More

Top Con

Not for the faint of heart

Arch only holds your hand a little bit of the way. While documentation is great, you are expected to know what you're doing. The result is that when you find the solution for a problem on a forum or elsewhere, the response may be completely over your head. If you're not well-versed in Linux, what would be a minor issue on another distribution can become a drawn-out research project on Arch, as you learn all the inner workings of the operating system, until you understand it well enough to solve your problems yourself. See More

Top Con

Systemd

Uses systems which makes it incompatible to the UNIX-world. See More

Top Con

No Graphical Installer

Top Con

Rolling release requires bandwidth

Arch uses a rolling release model for updates. Unlike, for example Ubuntu where a new version is released every six months, packages are updated when they are ready. The advantage is a very up to date system and that the work of upgrading can be spread over a longer span of time to a point where it is hardly noticeably effort. However it can be difficult for people without a high bandwidth connection, or with limits on how many GB can be downloaded imposed by their internet service providers. A GB a month of downloads is quite possible. This can be somewhat offset by Arch being lightweight, besides the relatively small core, the user selects what is installed (and has to be updated). See More

Top Con

Requires some background with Linux and the command-line to setup

Going in with zero Linux knowledge is not really recommended when wanting to install Arch, though it can be a good learning experience for those that are dedicated to trial and error as well as reading many faqs. See More

The system itself is very stable. All packages in the repository seem to be carefully picked, well prepared and run stable. See More

score 36 · Answer 3

Solus

Top Pro

Stable

Top Con

Not much software

There is not much software available. See More

LivelyPerkunas's Experience

Solus Mate is stable rolling release. They only release updates after testing them and even if something goes wrong, a new update going back to a previous stable version is released. Solus Mate got Mate 1.20 in updates about a week after it was announced. You can install Solus 3 now and keep updating, or wait for Solus 4. Either way you'll be on the latest version. See More

Specs

Based On:Scratch

Init-System:systemd

Package Manager:eopkg package manager (PiSi fork)

When installing Solus Mate, the proper drive is never available to install Grub; doesn't work. See More

Top Pro

Lightning fast boot time

Top Con

Forums are not very friendly

HarmoniousUkeMochi's Experience

Top Pro

Friendly community

The only community who values the newcomers. Very helpful community. See More

Top Con

An upgrade breaks the system quite often

Top Pro

Rolling Release Model

Wich means you don't have to suffer from version to version updates that can break it. See More

Top Con

The default desktop environment is not very customizable

Maybe because it's a relatively new project still in its infancy and this may be fixed in the future, but Budgie is not very customizable. You can only change the theme and wallpaper. See More

Top Pro

Friendly towards proprietary codecs, firmware and drivers.

So you won't have to enable PPAs or extra repos for that. See More

Top Con

There is often a black screen after update

Top Pro

Most stable Rolling Release Distro

Top Pro

Exclusively for desktop systems

Top Pro

Great package management

The software center makes it really easy to install the latest software through Snappy and Flatpak. Including third party software. See More

Top Pro

Responsive

System boots quickly and stays responsive. Does what operating system should do, and does it really well. See More

Top Pro

Easy installation

The installation procedure for this distribution is quite simple. It's GUI based and all you have to do is to follow the instructions given by the installation window itself. See More

MATE is a classic desktop interface derived from the hugely popular GNOME 2.x desktop. For people who prefer a traditional style desktop Linux Mint continues it's active support of the MATE desktop's ongoing development. See More

score 60 · Answer 4

Linux Mint

Top Pro

MATE desktop (as an option)

Top Con

The Linux Mint website once provided malware

The website for Linux Mint was hacked in 2016 and its download links led to a modified ISO, which contained malware. See More

ReceptiveChimalma's Experience

After many years of using the feature rich, fat tire version of Linux Mint, namely Cinnamon(along with the older full featured incarnations) the Mate version left me wanting. Easy to manage like it's bigger brother, just missing the refinements I'd become use to. I would still recommend Mate for the lighter load on older machines like my Dell T5500. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu LTS

Default Desktop Environment:Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce

Release Schedule:Point( 2 Year LTS / 6 Month)

Mint provides different update settings for different users and comes with an easy to access user manual available from within the OS. See More

Top Pro

Linux Mint is a great Ubuntu based distro for beginners as well as advanced users

Top Con

Mint 19 forces unwanted updates

Since version 19 Mint adopted Windows 10's policy to force the user to install unwanted updates and even if the user deselects them and marks them not to be installed, they're still being installed. See More

OptimisticGuayota's Experience

stable system for old laptop, very usable and does all it needs See More

Top Pro

The easiest option ever

The distro is the easiest operating system to run ever. See More

Top Con

System updates can lead the system to being unstable

While a new installed system is stable, after an update, there is a slight chance of something not working. See More

Top Pro

Already functional out-of-the-box

Mint comes bundled with software for browsing the web, editing pictures, browsing files, watching videos and even a full office suite (LibreOffice). Any user can use Mint productively after a fresh install, utilizing the software that comes with the distribution to complete most of their daily tasks. For software needs that exceed what's available out of the box, tens of thousands of high end open source software packages are available via Mint's "Software Manager" for most any task one can think of . See More

Top Con

Outdated software centers

Many of the offered options are older versions. See More

Top Pro

Mint is based on the latest Long Term Support version of Ubuntu

Long Term Support versions of Ubuntu are continuously updated for an extended period of time, even after newer versions are launched. LTS versions will typically get feature additions and enhancements for an extended period of time, then security updates up until its End of Life. LTS releases typically are fully supported for at least 5 years. So Mint's current LTS Ubuntu base is fully maintained for at least that long a time. See More

Top Con

Upgrade process between version can be painful

The Linux Mint team offers a method to upgrade the OS between versions but they tend to recommend clean installs, which isn't always suitable for everyone. However, following the upgrade process currently is less than straightforward and is easily capable of leaving your system in a confused state. See More

Top Pro

Complete and stable

From first boot on Linux Mint provides a complete and highly stable computing experience that's suitable for users of every category, from long time pros to the newest of all possible users. See More

Top Con

Does not handle multiple languages well

Top Pro

Supports proprietary software

Linux Mint does maintain a free software environment, however it also offers full support to proprietary software (Chrome, Skype, Teamviewer, etc.). See More

Top Con

Security may be an issue

Linux Mint by default does not have auto updates turned on for important packages such as xorg or the kernel, thus leaving users with potentially insecure software. See More

Top Pro

Compatibility with Debian and Ubuntu software builds and repositories

Mint takes full advantage of the huge software package ecosystem of Debian, along with the more than 30,000 packages available from the Ubuntu repositories. See More

Top Con

Political

Clement Lefebvre, the lead developer of Linux Mint said “I don’t want any money or help coming from people who support the actions of the Israeli government.” See More

Top Pro

Easy installation and configuration

Linux Mint uses the same installer as Ubuntu. It is very easy to use for beginners, and also allows more advanced users to choose their own partitions. Linux Mint's Cinnamon and MATE desktops are highly customizable and can be made to look, feel and work however one prefers. See More

Top Pro

Good community support

There are several different ways to get support for this distribution, including the forums, their IRC channel, or their github repositories if you think something about Mint isn't functioning as it should. See More

Top Pro

Familiar user interface

Mint is highly recommended for users making the move from Windows, as well as users unhappy with Ubuntu's unending interface changes. Mint's MATE desktop provides an updated interface with a traditional look and feel based on Gnome 2x. It installs with an application menu similar to the Windows 7 Start Menu, plus the customization options possible with MATE are limited only by each user's view of how their desktop should look and function to suit their personal work habits. See More

Top Pro

Dedicated upgrade process

The Linux Mint team are very dedicated to upgrading and improving Mint, to the point where their releases are fairly predictable. They are also dedicated to their users, meaning that they are responsive to critiques, suggestions, etc. See More

Top Pro

Not from a big company

Linux Mint is not Canonical. It is however based on Ubuntu's latest Long Term Support release and has long been known as "Ubuntu Done Right". See More

Top Pro

Pretty desktop environments

Linux Mint has pretty default desktops. Both Cinnamon and MATE, Mint supported desktop developments, have been widely adopted by other distros as well. And of course the Xfce desktop has long been a favorite of users world wide. See More

Top Pro

There is a "system restore" tool to restore the OS if something breaks

This tool is called "Timeshift". It backs up snapshots of Mint's core OS files to an internal or external drive as the user designates, and comes with an option for full encryption. See More

Top Pro

Has more desktop options

You can choose between either the Cinnamon, MATE or Xfce desktops when you download the Mint .ISO of your choice. See More

Top Pro

The OS is great for both beginners and advanced users

The OS has different update settings for different users and has easy manual within the OS. See More

Top Pro

Low learning curve to go from installation to advanced configuration

Mint is extremely easy to install, and with community support, easy to move onto adjusting the OS to meet your specific needs. The vast majority of instructions for undertaking configuration work and are easy to understand. See More

Top Pro

Mint 20 will actively avoid the Snap landmine planted by Canonical in Ubuntu 20.04.

Top Pro

Provides LTS (long term support) versions

Long Term Support versions are versions of software that are continuously updated for an extended period of time, even after newer versions are launched. LTS versions will typically get feature additions and enhancements for an extended period of time, then security updates up until its End of Life. An LTS release should typically be considered good for at least 5 years. See More

Top Pro

2016 hack listed here as a Con, was very quickly dealt with and is a non-issue over 4 years later

It works on many machines. Really good. See More

score 19 · Answer 5

Trisquel GNU/Linux

Top Pro

Reliable and working great out-of-the-box

Top Con

Avoid proprietary-only GPU drivers

GPUs without libre drivers are a problem (not fault of Trisquel, of course). Also Wi-Fi cards in the same vein. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu

Default Desktop Environment:GNOME, LXDE, MATE, Openbox

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Fresh installation looks great. See More

Top Pro

Polished look and feel

Gets all the advantages of Arch, like package availability, latest software, etc. See More

score 29 · Answer 6

Manjaro mate community edition

Top Con

Will not boot in multi-distro grub.

Top Pro

Arch based distribution

Top Con

Support is not as maintained as "Official Releases of Manjaro"

Not as actively maintained as "KDE" or "XFCE" or "Gnome" editions since they are official releases and "Mate" is just a community spin-off of Manjaro that may be discontinued altogether. See More

Top Pro

Preconfigured

Mate desktop is preinstalled and ready to use. See More

Top Con

Rolling release

Latest software may break the system. See More

Top Pro

Rolling release

Latest software available. See More

Isn't based on systemd which can spread malware into your system. See More

score 14 · Answer 7

Devuan GNU+Linux

Top Pro

Init based

Top Con

Impossibe to install on non-free hardware

Unlike Debian, Devuan offers no unfree install media, so if your system needs unfree drivers (e.g a laptop or a tablet), it's nearly impossible to install Devuan on it. See More

AmbitiousJacawitz's Experience

All the benefits of debian with none of the restrictions and problems of systemd See More

Specs

Based On:Debian

Init-System:SysVinit, runit or OpenRC

Default Desktop Environment:XFCE

Release Schedule:Long-term support (stable edition) and rolling release (testing and unstable editions)

Devuan is Debian just without systemd, it just mirrors the Debian archive and repacks packages that have hard deps on systemd. See More

Top Pro

It's Debian

Top Pro

Debian without systemd

Top Pro

Very secure

More secure than Debian, because it doesn't use Systemd. See More

Top Pro

Excellent for normal people

It is easy to use and is a good choice for beginners. See More

Top Pro

Stability

from 11 years on linux See More

score 16 · Answer 8

AcademiX GNU/Linux

Top Pro

Install huge applications with one click in EDU

IncredibleHunChowen's Experience

Specs

Based On:Debian

Default Desktop Environment:MATE

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Fast, reliable and efficient. Good menu and panels. See More

Top Pro

DJ

HarmoniousUkeMochi's Experience

Has been a very stable and reliable distro. It is one of the best. I have 12 different Linux distros installed on 3 different systems (I use a memory chip for Swap: can install 4 distros on each). See More

The usage of advanced features like USE flags makes it more customizable than any binary distribution. See More

score 10 · Answer 9

Gentoo Linux

Top Pro

Fully customizable

Top Con

No default installer

Installation must be done manually by following instructions in the handbook. See More

Specs

Based On:NONE

Init-System:OpenRC

Default Desktop Environment:NONE

Release Schedule:rolling release

There are many architectures available for Gentoo : i386, x86-64, PowerPC, PowerPC 64, sparc, DEC Alpha, ARM, MIPS, PA-RISC, S390, IA-64, sh, m68k. See More

Top Pro

Portability

Top Con

Somewhat outdated solutions

While being outdated per se is virtually impossible for a rolling-release distro with a large community, a large portion of said community sticks to outdated solutions. For example, Gentoo's primary init system is OpenRC, which is cumbersome and awkward to use and provides little control over the system. While you can just choose systemd, it will require some tinkering. Other examples include stubbornly declaring an initramfs a last resort and an "oh my god 1337 H4XX0RZ surely have nothing better to do than trying for a month to exploit some vulnerability to steal my pony art, I have to fortify so hard my performance and ease of use will suffer" 90s security mentality. Because of just how much freedom Gentoo provides you with, this usually isn't a big deal though. See More

Top Pro

Freedom

You are free to do whatever you want with it. As a result, its configuration reflects your unique taste and personality. See More

Top Con

Since everything must be compiled it takes a lot longer to update

And if you have to update the kernel or some heavy software like Chromium it can takes hours if not more on weaker hardware. See More

Top Pro

Full control of the software

You build the package from a source you can see and read. You decide which features you want to build in and which aren't needed. You can choose build options, optimisation and whatever else fancy stuff you want modified. With a binary distribution this simply isn't possible. See More

Top Con

Customized package installation can take a long time and cause installation failures

The Gentoo package management system allows you to configure what compilation flags packages should support - i.e. specific processor flag support (SSE, SSE2, etc.), -O1, -O2, -O3 optimization, etc. If you accept one of the default flags, Gentoo downloads binaries from the server. However, if you decide to optimise, it can and will download all source packages and start compiling allthe programs and libraries on your system. If your chosen flags don't work with a particular library, installation will fail. See More

Top Pro

A very large collection of software is available

There are more than 19.000 packages available in the official repository. And even more with overlays. See More

Top Con

Not beginner-friendly

You have to read a lot of instructions to start, even if you are familiar with Linux. Furthermore, as you have to configure the kernel and init system, expect some boot failures at beginning. See More

Top Pro

Great for anyone who is serious about learning the intricacies of Linux

It's useful for both beginners and professionals. For the installation, Gentoo offers various types, which are referred to as stages. Basically meaning how in depth you would want to go into the process of installation. For beginners it's useful to choose for a starting distro due to its various stages that can be very time consuming but beneficial as you learn the composition in general of Linux. See More

Top Pro

Gentoo does not impose a standard look-and-feel

Top Pro

Can be officially systemd-free

Gentoo's default init system is OpenRC. Gentoo also officially supports systemd-free Gnome and udev. Users are free to choose any init system they want. See More

Top Pro

Portage's emerge is powerful

It is compatible to Debian >=testing. See More

score 19 · Answer 10

Parrot GNU/Linux

Top Pro

Compatible with Debian

BrilliantAnteros's Experience

Great distro See More

Specs

Based On:Debian Testing

Default Desktop Environment:MATE, KDE

It is always based on the latest testing release so it includes more recent software than a stable based distribution. See More

Top Pro

Testing based

PoliteAjbit's Experience

Using parrot for a while now, no real complaints See More

Top Pro

Mate, Gnome 2, Good, solid, versatile, good menu, good panels, good software menu, smooth and efficient

Great Linus distro all the way See More

Top Pro

Focuses just one desktop

It focus the MATE desktop which makes it unique compared to the more general distros. See More

The goal of MATE is to maintain the look and feel of Gnome 2, while maintaining compatibility with Gnome 3. To that end, it has also forked and renamed many of Gnome's core applications. It benefits from the years of work and polish that have gone into the Gnome project. See More

score 47 · Answer 11

Ubuntu MATE

Top Pro

Perfect for people who like Gnome 2

Top Con

Not bleeding edge

Users who want the latest and greatest software would be happier using Arch Linux, Antergos or another rolling release distro. However, because Ubuntu MATE is based on Ubuntu, users still have access to a large repository of recent software. See More

DaringBayamanaco's Experience

Ubuntu has the largest package selection, most third-party package support, and most community support of all distros. The MATE desktop finishes this of perfectly. There is no better distro. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu

Default Desktop Environment:MATE

Release Schedule:Point (follows ubuntu releases)

Comes with an option to configure as Windows-like, Mac-like, Gnome-like, etc. in a single click. Wonderful to get you started without having to learn it all from scratch. See More

Top Pro

Highly configurable

Top Con

No very good Software Center by default

The Software Boutique is not good. You can install Gnome Software from it. See More

AssertiveChiron's Experience

xd See More

Top Pro

Works great on old laptops

It does not have a lot of system requirements so it works pretty well even on older laptops. See More

Top Con

Too much bloat included by default

ReliableLahurati's Experience

My Favorite Linux Desktop System. See More

Top Pro

Software Boutique provides a thoughtful / handy selection of software

Allow one to easily adding extra and useful software tools into the system, save time for hunting. See More

Top Pro

Simplicity of Gnome with the power of Ubuntu

Debian was good to use but has limited documentation and is difficult to pick up. Ubuntu MATE brings the ease of design and logic of the Gnome 2 style desktop so it's easy to get around coupled with the vast documentation, forums and ease of learning/using the Ubuntu system. See More

Top Pro

Based on Ubuntu

Top Pro

New user friendly

Deserves to be ranked up there with Mint, Zorin, Elementary as one of the more newb friendly distros. See More

Top Pro

Behaves like Ubuntu with Unity - after Ubuntu-Gnome transformation

No better place to continue Unity experience with Ubuntu (Left-side panel, HUD) and not as awkward as Gnome. See More

Since Fedora is released every 6 months, it's mate spin will be to providing a fast new mate version each time, people often call Fedora "Bleeding Edge" so I'm sure this will be! See More

score 14 · Answer 12

Fedora Mate

Top Con

Unstable and buggy

Top Pro

Gets RPM package manager

Ahmed Almeleh (Advanro Systems)'s Experience

Specs

Based On:linux Kernal

Default Desktop Environment:Mate

Release Schedule:6 Months

Default Desktop Environment: XFCE

score 8 · Answer 13

Archman Linux

Top Pro

Handy, easy to install, effective, has a variety of Sessions.

Specs

Based On:Arch Linux

Init-System:SystemD

Release Schedule:monthly updated (rolling)

Stable, reliable, rock solid. See More

score 6 · Answer 14

OpenSUSE

Top Pro

Very stable

TactfulPrometheus's Experience

At the install you can graphically custom lot of things, choose what packages, etc. It result you can have a fine lightweight os with mate desktop. A lot of packages available, and snapshots ability with BTRFS and snapper... See More

Specs

Based On:SLS>Slackware>Jurix>SuSE Linux

Default Desktop Environment:Plasma, GNOME, Xfce, LXQT, NONE

Release Schedule:Point (1 year minor releases, 3 years major releases)

OpenSUSE is very easy in terms of installing packages, administration and customization, yet very powerful in the same. Every user should find his own piece of cake in this OS. See More

Top Pro

Amazing choice for both newbies and power users

Top Pro

Outstanding community support

OpenSUSE has a VERY active user community. Questions on forums are generally answered in minutes. See More

Top Pro

Built-in drivers

Does the job needed and has the hardware drivers for the application built-in by the H/W supplier. See More

Top Pro

Supports RPM packages

Popular format shared with distros like Fedora, RHEL, Scientific Linux, Mageia etc. See More

Top Pro

Convenient package management with Zypper

Fast, reliable, powerful and almost impossible to leave a broken system. The Yast interface will also give you access to a Zypper GUI if you are uncomfortable with the command line. See More

Top Pro

Easy installation and administration

openSUSE makes use of a GUI tool called YaST to install and setup an openSUSE system. YaST is very easy to use and makes the process of installing and maintaining an openSUSE installation a breeze. See More

Top Pro

Extremely reliable

The packaging team is dependable resulting in system updates that come in a timely fashion and systems which rarely, if ever, break due to packaging. The versions of software that are selected and the configuration of them is typically extremely high quality. See More

Many issues can be resolved by just searching the forums. They are really a storehouse of knowledge. If not, expert help is still available. See More

score 1 · Answer 15

PCLinuxOS

Top Pro

Helpful and knowledgeable forums

HumbleAkmon's Experience

I have used this distro for over 10 years with the Mate desktop. It is a rolling release and packaged are updated frequently. Latest release has a new installer which was very easy to use. Packages are updated through Synaptic and it has a large selection. Very helpful forum . See More

Specs

Based On:Mandrake Linux

Init-System:SysV.init

Default Desktop Environment:KDE

One of the best in the business. See More

Top Pro

The team is headed by Texstar

Out of the box the best Mate distro! See More

score 8 · Answer 16

Pearl Linux

Top Pro

Stable

Top Con

The domineering web home page

Tomas Nilzon's Experience

Top Pro

Looks just like macOS

Pearl Linux is the best if you like macOS' look See More

Top Pro

Responsive

Top Pro

Low demand on system resources

Top Pro

Visually appealing

Default Desktop Environment:MATE

score 3 · Answer 17

Hamara

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager