Google's Linux Search
Distrowatch Top 10 Major Distributions
Arch Linux
"Arch provides a minimal environment upon installation,
(no GUI), already compiled and optimized for i686/x86-64
architectures. Arch is lightweight, flexible and simple. Its
design philosophy and implementation makes it easy to extend
and mold into whatever kind of system you’re building-
from a minimalist console machine to the most grandiose and
feature rich desktop environments available."
Debian
"Debian is a free operating system (OS) for your
computer. An operating system is the set of basic programs and
utilities that make your computer run. Debian uses the Linux
kernel (the core of an operating system), but most of the basic
OS tools come from the GNU project; hence the name GNU/Linux.
Debian GNU/Linux provides more than a pure OS: it comes with
over 18733 packages, precompiled software bundled up in a nice
format for easy installation on your machine."
DreamLinux
"Dreamlinux is a Brazilian distribution based on Debian
GNU/Linux. A live CD with a graphical hard disk installation
option, it boots directly into an Xfce or GNOME desktops which
provide access to a good collection of desktop applications and
a central control panel for system configuration."
Fedora
"Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that
showcases the latest in free and open source software. Fedora
is always free for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. It is
built by people across the globe who work together as a
community: the Fedora Project. The Fedora Project is open and
anyone is welcome to join."
Linux Mint
"Originally launched as a variant of Ubuntu with
integrated media codecs, it has now developed into one of the
most user-friendly distributions on the market – complete
with a custom desktop and menus, several unique configuration
tools, a web-based package installation interface, and a number
of different editions. Perhaps most importantly, this is one
project where the developers and users are in constant
interaction, resulting in dramatic, user-driven improvements
with every new release."
Mandriva
"Mandriva users from all over the world gather into
community spaces to share their interest in new Linux
technologies. They help new users get comfortable with Linux
basics, providing hints and tips, or telling the tales of
ancient Unix commands. This gathering of various different
people in a community of passion is what makes Linux and the
Mandriva community so unique since the inception of our
distribution in 1998."
OpenSuse
"The openSUSE project is a worldwide community program
sponsored by Novell that promotes the use of Linux everywhere.
The program provides free and easy access to openSUSE. Here you
can find and join a community of users and developers, who all
have the same goal in mind to create and distribute the
world’s most usable Linux. openSUSE also provides the
base for Novell’s award-winning SUSE Linux Enterprise
products."
PCLinuxOS
"PCLinuxOS is distributed as a LiveCD, and can also be
installed to a local hard drive. LiveCD mode lets you try it
without making any changes to your computer. If you like it,
you can install it to your hard drive. Locally installed
versions of PCLinuxOS utilize the Advanced Packaging Tool (or
APT), a package management system (originally from the Debian
distribution), together with Synaptic, a GUI frontend to
APT."
Slackware
"After one of the most intensive periods of development in
Slackware’s history, the long awaited stable release of Slackware
13.0 is ready. This release brings with it many major changes since
Slackware 12.2, including a completely reworked collection of X
packages (a configuration file for X is no longer needed in most
cases), major upgrades to the desktop environments (KDE version
4.2.4 and Xfce version 4.6.1), a new .txz package format with much
better compression, and other upgrades all around -- to the
development system, network services, libraries, and major
applications like Firefox and Thunderbird. We think you'll agree
that this version of Slackware was worth the wait. Also, this is
the first release of Slackware with native support for the 64-bit
x86_64 architecture! Major kudos to Eric Hameleers for all of his
work, especially on the 64-bit port."
Ubuntu
"Ubuntu is a community developed, Linux-based operating
system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It
contains all the applications you need – a web browser,
presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant
messaging and much more."
