Comparison of Linux distributions
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| Distro | Comments | Default Desktop Manager | Packager | Support (end of life) | Update handling | Enterprise version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu | Ubuntu is usually the distro of choice for new users, as it tends to focus on usability and simplicity for the user who wants the system to "just work". Releases come every 6 months and are available on a live CD. Hardware support is generally quite good, except for wireless. | Gnome | APT (Synaptic), Ubuntu Software Center, Snap, Flatpak, AppImage. | 5 years for LTS (Long term support) versions. 9 months for regular versions | ||
| Linux Mint | Based on Ubuntu. Focus on ease of use and availability of proprietary software such as codecs and flash plug-in. Offers Cinnamon desktop which resembles Windows user interface. | Cinnamon, Mate, XFCE | APT (Synaptic), Software Manager (mintInstall), Snap, Flatpak, AppImage. | 5 years since it is based on LTS versions of Ubuntu | ||
| Debian | Debian is a totally free, non commercial distribution of Linux. It remains true to the original concept of 'Open Source' software. Debian focuses on stable releases that work without problems on all platforms and therefore will not be the first to incorporate the latest bells and whistles. | Gnome | APT (Synaptic), Snap, Flatpak, AppImage. | Not defined | ||
| OpenSUSE | OpenSUSE is a distribution for beginners who also want to use Linux in a professional environment. | Gnome or KDE | RPM-based Yast, Snap, Flatpak, Appimage | 1.5 years | via YOU (yast2 online update) | SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server) |
| Fedora | Fedora acts as Red Hat's "testing ground" for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. As such, new technologies are deployed quickly, though the environment will therefore be less stable. It allows full-disk encryption through a simple checkbox during the install process. | Gnome | RPM-based Yum, Snap, Flatpak, Appimage | Around 1 year | RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) | |
| Arch Linux | Arch Linux is a highly customizable, non commercial distribution for i686 and x86_64 computers. All the packages that are needed can be installed by choice to cut down on useless packages using disk space. This distro would not be good for beginners, because all configurations are done through editing the configuration files. This distro takes more setup time than some of the distros. | Users's choice | Pacman, Snap, Flatpak, Appimage | |||
| Manjaro | It has a very easy to use installer which makes getting up and running with it extremely easy. If you are a power user who always wants to get the latest features from their software then Manjaro is hard to beat. Unlike distributions like Debian which have a strong open source ethos Arch Linux and thus Manjaro Linux has a more open-minded approach which is if people want to use specific software then they should be able to use it easily. That is why AUR exists which stands for the Arch User Repository. It is a repository of third-party software that is not included in the official pacman package repository and is provided by and maintained by individuals in the community. | Gnome | Pacman, Snap |
See also
- Rosetta
- Choosing a linux distribution
- Wikipedia: Comparison of Linux distributions
- Linux distribution chooser
- whohas - find out who has your required software
- DistroWatch - has details of possibly every Linux distribution in existence, provides a popularity indicator