Ubuntu
Ubuntu is user-friendly and well-supported, making it an excellent choice for newcomers.
Good for: beginners, desktops, laptops, general-purpose use.
Ubuntu Info:
- Package manager: APT
- Default Desktop: GNOME
- Recommended version: Ubuntu 25.10
There are hundreds of Linux distributions. Each one packages the Linux kernel with different collections of software, package managers, support policies, and goals. Below are some widely used distributions and where they fit best.
Ubuntu is user-friendly and well-supported, making it an excellent choice for newcomers.
Good for: beginners, desktops, laptops, general-purpose use.
Linux Mint focuses on a familiar desktop experience and comes with multimedia codecs and helpful tools out of the box. It is mostly based on Ubuntu.
Good for: users transferring from Windows who want a comfortable desktop setup.
Fedora showcases newer technologies and upstream innovations. It has a quicker release cadence and is popular with developers and enthusiasts.
Good for: developers, cutting-edge desktops, contributors to upstream projects.
Debian is the foundation for many distributions and emphasizes stability and freedom. It provides a large repository of packages and conservative updates.
Good for: servers, stable desktops, experienced users wanting control.
Arch is lightweight and minimal by design, with a rolling-release model and powerful package manager (pacman). It requires manual setup but teaches how the system works.
Good for: advanced users, learning, highly-customised systems.
Watch this overview of modern Ubuntu releases: