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LinuxOpen SourceLaptopsSoftwareOperating System

What are the best Linux distributions for laptops?

36

Options
Considered

1.1K

User
Recs.

15 hrs

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

The Best 1 of 33 OptionsWhy?

Best Linux distributions for laptops	Price	Based On	Default Desktop Environment
91 Manjaro	FREE	Arch Linux	KDE, GNOME and XFCE
89 Arch	FREE	N/A	N/A
84 Mint	-	Debian>Ubuntu LTS	Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce
-- Endeavour OS	0	-	-
-- Debian GNU/Linux	Free	N/A	GNOME(CLI, Xfce, MATE, Cinnamon, KDE, LXDE & LXQt are available)

Manjaro

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Top Pro

Based on Arch and user friendly

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. See More

Top Con

Can still be unstable

Here are the details of it. See More

cosmo's Experience

It's all the goodness of Arch Linux wrapped and delivered in an easy, breezy package. See More

Specs

Based On:Arch Linux

Default Desktop Environment:KDE, GNOME and XFCE

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Pacman

Top Pro

Latest kernels

An arch-based distro which includes the latest kernels which have better hardware support. See More

Top Con

The Manjaro unstable repository is slow to sync with the Arch stable repository

The Manjaro unstable repository syncs with the Arch stable repository and if any package has moved, it gets moved to stable. Manjaro gets package updates a bit later than Arch. See More

TirelessNehmetawy's Experience

Using many live distros I found many struggled with identifing hardware and configuring all to operate properly on my HP Pavilion x360 Convertible. The ACL295 sound always a hang up. Of all installed the Majaro community offered the right answer with the first answer and it was simple change of model Id in the options statement in alsa-base.conf file. Then it worked fine. Stable with no glitches, it just works like you need it to. See More

Top Pro

Arch User Repository access

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

Top Con

Daily manual updates

Since it is rolling release, it needs updates nearly every day, which (though are checked for automatically) must be manually downloaded, confirmed and installed. That may annoy or scare off many new users. See More

Lucas's Experience

Manjaro gives access to the arch user repository without a lot of the hassle usually associated with Arch. In my experience, it can still sometimes be less stable than, say, Ubuntu, but I have found it worth the trouble. See More

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. See More

Top Con

You can't change the default theme in certain applications

Although it is possible to change the default dark theme, this has no effect on Firefox, which appears to have the dark theme "hard coded". I am sure hardened Linux pros may find a way to change this, but for the rest of us, it renders an otherwise nice distro a no-go. See More

Top Pro

Friendly community

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. See More

Top Con

New packages and security updates are held for testing longer

Packages are usually about two weeks behind Arch's stable repository. While some urgent security updates are released as soon as they become available, other security updates are held for testing longer. See More

Top Pro

All major desktops can be directly installed from official repositories

This includes less common ones like budgie, lumina, lxqt, deepin, enlightenment etc. Also available as independent variants. See More

Top Con

Bad way of handling dependencies

Manjaro is based on Arch linux. Arch linux and its derivatives have a bad way of handling dependencies - it does that by installing a whole another program containing the required dependencies. See More

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. See More

Top Con

Slightly bloated

Top Pro

Excellent graphical package manager (Pamac)

Features include: providing notifications of available updates; mirror management; AUR support (with the option to suppress unnecessary confirmations during the install process); update settings (frequency, whether to check for updates from the AUR, packages to ignore updates for); and a history of packages installed, updated, or removed (from the official repositories - AUR packages are not currently tracked). See More

Top Con

Calls itself "stable," but actually just holds Arch Linux repositories back for a week.

Top Pro

Stable and consistently up to date

Manjaro receives regular updates, but more importantly these updates are stable. The updates are rolled out, which means you can easily update the software without needing to re-install. See More

Top Con

Installation is extremely buggy

There's no easy way to switch from local keyboard layout if non-Latin installer language is selected. See More

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. See More

Top Con

Nothing new

There is nothing new in manjaro compared to any other arch based distribution. See More

Top Pro

Uses low memory

By using XFCE (or LXDE, Fluxbox, supported by community) as the default desktop on an install, Manjaro is able to have a low memory footprint. See More

Top Con

Often breaks grub

Installing Manjaro can make Ubuntu go missing. Linux Kernels were updated and Ubuntu reappeared after running grub-update. See More

Top Pro

Manjaro provides its own distribution-specific tools such as the Manjaro Hardware Detection (mhwd) utility, and the Manjaro Settings Manager (msm).

Run automatically during the installation process, it allows for Manjaro to work fully on your system 'straight out of the box', without the need to manually identify and install the necessary drivers or to manually edit the appropriate configuration files. Also usable via the terminal after installation, the features of the mhwd command include: The choice of free (i.e. open-source) or non-free (i.e. proprietary) drivers Identification and listing (general or detailed) of your system's hardware Identification and listing (general or detailed) of installed drivers Listing of available drivers for installation (free and proprietary) Support of hybrid graphics cards (e.g. Nvidia Optimus) Easy removal and installation of drivers (selected automatically, or you can identify and choose your own) See More

Top Con

Very slow development for 32-bit hardwares

ArchLinux-32 community maintain their forums every day. They upload new ISO's every month. But Manjaro-32 community upload new ISO's in every 6 month. And provide only a DE-mate. See More

Top Pro

Support for multiple kernels

Manjaro has built-in support for multiple kernels as well as a way to easily install them. See More

Top Con

Weekly manual updates

Since it is rolling release, it needs updates nearly every week, which (though are checked for automatically) must be manually downloaded, confirmed and installed. That may annoy or scare off many new users. See More

Top Pro

Manjaro

Excellent distro. See More

Top Pro

Deepin desktop environment is a worthy attraction

Top Pro

Very good looking desktops

All desktops look good by default. See More

Top Pro

Nice looking and easy to install on a flash drive

Easily installed See More

Top Pro

Steam installed by default

Manjaro comes with Steam installed so you can get logged in and go right to installing games. More info here: https://manjaro.github.io/homepage/public/features/usercases/gamers/ See More

Top Pro

Different editions to select from + Manjaro community

You can choose between different Manjaro editions which have their own change in features, and there is also Manjaro community editions where the community can make their own changes. See More

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32 Other Options Considered

Arch

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Top Pro

Excellent documentation

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 Con

Instability can be an issue

GraciousRongo's Experience

Há mais de 15 anos utilizo distros baseadas em Debian. Até que um dia resolvi instalar Manjaro, gostei muito. Criei coragem e instalei Arch Linux, não saio mais. Muito bom o gerenciador de pacotes, seus repositórios estão sempre atualizados. Gosto de Rolling-Release. See More

Specs

Default Desktop Environment:N/A

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Pacman

Top Pro

Fast and simple package management

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 package management is combined into one tool instead of being split into dpkg, apt-get, and apt-cache like on Debian distros. See More

Top Con

Not ready out of the box

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

GloriousParthenope's Experience

Could minimal install for as per your own mind. Ofcourse "WIKI" and "AUR". You could follow many different configuration you like: https://www.reddit.com/r/unixporn/search?q=flair_name%3A%22Screenshot%22&restrict_sr=1 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 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

Ray's Experience

Simple, lightweight, and functional. Arch offers great control and doesn't get in my way of doing things, although it can be a pain to get stuff right sometimes. ArchWiki is also amazing. 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

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

cosmo's Experience

Always up to date, and incredibly stable for a rolling release distribution. 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

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

PioneeringAsag's Experience

Arch is probably really good if you're a Linux pro. I installed it based off a recommendation of a friend, but even months down the line I couldn't get it to work nicely with my hardware. Try Manjaro instead for great Arch software without the hassle. 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

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

MerryVaisravana's Experience

used SwagArch simple fast installer! Jumped right into kill apps and pacman -Syu... Put openbox on system killed xfce... Just quick way get past install time.. Can't get around install time without a GUI installer.. Installed Arch Linux from terminal 18 times best I could do was 12 mins. Nothing like rolling past install and get to the meat of Arch Linux.. 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

Package manager is so naive

For example, it doesn't allow you to purge (remove package and it's configuration files). 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. 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

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

Systemd

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

Top Pro

Great for low performance hardware

Arch Linux works quite well with low performance hardware like netbooks. 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

Great security out of the box

Even a default Arch setup offers great security with the minimum number of open ports and very little information on the system for outsiders. 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 Pro

Highly customizable

Tailor the system to your needs. See More

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 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

Documentation only makes sense if you know how to adjust it

While the documentation is a very valuable reference for experts, the recipes often don't actually work on your own computer. Some articles are outdated, incomplete, contradictory or duplicated. Only if you are expert enough to know which steps to skip, to adjust or which other documentation parts to plug in, you can make it work. See More

Top Pro

Arch is the best!

#!/bin/sh echo "Arch is the best!" See More

Top Con

Problems with driver/kernel/gpu consistency

Arch has no proper desktop support, you must craft your system together. Things may work for the first but generally it takes days to configure a stable and working system. This is NOT ideal for a desktop user. See More

Top Pro

Huge Repositories

Although Arch Linux only comes with around 10,000 packages, you can use the Arch User Repositories (AUR) which will add over 50,000 more packages. See More

Top Con

Multiple Aur helpers

Arch has strict reasoning behind what goes into the official repositories accessible by pacman. As a result, many other projects end up in the Arch User Repository (AUR). Effectively using Arch, and getting easy access to all of the available software, means either manually downloading and installing from the AUR, or installing an AUR helper - these work along side the main package manager (Pacman), but are a bit less standardized or heavily supported. See More

Top Pro

Stripped down to the bone

Since it's stripped down, it's fast and you don't have to deal with bloatware. See More

Top Pro

On avarage only 1 manual intervention needed a year now.

The comments about issues with upgrades are over exaggerated. Those comments assume that : A) They happen often, B) you are using a specific package with an issue, C) that package maintainers can't release a patch to the package that will work around the issue for you, and that D) Manual intervention or system recovery from such issues is hard to fix. On average once or twice a year a user may have to cut and paste some commands in the terminal to fix an issue, but that's about it. Additionally any system recovery required from such missed interventions is easy, just follow the wiki and make a live usb if your using a desktop or laptop. See More

Top Pro

Arch Linux Wiki

The Arch Linux Wiki is very useful not just for Arch Linux users, but for anyone who uses Linux. See More

Top Pro

Helpful for understanding how Linux is installed

Arch does not come with an automatic installation process. The user is expected to walk through the installation steps published on the Arch wiki. This is very useful if, later, something happens to the installation as the user will be more familiar with the foundational steps required to get a full blown Arch installation working. See More

Top Pro

Good overall system quality

QoL of Arch is generally good. You get something more consistent and doable in Arch then you would get with most other OSes. See More

Top Pro

It is Linux at the core

This distro is barebones enough to make a new distro from. See More

Top Pro

Helpful 3rd party installers

There are extreamly helpful 3rd party installers such as Anarchy Linux (Formerly Arch Anywhere). See More

Mint

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Top Pro

Complete and stable

Complete and stable See More

Top Con

Overdependent on Ubuntu

They have tried to address this with a Debian-based release, but generally, packages, updates and even full upgrades follow Ubuntu slavishly. See More

WiseThaumas's Experience

Good compromise between reliability, customization, low power usage etc See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu LTS

Default Desktop Environment:Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

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). 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 tasks. 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

WittyLempo's Experience

Easy to install, easy to find software (easy Ubuntu package system), easy to update and upgrade. See More

Top Pro

Quick and 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 desktop is highly customizable and can be made to look however preferred. 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

CourteousQuirinus's Experience

To use a cliche, it just works. The outdated software can be a problem, but usually you can install something more up to date if you wish. See More

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 Windows 7 Start Menu, with categorization and search. See More

Top Con

Outdated software centers

Many of the offered options are older versions. See More

RespectfulUlanji's Experience

Very stable and user friendly See More

Top Pro

Compatibility with Debian and Ubuntu software builds and repositories

Mint and gains the very strong package ecosystem and software manager of Debian, including more than 30,000 packages available from the Debian repositories. See More

Top Con

Too many kernel crashes

Jesse's Experience

Many come from Windows, this feels a lot like it --- KDE does the most but Im not a fan. See More

Top Pro

Good community support

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

ConfidentNulgupjisin's Experience

Using since 2006 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 Con

The Update doesn't work sometimes

Sometimes the update failed to configure a package. See More

RationalHlin's Experience

Quite smooth See More

Top Pro

Looks good

Top Con

Many proprietary (closed-source) packages

By default, Linux Mint includes almost all the proprietary packages just to improve the user experience. See More

BraveHorme's Experience

from Linux mint 19 the network manager to connect to WI-Fi is spotty at best See More

Top Pro

Supports proprietary software

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

Top Con

Cheap Windows substitute

Linux Mint tries to be like Windows when it could be different and provide options. See More

Top Pro

XFCE support

XFCE aims to be fast and lightweight DE. See More

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

Top Pro

Pretty desktop

Linux Mint has a quite pretty default desktop. Cinnamon is adopted by other distros also. See More

Top Con

Does not handle multiple languages well

Top Pro

The easiest option ever

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

Top Con

Linux Mint tries to force people to use less powerful custom package management system

The custom package management system is slow, frustrating, and forces you to select and install one package at a time. Can't select a whole load of packages and then run the installations in one go. They've also blocked certain powerful features of synaptic, the default Ubuntu/Debian package management application. See More

Top Pro

Not from a big company

Linux Mint is not Canonical, while based upon Ubuntu. See More

Top Pro

Popular

Linux mint is currently the most hit page on DistroWatch. Because of its popularity, long term support is pretty guaranteed. See More

Top Pro

Provides LTS (long term support) versions

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

MATE desktop (as an option)

MATE is a classic desktop as opposed to the newer "Unity" desktop. For people who prefer the classic style this is one of only few modern distributions with still active MATE desktop development. See More

Top Pro

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

This tool backs up the core OS files to an external drive with an option for full encryption. See More

Endeavour OS

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Top Pro

Cutting edge rolling release

Exactly as Arch - allows users to stay on the most up-to-date versions of the software they are using. See More

Top Con

Same Cons that apply for Arch Linux

niingu's Experience

Easy install with Calamares installer and a beautifully themed XFCE desktop. Built for speed! This is THE best Arch distribution - a perfect replacement for Antergos. And it will become even better in short time. See More

Top Pro

AUR support

One of the best reasons to use an Arch based distro. You can find almost every package there is in the Linux world! See More

Top Pro

Great for low performance hardware

Easy on the specs and still blazingly fast. See More

Top Pro

Arch Linux Wiki

Being an "easy to install version of Arch" means it is exactly easy to use the famous Arch Wiki! See More

Top Pro

Fast and simple package management

There can only be one Package Manager (pacman) ;) See More

Top Pro

Easy installer

Top Pro

Support for a large variety of new hardware

Rolling release means newer, up to date, mesa and kernel versions able to handle newer hardware with better performance! See More

Top Pro

As slim as you want it

Based on Arch, Endevour OS keeps its core repositories slim and free of unnecessary dependencies. The distro comes with no bloatware, only the necessary packages. The repositories are nearly as full as those of Ubuntu, while they are often more up to date. See More

Top Pro

Not based on Ubuntu

Top Pro

No restrictive handholding, pure control over everything

The user can do whatever he wishes because the distro IS Arch - with and easy installer and great themes. See More

Top Pro

Helpful community

Great team of developers and excellent forum support on their official website. See More

Top Pro

Good overall system quality and performance

Lean, fast and surprisingly stable. See More

Top Pro

Stripped down to the bone

Since its stripped down, it is fast and you don't have to deal with bloatware. See More

Top Pro

Great hardware support

Top Pro

Great XFCE implementation

Their use of themes and configuration look great! See More

Debian GNU/Linux

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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 Con

Not designed for general desktop usage

By default, Debian is not that great of a distro for general desktop usage, since the packages are very outdated. You'll have to spend a while configuring the system in order to make it work. See More

EmbiggenedBasamum's Experience

I've found Debian highly stable and secure. I love Debian combined with KDE Plasma. See More

Specs

Default Desktop Environment:GNOME(CLI, Xfce, MATE, Cinnamon, KDE, LXDE & LXQt are available)

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

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 Con

No choices

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. 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

Top Con

Stable release contains extremely outdated packages

If you want the newest packages, you'll have to do a minimal installation of Debian stable then upgrade to testing or you need to install testing directly: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTesting. See More

Top Pro

Comes with over 37,500 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 37,500 packages (software that is precompiled and ready to be installed on a local machine) -- all of them for free. See More

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. See More

Top Pro

Install and forget

Once installed you can almost forget about it and start to use your desktop for your daily tasks. See More

Top Con

Buggy and non-user friendly

You need to know almost as much as Arch and deal with documentation not as good as the Arch wiki in order for Debian to work. 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 Con

Internal quarrels harm the project

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. 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 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: https://packages.debian.org/en/source/sid/nvidia-graphics-drivers 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

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

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

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

Great on Raspberry Pi

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

Rolling or Release based

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

Solus

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Top Pro

Heavily optimized

Ikey, the lead developer, used to work for Intel on the Clear Linux project, and he has brought with him many unique and powerful optimizations previously limited to Intel's custom distribution. See More

Top Con

No USB Image writer

cosmo's Experience

Probably the absolute best desktop distribution available for x86_64/AMD64 computers. It's got everything: rolling release, heavily optimized, beautiful, and easy to use. See More

Specs

Default Desktop Environment:Budgie, GNOME, MATE, KDE Plasma

Init-System:systemd

Package Manager:eopkg package manager(PiSi fork)

Top Pro

Rolling release

Top Con

An upgrade breaks the system quite often

SupportiveFukurokuju's Experience

Solus Gnome is shockingly stable and everything just works. If you can live with what's in the repository, then you will be very happy with this distro See More

Top Pro

The most stable rolling release distro

Top Con

A bit unstable on some laptops

Top Pro

Modern desktop environment

The default desktop environment used by Solus is called Budgie and is quite nice and minimalistic. See More

Top Con

Not much software

There is not much software available. See More

Top Pro

Stable

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

Responsive

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

Top Con

Limited to the x86_64/AMD64 architecture

If you want to use this distribution on anything else, you're out of luck. See More

Top Pro

Built from scratch

Top Con

Software a bit slower to launch than for other distributions

Top Pro

Exclusively for desktop systems

Top Pro

Great package management

The software center makes it really easy to install the latest software. Including third party software. 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

Top Pro

Seamless Packages

It may not have the most obscure packages, but the packages it does have is a good number of everything a Linux user needs. Gamers, developers, desktop users, etc. all have the necessary packages and then some. The packages themselves are integrated perfectly and are very well updated. See More

Top Pro

Most stable Rolling Release Distro

Fedora

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Top 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 perfectly. See More

Top Con

Unstable

Some packages may break, because there isn't an option to test them before rolling them out. See More

Elias Van Ootegem's Experience

It's my go-to distro for my work laptops. Installs fast & easy, there's tons of RPM's with up-to-date packages available, and there's more than enough tools out there so I can quickly set up my environment and get cracking in no time. rpm/yum/dnf as a tool still has its quirks/faults, but the binary diff packages are a really neat feature, which can cut down on download/upgrade time quite significantly. This is especially useful on a laptop where disk space, and (battery) time can sometimes be factors (e.g. quickly need to patch/update a package on the move, a well kept diff/cache can bring downloads down from 100Mb to less than 20!). Haven't had a single hardware compatibility problem in the last 4 years (working with at least 7 laptops over the same period of time). Though anecdotal, I've not heard of any unsupported hardware from anyone I know who runs fedora. I have always waited a bit to upgrade to the next version (~1 month) because the brave souls that venture out to do this first often do encounter some issues. See More

Specs

Based On:Red Hat Linux

Default Desktop Environment:GNOME

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:RPM Package Manager

Top Pro

Bleeding edge

Now it has Wayland by default, you have basically the latest of everything in Linux. See More

Top Con

Windows-like system updates

Huh? Ever since, say, Fedora 20ish, updates on the dozen compters I administer just work. I run a command (or use GUI) and the update to new fedora happens. See More

WittyLempo's Experience

Stable, and its great to be able to easily switch and adapt to Red Hat or CentOS. If you want to get Red Hat Certification, for example. I recommend the Security "lab" as well. See More

Top Pro

Strong commitment to free software philosophy

Top Con

Dependent on Red Hat , dnf/rpm package ecosystem

Similar to Mint's dependence on Ubuntu, Fedora is dependent in many ways on Red Hat. It's hard to tell for sure, but Fedora's obviously better funded than most all "free beer" distros, and it's pretty obvious where that money is coming from. See More

MightyCliodhna's Experience

Very good, and variety apps for beginner... See More

Top Pro

Stable under Gnome and KDE

Top Con

Slow

It is quite slow on some computers See More

ArticulateKotys's Experience

xmonad runs flawlessly on my laptop See More

Top Pro

Bug reporting and fixing

It is easy to report a bug in Fedora, The developers follow it up and fixes are released quite fast. Community involvement in the process is commendable See More

Top Con

Not for low frequency CPU (Netbooks, old computers)

AwesomestGebeleizis's Experience

neat, simple, quite stable See More

Top Pro

Backed by the biggest Linux kernel contributor

Fedora is backed by RedHat, the biggest Linux kernel contributor in the world. Using a distribution made by RedHat means that it will be fine-tuned to work as efficiently as possible since it's made by the same people who work extensively on the kernel and know its ins and outs. See More

Top Con

Updating to a new release can be problematic

While there are a few tools on offer that will upgrade an old Fedora release to the newest, there can often be problems with these methods. Some that may not even crop up at first but will show later down the road. Being that upgrading can be an issue, it can be exacerbated by the fact that Fedora updates every six month, which means twice a year there is a risk of completely borking ones install. See More

Top Pro

Integration with GNOME

It perhaps has the best integration with GNOME (GNOME software works out of the box). See More

Top Con

Too many changes to upstream packages leading to a "Fedora way" of doing things

Linux should be linux, but Fedora is constantly introducing breakage and changes which move things in the wrong direction and make things worse for everyone. See More

Top Pro

Very good integration with Flatpak and Snap Packages

Top Con

Wayland does not work with Prime/Optimus

On a pc with hybrid video, you must use Gnome on Xorg to let the Prime or Optimus technology work. See More

Top Pro

Fast performance

Top 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. See More

Top Pro

Spins and Labs

Spins are images with a different WM/DE, and Labs are filled with a specific theme of packages. See More

Top Con

Proprietary drivers are unsupported

Fedora does not support proprietary drivers, meaning that users may have problems with a lot of hardware when using Fedora. The software to make that kind of hardware work can be installed, but it can be done only through third-parties and it's not easy for the average user. See More

Top 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. See More

Top Pro

Fast and stable updates

Top Pro

Binary diff packages

The binary diff packaging is nifty. Saves having to download things you already have for every upgrade, especially good when upgrading system on battery power, or on slow (dodgy) public wifi. See More

Top Pro

Better battery life

Red Hat engineers have implemented some tweaks on the more recent versions of Fedora to lower the power consumption. See More

Top Pro

Leading edge of innovation yet surprisingly stable

Despite being on the innovation edge, Fedora has been surprisingly stable in the past few years, See More

Top Pro

Spins for various desktop environment work well

Fedora Spins work quite well and availability of updated respins, every fornight or so, are an added advantage. See More

Top Pro

Focuses on innovation

By using bleeding edge software, Fedora allows for innovation to take place by testing out things which other distros are not willing to try due to fears of having instability issues. See More

Top Pro

Frees developers from some backward compatibility restraints

Fedora has a relatively short life cycle: version X is supported only until 1 month after version X+2 and with approximately 6 months between versions this means that a version of Fedora is supported for approximately 13 months. This promotes leading-edge software because it frees developers from some backward compatibility restraints. See More

MX-Linux

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Top Pro

Easy install

Top Con

Remixed debian testing

It's mainly a debian stable with some recompiled/backported debian testing packages. See More

FriendlyAthena's Experience

Super-Fast, works good, Debian stable/ Xfce yearly versions. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian Stable>antiX

Default Desktop Environment:XFCE

Init-System:SysV-init

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Top Pro

Good MX Tools and Package Installer

MX Linux comes with its own set of tools called MX Tools, designed to make life easier for users. See More

Top Con

More than 50 tweaking softwares pre-installed

Top Pro

Supports non-free drivers

Top Con

10s of media players preinstalled

Top Pro

Very stable

Top Con

Too much customization

Top Pro

Lightweight

Top Con

Too much preinstalled applications

Top Pro

Easy to use

Top Pro

No systemd

Top Pro

Based on Debian

Peppermint OS

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Top Pro

Friendly and helpful forum

CulturedArke's Experience

after using linux lite (can't remember ver. but is the most recent) and peppermint 8 on a hp pavilion ze 2000 with amd semprom mobile +3000 single core at 1.8 ghz with 1.5 gb ram ddr-1 , broadcom wireless , and ati xpress m200(?) with shared memory of 256mb bios ver 27, I have found that ubuntus do not have wireless drivers, mephis and debian lxde or lfce are hard to operate and linux lite, even though it works out of the box, is much SLOWER on my old laptop than peppermint 0S 8. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu

Default Desktop Environment:LXDE, Xfce

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Top Pro

Fast and light on resources

RAM consumption is the same as LxLE, but more efficient and because of Whisker Menu and other tweaks that let us feel more like we have a XFCE desktop environment, as keyboard shortcuts, for instance, it looks like we got here the fastest and lightest, globally speaking. Very good on performance. Download Respin 7 (March 2017), install Libreoffice and then compare, for example, opening Libreoffice Writer inside Peppermint 7, Extix 17.04, Lubuntu 16.10, Xubuntu 16.04, Backbox 4.7, Linux Mint 18.1 Xfce an Mate or Linux Lite 3.4 (and others). Finally, you'll find out that after opening a few apps in Peppermint it remains smooth and light. Nemo file explorer on Peppermint is incredibly faster than on Mint Cinnamon; lx terminal is very fast when opening; updating is fast. And after all this, distro keeps working and working very solidly and consistently along the time. And yet the look and feel of the environment is pleasant. See More

ThoughtfulAglaophonos's Experience

I was able to give an old laptop a second life. Very easy to use, as it was my first experience with Linux. The Peppermint community is extremely helpful and patient. See More

Top Pro

Much better on old laptops than most distros

The only distro that is "faster" would be Puppy Linux Slacko. See More

LivelyLuna's Experience

Easy to use! See More

Top Pro

Comes with a variety of helpful tools

Works great with Teamviewer, Synaptic, XNview, KODI and Pdf-Xchange editor (via playonlinux). Netflix works awesome with Chrome browser. The ICE SSB tool is great for creating web apps that run as if you installed them locally. The Software Boutique (packaged with The MATE Welcome software Center) recognizes all software and installs it with one click. See More

Top Pro

Looks great

The XFCE Whisker menus and dark theme are well designed. Easy to move the panel to the top and add plank on the bottom. See More

Top Pro

Peppermint 7 is stable

Peppermint 7OS (32 and 64 bit) has been updated to the Respin PPA. Kernel updated to 4.9.24 on 23-April -2017 with no issues and all software still runs great. See More

Ubuntu

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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 for support. See More

Top Con

Canonical (author) is proprietary

Canonical is focused on making money so you can see many propertiary offers by them and the OS has built in trackers (Amazon). See More

HonorableTepeyollotl's Experience

easy to use and a lot of info when things go wrong See More

Specs

Based On:Debian Stable(core) Testing/Unstable(universe/multiverse)

Default Desktop Environment:GNOME

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Top 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. See More

Top Con

Canonical does not respect Ubuntu users' preferences

In 2012 it became impossible in Ubuntu to move the close-window-button back to the upper-right corner of the window, where it always was before. To the questions of their users Canonical replied that they know better than users where it would be convenient for users to have the close-window-button. UPDATE on 19.04 close button is back on top right corner See More

The Oracle PhD's Experience

Ubuntu is the best distribution ever, it helps beginners to know more about Linux by using easy GUI of Ubuntu See More

Top Pro

Wide range of software out of the box

The default apps available in Ubuntu cover the gamut of most anyone's needs. From music, video or office applications Ubuntu has an app that will cover the users needs. See More

Top Con

Tends to do its own thing

Ubuntu has a user interface that is specific to Ubuntu and is now working on its own display server. It also tends to have configuration that is done slightly different (and arguably more beginner friendly) than elsewhere. So while this is a great Linux distribution in its own right, it might not be the first choice for someone wanting to learn Linux itself. See More

cosmo's Experience

Ubuntu is a server distribution trying to be a desktop distribution, and it shows. Updates are sparse and difficult compared to similar desktop distributions like Solus, Manjaro, and Antergos. The use of novel and niche software is similarly difficult. See More

Top 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. See More

Top Con

Security and privacy issues arising from integration with proprietary services

For example, unless disabled, Ubuntu will send your searches off to Amazon's servers and intrusively suggest products on the desktop itself. See More

Jesse's Experience

With 19.04 it's incredibly faster, very good with Tweak UI a must have. Customize everything. See More

Top Pro

Very stable

LTS version of Ubuntu has a 5 year guaranteed updates and is ensured by Canonical so, you don't have to worry about system breaking and stuff like that. See More

Top Con

Random system errors may pop up

IntuitiveKinieGer's Experience

Very nice, customizable and stable distro. A lot of functions out of the box. See More

Top Pro

Great Long Term Support release schedule (5 years)

This allows for users to always have a new supported release available without long unkown wait times in between. See More

Top Con

Company stays behind it

DazzlingMacCuill's Experience

Rumored to sell personal data, SJW infested See More

Top Pro

Has a clean Gnome interface

Gnome has lot of extensions available and can be custmoized rather easily. See More

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. See More

Top Pro

Flexible

The setup for personal use is simple enough for anyone to achieve, and can easily be modified to act as a server. Programs and all features are easy to find and use, and first-timers can easily pick up on how to use it. See More

Top Con

Fixed release model

Major updates to the OS are limited by Ubuntu's fixed release model. While this might make sense for a server distribution on a production system, this makes very little sense for a desktop distribution on a personal computer. See More

Top Pro

Backed by a company

This means that the system must run well, otherwise they will lose money. There is no better incentive! See More

Top 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. See More

Top Pro

Stable

It‘s one of the most stable Linux Distros. See More

Top Con

No rolling release

New Ubuntu versions are released two times a year, during this period almost all software receives only security updates and minor bug fixes. See More

Top Pro

Good PPA repositories available

PPA repositories allow you to install the latest version of your preferred software while keeping the rest of the operating system "stable". See More

Top Con

Unstable

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 that it will work. See More

Top Pro

Cares about stable drivers

Top Con

Splits the Debian community

The most packages are imported from Debian but Ubuntu uses own bug trackers and develops its own patches. See More

Top Pro

Dedicated software center

The Ubuntu Software Center offers a GUI interface for installing new apps which is extremely easy and welcoming for beginners to Linux. But it should not be used by more advanced users since the method of installing through the terminal is much faster and easier after one is used to it. See More

Top Con

Redundant

With the removal of Unity, there is no point in choosing Ubuntu over Debian anymore because everything else is imported from Debian to Ubuntu. See More

Top Pro

Unified search

Type any query into the Dash Home, and search will look through files, stores and web-pages to find what you are looking for. See More

Top Con

Binary incompatible to Debian

Ubuntu releases are based on Debian testing/unstable, however, unlike other Debian-based distributions they are not binary compatible due to different libc versions, so you can't install Debian packages in Ubuntu and vice versa. See More

Top Pro

UTF-8 is the default character encoding

Beginning with Ubuntu 5.04, UTF-8 became the default character encoding, which allows for support of a variety of non-Roman scripts. See More

Top Con

Includes adware

Advertisers pay to have their links or software preinstalled. Like the links to Amazon installed by default in the dock. See More

Top Pro

Looks good

Ubuntu looks clean even when running from a LiveCD. See More

Top Con

Custom PPAs required for most software

To get the most software available, user must add several PPAs to the system. That has major problems: 1) Terminal recommended for adding a PPA, which can scare away users 2) A PPA can potentially distribute malware by creating a "newer" version of a package than available in other PPAs, such as the Linux kernel. 3) PPAs must be recreated and re-added with every major system update See More

Top Pro

Good UI for small monitors

Becaue the menu usually is in the title bar and the launcher auto-hides, the whole screen can be used by an application. See More

Top Con

Relatively high system requirements

The default Unity desktop environment is a resource hog which requires hardware accelerated graphics rendering in order to run smoothly, making out of the box Ubuntu unsuitable for low end systems and older hardware. Even mildly aged hardware, you'll get far better performance out of a lighter desktop environment like LXDE or XFCE. See More

Top Pro

Use it on almost any device

Not just for laptops - Ubuntu was designed with tablets and touchscreen devices in mind, and with phone support on the way. Ubuntu also has Long Term Support releases, as well as a version oriented toward servers, so you can use the same OS at work or on mobile as you do on your desktop. See More

Top Con

Doesn't shutdown/standby properly on Lenovo laptops (b, e & g series)

Top Pro

Perfect for collaboration on open source projects

This is probably the best option when collaborating on open source projects in hardware. This is mostly because packages and tools are readily available via software center. See More

Top Con

Unity and other Ubuntu-specific software is problematic

Unity is awesome and user-friendly at many places. But it's not customizable at much extent. Getting rid of it can be either not possible or very problematic. Same is true about other Ubuntu-specific software. A lot of things don't work as expected. Even though the repository is based on Debian, some ways to do stuff don't actually work. It's better usually to use GUI whenever possible, than to manually edit files. This is frustrating. See More

Top 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. See More

NixOS

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Top Pro

State of the art package manager

Atomic non-destructive upgrades / rollback of a system upgrade / declarative reproducible system configuration / unprivileged installation of packages / transparent source or binary deployment. See More

Top Con

Documentation is not good

Specs

Default Desktop Environment:N/A

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Nix package manager

Top Pro

Robust

Packages don't break after a NixOS upgrade as they are prone to with other distros (especially Arch). See More

Top Con

A configuration change might end up bricking your system

Top Pro

Reproducible System

NixOS is configured using the Nix package manager, allowing your system to be replicated and kept in sync across multiple machines. Great for keeping a laptop and desktop in sync. See More

Top Con

Not popular

It's not a popular Linux distribution. See More

Top Pro

Minimal

You can start with a minimal environment and add packages and software to suit your needs as you go along. See More

openSUSE Leap

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Top Pro

Tons of community packages

Easily searchable via https://software.opensuse.org Everyone can branch and update packages via https://build.opensuse.org See More

Top Con

Limited community support

The community is fairly small, and there is no indication on the forums regarding when a issues will be solved. See More

IntellectualTakhar's Experience

Great choice if you want a rolling release with all preinstalled, Yast is great if you need a manager for a DE besides Gnome See More

Specs

Based On: SLS Linux > Slackware > SuSE

Default Desktop Environment:Plasma, GNOME, Xfce, LXQT

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:RPM Package Manager

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 Con

YAST not intuitive at all

On the surface YAST looks simple enough, but inside can be as complicated as a WindowsOS registry. Using YAST is not user-friendly for beginners. See More

JollyTethra's Experience

Blood free bleeding edge. OpenSUSE Tumbleweed is stable but up-to-date. YaST makes admin easy. See More

Top Pro

Very stable

Stable, reliable, rock solid. See More

Top Con

Short lived distro

Every release lasts 18 months only before needing a major upgrade. See More

Top Pro

Amazing choice for both newbies and power users

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 Con

Old kernel by the Leap version

Kernel in Leap 42.3 is in version 4.4, that's pretty old. 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

Top Con

Complex permissions policy

Top Pro

Easily get packages from other sources

SUSE Build Service offers packages from the same sources as Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, SUSE Linux Enterprise and other distributions. This is the most underused package tool in Linux today. See More

Top Con

Bloated and slow

Top Pro

One-Click install

Much better system then other distros for installing any package. It is as simple as clicking on one button and typing in your password. Adds a repo to your system keeping everything updated at the same time. See More

Top Con

Some clear differences from other Linux distros

This might be a systemd issue or OpenSUSE specific, but changing certain text files does not update things. They must be edited in YaST, or in /etc/sysconfig/ 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

Probably the best KDE desktop experience

Both Gnome and KDE desktop options are well polished to fit with the opensuse theme and environement, so either desktop is a great choice. See More

Obarun

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Specs

Based On:Arch Linux

Default Desktop Environment:Openbox

Package Manager:Pacman

KDE Neon

Top Pro

Configurability

KDE Neon uses KDE as its desktop environment, which is highly configurable, but also has great defaults. See More

Top Con

Steep learning curve for beginners

It's a really sparse, bare-bones system, no automatic driver install for example. It can be quite hard for someone not used to Linux. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu LTS

Default Desktop Environment:KDE

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Top Pro

The best looking Linux OS

It really is a great and stunning looking OS. See More

Top Pro

Works well on low-end computers

KDE Plasma has recently received updates that make it very lightweight, with RAM usage on boot ranging from 390MB to 700MB See More

Top Pro

Lean install

Comes with a small amount of preinstalled packages, making it take up less resources. See More

Top Pro

Works out of the box

Since it's built on the strong Ubuntu base, KDE Neon works seamlessly with a huge variety of hardware. See More

Xubuntu

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Top Pro

Conservative, yet modern

It comes with all Ubuntu goodness but without bloat, a perfect mix between new ideas and usability. See More

Top 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. See More

Christian Montefusco's Experience

Never had unsolvable problems. They keep it simple, yet user friendly. Community isn't the best side, but this distro is popular enought to mention in other communities and get useful feedback. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu

Default Desktop Environment:Xfce

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Top Pro

Customizable

Official distro of XFCE, one of the most customizable desktop environments. In XFCE you can create as many tasks bars as you need and configure every one of their elements and behaviours. You can also change any icon, font, color... etc. Literally there's nothing you can't change in GUI. See More

Top Con

XFCE development is slow

The desktop environment used in Xubuntu has not been updated in over two years and is developed at a snail's pace. See More

Ray's Experience

Great alternative to Ubuntu when doing a fresh install if you're a fan of Xfce like me. See More

Top 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. See More

SensibleCyamites's Experience

stable See More

Top Pro

Great performance

Xubuntu is very fast and makes good use of resources. See More

Top Pro

Software structure is very simple

It's a good distro for beginners who want to explore aspects of Linux through tutorials and info got from the internet. See More

Top Pro

Quick boot time

Boots at about double the speed of most distributions. See More

Deepin

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Top Pro

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

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 new desktop environment. See More

Top Con

Forced EULA

UpbeatCyamites's Experience

Switched from Ubuntu to Deepin and so far I'm very pleased, I ran into some issues after installation that I was able to fix. Not going back to Ubuntu. Keep it up, Deepin! See More

Specs

Based On:Debian Stable

Default Desktop Environment:Deepin Desktop Environment

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Top Pro

Very stable

Even though it is based on Debian unstable, it is still pretty stable and you will hardly ever get a dependency issue. See More

Top Con

Very slow installer

Because the servers are in China. See More

AlanK AtWork's Experience

It's just one slick and beautiful distro. Fast and elegant. See More

Top Pro

Rolling release

It's a rolling release. Meaning that it will get updated automatically. See More

Top Con

Based in China

Top Pro

Easy to install

Installing Deepin OS is very easy. It's even easier than installing Ubuntu. See More

Top Con

Customization is a bit hidden

GUI is not straight forward for changing GTK+ or QT themes. See More

Top Pro

Blur and transparent design

Deepin has a blur and transparent design throughout the OS, which makes it one of the, if not the, most beautiful Linux distro. See More

Top Con

Poor dark mode implementation

Choosing dark theme does not change system application theme, you have to manually activate it from the menu, and not all of them have that option. See More

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. See More

Top Con

Team doesn't know what to do

Deepin has changed the base 4 times, and the name 3 times. The Desktop Environment also has been changed 4 times. See More

Top Pro

VLC media player works without any issue

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

Top Con

Cannot customize desktop environment.

Because the developers have locked down desktop customization is A HUGE detractor against the idea of setting things up how you want. See More

Top Pro

Quite stable

Even though it's based on Debian unstable, it's still quite stable and their new program called "Deepin repair" made the OS even more stable then it was before. See More

Top Con

From Chinese

Top Pro

Based on Debian

It is based on Debian which is the best Linux distribution for desktops. See More

Top Pro

Launches programs faster

Programs load and launch faster in Deepin than other Linux distributions. It takes only about 3 seconds to launch Chrome. See More

Top Pro

Contains power saving mode for laptops

Deepin 15.7 contains power saving mode and auto switch mode for laptops. This power saving mode extends standby time by 20%. See More

Top Pro

Lighter than Windows 10 and Ubuntu

Deepin 15.7 is lighter than Windows 10 and Ubuntu. See More

Top Pro

Quite lightweight

Deepin 15.7 is lighter than Windows 10 and Ubuntu. See More

Top Pro

Enjoy the simplicity of Deepin's desktop

The desktop interface and apps feature an intuitive and elegant design. Moving around, sharing and searching etc. has become simply a joyful experience. See More

Top Pro

Can be made to look like Windows easily

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". See More

Top Pro

Automatically cleans package cache

Deepin automatically cleans package cache. Cleaning package cache is a good thing as it will make the OS much faster and lighter. See More

Top Pro

Great design to the app store

The app store is gorgeous. See More

Top Pro

Excellent apps

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. See More

Top Pro

Has their own tool kit

They have their own tool kit called "Deepin Tool Kit". And they themselves uses it. See More

Top Pro

Great support for graphics cards.

Deepin OS includes a program called "Deepin Graphics Driver Manager" which can easily install a good driver for the graphics card. See More

Top Pro

Gives warning messages when upgrading packages using apt

Deepin uses their own modified version of apt. When there is a distribution upgrade available and if we try to upgrade by running "sudo apt upgrade", then this modified version of apt gives this warning message, "DDE programs will work abnormally if run this command. Run sudo apt dist-upgrade or sudo apt full-upgrade instead." See More

Top Pro

Includes a lot of packages in the official repository

The official repository of deepin OS includes over 73,000 packages. See More

Top Pro

Great support for graphics cards

Deepin OS includes a program called "Deepin Graphics Driver Manager" which can easily install a good driver for the graphics card. See More

Top Pro

Includes both Windows and macOS style interface

Top Pro

Supports Flatpak

Deepin OS supports Flatpak. It also has some Flatpak programs installed by default. See More

Top Pro

Not based on Ubuntu

Some people don't like Ubuntu nor its derivatives. See More

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. See More

Top Pro

PRO Network Managment

Deepin has the facilities to create VLAN and other configuration like Wifi Hostpot on their GUI. See More

Top Pro

Has its own toolkit

It has its own toolkit called "Deepin Tool Kit". And the maintainers themselves use it. See More

Top Pro

Best for daily use

Top Pro

Company behind it

The Wuhan Deepin Technology is behind this Linux distribution. Because there is a company behind it, the company has to make the OS as good as possible. See More

Lubuntu

Add Video or Image

Top Pro

Lightweight

By utilizing minimal software Lubuntu is able to use less resources and power. See More

Top Con

Redundant

There is absolutely no reason to install it, since it uses the same package repositories as Ubuntu and you can transform any Ubuntu install into a Lubuntu install. See More

Specs

Based On:Debian>Ubuntu

Default Desktop Environment:LXQt

Init-System:Systemd

Package Manager:Debian Package Manager

Top Con

Long term support not as long as other Ubuntu spins

Lubuntu has not always had LTS support. Luckily they do offer a 3 year LTS now but it is shorter than other Ubuntu spins that receive a full 5 years of support. See More

Top Con

The default toolbar is duller than from other distributions

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