Top Ten Distroś Linux

The bewildering choice and the ever increasing number of Linux distributions can be confusing for those who are new to Linux. This is why this page was created. It lists 10 Linux distributions (plus an honourable mention of FreeBSD, by far the most popular of all of the BSDs), which are generally considered as most widely-used by Linux users around the world. There are no figures to back it up and there are many other distributions that might suit your particular purpose better, but as a general rule, all of these are popular and have very active forums or mailing lists where you can ask questions if you get stuck. Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS and MEPIS Linux are considered the easiest for new users who want to get productive in Linux as soon as possible without having to master all its complexities. On the other end of the spectrum, Slackware Linux, Gentoo Linux and FreeBSD are more advanced distributions that require plenty of learning before they can be used effectively. openSUSE, Fedora, Debian GNU/Linux and Mandriva Linux can be classified as good “middle-road” distributions. KNOPPIX is a live CD (or live DVD); originally very popular as a testing and demonstration tool, although nowadays most major distributions offer a live CD/DVD edition of their products as well. These distributions are loosely listed in order of popularity on DistroWatch, which is NOT an indication of their market share or quality. from http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major resume :

• Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS and MEPIS Linux are considered the easiest for new users who want to get productive in Linux as soon as possible without having to master all its complexities
• Slackware Linux, Gentoo Linux and FreeBSD are more advanced distributions that require plenty of learning before they can be used effectively
• openSUSE, Fedora, Debian GNU/Linux and Mandriva Linux can be classified as good “middle-road” distributions
• KNOPPIX is a live CD (or live DVD); originally very popular as a testing and demonstration tool, although nowadays most major distributions offer a live CD/DVD edition of their products as well