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| 13 Recommended Products | Recommendations | Based On | Default Desktop Environment | Release Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Mint· · · | 11 | 2 | Ubunbu LTS | Cinnamon | 2 Year LTS / 6 Month Release |
| #2 Manjaro· · · | 9 | 1 | Arch | XFCE, KDE, or GNOME | Rolling Release |
| #3 antergos· · · | 5 | 0 | Arch | Cinnamon / GNOME 3 / KDE / MATE / Openbox / Xfce | Rolling Release |
| #4 Arch Linux | 7 | 1 | – | – | – |
| #5 Fedora Linux· · · | 3 | 0 | – | – | – |
| #6 Debian· · · | 3 | 1 | Debian | Gnome Shell | 2 Years |
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...
Con Security may be an issue
Linux Mint by default does not have auto updates turned on for things such as xorg or the kernel, thus leaving users with potentially insecure software.
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.
Pro Community flavors available
Spins/versions include : Budgie, Cinnamon, Deepin, GNOME, i3, lxqt, mate, xfce, kde, minimal.
Pro Offers choice of desktop environment on installation
Ability to choose your preferred desktop environment on installation.
Pro Rolling release model make is easy to keep apps on updated versions
Antergos is a rolling release distribution (as it's based on Arch Linux). Your entire system, from the base OS components to the applications that you install, will receive updates as they are released upstream—with only a minimal delay to ensure stability.
Con The installer breaks often
The installer, cnchi breaks all the time. It's very buggy.
Con Rolling release problems
Rolling release is quite pain sometimes. You might face some problem with a bugged application since you always get the latest version. This problem is a little bit solved by Manjaro distro where applications are tested but updates are slower than usual.
Con Maybe not best choice for first-time or casual user
If you install vanilla Arch, all you get is a command line, and then you have to download and install all your "packages" by typing in terminal commands! That alone would make any computer novice's worst nightmare...
Pro Lots of packages available
Fedora repos + REMI + RPMFusion, and now Microsoft is developing software for RedHat, which is available for Fedora as well. You can also add repos for CentOS, OpenSuse ; and somehow Arch people like Fedora people, so aur repo also works perfect.
Pro Easy to install a new window manager
You can just dnf a window manager, like KDE, Bhodi, Pantheon etc., and then switch between them in Gnome Login. If you don't like gnome login, you can dnf another login manager... literally plug and play.
Con Gnome maybe too simplistic for some people
You cannot really customize gnome to look like other things, and gnome nautilus is still too simple, it does not have enough features. Also, there is no icon by default on Desktop, that bothers some people.
Pro Widest hardware support
Runs on any platform.
Pro Comes with over 37500 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 37500 packages (software that is precompiled and ready to be installed on a local machine) -- all of them for free.
Con No default support for nonfree hardware
Non-free hardware will not work upon install of Debian and the user will need to search out the correct nonfree software to install in order to make them work. This can be difficult if one of the things not working is the wifi connection.
Con Hard to configure
After the initial installation, which is quite simple, it may be hard to configure Debian. Things like printers for example, are notoriously hard to set up on Debian for some computers.
Pro Extremely user-friendly
This distribution promises you a very tailored user experience and it does deliver on that promise. The developers provide you with a custom desktop environment and a set of neat programs. And the whole desktop looks simply gorgeous.
Pro UI design consistency
Excellent uniformity between all the stock application and an overall extremely clean design with simple animations.
Con Very slow development cycle
elementary OS does not offer any release date for their stable releases going more with a "it's done when it's done" attitude. Making depending on newer apps a difficulty as well as a poor choice for those that need consistent release schedules for their OS.
Con Old base and applications
The slow release schedule makes the applications outdated. It drags behind Ubuntu LTS (on which it's based) which itself drags behind Ubuntu which is often still quite far behind Arch for example.
Pro Quick boot time
Boots at about half the speed of most distributions.
Pro Comes with lightweight applications
Xubuntu is designed as a lightweight operating system and Linux distro. It uses XFCE by default and comes packed with XFCE applications which are generally pretty lightweight.
Con UI is pretty generic without customization
The default XFCE UI is pretty generic and sometimes ugly unless customized to suit the user's needs and liking. Customization in XFCE is easier than on Unity, but still hard for beginners.
Con XFCE development is slow
The desktop environment used in Xubuntu has not been update in over two years and is developed at a snail's pace.
Pro Full featured desktop environment that is actively developed
Unlike some abandoned, unfinished distros, Kubuntu is up to date and offers a fully functional desktop environment that targets workstation users.
Con Often unstable
There have been several bugs reported. Some of these bugs are: shutting down randomly, refusing to boot, refusing to shut down, menus may act strange, icons may disappear, etc...
Pro Simplicity
Ubuntu is designed to be used by everyday people. Because of that, Ubuntu has tried hard to make a user interface that's intuitive and looks pleasant and clean.
Pro Lots of support
As the most popular Linux distribution, there's a wide range of sources for support online if you ever need help, including the Ubuntu Wiki, Ubuntu Forums and the Ask Ubuntu Stack Exchange site.
Con Unity offers very limited customizability
The Unity desktop environment is practically non customizable with the user only being able to change certain themes and icons and adding a dock.
Con Unity interface might be confusing for new users
Unity does not align itself with the normal desktop paradigm and thus has a bit of a confusing UI in comparison to the norm of a Windows user.
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