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What are the best Linux distros?

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7 Options Considered

7 Options ConsideredPriceDefault Desktop EnvironmentRelease Schedule
Debian GNU/Linux
CLI, GNOME(Xfce on non-Linux Ports)2 Years/ Rolling(Unstable and Testing)
Manjaro Linux
XFCE, KDE, Gnome, Budgie, Cinnamon, Deepin, i3, LXDE/lxqt, and MATERolling Release
Arch Linux
CLIRolling Release
Fedora
Gnome Shell6 Months
Deepin
Deepin Desktop EnvironmentRolling release
See Full List

Debian GNU/Linux

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WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Comes with over 37,500 packages

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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 37,500 packages (software that is precompiled and ready to be installed on a local machine) -- all of them for free.
InsightfulFufluns
Top Pro

Very stable

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InsightfulFufluns
Top Pro

Install and forget

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Once installed you can almost forget about it and start to use your desktop for your daily tasks
WhiteLilac
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.
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Wide choice of hardware platforms

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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.
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Rolling or Release based

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Every Debian Release can either use a Rolling or Release based model.
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Standard vanilla Linux desktop

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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 shou...
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Great for gaming

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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.
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

A lot of ways to install software

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You can either use aptitude, apt or apt-build to install software from the Debian package archives.
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Well-working team

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The developer works very well so the the code is one of the best written out there.
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Live install images for CDs, DVDs and USB thumb drives

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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.
WhiteLilac
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.
WhiteLilac
Top Pro

Extremely easy to find help with any problem

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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 g...
WhiteLilac
Top Con

No default support for non-free hardware

•••
Non-free hardware will not work upon install of Debian and the user will need to search out the correct non-free software to install in order to make them work. This can be difficult if one of the things not working is the WiFi connection.
Cooper
Top Con

You have to dig deep for non-free

•••
There is an unofficial ISO with non-free drivers for my laptop wifi card, but they make you look hard and dig deep to find it. I would have tried Debian a lot sooner had they made it easier to find.
WhiteLilac
Top Con

No choices

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Debian basically doesn't give you any choices: for example it is very hard to use a different Sound system than ALSA like OSS4, and the same goes for different init systems.
WhiteLilac
Top Con

Internal quarrels harm the project

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Instead of working all together to provide the best Operating System, some maintainers are just ignorant and aggressive to new ideas or new maintainers. That led to many crises and controversy in Debian's history.
WhiteLilac
Top Con

Old software is not useful, but is stable

•••
Certainly for the stable and old stable versions. But the testing version has quite up to date software.
WhiteLilac
Top Con

Ridiculous package splitting

•••
Even though it makes sense to split devel and the actual binary of an application, the splitting has become as mess in debian and its derivates: for example the nvidia driver is splitted into over 40 different packages.
See 17 more Pros & ConsSee 17 more Pros & Cons

Manjaro Linux

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Ray
Top Pro

A rolling-release distribution

•••
Manjaro uses a rolling release method for all updates, so once a system is installed, as long as the user regularly updates there is no need to re-install.
Cooper
Top Pro

Arch User Repository access

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Manjaro allows the user to access of the Arch User Repository, a very large user-maintained repository of packages for Arch Linux and derivatives.
Cooper
Top Pro

Based on Arch and user friendly

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Manjaro is an Arch-based distribution with all the benefits of the Arch ecosystem and community but with the added benefit of being much more user-friendly than Arch.
Cooper
Top Pro

Friendly community

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If you ask questions of users in their forums or on other platforms, they are willing to help you. Also according to the developers, they are open to new ideas in order to make the distro better.
Cooper
Top Pro

Installation is a breeze

•••
Calamares installer and MHWD is the reason why this distribution is good for desktop user- friendliness! Audio codecs, latest packages,latest kernel and easy upgrade to the latest build makes it the best choice for new users.
Cooper
Top Pro

Improved stability due to a longer testing period for new packages

•••
Packages from Arch's repositories are tested (about two weeks) longer for stability and compatibility issues. Patches are applied, when necessary, before being made available in the stable repositories.
Cooper
Top Con

Can still be unstable

•••
Here are the details of it.
See 5 more ProsSee 5 more Pros

Arch Linux

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Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Stripped down to the bone

•••
Since its stripped down, it is fast and you don't have to deal with bloatware.
Ubuntu Tech
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 inst...
Monika
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Helpful 3rd-party installers

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There are extremely helpful 3rd party installers such as Anarchy Linux (Formerly Arch Anywhere).
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Excellent package management with the AUR

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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...
Ubuntu Tech
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.
Ubuntu Tech
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.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Fast and simple package management

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Pacman has performance advantages over apt-get and yum in both database operations (thanks to being written for speed) and download times (by virtue of using better mirrors than other distributions tend to select by default). There are also fewer default repositories to download from, and all packa...
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

No restrictive handholding, pure control over everything

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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.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

As slim or copious as you want it

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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 w...
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

A package for almost everything

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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.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Excellent documentation

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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 t...
Ubuntu Tech
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.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
See 11 more ProsSee 11 more Pros

Fedora

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Deepin

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Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Exciting applications

•••
It has some exciting applications, such as Deepin Graphics Driver Manager which can easily change between free and proprietary drivers without any issue.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Not based on Ubuntu

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Some people don't like Ubuntu nor its derivatives.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Launches programs faster

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Programs load and launch faster in Deepin than other Linux distributions. It takes only about 3 seconds to launch Chrome.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Blur and transparent design

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Deepin has a blur and transparent design throughout the OS, which makes it one of the most beautiful Linux distros.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Company behind it

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The Wuhan Deepin Technology is behind this Linux distribution.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Best for daily use

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Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Easy to install

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Installing Deepin OS is very easy. Even easier than installing Ubuntu!
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Has its own toolkit

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It has its own toolkit called "Deepin Tool Kit". And the maintainers themselves use it.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Supports Flatpak

•••
Deepin OS supports Flatpak. It also has some Flatpak programs installed by default.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Can be made to look like Windows easily

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By default, Deepin looks kinda like macOS but it can be made to look like Windows by right-clicking on the dock and changing the mode from "Fashion Mode" to "Efficient Mode".
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Rolling release

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It is a rolling release Linux distribution which is quite popular these days.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Great design to the app store

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The app store is gorgeous.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Well-designed in every detail, developers have a professional aproach to the system

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Deepin has a sane default set of apps including custom apps of their own design that gives the distro a very consistent look and feel. By working with the community on these tools as well as custom translations there is a great sense of polish when using it that is not often seen when using such a...
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Easy to use

•••
It's very easy to use. You can easily uninstall a program by going to the menu then right-clicking on the preferred app and selecting "Uninstall" option.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Based on Debian

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It is based on Debian which is the best Linux distribution for desktops.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Enjoy the simplicity of Deepin's desktop

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The desktop interface and apps feature an intuitive and elegant design. Moving around, sharing and searching, etc. has become simply a joyful experience.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Excellent apps

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Having Deepin installed also means you have thousands of quality apps to choose from. The apps which come with installation will suit your needs to browse the Internet, listen to music, watch videos, talk with friends, editing documents or simply any task you want to do at home or in your office.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Automatically cleans package cache

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Deepin automatically cleans package cache. Cleaning package cache is a good thing as it will make the OS much faster and lighter.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

VLC media player works without any issue

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In some cases, VLC media player has some problems with Ubuntu or Ubuntu-based Linux distros. That isn't the case with Deepin.
Ubuntu Tech
Top Pro

Very stable

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Even though it is based on Debian unstable, it is still pretty stable and you will hardly ever get a dependency issue.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
See 19 more ProsSee 19 more Pros

Linux Mint

EagerMapulon
Top Pro

Complete and stable

•••
EagerMapulon
Top Pro

Already functional out-of-the-box

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Mint comes bundled with software for browsing the web, editing pictures, browsing files, watching videos and even a full office suite (LibreOffice). An average user can use Mint right away after a fresh install, using all the software that comes with the distribution to complete most of their daily...
EagerMapulon
Top Pro

Familiar user interface

•••
Mint is highly recommended for both users coming from Windows, as well as users coming from Ubuntu, but unhappy with Ubuntu's recent, rather dramatic interface changes. Mint provides an updated interface with a look and feel similar to Gnome 2, with an application menu reminiscent of the Windo...
EagerMapulon
Top Pro

Compatibility with Debian and Ubuntu software builds and repositories

•••
Mint gains a very strong package ecosystem and software manager of Debian, including more than 30,000 packages available from the Debian repositories.
Know any negative aspects of this option?
See 3 more ProsSee 3 more Pros

Ubuntu

Buster Blu
Top Pro

Just works out of the box

•••
Lots of support for hardware, lots of pre-installed software, and a smooth install process means less time downloading drivers, less time digging through configuration files, and less time deciding on software to use just to get up and running. It also means less time digging through forums looking...
Buster Blu
Top Pro

Good PPA repositories available

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PPA repositories allow you to install the latest version of your preferred software while keeping the rest of the operating system "stable".
Buster Blu
Top Con

Software can be outdated, if not severely outdated

•••
If you try to download "unpopular" software, so you may find you're downloading a version that's several years old.
Buster Blu
Top Con

Unstable

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Some people pointed out that updating Arch is a high risk affair. And one should carefully read forums before doing it. The same is true about Ubuntu. Making system updates (like it was with 10.04 to 11.04) that screw so many things up became a routine. Even LTS releases should not give confidence...
Buster Blu
Top Con

Random system errors may pop up

•••
See 3 more Pros & ConsSee 3 more Pros & Cons

21 Community Recommendations

Buster Blu
Cooper
Pier Luigi Fiorini
Ray
WhiteLilac
Ubuntu Tech
ConscientiousSzelatya
WittyKayra
EagerMapulon
ChattyDione
LivelyPereplut
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Request recommendations from the community
InsightfulFufluns
InsightfulFufluns
Contributor for 12 days
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Debian GNU/Linux
Recommended 12 days ago
it is mother of all distros
Pro
 Very stable
Pro
 Install and forget
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Currently displaying 1 out of 21 total recommendations.
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