What Are the 5 Best Linux Distros?

Lightweight distros are great for older computers while the Raspberry Pi OS would be a natural choice for Raspberry Pi development. The distro is complimented by the Raspberry Pi website that hosts some impressive guides on using the credit-card sized computer to learn to program, particularly with Python. The Raspberry Pi OS includes the visual programming tool Scratch, which is a wonderful source for taking first steps into programming. It’s aimed primarily at developers and system admins, with a focus on providing a stable platform; a goal the developers have approached by using source code from SUSE Linux enterprise. In fact, Ubuntu is the chosen distro of the Android Open Source Project for building source files. The Android build is regularly tested using the most recent versions of Ubuntu.

Over the years, the user experience has improved along with the addition of several new useful features. Puppy Linux is literally one of the smallest distributions there is. When I started to explore Linux, my friend recommended me to experiment with Puppy Linux because it can run on older hardware configurations with ease. We’ve already discussed some of the best lightweight Linux distributions in detail and top Linux distributions to support 32-bit computers.

Best Linux distro for beginners making the jump from Windows

Another good option is Debian, which is also fairly easy to use and comes with a large number of high-quality networking applications. The CentOS Project is a community-driven free operating system that aims at delivering a robust and reliable open source ecosystem. Based on RHEL, CentOS is a perfect alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux since it is free to download and install. Once you do, you’ll also need to learn the ins and outs of the Portage package system. Unlike almost all other Linux distributions, which use binary software packaging systems such as Red Hat’s RPM and Debian’s APT, Portage is source-code based. So, for example, if you want to install a program in Portage, you actually compile the application’s source code on your machine.

My home network was routed by a Pentium 2 workstation running Slackware and configured with IP forwarding and IP tables. In 2003, I attended a CCNA boot camp; the other students and I practiced routing protocols (RIP and OSPF) by building an overlay point-to-point network between our houses. We used OpenVPN for the tunneling and then RIP and OSPF inside the tunnels. If that’s you, the aggregate site, Linux Today, does a good job of gathering up Linux news stories, features, and the latest tutorials. Here, I’ll add, you’ll also find links to many of my stories. To really know what’s going on with the Linux kernel, you must keep an eye on the Linux Kernel Mailing List .

These are the absolute best Linux distros for programming

But with the help of command-line tools, one can add extensions to create a system with GUI. The opinions I give here are based on all that experience and the experience of the many Linux kernel developers and distribution programmers I’ve known over the years. This is the distribution I, and other Linux experts, need to help our Windows cousins when they run into failed Windows installations and corrupted hard drives. Instead, you boot it from a USB drive, DVD drive, or, yes, even now, a CD drive.

This is because Linux has more tools and toolchains available for devs compared to Windows and Mac OS. In addition, because Ubuntu offers both desktop and server editions, developers can use the same OS their servers use. Arch Linux is one of the most versatile distros that follows a rolling release model.

What is the Best Linux Distro for You?

We also considered the simplicity of the user interface, the range of security and analysis tools they offered, and whether the internet traffic is routed through the Tor network. The best Linux distribution for pen testing is Kali Linux, hands down. Kali is a Linux distribution that includes a lightweight desktop environment and tons of popular networking, programming, https://remotemode.net/become-a-linux-network-engineer/ and tools. It is the de-facto Linux distribution for cybersecurity analysts and researchers. As a distribution designed for penetration testing, Kali Linux comes with a massive variety of preinstalled tools that network engineers are certain to find useful. We assessed a whole range of Linux distros to find the best forensic and pentesting Linux distros for you.

The latest release of BackBox is based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and uses the Xfce desktop. You can download the file directly from the website or via Bittorrent. In addition to the regular boot options, the distro’s boot menu also offers the option to boot into a forensics mode where it doesn’t mount the disks on the computer. The best forensic and pentesting Linux distros make it simple and easy to find weaknesses in your network.

Linux Distributions And Their Targeted Users

Furthermore, it doesn’t just provide a stateful firewall, but several other network services as well. Ubuntu has a dedicated “Software” center where you can search for and download apps without using the command line. The main website also has extensive documentation to help you get to grips with the OS.

It’s great to see that now, almost 13 years later, open networking companies have adopted those same projects to finally deliver enterprise-grade routing and switching. Before that, I’d cut my teeth onVersion 7 Unix.In other words, I have a clue about Linux. The opinions I give here are based on all that experience and the experience of the many Linux kernel developers and distribution programmers I’ve known over the years.