Linux is an operating system for office and home use. Comfortable computer with Linux
Recently I was asked to look at the computer at home.
The situation is standard, after starting the black screen. After examining the "patient", it turned out that it was necessary to activate windows. But that's not all, by activating the license (a real one, not something like a loader ...) it turned out that the master had recently been called and he treated the computer for viruses.
The situation turned out like this: after starting everything works, but after a few minutes, about 2-3, after the download is complete, the fun begins.
Numerous programs imposed by the Internet are launched, amigo browser, mail satellite, various automatic system updates that allegedly keep your programs up to date and so on ...
As a result, the system is heavily loaded and hangs, in my case it hung tightly, nothing helped. Restoring the system and removing all these "programs" did not give a positive result. The system still hung and buggy.
The surest option suggested itself - reinstallation, and all problems will be solved!
Most masters do this, and you will earn more money by selling licenses for antivirus, office, operating system, plus drivers, etc., the amount is not frail. Now the contents of the computer on the operating windows system pours out not in a frail amount, for a simple user.
But now is not about the moral side of this issue.
I spent a few minutes communicating with the owners of this computer, or rather about an hour and a half. We just talked about viruses, what its tasks do on this computer and who uses it.
The conclusion after the conversation turned out like this.
The computer is used for surfing the Internet.
Watch videos, listen to music.
Download media content from the Internet.
For writing essays and other things for study.
Games are almost not needed, they said that for the sake of the stability of the computer and the absence of viruses, games can be abandoned.
Suggested to switch to Linux.
Then the most interesting thing began, the child said that he could not live without google, another needed a Yandex browser and VK. A certain amount of time was spent explaining what is what.
As a result, I launched linux mint from portable (my own, brought with me) hard drive. I let them use it, do what they always do on their computer. internet surfing, social networks, printing documents. Change the appearance of the desktop, change wallpaper colors and more.
I must say that almost without prompting, they got used to it pretty quickly, understanding where the programs are and how to run them.
Told them how to search desired programs in the program manager, telling them it's kinda google play like in android.
Got to the printer.
I thought there would be problems, and in vain I started all this. I started my printer at home for quite a long time, having climbed and re-read the entire Internet, I have a canon lbp 6000, I need dances with a ubn.
But no, I just connected it to my computer and after a while it was installed. Not just installed, but prints, moreover, correctly and without problems, the HP laserjet p1005 printer.
They told me that they were happy with everything and were glad that they could forget about viruses, they wanted to say goodbye to me already, but having learned that it all works from a “flash drive” (portable hard drive) via usb, and after installation it will work much faster ...
Their joy knew no bounds.
Installation took quite a bit of time, more I saved user data.
What conclusion did I draw for myself.
People have long been ready to switch to linux - there is no one who will explain it all to them at the initial stage and tell them.
No more spending money on renewing and purchasing licenses for antiviruses, windows itself, and office.
If you need a computer for studying, surfing the Internet, watching and listening to media content and do not use specific programs that have no analogues in linux.
Use linux, find a knowledgeable wizard who will explain everything to you in detail, at the initial stage, install and configure.
Spend your money not in vain, and not on programs that need to renew their license in a year if viruses do not “eat” your computer earlier, but on training and with benefit.
Benefits of moving to Linux.
The advantages are obvious, the absence of viruses, randomly installed programs, renewal of licenses, everything works stably and without freezes. Drivers are installed once and out of the box, just connected the device, waited a bit and everything works.
lInux consumes less resources, and it is not necessary to have a powerful computer that costs a lot of money, it works very fast on a regular office computer.
The main condition is that there is a constant access to the Internet, in our time - this is not a problem at all, for most users.
As for games, everything is not so bad, if desired, everything works in linux, even Steam already supports a decent number of games and works quietly in Linux itself.
I don’t remember whether or not I said above, I installed Linux mint 18.1. - the easiest Linux for novice users, similar to the interface on windows. Everything works out of the box - installed and you can work.
If you have any questions write I will try to answer.
Good luck to all!
10 comments on ““Linux is for the home.””
You will have the main wasp when you start working in your specialty and there are certain requirements for ...
You shouldn't count other people's money - they want to pay, they don't want to - they don't pay (although they pay you partly for setting up all this stuff) ... Linux is cheaper?! What is this from? How much do companies pay admins on Windows and Linux?!So the average user will cost a pretty penny the constant call of the master to fix something. The cheapness of Linux is only at first glance ... That's what the user will do when one day he does not see the GUI at boot due to the fact that GRUB has crashed?
This does not happen, flies and often. Nobody is experimenting with anything. It's just that when you turn on the PC, there is always an internal alarm, either it will start or not. With Windows, it's a different matter, where the data storage location does not depend on the location of the Home folder (aka My Documents), so it's easy to rearrange the system without losing data
For the third year in a row, Mint 18.1 is spinning (if I'm not mistaken) in parallel with Windows 7 (which was installed only for the sake of games donated to the child on the DR). Nothing is buggy, it does not hang, and in general everything suits everyone. At first, my wife was a little pissed off at the unusual office interface, then she got used to it. For a mode of use similar to that described in the article, tench is the most (and most importantly a freebie, at least for me, because I install it myself)
Nice and helpful post.
Such topics need to be covered more and more widely. People are milked, humiliated, imposed ... because of their ignorance.
Of course, the good should not be imposed either, but it is necessary to cover it.
Typical Linux mantras - which they repeat like our father - for free (freebie), the absence of viruses and other nonsense. There are viruses, insert your flash drive into any computer with Windows and immediately make sure that you, yes, they are not active, but this does not mean that they are not there. The problem with Linux starts with the drivers, not all the details are written here, and not a word about pro-priority products.
The improvement of computers has led to the emergence of special software - operating systems designed to simplify the work with a computer for an ordinary, "home" user, who, in most cases, has no idea about the existence of the command line and even about how formatting takes place. There are different operating systems, the most famous of which is, of course, Windows. However, there are also operating systems that appeared as a result of the actions of enthusiasts who wanted an operating system with more freedom of action. Linux has become such an OS, to which both software manufacturers and ordinary users are now paying more and more attention.
The popularity of Linux on the home computer
Of course, Linux is not as popular as Windows, because it is quite difficult for a user who has just bought a computer and is completely unaware of the OS to immediately master all the intricacies of working with Linux. Some of the more “advanced” users find it equally difficult to switch from Windows to Linux, because, whatever you say, the operating systems are very different from each other. However, an inquisitive user who is ready to spend a couple of weeks learning about his new operating system, and then get a good OS, will find a friend and protector of his computer in Linux.
Free operating system for home
Linux is a free OS. That is, the user, quite legally, without violating anything, can burn the image to disk and install the OS on any number of computers or distribute disks with images to his friends and acquaintances, view the source code of the program. In addition, almost all Linux distributions can be downloaded from the Internet, which also makes life a little easier for the “home” user.
Linux for home
The Linux distribution is designed to facilitate the user's work with the operating system, and includes Ubuntu, Mint, openSuSE and some other utilities: desktop shells, drivers, codecs, user applications, etc. There are distributions designed specifically for advanced users, and highly specialized distributions (Arch, Gentoo, Slackware, Damn Small Linux, etc.). However, the most common, of course, are ordinary distributions, which even a child can learn to work with with due diligence and attention. Such distributions are desktop-oriented and have a friendly interface, so there are usually no particular difficulties when using Linux.
The difference between Linux and Windows for the home user
Linux was developed according to the classical canons of architectural modular systems, that is, unlike Windows, which has “everything together”, the Linux OS is “separated” when installed on a user's computer. For example, the kernel is separate from the GUI. This adds both interesting possibilities and challenges. So, if a user does not know how to partition a hard drive, but installs Linux on his own, he can spoil his nerves, since the installation may well go wrong, or even not install the OS at all, and then wonder why I have nothing Did not work out? In general, a hard disk Linux installation It is best to break it down into at least three sections.
Benefits of Linux
However, such an operating system also has its advantages. Now many users like to "decorate" the shell of the operating system they use. Linux, on the other hand, not only allows you to use additional “embellishments” (although not all), but also, thanks to partitioning, it is able to change the shell, and each of the shells created for Linux has its own architecture, set of functions, appearance and customization options. To add 3D effects, you will need the Compiz Fusion compositing window manager. For example, Windows without additional programs can only change the appearance of the system shell, and even with additional software (for example, WindowBlinds or StyleXP), you can’t especially change functions and settings - there are only a few programs that do something similar.
Another great feature of Linux is its support for virtual desktops. That is, if necessary, the operating system workspace can be divided into several logical parts. For example, a browser and a mailer are open on one desktop, office editors are open on the other, in which the user “brings to mind” the necessary documents, from time to time checking something on the Internet, and players are on the third so that it is not so boring work. Switching from one desktop to another is quite easy - either using hot keys or a mouse, or using a special small utility, the Desktop Pager, which highlights the virtual space that is currently working.
However, that's not all - almost all applications written for a specific graphical interface may well work with another shell, so that the user can assemble just such a shell that most fully satisfies his needs.
However, on one graphical interface, the light did not converge like a wedge and Linux has other nice utilities. Yes, this operating system very reliable - not so often you have to reboot the machine due to some kind of error, usually restarting the graphical interface is enough. In addition, no matter how many programs are installed on the computer, this will not affect the work, that is, it will not “slow down” the system.
Linux is free of viruses
The OS is well protected from virus attacks, which means that installing an antivirus software no need
Like Windows, Linux has different accounts for administering and using a computer, so in this regard, you don’t have to worry about hiding your files in some special way from, for example, household members who have access to a computer.
Linux is well suited for weaker machines, since this operating system does not impose serious requirements on the computer's hardware, aka hardware.
Linux also has a small, at first glance, drawback - the OS is best suited for file systems from the Unix world (Etx2 / Ext3, ReiserFS, XFS, etc.). However, Linux still works with other file systems - FAT32 or NTFS.
By the way, one more feature, one might say, is that on the Internet you can easily find many sites where problems and ways to solve them with Linux OS are discussed. For example, Windows does not have such serious support, and in most cases it will not be possible to find out why this or that error occurred and how to fix it.
Programs for Linux
Linux has, in some way, a big drawback - the inability to use "non-native" applications. The fact is that the OS uses its own format of executable files, respectively, "foreign" applications simply "will not go" to the OS. But you should not be upset about this either, since there is a lot of software that successfully replaces the one that is used on Windows. Although not everything will be able to find a worthy replacement, for example, Microsoft Office will not go to Linux, and most of the programs that replace it are not so functional. The applications themselves are installed very easily: you just need to check the necessary checkboxes in the list of repositories and click on the button to start the installation, that is, it is no more difficult than installing software in Windows.
Do you need to be able to work on the command line as a Linux home user?
It is impossible not to mention the Linux command line, without which, according to the majority, not a single action in the OS can do. However, the days when you really needed to know hundreds of commands have already passed, and now Linux has a convenient shell through which all commands pass. In most cases, knowledge of console commands will not be needed, although, of course, there are situations when giving a command in the console is much faster and more convenient than doing the same through a graphical shell.
Games for Linux
However, game lovers should be reminded that not all of them run on the Linux platform. Linux will not install many of the latest and most technologically advanced games, however, some developers specifically make different versions of games, including those for the operating system. Linux system. In addition, there is special software thanks to which most new games will run on a computer with a Linux platform in emulation mode - these are Wine and Cedega. So, using Wine or Cedega, you can run on Linux such games as: Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Call of Duty 4, Elder Scrolls IV, Command & Conquer 3, Supreme Commander, World of Warcraft 3, Resident Evil 4 and a lot others.
Linux is a thing that has always been of interest to me, from the moment I first learned about the existence of this OS. Even interest in Android appeared precisely because Linux. At that time, Android itself did not exist yet, only talk that Google was preparing its own mobile OS and Google phone. But I got carried away, started tracking, a little later I bought an HTC Hero, and a little later a site appeared, which at that time turned out to be the first site about Android in Runet.
I will make a reservation right away - much of what is written here will be very subjective. What is good for me is not the fact that it will suit you, but at the same time, I think that for many it will also be relevant and fair.
A long time ago
In general, I started trying Linux a long time ago, while still buying distributions on Gorbushka and Savelovsky. Now offhand, Mandrake, Red Hat, Debian, then Ubuntu immediately come to mind. But it did not take root, in those moments the system was not for people, or rather not for the mass average user, but exclusively for geeks, and quite advanced ones at that. I wanted to play games, surf the Internet, which I could not do with Linux. Those were the dial-up days, and then the ADSL life with Stream. It was not possible to install drivers for my modem, and delving into a new complex OS without the help of the Internet seemed unrealistic, and remained on Windows.
Trying with Linux Mint
Now, with the release of Microsoft Windows 10, I once again thought that it was time to change the main operating system, because Windows in its current form has ceased to suit. I tried the Mac again, preparing for the fact that I would purchase this toy, but once again I concluded that it was not mine. This system is even less convenient and less pleasant for me than Windows. But there are also various builds of Linux. It was decided to try Linux Mint, which at that time was outwardly sharpened under the guise of Widows 7. But again it didn’t take root, I indulged in a few days, set up what was required, but in the end the lack of software affected, in addition, I could not force myself to get used to the new software , long-term habit won. However, a slightly later version of Linux Mint has taken root on my mom's PC. However, now I did not like the look.
No matter how much I looked for GTK themes or icon packs, everything turned out somehow different. As a result, the search had to continue. And the software package that comes with Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa seemed bloated. I wanted to find something even lighter in the sense that the kit would have only very basic things and nothing more. But after Mint, there was an understanding that today Linux is already usable, suitable for me, for most tasks.
Minimalism and beauty of Elementary OS
After poking around the Internet, I came across Elementary OS Freya 0.3.2, in which this text is currently being typed. Yes, this is what I can safely recommend to beginners and those looking for something new.
Elementary OS is a minimalistic Linux distribution, minimalism can be seen literally in everything here. Elementary OS, like Linux Mint, is based on Ubuntu 14.04. But, if it always seemed to me that Linux was bad with the design of the OS itself, then Elementary OS fell in love with itself outwardly. I don't want to go back to Windows, and I never liked the design of the Mac. Although, it is worth recognizing that it is noticeable that the designers of Elementary were clearly inspired by the brainchild of Apple. But for my taste, in many ways it turned out better than the original. Although there are also shortcomings, a decent amount, but not critical.
The visual scheme has been carefully worked out, the icons are drawn in a single style, there is even an application package in the Elementary style so that they do not stand out. All sorts of photo viewers, a calculator, a calendar, an audio player, a video player, a notepad, an explorer and other essential programs just for the average user, are here out of the box, just in the style of the system. For many this will be enough. However, someone is unlikely to be able to live without installing third-party software. And these applications will already stand out in the system.
Separately, I want to say thanks to the developers for the animation. For almost every action, we see something smooth and beautiful. Plus, Elementenatry OS itself is very fast. First, the download, which takes only a few seconds. Secondly, download all applications. If in Windows Chrome browser with a couple of dozen bookmarks opens in a few seconds, then in Elementary OS it loads in a second. Similarly, for example, Opera or Vivaldi. Yes, here all applications open as if you expanded the window, taking the program out of RAM, and not loading it from scratch. This is also very captivating and I don’t want to return to Windows 10, which seemed nimble earlier.
Some conveniences of Linux and Elementary OS
In addition, after installing the system, which takes less than a dozen minutes, the system is immediately ready for use. I did not have to download any drivers - everything works. This is exactly true if you install Elementary OS on Asus Zenbook.
The console or terminal, or, if I may say so, the command line, is one of the strengths of Linux. Yet very often it is much faster and easier to do something by typing a command or several commands than by remembering where the desired setting or button or program is located in which you need to click here or there with the mouse. What is the ability to update installed applications through the terminal. We typed "sudo apt-get update", and then "sudo apt-get dist-upgrade", the system updated the cache, polled the server for new versions of all installed software, and then pulled up and installed the latest versions. There is no need to think about package dependencies. You don’t need to download any additional frameworks, finding out which libraries were missing, that the application didn’t start, as is often the case in Windows. Here everything will pass without straining the user. Here is such a system for geeks - she will understand everything and do it.
Or, for example, you need to install some program, you almost say in human language to the system: "install program XXX", and it executes. you need to delete it - again the command in the terminal, the system will clean everything up itself, even with the configuration files, even leaving them.
Downloading and trying on themes, without reboots and other things. In general, reboots are rarely required.
I'm talking about developer tools. Everything here has been known for a long time.
Sometimes it confuses the lack of a desktop in the usual sense. Here it is only for beauty. If desired, of course, it can be activated "fully", but such is the philosophy of Elementary - asceticism and beauty.
Disadvantages of Elementary OS and Linux in particular
Of the minuses, of course, the lack of software. It is impossible for every tool or product that has been used in Windows to find a worthy alternative in Linux. Alas, so far. There is a replacement for almost everything, but it can be so miserable that it will simply be impossible to use one of the analogues. For example, the same Dropbox client is deprived of most of its capabilities. Those that make work faster, more productive and more convenient. Although it was even more difficult before, some progress and development are still visible.
The second point is very subjective. Decoration and appearance. If you install software in addition to what is in Elementary out of the box, then you will pay attention to the fact that it stands out from the general style externally. And in the system itself, not everything is smooth. It seems to be generally pretty, even beautiful. But some places kill, for example, there are some icons that seem to have come to us from the ancient KDE, now they look wild. Sometimes surprising is the lack of padding around controls in applications.
There are a huge number of versions of Linux. Over 300 distributions have been flagged on DistroWatch.com in the last month alone, and there have been about 700 of them in the history of Linux. How to choose among this abundance?
The two main criteria to consider are:
- Distribution popularity. The more popular your distribution is, the easier it will be to find manuals for it on the Web. The large community means you can easily get help on the distribution's forums if you're having trouble getting started. Finally, the more common a distribution is, the more applications and packages are ported for it. It is better to choose popular solutions with a ready-made package base than to suffer from building from source in some exotic distribution.
- The development team behind it. Naturally, it's best to look at distributions supported by large companies like Canonical Ltd., Red Hat, or SUSE, or distributions with large communities.
Keep in mind that even the best distributions have analogues that are not much inferior to them. If you are not satisfied with the choice of Lifehacker, you can try alternatives.
For those who have never used Linux - Linux Mint
New users migrating from , should definitely install Linux Mint. Today it is the most popular Linux distribution. This is a very stable and easy to use system based on Ubuntu.
Linux Mint is equipped with an easy and intuitive interface (Cinnamon shell for modern computers and MATE for older machines) and a convenient application manager, so you will not have problems finding and installing programs.
Pros: simplicity, care for ordinary users. You don't need any specific knowledge to install and use Mint.
Minuses: a large number of pre-installed software that may never come in handy.
For those who want to have the latest software - Manjaro
It is a popular Linux distribution based on Arch. Arch is an incredibly powerful and feature-packed distribution, but its KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) philosophy, contrary to its name, makes it too difficult for beginners. Arch is only installed via the command line.
Manjaro, unlike Arch, has a simple graphical installer and yet combines powerful Arch features such as the AUR (Arch User Repository) and rolling release. AUR is the richest source of Linux packages. If an application is on Linux, it probably already is on the AUR. So in Manjaro you will always have the latest packages.
Manjaro comes with a variety of desktop skins to choose from: functional KDE, GNOME for tablet screens, Xfce, LXDE and more. Manjaro, you can be sure to be the first to receive the latest updates.
Pros: AUR, thanks to which you can install any application without unnecessary movements. Always fresh software.
Minuses: original design of desktop shells. However, nothing prevents you from replacing it.
For home server - Debian
A home server can be useful for many purposes. For example, to store data and backups, download torrents, or arrange your own dimensionless .
Debian will take root well on your home server. It is a stable and conservative distribution that has become the basis for Ubuntu and many other Linux systems. Debian only uses the most trusted packages, making it a good choice for a server.
Pros: stability and a large set of applications.
Minuses: the need to manually configure the distribution after installation.
For Media Center - Kodi
If you want to set up your own media server, choose Kodi. Strictly speaking, Kodi is not a distro, but a full-featured media center player. You can install it on any Linux, but Ubuntu + Kodi is the best choice.
Kodi supports all types of video and audio files. He knows how to play movies, music, organize your photos. Kodi will turn anyone into a versatile entertainment device.
Thanks to extensions, Kodi can download media files via torrents, keep track of the new seasons of your favorite TV shows, show videos from YouTube and other streaming services. In short, Kodi can do everything.
In addition, Kodi is very beautiful and optimized for remote control or Android device. You can easily customize the Kodi interface with a variety of visual skins.
Pros: a huge number of functions and convenient management.
Minuses: The standard interface may not be to everyone's liking, but it's easy to replace.
Desktop - Kubuntu
The KDE graphical environment is ideal for desktop use, and Kubuntu is the most popular KDE distribution. Like many other distributions, it's based on Ubuntu, which means you won't have any application compatibility issues.
Kubuntu is beautiful, functional, and highly customizable. Even novice users can easily handle it. It is a stable and polished system that provides all the necessary features for a home desktop PC.
Pros: a large selection of packages, a wonderful set of KDE applications, and a huge amount of interface customization.
Minuses: Kubuntu uses the stable version of KDE, which means that the latest features of this shell come here with a delay. If you want to try out the latest KDE, KDE Neon is here for you.
For old computer or netbook - Lubuntu
This version of Ubuntu is based on the LXDE shell, which is lightweight and modest in terms of resource consumption. It is focused on old or low-power machines. If you have a not-so-new computer or netbook lying around that can't handle Windows, you might as well install Lubuntu.
This Linux distribution consumes little system resources and is able to run on almost any configuration.
Pros: very fast and light system. However, it supports the same packages and applications as its older sister, Ubuntu.
Minuses: The look and feel of LXDE may not be to everyone's taste, but that's a small price to pay for performance.
Alternative: .
For tablet or transformer - Ubuntu
Ubuntu is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions. As of version 17.10, Ubuntu ends support for the Unity shell and migrates to GNOME. And GNOME looks pretty good on devices with touch screens. If you have a tablet and want to try installing Linux on it, try Ubuntu with GNOME.
Large GNOME interface elements, customizable gestures and extensions make Ubuntu a great touchscreen system.
Pros: Ubuntu is a widespread distribution, which means that you can easily find all the necessary software. In addition, most of the Linux sites are dedicated specifically to Ubuntu.
Minuses: the GNOME shell is convenient, but at first it seems unusual.
For laptop - elementary OS
As the name suggests, this version of Linux is very simple. You won't have any problems learning it. It runs easily on laptops and consumes battery slowly.
The interface of elementary OS is similar to macOS, so it will be a pleasure for Mac fans to use. Animations, window decoration - everything here is so smooth and pretty that you can just admire the system. Nevertheless, behind the beautiful elementary OS shell lies a full-fledged Linux that supports all the applications necessary for work.
Pros: beautiful interface, own indie app store.
Minuses: Pantheon's graphical shell, although it looks stylish, is not very functional.
- Translation
We present to your attention a translation of an article by Jack Wallen from linux.com, which is dedicated to the most promising Linux distributions of 2018. About twelve months ago we shared a similar review with you. What has changed in a year?
Jack says that in 2017, there were trends in the Linux world regarding the increase in the number of distributions. This year, he expects the ecosystem to become more stable and Linux to grow in both server and desktop computing.
What to choose for someone who is going to switch to an open source platform this year, or for someone who wants to change what they use for something new? If you go to Distrowatch and look at the rankings of distributions, the main thing that you can see there is an unimaginable scope of possibilities. The wealth of choice is good, but it means that choosing exactly what you need will not be easy.
So, which Linux distributions should you pay attention to this year? Jack has some ideas about this, and he wants to talk about them in this material. As in the past year, systems divided into several categories will be considered here. Namely, we will talk about distributions for administrators, lightweight and desktop systems, Linux for professionals and for IoT, as well as server platforms.
Best Distribution for System Administrators: Debian
Debian is not often seen in the lists of the best distributions. Why? Considering that Debian is the foundation for Ubuntu (which in turn is based on a host of other distributions), it becomes clear that Debian should actually be in the high positions of many ratings. And what does this distribution have to do with system administrators? I think this is so for two important reasons:- Ease of use.
- Extreme stability.
Debian 9.3 with GNOME desktop
Debian is currently in second place in the Distrowatch rankings. Download the distribution, install it, customize it according to your needs and enjoy stable and convenient work. It may not look all that fancy compared to others, but Debian is the distribution that makes sysadmins' dreams come true.
Best Lightweight Distribution: Lubuntu
Lightweight distributions serve a very specific purpose - to give a second life to obsolete, usually not the most powerful computers. But this does not mean that these distributions should be considered only based on old hardware. If speed is your main goal, a distribution in the lightweight category will come in very handy on a modern computer.At the top of the 2018 lightweight distro list is Lubuntu. While there are tons of options out there, few of them even come close to the ease of learning that this distro has to offer. And although Lubuntu's system requirements are not as modest as, say, Puppy Linux, before us is a member of the Ubuntu family, and the convenience of working with it compensates for some "gluttony". However, do not be afraid that the Lubuntu distribution will be too slow on a less modern computer. Still, Lubuntu's system requirements are quite adequate. Namely, we are talking about a Pentium 4, Pentium M or AMD K8 processor, about 512 MB of memory for working with local applications, or about 1 GB for normal work on the Internet (Youtube, Google+, Google Drive, Facebook).
Lubuntu uses the LXDE desktop, which means that Linux newbies won't run into problems. The applications included in the distribution (such as Abiword, Gnumeric, Firefox) are characterized by high speed, convenience and simplicity.
Lubuntu and the LXDE desktop
Best Desktop Distribution: Elementary OS
For the second year in a row, Elementary OS tops my list of the best desktop distributions. For many, the desktop leader is Linux Mint (and understandably so). However, the ease of use and stability of Elementary OS is hard to beat in my opinion.This is confirmed by one story that happened to me. I was sure that the release of Ubuntu 17.10 would make me switch back to Canonical distributions. Very soon after switching to the new Ubuntu with GNOME, I found myself missing the convenience and reliability of Elementary OS. As a result, after two weeks with Ubuntu, I returned to Elementary OS.
The Panteon desktop in Elementary OS is a true work of art
Anyone who tries Elementary OS immediately feels at home. The Panteon desktop is an example of a great combination of attention to detail, user-centricity and convenience. And with each update, it only gets better.
Although Elementary OS is ranked 6th in Distrowatch's rankings, I believe that this distro will reach at least the third position by the end of this year.
The developers of Elementary are very aware of what users want. They listen to those who work on their OS and develop the system in the appropriate direction. However, Elementary OS is already in excellent condition. As a result, there is a feeling that developers can only make minor improvements to the system. Anyone looking for a desktop distribution that offers a well-designed interface will have a hard time finding something that can beat Elementary OS. If you're looking for a system that has a remarkable level of reliability and ease of use, then Elementary OS is made for you.
The best distribution for those who know what's what: Linux From Scratch
For a very, very long time, the Gentoo distribution has been at the top of the list of distributions for those who are well versed in Linux and are not averse to demonstrating their knowledge and skills to others. However, I think it's time for Gentoo to give way to the real leader in the professional distro category: Linux From Scratch. You might think that this is not very fair, since LFS is not really a distribution, but a project that helps users create their own distributions. However, if you are serious about showing everyone how well you know Linux, no matter what the difficulties, what could be better than creating a distribution yourself? Thanks to the LFS project, you can literally build your system from scratch, build absolutely everything from source code. So, if you really need it, download the LFS guide and get started on your own distribution.Best IoT Distribution: Ubuntu Core
For the second year in a row, the victory in this category goes to Ubuntu Core, I don’t see any other options here. Ubuntu Core is a minimalistic, transactional version of Ubuntu designed specifically for use with embedded systems and IoT projects. The reason why Ubuntu Core is so well suited for IoT is that the system has a strong focus on snap packages - universal packages that can be installed without interfering with the base system. These packages contain everything they need to work (including dependencies), as a result, working with them, you can not worry that their installation will break something in the OS or in any other installed software. In addition, these packages are very easy to update and run in an isolated environment, making them a great IoT solution.Another security-related feature of Ubuntu Core is the login mechanism. Ubuntu Core works with Ubuntu One ssh keys, and it's organized so that the only way to log in is with an Ubuntu One account and ssh keys. This helps ensure a high level of security when working with IoT devices.
Ubuntu Core screen indicating that remote access is enabled for an Ubuntu One user
Best Server Distribution: Ubuntu Server
In this area, everything looks a little confusing. The main thing in server distributions is support. If you need commercial support, at first glance, Red Hat Enterprise Linux is your best bet. Red Hat has proven over the years that RHEL is not only one of the strongest enterprise server platforms, but also the most profitable open source business in the world (with over $2 billion in annual revenue).However, RHEL is far from the only server distribution. In fact, Red Hat isn't even the absolute leader in enterprise server systems. If you look at the statistics for cloud installations only in Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, here Ubuntu is far ahead of RHEL. According to Cloud Market, EC2 data indicates that RHEL has less than 100,000 deployments, while Ubuntu has more than 200,000. This is a very serious result.
As a result, it turns out that Ubuntu is the undisputed leader in the field of cloud servers. And when you add in the ease of working with Ubuntu and with containers, it becomes quite clear that the Ubuntu Server distribution has won a landslide victory in the server systems category. And if you need commercial support, Canonical can offer the Ubuntu Advantage program.
The only feature of Ubuntu Server that some may not like is that by default this system uses only a text interface. If necessary, you can install a graphical shell here, but work with command line Ubuntu Server is quite simple (perhaps one of those skills that every Linux administrator should have).
Ubuntu Server login screen containing information about available updates
The choice is yours
As already mentioned, the list of promising distributions presented here is based on very subjective criteria. However, if you are interested in a certain area of activity, and you are looking for your first OS in this area - try the systems in question. Each of them is designed for specific tasks, and each solves these tasks much better than many others. While you may question what we've been talking about here, you most likely won't argue with the fact that everyone can find exactly what they need in the Linux world.Dear readers! As usual, we ask you to tell us what you use and why, and what Linux distributions you would recommend to others.
Tags: Add tags
