Best "Linux distro"
29th May 2016
There are hundreds of distributions of the GNU/Linux
operating system (often called "Linux distros"). I remember
when I first discovered "Linux" about 8 years ago I ran a
Google search for "best linux distro". This returned a load
of articles saying things like:
-
Top 10 best Linux distros <-- (why would I need
10???)
-
There is no best Linux distro! They're all good for
different things! <-- (OK thanks very much that clears everything up)
Being told that "there is no best Linux distro" or that
there's "something for everyone" is hardly helpful. The
fact that someone searched for "best linux distro" probably
indicates that:
-
They don't really know what they want from a GNU/Linux distribution.
-
They don't want to try them all out for themselves.
Having found out the hard way which is the best GNU/Linux
distribution I now endeavour to write the article I should have
found years ago.
The best "Linux distro" (GNU/Linux distribution)
First, a note on terminology
Before I tell my eager reader which is the best "Linux
distro" I must touch on a controversial issue of terminology
regarding the terms "Linux" vs "GNU/Linux".
The facts
-
Linux is a kernel
originally written by Linus Torvalds in 1991 for the GNU
operating system. The kernel is the part of the operating
system that handles low-level things such as file-systems,
multi-tasking, virtual memory management, networking and
device drivers etc.
-
The GNU project,
founded in 1983, was supposed to be an entire operating
system, including a kernel, code libraries, shell, user
interface, utilities etc. However when it's kernel
project died a slow and painful death Linus Torvalds
wrote the Linux kernel for it, completing the GNU system.
-
Some people call the combination of GNU and Linux
"GNU/Linux", and some people call it "Linux".
-
The author calls it GNU/Linux because he thinks it's more
accurate and that Linus Torvalds is an unprincipled arse
who is quiet happy to take credit for work that's not his
and undermine the important political message of the GNU
project.
Now, the best GNU/Linux distro is...
Debian
because:
-
Debian is one of the oldest GNU/Linux distributions.
-
Debian is the largest GNU/Linux distribution.
-
Most other GNU/Linux distributions are based on Debian anyway.
-
Debian provides separation between
Free
Software and Proprietary software in it's
repositories.
-
Debian is built for reliability and security.
-
Debian ships security updates separately from feature
updates so you can keep your system secure without
surprise changes to your system.
-
Debian actually
has documentation
unlike so many GNU/Linux distributions.
So use Debian
GNU/Linux and have fun!