Best Linux Distro

[Archi the Atmomancer 564]

I'm planning on installing Linux or one of its successors on an external HD/SSD and I'm not sure which one to get as there's an awful lot of them but they all seem quite similar.

 

What I'm looking for is a small memory footprint and size (in comparison to Windows at any rate) and that's about it really. I'd really appreciate any input you have on the subject.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Archi

[uuunph 288]

You're right, they are all pretty similar! So really, it won't make too much of a difference. Even then, you can always switch to a different Desktop Environment (DE) or Window Manager (WM) of whatever even after installation. One of the things I like about Linux, modularity.

 

I wouldn't say any of the distros are the best. The closest thing to the "best" distro, I'd say would be Arch Linux. That's because of rolling releases, and the fact that it's pretty much completely modular upon installation, which should appeal to the largest amount of people. Only recommended if you already know how to Linux and stuff, which I don't that much.

 

Have you used any Linux operating system's before? If not, I'd definitely recommend Ubuntu/Linux Mint (which is based off of Ubuntu), or Xubuntu (which is just Ubuntu running the XFCE DE).

 

Small memory footprint and size? Well, that's pretty much any Linux distro compared to Microsoft's latest three OS's. Since all Linux distro's are somewhat similar, all that really matters in regards to performance is the DE. I'd suggest XFCE, perfect balance between nice-lookingness and performance. XFCE is also very configurable, and can be made to look like GNOME2 or Windows or whatever.

 

Hope I answered at least one of your questions properly. Heh.

 

TL;DR - Xubuntu (because personal bias), or maybe Linux Mint if you want to.

[MadDoggyca 710]

Stay away from ubuntu. Unity is superbly dumb down, and lacking a lot of configuration option unless you install Gnome 2.2 classic, and then it just looks like crap.

 

mint 14 cinnamon (or what ever its called) is your best place to go. Not Mint Mate edition

 

Debian > Ubuntu > mint = .deb package manager

FYI puppy linux is the smallest linux out there for foot print (50-150MB in size).. good luck getting OOBE drivers to work on it though

 

http://distrowatch.com/ is your place for all your linux needs when it comes to version/Distros and what is hot and what is not

Edited January 15, 2013 by MadDoggyca

[jreidsma 54]

Linux is wonderful

 

I prefer rolling releases, but they are not for anyone new to Linux necessarily. As sometimes the newest updates can break the graphical desktop.

 

Ubuntu and its versions are pretty good for beginners and advanced user alike, especially xubuntu for a minimal XFCE environment like mentioned above. I haven't used Ubuntu in a while though, so they probably have changed a bit in the regular gnome versions but the netbook and lightweight versions work decently for me anyways.

 

I like Kororaa and support them. Its not necessarily a lightweight distro though.

 

Puppy Linux is a great distro, and works wonders even as a live CD.

 

DSL D-word small linux is now being updated and is wonderful also.

Edited January 15, 2013 by jreidsma

[Creamy Arty 6,251]

What I really love about Ubuntu, Mint, and Debian - which are all the same at the core, as Ubuntu is built on Debian and Mint is built on Ubuntu, with the exception of Mint's Debian Edition - is their simplicity. When I was new to Linux the impression I got from some vets (read: elitists) was that you aren't a "power user" unless you use a distro that frustrates you and most others. That's stupid. The aforementioned three are great because they simply get out of your way. Their package manager is very simple to use, they ship with almost everything anybody would need with much more in their repositories, and a large enough user base that help is always available. Some might have needs or desires beyond those simple things but it's designed in such a way that the noobiest of noobs can jump right in and experienced users can also find plenty to work with.

 

 

My personal preference is Mint. It's little more than a customized version of Ubuntu with changes that I feel only make things easier. Any software that would work with Ubuntu, which is the most popular Linux distro today, will also work with Mint. If you're looking for something with low resource requirements, check out the XFCE edition. It requires 5 gigs of hard drive space and a minimum of 384 megs of RAM. I'm currently using the KDE edition, which is the prettiest and most graphically intense, and it uses little more than 512 when idling.

 

They may roll out an LXDE edition in the future. If they do, expect even lower requirements. Mint or Ubuntu using LXDE shouldn't burn through more than 100 megs of RAM in my experience.

[joeyh3 153]

I'm not really much of a Linux user, as I work primarily with Windows 7, 2008, and 2003 for just about everything I do. That being said, whenever I do use Linux, I prefer Redhat based variants, such as Fedora or CentOS. I also enjoy Debian due to the simple package management and dependency resolution, but I cannot stand Ubuntu.

[Sks_Burns 730]

i havent tried too many versions of Linux yet, but i use Ubuntu at the moment. Its too much effort to try and move into a new OS, so i havent experimented with different distros yet. only thing i dont like is the poor Flash support. theres times when my cpu will jump to 100% useage whenever i use a flash intensive site. ive disabled flash for the most part, but i still get those spikes. 

 

doesnt bother me though, ive adapted and developed work arounds in order to keep using my aging hardware. someday i hope to try out a few different distros and see what else is out there. 

[Archi the Atmomancer 564]

Well, thanks for all of your advice, it's nice to see some people who know what they're on about, because I certainly don't.

 

Anyhow, I'm considering going for either Debian or some form of Ubuntu as I have no experience with Linux other than what I've read/watched on the web and Ubuntu is certainly a beginner's OS while Debian is intermediate but not exactly Arch Linux or Gentoo. 

 

Once again, thank you for your help!

[Sks_Burns 730]

one good thing about most linux distros is that you can run them in a Live environment and try them out before you install anything. you can literally try 10 different distros in an afternoon without installing a single thing. its great!

[SPLinux 374]

How the hay did i miss this thread? just wow...

Personally there is no "best Linux distro" as in one that is superior to them all, different users have different needs and thus the existence of over 300 distro's. However of course there are plenty that stand out.

For server systems Red Hat based distro's are usually the way to go, like RHEL and CentOS, Ubuntu is rising in this area with Ubuntu Server but i see Red hat still being king here for quite some time. For server setups i go with CentOS or Lightweight Ubuntu/Debian.

For Desktop's Ubuntu, Linux Mint and Debian based systems are good, there are different forms of those out there that differ in their software selection and Desktop Environments. I like Ubuntu due to high level of documentation available for it and the Unity Interface, Ubuntu is just as customizable as many other distro's if you install different Desktop Environments and Window Managers, etc alongside. There are different forms such as Lubuntu, Kubuntu, XFCE, etc that are great for people who want less footprint and/or more customization.

Personally i am an Ubuntu and Arch Linux user, i use Ubuntu for my main desktop needs and arch for my Linux fun/customization needs. Arch is a lot of fun to set up if you want to learn more about Linux. Arch gives you lots of power without the more laborious and difficult to install Gentoo and LFS. if i ever want to set up a memory restricted workstation then i would set up Puppy Linux, SliTaz, DSL, or Tiny Core.(Pretty much any RAM booting distro)  I also test lots of distros in Virtualbox to see what they are like. Linux Mint i have tried and have liked what i have seen, if i were unable to use Ubuntu for personal reasons then i would defiantly go for Mint.

Use what works for you and doesn't frustrate you. I recommend Ubuntu/Mint first then look further once you become more accustomed to Linux. If you need something less graphically intensive or different then note you don’t have to switch distro's as you can can install different Desktop Envioremts from your package manager and select them from your session manager on your Display Manager Login Screen.

 

I have been a GNU/Linux user since late 2009, i first tried and discovered it in mid 2008 but was unable to use it then due to my incompatible wireless card at the time. i got Ethernet in late 2009 which allowed me to switch over completely. I am currently a Linux Enthusiast and hope to get a career in the Linux field some day. If you need any assistance with Linux then i would be glad to help.

 

Like said in above posts DistroWatch is a great resource for Linux Distributions. If you want to learn more about Linux in general you can find some tutorials at http://www.linux.org and of course the main http://www.linux.com

 

Always happy to help .

Edited February 3, 2013 by superponylinux