Which Linux
The best distribution of Linux is the one that is custom built for you personally by a team of experienced developers and system engineers. Sadly, most of us cannot afford that luxury, so the question becomes, which of the Linux distributions is best for me?
And the answer is, it depends.
For a novice I recommend Ubuntu, OpenSUSE or Mandriva.
Each is easy to use and requires minimal knowledge of Linux to get started. You can download the CD images online (or have them sent to you for free with Ubuntu) and install them on your computer at zero cost. With each you simply reboot your computer with the CD in the drive and it will walk you through a basic installation. Broadband is recommended but not required.
| Distribution | Popularity | Free | Available Software | Developer Friendly | Newbie Friendly | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu | 90 | Yes | 80 | 75 | 95 | Designed to work without any requirement to use the command line |
| OpenSUSE | 70 | Yes | 90 | 80 | 90 | Attractive and easy to use. Automatically installs things like fonts and codecs |
| Fedora | 95 | Yes | 90 | 95 | 85 | One of the most popular free Linux versions in the world, designed to be a test base for Red Hat Enterprise so contribution and development are first rate |
| Debian | 80 | Yes | 98 | 98 | 60 | Debian focuses on doing things the right way with absolute standards regarding acceptance only of truly open source software and this is a well established and well respected system. Many other projects, such as Ubuntu, are based on work done by Debian, but this is the original. |
| Mandriva Formerly Mandrake | 70 | Yes | 85 | 85 | 95 | This is a project with a reputation for 'just works' techniques. It suffered for a while with reliability, but has gained respectability again in recent years. |