The Best Linux Distribution?

The Best Linux Distribution?

Posted by ajt on Fri 10 Jun 2005 at 08:28

According to the Linux watching website, DistroWatch, there are more than 400 Linux and BSD distributionscurrently available and active. Many of these exist with many versions,giving thousands of possible options to choose from.

The question often arises "Which one is the best?". As with manysimple questions, it does not have a simple answer. Typically, if youask five random Linux users, you will get five different andconflicting answers. This short opinion piece is my contribution to thedebate.

Avoid The Dead and Unsupported

It is wise to avoid a distribution that has died: if no one isdeveloping and maintaining the distribution it may be missing manydesirable features and will almost certainly have defects. Modernsecurity software is absent from older distributions, and thesedistributions have well known defects that are easily exploitable. TheInternet is no longer a safe place and there is no excuse for runningan old and insecure distribution, when there are safer ones to choosefrom.

Some people advocate some of the older distributions/versionsbecause they will run on older or lower specification hardware. Howeverthere are plenty of modern, secure and supported distributions that arespecifically designed to run on lower specification hardware. Forexample Debian based DSL will run on a system with only a 486DX CPU with only 16Mb of RAM.

The Right Tool For The Right Job

Some distributions are general purpose, others are customised, afew are highly specialised. While specialised distributions, forexample firewalls, or forensic system; are excellent at their allocatedtasks, they make poor general purpose operating systems. Do not choosea specialised distribution unless you actually want to use it the wayit was intended. Conversely a general purpose distribution can be usedin a specialised role, but it will not be as efficient as a dedicateddistribution.

Your Favourite Is Probably Best

I strongly feel, that the best Linux distribution is the one that you like the most. I personally like Debian best: I know it the best and I find it easiest to use. My first distro was Red Hatand I found it hard going on my own. Later a friend suggested Debian,and with his help I made very quick progress. Now my familiarity withDebian means that Debian always comes out top in any comparison I do:to be better, an alternative distribution needs to be outstanding. Ihave used Red Hat again since using Debian I have even had formal RedHat training and while Red Hat is a fine distribution, I still preferDebian.

Related Distributions

Naturally you will find that different versions of the samedistribution and a distribution based on another one, feel quitesimilar - common parentage does show through. For example ubuntuis a desktop distribution based on Debian. At a technical level theyare very similar, but ubuntu has a simplified installer and a strongdesktop focus.

Remember You Can Change Your Mind

Remember that unlike proprietary operating systems, it is usuallyvery easy to switch from one distribution to another one, if you feellike a change. If you have the space then, it is worth having more thanone computer, so you can try out several different systems withoutdisrupting you current system.

• Version 1.00-rc-1 / June 2005
• As ever, many thanks to the many people who have helped, in particular V. E. Kerguelen.