Modern GNU/Linux is more than a set of programs and an installer. Rather, it is the implementation of some ideal OS, as seen by a specific development team. But even the most popular distributions are far from perfect, so many Linux users are in constant search. We will also look for alternatives.

Mageia 3

Base: Mandriva
Project website: mageia.org/ru
License: GPL
Hardware platforms: i586, x86_64

Kernel 3.8.13, Glibc 2.17, systemd 195, X.org 1.13.4, KDE 4.10.2, GNOME 3.6, Xfce 4.10, LibreOffice 4.0.3

The distribution kit was created by enthusiasts and former employees of Mandriva in 2010, when this company was going through hard times: reductions began, releases came out late, and its further fate was not clear. Mageia is supported and developed by the community and does not depend on corporate intrigues. Be that as it may, Mageia has far surpassed Mandriva in popularity, which today is only in 44th place in the Distrowatch rating (Mageia occupies 4th position). Releases come out once a year (May - June), the numbering is in order.

Mageia has much in common with its ancestor, working with it is in many ways reminiscent of Mandriva and is understandable even to a novice user. There are no problems with localization. The interface has been translated into 167 languages, and the project website is also available in several languages.

The desktop is made traditionally, everything is in its place. Configuration is carried out using regular tools, like KDE System Settings. Among the specific applications, Mageia Control Center, based on the Mandriva Control Center, can be noted. Here you can configure software sources, hardware and network connections, manage system and security, import documents and settings from Windows, and so on. Programs are installed using the graphical package managers RPMdrake and Apper. The features of the first are similar to Synaptic, all applications are well structured. Although the lack of a rating like in the Ubuntu Software Center makes it a little difficult for a beginner to choose. The App manager is a little easier, to get to the program, you need to go through several windows or use a filter. Although it's interesting that Apper sometimes sees updates that RPMdrake doesn't.

The repository is divided into three parts: Core (the main repository with a free license), Nonfree (free closed-source packages, drivers, etc.), Tainted (packages with a free license, but capable of violating the laws of a number of countries, codecs). Only Core is enabled by default. If the installer detects the need for proprietary drivers, Nonfree and Tainted are included automatically (in version 3, previously you had to do this manually). Most hardware is recognized correctly without user intervention.

Installer for HDD very simple and completely copied from Mandriva. In version 3, the ability to install the system on the Btrfs file system has been added, the appearance has been updated, and the ability to restore the system from an SMB partition has appeared.

It is also worth noting the presence of the Digidoc portal client, which allows you to sign documents, check the validity of the signature and provide access to other users of the portal. For the convenience of security settings, ready-made profiles are used (installed in the control center) that facilitate settings: standard, netbook, secure, fileserver, webserver and audit_daily/weakly. Each of them is accompanied by a detailed description.

Several images are available for download. For traditional installation: x86 and x64 DVD containing the most complete set of software, as well as CD "dual" architecture with a minimum set. In addition, GNOME and KDE desktop live images and network install images are available.

The project provides relatively few instructions and tutorials, but many questions can be answered in the community forum or in the official Mandriva documentation.

Arch Linux 2013.10.01

Base: from scratch
Project website: archlinux.org
License: GPL

System requirements: Intel Pentium II, 512 MB RAM, 6 GB
Kernel 3.11.2, systemd 208, Glibc 2.18, X.org 1.14.3, Openbox 3.5.2, LibreOffice 4.1.2

A distribution for advanced users that appeared during the fashion for source-based solutions and system optimization (2002). Built from scratch in the spirit of the UNIX-way. One of Arch's principles is that the system should be managed by the user, not utilities. Installation and configuration of the system (including Russification) are done manually, without auxiliary utilities that "spoil" and make the system heavier. The project offers only a set of specialized scripts that simplify deployment (Arch Install Scripts). Users themselves often offer their own solutions that facilitate certain aspects of the configuration.

Arch is installed as a minimal base system (requires an internet connection) and then customized for a specific task, installing only the necessary components, and not removing the excess, as is usually the case. Given that the process uses an up-to-date repository, an update immediately after installation is not required. The distribution kit will be in the form that the user configures it, in case of failure, problems are also provided (unstable operation, brakes, etc.). All this, of course, requires some experience, attention and perseverance, but the result is worth it.

Arch is built on the rolling release principle, so it is updated as needed, and the user uses the most up-to-date software. Although the risk of getting an unstable system is quite high, so it is advisable to check the forum before a global update.

Unlike Gentoo, the main way to install applications here is using binary packages (in fact, pkg.tar.gz archives, which contain all the information, including dependencies), this noticeably speeds up the process and does not require a powerful computer for compilation . The basis is package manager pacman, which allows you to install packages and completely update the system with one command.

For those who prefer to build applications from source, the Arch Build System is provided, which is similar to the BSD ports system. All operations are performed by a single makepkg command, the packages created (unlike FreeBSD, the package is created anyway, as in CRUX) are then tracked using pacman. Therefore, both methods can be used in parallel. Another feature: packages are usually built without patches or with a minimum number of them.

In addition to the official repositories, the user AUR (Arch User Repository) is also supported, in which you can find PKGBUILD scripts for building packages from source.

There is a big plus - extensive and up-to-date documentation of the project, which covers all the issues and subtleties. Therefore, Arch can be recommended to all those who want to thoroughly learn Linux. The answer can be found on any Arch community resource and IRC channel.

A dual-boot ISO image is offered for installation, which is used on 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Manjaro Linux 0.8.7.1

Base: Arch Linux
Project website: manjaro.org
License: GPL
Hardware platforms: i686, x86_64
Recommended system requirements: CPU 1 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB HDD
Kernel 3.10.11, Glibc 2.18, systemd 204, X.org 1.14.2, Xfce 4.10, Openbox 3.5.2, LibreOffice 4.1.1

The goal of this project is to create an analogue of the popular Arch Linux distribution, only more user friendly. But this relationship ends, Manjaro is a completely self-sufficient solution.

Like Arch, Manjaro uses a rolling release scheme, which means that the system is updated as needed, without a complete reinstallation. To install applications, the package manager from Arch - pacman and the graphical frontend pamac (something like a simplified Synaptic) are used, the Update Manager monitors updates. At the same time, Manjaro is compatible with the AUR repositories from Arch (if necessary, they can be included), but uses its own. Officially, the distribution is in beta, and there are still various inconsistencies when updating the distribution, setting hardware parameters (such as adjusting the screen resolution), and running something complex like Compiz. But the project is developing rapidly, and there are fewer and fewer unpleasant moments.

Currently implemented are the graphical Manjaro Installer (taken from Linux Mint), the mhwd (Manjaro HardWare Detection) console device management utility, the Manjaro Welcome screen with basic settings (like in Mint), and the Manjaro Settings Manager control center. The latter so far provides the installation of language packs, changing the locale and keyboard layout, and managing accounts. The list of available kernels can be requested with the mhwd-kernel -li command. Full support for multimedia codecs is provided out of the box.

At the moment, the mhwd utility is under development and can automatically install the drivers and necessary parameters in the configuration files for PCI devices only. For devices that work via USB, all operations will probably have to be done manually. A detailed list of all devices and available drivers can be obtained as follows:

$ mhwd -lh -d $ mhwd -la

Manjaro Installer does not cause difficulties in the work, all steps are clear and logical. By default, the ext4 file system is used, the disk is automatically divided into root and swap. At manual setting partitions is called by GParted. It is possible to install the distribution kit not only in graphical, but also in text mode.

Officially supported working environments: XFCE, Openbox and the so-called Minimal Net Edition, containing a minimal set of software, without a graphical environment. The Xfce desktop is organized traditionally and looks elegant. Optimization has been carried out, and the system does not consume many resources. Thunar is used as a file manager. All the tools for customizing this environment are present, so the look and feel can be easily changed. Additionally, Community Editions provide support for: E17, MATE, LXDE, Cinnamon/Gnome-shell and KDE/Razor-qt.

Of course, you can call Manjaro a distribution kit for a beginner, but only with some stretch, you will have to do a lot to set it up correctly and for yourself, but an experienced user will surely like it. A big plus of the project is a good selection of documentation. After the system boots, a PDF file is available on the desktop containing all the basic information so that the user can quickly navigate. The root password in Live mode is manjaro.

Zorin OS 6.4/7

There is no localization out of the box, but making the system “speak” Russian is easy. When loading, a settings window appears in which you can select the desired language, after which recommendations will be given for further actions (you need to install langpack_ru). Here I would like to note the community of Russian-speaking followers of PuppyRus Linux, which offers its builds (localized), various manuals and support on the forum.

PCLinuxOS distribution

Bill "Texstar" Reynolds' project, which started in 2003 based on additions to Mandrake (now Mandriva), at the time of its inception offered a live version and multimedia codecs installed out of the box. Since 2007, PCLinuxOS has been running its own codebase and is not affiliated with Mandriva in any way. Aimed at both beginners and advanced user. The main desktop initially was and remains KDE (in DVD - Full and CD - MiniMe versions), but the community develops builds of spins with LXDE, Openbox and WMii, which have lower system requirements: from 384, 256 and 128 MB, respectively. Also available is FullMonty Desktop, which is a DVD with the maximum amount of software.

For a long time, the project released only 32-bit builds, for which it was constantly criticized, but starting from 2013.04, a version for x86_64 is also available.

RPMs are used as packages, but there are two interesting facts here. The first is that APT and Synaptic are used for installation (at the time the distribution was created, URPM had just appeared). The second - the distribution is implemented as a rolling release. This requires some discipline - the system must be updated constantly (at least once every two weeks), otherwise a large number of updates can easily bring down the OS. Unlike other distributions that use a similar scheme, upgrading in PCLinuxOS does not mean "getting everything new". Several people are involved in the assembly, and all packages are thoroughly tested. Therefore, updates arrive with a delay, but with less risk of disrupting performance. In addition to own packages, the repository may contain modified packages from Fedora, openSUSE, Mageia and Mandriva, when building patches from other projects (Arch, Ubuntu, Debian, PLD and others) are used.

The package contains a large number of drivers, including those with closed code (for example, for ATI cards).

Localization is carried out at a high level. The KDE version supports 85 languages. In addition to KDE System Settings (called Configure Your Desktop), the distribution comes with several specific tools: PCLinuxOS Control Center, NTFS Configuration Tool, and Live USB Creator (mylivecd) to take a "snapshot" of the current installation and save it to a CD/DVD ISO. This makes it very easy to create your own builds or back up data.

The installation process on the hard drive is very simple and does not cause any problems. The project provides good documentation and publishes its own PCLinuxOS Magazine. Support can be obtained from the forum or mailing list.

The password for the root user in Live mode is root.

Conclusion

As you can see, the world of Linux is diverse, and you can always choose the most suitable solution for yourself in terms of aesthetics, convenience, or tasks.

New Linux distributions have been springing up like mushrooms lately. Every year Linux develops faster and becomes more friendly to new users. Newer distributions are more and more aimed at beginners rather than advanced users.

The main distinguishing feature of Linux is the ability to choose what you want. Each distribution is based on the Linux kernel, but they all have something special. In this review, we will look at the new Linux distributions in 2016. Some of them came out a long time ago, but were abandoned and only now received new versions, while others were created recently.

Has received quite a bit of attention lately. It's a great operating system built from the ground up. It is not based on Ubuntu or Debian. It uses the Gnome-based Budgie desktop environment popular in newer distributions.

Generally speaking, SoulsOS has existed before. Its first version was released in 2012 and was based on the Debian stable branch. As part of that project, its own package manager and other improvements were developed. But then the project was closed. And it just started up last year. The new operating system is being developed from scratch, but will use some of the work from the previous version.

If we talk about the interface, it looks minimalistic and very interesting. A very promising project. Now the OS is developing the Budgie desktop, its own configurator, installer and package manager.

2. Chalet OS

ChaletOS is based on XUbuntu 16.04, and is as accessible to beginners as Canonical's operating system, if not more so. The system is fully compatible with software for Ubuntu because it uses its repositories.

The main goal of the ChaletOS project is to help Windows users successfully migrate to software open source code, represented by an operating system with a Linux kernel. The system has a very beautiful and unconventional user interface for Linux OS, using it you will forget that you are using Linux. It uses a specially configured XFCE desktop environment, with the ability to customize the environment for yourself. There is also a special utility for configuring system settings. Along with the system, a large amount of software is installed on the computer to make it easier for the user to set up the system after installation, this is the firefox Internet browser, file manager thunar, gimp, playonlinux, BleachBit, Disks, Disk Analizer, GDebi Package Installer, Synaptic Package Manager, Task Manager, GParted, Ubuntu Software Center, Wine, Windows Wireless Drivers and also some games and many other software.

3.Velt OS

VeltOS is based on Arch Linux and uses the same Budgie desktop environment, but the developers have forked the original environment and are developing their own version. The distribution appeared last year, but is still at the Technical Preview stage. VeltOS has one notable feature, every feature, program or component of the system is voted on by the community. Thus, it is the community that decides what the distribution will be.

This is not the first distro with a democratic approach to development. Of the popular and widely used distributions, Debian has a community discussion when new features are introduced, and only moves forward when there is consensus. But VeltOS takes democracy to the next level. A voting system was developed, in which it is enough to register and vote for the desired function in order to express your wishes for the development of the project.

The interface of the system looks very good, I must say the Numix theme does its job. It has all the standard controls, menus and bottom bar. Everything looks minimalistic and beautiful.

4. eMod OS

The development of the distribution began in April 2014, and it is being developed by one person - a programmer from Italy - Luca Di Martino. Since then, three versions of the system have been released, Kronos 1.0, Afrodite 2.0, Omega 3.0, but the final version has not yet been released.

The fact is that Luka wants to bring his distribution to perfection. Its target is Windows 10 users. Although there are already enough such distributions, eModOS will stand out with something of its own. latest version The distribution uses Ubuntu 16.04 as the basis and in addition to a similar user interface and ease of use, support for running Win32 applications out of the box has been improved here. For example, you can run Photoshop or Microsoft Office on the system.

In addition to the standard software, the distribution comes with Google apps+, Facebook, Feedy and Google Maps. Something similar can be obtained in Chrome, but here everything is integrated into the system.

conclusions

These were all new distributions of Linux 2016. PapyrOS should also be mentioned, but this distribution is still at the alpha stage, and despite the promises of the developers, they are not going to release at least some usable version. If you know of other new Linux distributions not mentioned in the article, write in the comments!

If you want to try Linux, then you have to decide on the choice of the most suitable distribution. There are several hundred different Linux distributions. Some of them make it easier for users to adapt to an unfamiliar operating system, while others can be quite difficult for beginners.

"Linux" is only the kernel, the main part of the operating system. Graphical environment, utilities command line and other parts of the operating system are separate projects. Linux distributions combine open source components from various projects into a complete operating system that you can install and use.

Switching to Linux is fairly easy these days. You need to download the image and create a bootable USB drive or DVD. After rebooting the computer, you can boot from the created media to use Linux in Live mode (without installation on the computer).

In Live mode, the Linux distribution will run from the boot device without creating potential conflicts with real system. If you decide you want to install a Linux distribution on your computer, you can do so directly from the Live environment.

On newer computers, it may be necessary to disable Secure Boot. However, some Linux distributions may boot normally on machines with Secure Boot enabled.

"Try Ubuntu or Mint" is a very common advice. Indeed, these are great Linux distributions to start and learn from. If you're looking for something a little different, then Fedora might be the way to go.

Fedora has a few philosophical differences from Ubuntu, Mint, and many other distributions. Unlike others, Fedora is very sensitive only to open source software. For example, the system does not include closed source hardware drivers. You must find them yourself if necessary.

Fedora developers work directly with open source projects such as GNOME to make small changes and deliver up-to-date experiences to their users. This distribution brings you the latest and greatest community projects.

The Fedora desktop is known as "Fedora Workstation" and is great for developers, providing quick access to essential tools and features. On the other hand, anyone can use Fedora.

Fedora is the base for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat's long-term support commercial Linux product. The Fedora Project releases new versions approximately every six months, and each release is backed by security updates for approximately 13 months. If you want to receive free version Red Hat Enterprise Linux Red Hat, you can use CentOS. The differences lie in branding and commercial support.

What else can you try

There are many other reliable Linux distributions you can try. The DistroWatch website provides a rating of popular distributions with user ratings. Projects from good rating are probably great products.

Some Linux distributions are developed and maintained by small development teams, such as . Elementary OS offers a simple and user-friendly desktop based on its own Pantheon environment. It looks good, but is seriously different from other Linux desktops.

If we look at the ranking of Linux distributions on Distrowatch, we can see that the statistics have not changed very much over the past twelve months. Already very famous operating systems are still at the top, and they have been there for a long time.

Surprisingly, over 170 distributions are still on the waiting list, and many of them have been around for about five years. Some of these distributions are very interesting. This proves that a distribution is not necessarily bad or unnecessary if it hasn't been approved by Distrowatch.

Most likely, Ubuntu and Linux Mint will be at the top of the TOP for a long time, but we should not neglect other distributions that have not yet gained such ratings but have huge potential.

Remember the history of EOS? This operating system was developed several years ago, in 2011, and attracted a lot of attention for what it provided, something that was not there yet.

Not all distributions are the same as EOS, but if you've been using Linux for a long time, you've probably noticed that the speed at which developers make new distributions has slowed down significantly compared to ten years ago.

Modern Linux distributions 2016 try to be simple and accessible to a large number of users. We will consider such distributions in this article. We will be mainly interested in the new Linux 2016.

It's hard to pick the best distros to try in 2016 because they are all the best in their field. Some of them are intended for all users, others - for a specific audience. But let's get to the list.

I like to consider a distribution with the motto "Developed by the community, for the community". VeltOS is just that. This system takes a different approach to Linux, it is entirely a community project. Developers will allow users to choose what they would like to see in the next releases, and vice versa, what features they want.

This is pure free software policy. Developers put power in the hands of the community, so all features and functionality are completely dependent on the community.

You can pretty much determine what the operating system will look like and what it will do with the voting platform. You can create polls about adding new features, or deleting existing ones. Velt shape is completely in your hands.

However, it's important to know that VeltOS is still very young, they only released the first Technical Preview version three months ago and it's no surprise that it has attracted so much community attention. The idea of ​​voting for new features is not new, quite a few distributions take feedback from their users to make the distribution better. But VeltOS in VeltOS this mechanism is implemented very transparently, so to speak, it is a distribution kit in the spirit of OpenSource.

VeltOS is based on ArchLinux, mainly due to its simple and very user friendly release system, flexibility, and the latest software. Arch allows you to install software using its own Pacman package manager, with which you can always keep your system up to date.

Essentially, a Technical Preview is a test release to see what the community likes and doesn't like. TP1 ships by default with a modified Budgie Decktop desktop environment, from the Souls project with a lightweight display manager, login manager and welcome screen, and a Numix theme.

Now the developers have already received enough feedback from users about what should be supplied by default in VeltOS.

They are currently working on building their own VDE desktop environment from scratch in C and Vala.

Project co-founder Stefan Kwiczynski says they won't support Budgie and will make their own environment because user voices are very different from what's in Budgie Decktop. The new environment will be developed in accordance with the concept of Google Material Design and will be released along with the second Technical Preview, which is expected in March 2016.

You can try the first version with Budgie Desktop right now by downloading the image on the official website. It may not be the best Linux distro of 2016, but it's definitely one of the best.

2.PapyrOS

Formerly known as QuartzOS or QuantumOS. The system is based on the concept of Material Design, and is based on the ArchLinux distribution.

The idea for this distribution was suggested by Michael Spencer, who is currently the lead developer. Development began in November 2014.

The purpose of PapyrOS is to make operating system, suitable equally for ordinary people, and for fans of open source software.

At the moment the project is in the Pre-Alpha state, the progress bar can be viewed on the official website or using a special Android application.

PapyrOS with its excellent appearance, a desktop environment based on Material Design and based on ArchLinux, will take Linux user-friendliness to a new level.

PapyrOS will support rolling updates and rollbacks in case something breaks, made possible by OsTree.

In addition, PapyrOS will support integration with web services such as Gmail, Inbox, and Evernote to improve the usability of the system. In addition to the above features, the system will come with its own cross-platform application development platform based on QtQuick.

The PapyrOS desktop shell can now be tested on other distributions. It is developed using Qt5 and QML. Material Design will be used in both system components and third-party applications.

Installing PapyrOS shell

Add the following lines to your /etc/pacman.conf:

SigLevel = Never
Server = http://dash.papyros.io/repos/$repo/$arch

Run:

$ pacman -Syu
$ pacman -S papyros-shell

You can then start the shell with the following command:

$papyros-session

3. Korora

Korora is an existing distribution, first based on Gentoo in 2005. In 2010, the distribution was reborn and is now based on Fedora. Basically it adds some tweaks and other interesting additions. Once installed, the system does not need advanced settings and is immediately ready for use.

Unlike Fedora, there are many third-party repositories included, so you can easily get the applications you need. Korora still maintains a strong relationship with Fedora, using the default repositories to update system components. The goal of the system is to increase the user base of Fedora by offering users more technologies that work for them.

Not so long ago, they invited the OzonOS developers to merge their projects. OzonOS is also based on Fedora. It is not being developed as actively due to insufficient funding and a small development team. It's interesting how the Korora developers are going to join forces with OzonOS, but this year we should already see changes.

Korora currently has five different editions of GNOME, KDE, XFCE and MATE. It's also worth noting that Korora includes third-party drivers for AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards.

4 Solus OS

Of course, we all know Debian, Arch, Ubuntu, Gentoo and their derivatives, of which there are already more than 300 at the moment. Most of them are designed for a specific audience, only a few are suitable for everyone. Most likely, your distribution is based on one of the above, but how about something completely new and different?

The Souls project was originally based on Debian, but then the developers changed their minds and started a new project - Souls 2.0, which was developed from scratch, but then the project was closed.

Let's go back to February 2014, when the EvolveOS project started, using the codebase and similar in appearance to SolusOS, which was closed.

First, several alpha and beta versions of the project were released, then there were problems with the name and the distribution was renamed back to SolusOS.

Ike Doherty, project founder and general manager, originally conceived SolusOS as a project built from scratch.

SolusOS brings a brand new desktop environment - Budgie, based on the Gnome 3 stack and offering the user their own window manager, panel, sidebar, and other cool GUI additions. The final release of this distribution took place at the beginning of this year, which means that the review of linux distributions 2016 should include it.

SolusOS uses the Pici package manager and eopkg, which are different from the apt-get or pacman commands you use. The project founder confirmed that the package format will be eopkg, and the package manager was forked three years ago from the Pardus Linux project.

conclusions

That's all for now, perhaps in the future the article will be replenished. What distributions would you recommend trying in 2016? which Linux to choose 2016? Write in the comments!