There are hundreds (at least!) of different Linux-based operating systems. Most people will be familiar with some of the big names - distributions like Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Debian and Mandriva. Most of the well-known Linux distros are designed to be used as general purpose desktop operating systems or installed on servers. But beyond these distros are hundreds of others either designed to appeal to very specific audiences or to fulfill the somewhat niche needs of some users. We rounded up some of the most interesting Linux distros out there that you might not have heard of.
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Member since:
2006-06-28
I really like these specialist distributions and have already used nearly all of them. They are not really unknown, they just are not general purpose distributions like most others.
Sometimes you can't use your general purpose system to accomplish a task and I think most people who are looking for a good way to accomplish a task already know most of the listed distributions.
Member since:2009-01-06
Being specialists, they focus on the purpose and remain small.
One apparently missing from this list of specialists is SystemRescueCD which has proven usefull to me in the past for pre-emptive system preservation.
Another one which I feel is missing from the list is PuppyLinux which I also enjoy from time to time. Its relatively small size is definitvely a factor. However, its unique strength is in the combination of the features of a LiveCD with that of an auto back-up of changes (onto the media with an optical writer or the USB-Key). On the other hand, ROX (RiscOS on X) as file browser/manager is a bit ackward at first.
I like the reference to MenuetOS in the article. Although not a Linux distribution, it fits on a single floppy disk which is quite a feat for the features it offers. Unfortunately, not much in terms of general use applications.
Member since:
2009-05-13
A few years ago was quite easy to roll out a complete linux distro and a skilled user could get by with any of them.
Today the complexity and the number of components have gone up. So has the manpower needed to run a distro.
Finally Ubuntu has raised the bar for hardware support and packages avalability to a level that is hard to match.
Member since:2005-07-06
I do not wish to troll, but Ubuntu raised the bar... in hardware support? Packages availability?
Does it have more drivers (...) than say, Fedora?
Does it have better hardware detection than say, OpenSUSE?
Does it have more packages than say, Debian?
I believe you'll find it -very- hard to put actual numbers behind these claims.
- Gilboa
Member since:
2005-10-11