Selasa, 17 Maret 2015
10 BEST LINUX DISTRIBUTIONS 2015
1. Ubuntu
While
not the first distro designed for inexperienced Linux desktop users,
Ubuntu has established itself as one of the most well-known.
The
distro features the home-grown Unity desktop, one of the most
polarising desktop environments in the Linux ecosystem. But that's
about the extent of the project's missteps. For the most part, the
distro remains incredibly polished and sophisticated for all manner
of users, but especially new converts.
Ubuntu
has one of the easiest installation mechanisms. It doesn't include
proprietary codecs by default, but you can include them during
installation simply by clicking a checkbox. This distro is released
twice a year with regular Long Term Support (LTS) releases that are
supported for five years.
One
of the most exciting new features of version 14.10 is user-level
container control. This allows for greater security as users can run
containers with superuser privileges. The latest release also
features support for OpenStack Juno, which is a feature more relevant
to experienced users than newbies.
Tools
for browsing the web, accessing emails, playing multimedia files and
working with office documents are available out of the box. The
distro also boasts of one the largest software repositories that you
can easily mine for additional apps, and Ubuntu Software Centre
remains one of the best software management tools that has inspired
various clones.
Verdict: This
is a sterling distro which is very polished and sophisticated, and
remains a great choice for those new to the world of Linux.
Rating: 9/10
2. OpenSUSE 13.2
One of the most popular RPM-based distros, OpenSUSE, has shunned its KDE preference and now looks consistent across desktops. However, it remains one of the leading users of (and contributors to) the KDE desktop.
Its
all-in-one management tool YaST (Yet another Setup Tool) can handle
software installation as well as system configuration and
administration. It can be used to configure just about every aspect
of the system, from appearance to hardware. While it's convenient to
have all these settings in one place, it can seem a bit overwhelming
and intimidating, especially to new Linux users.
Taking
a cue from distros that feature a straightforward installer, the
latest release of OpenSUSE features a very simple installer. Almost
all the advanced options, such as setting up a printer and
configuring LDAP, are no longer a part of the installer, making the
process quick and more appealing to new users.
One
of OpenSUSE's most popular features is the ability to revert between
two snapshots. A snapshot is created every time you make changes to
the system with the YaST configuration tool. With the Snapper tool,
you can then compare the changes and also revert to the previous
snapshot of the system.
Another
innovative feature aimed at new users is the one-click install system
which makes installation of packages a breeze.
Verdict: OpenSUSE
has taken major steps to be more appealing to new users. Everything
from installation to software management is easier with the latest
release.
Rating: 8/10
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3. Fedora
One
of the oldest Linux distros, Fedora can trace its origins back to the
1990s and Red Hat Linux. Fedora came into being when Red Hat decided
to split its Red Hat Linux distribution into Red Hat Enterprise Linux
and Fedora Project in 2003.
The
distro aims to provide a completely free software system and has
traditionally been pitched as an alternative to Ubuntu. Due to its
focus on providing bleeding edge software and server-centric
features, this RPM-based distro has often been described as suitable
for advanced users.
Fedora's
ease of use has diminished since the introduction of the Gnome 3
desktop, a phenomenal departure from the traditional desktop
metaphor. The Gnome project, however, has worked tirelessly to
provide a better user experience to new users and this is evident in
the latest releases.
Fedora
has traditionally lacked a decent software management tool despite
several attempts at providing a suitable alternative to the popular
Synaptic Package Manager. Perhaps it will have better luck with Gnome
Software, the continuously improving Ubuntu Software Centre
lookalike.
The
project aims for a new release roughly every six months. With the
next release, Fedora will begin offering three variants: Cloud,
Server and Workstation. Each of these will be built upon the same
base, with other components added on to suit the target user base.
Verdict: A
very capable distro for an experienced Linux user, and one that's
trying to reinvent itself.
Rating: 7/10
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4. Linux Mint
There
are two key reasons for Mint's stellar rise in the popular distro
charts. One is that it's based on Ubuntu, and the other is that
despite being based on Ubuntu, its default desktop is much more
traditional than Ubuntu's controversial Unity interface.
Linux
Mint offers users a choice of two Gnome-based environments, which are
dubbed Mate and Cinnamon. Mate is designed to be a faithful
continuation of the outdated Gnome 2 desktop. Cinnamon on the other
hand appears more modern with a neat menu that provides quick access
to all the system's settings and applications in one place.
Like
Ubuntu, this distro is also preloaded with a full complement of daily
use applications for work and pleasure. But in a marked departure
from several mainstream distros like Ubuntu and Fedora, Mint ships
with audio and video codecs catering to your multimedia needs out of
the box.
The
latest release, Mint 17, is a long-term release that will be
supported until 2019. As with the current release, the distro's next
few releases will also be based on Ubuntu 14.04, itself an LTS
release. This means that this OS will not introduce any stellar new
features until Mint 18, scheduled for release in 2016. As a result,
users running Mint 17 can choose not to upgrade to the upcoming Mint
17.x releases.
Verdict: A
simple to install and polished desktop that works out of the box.
It's ideal if you're looking for a stable system that won't introduce
any major changes any time soon.
Rating: 9/10
5. Debian
While
this distro is still considered to be the best offering for rolling
out servers, Debian has also made inroads into the desktop. It now
ships with all the popular desktop environments such as Gnome, KDE,
Mate, XFCE, etc. The recent releases have also introduced a simpler
installer.
Debian
is flexible and can be configured as a desktop, or as a web/mail/file
server. One of the biggest contributions Debian made to the free
software world was the dpkg manager, which is the underlying system
on several popular distros like Ubuntu and Mint.
It
ships with no proprietary drivers or codecs, but being one of the
oldest and most popular Linux distros has its advantages. Almost
every software vendor provides pre-packaged binaries for Debian, so
installing stuff is a breeze.
The
project subscribes to the "release when ready" philosophy
but aims to release a new distro every two years. Debian produces
three distros: Stable, Testing and Unstable. The latter two are aimed
at experienced users and developers.
Unlike
most other distros, Debian ships with older, but thoroughly tested
stable packages. This means that the distro doesn't feature
cutting-edge software or technologies. Experienced users hoping to
work with the latest offerings can switch to Debian Testing or
Unstable.
All
new packages are first introduced in Unstable and moved into Testing
eventually. At this stage, the packages are still not ready for
mainstream use but have undergone some testing and received bug
fixes.
Verdict: Debian
delivers a perfectly stable system suitable for servers. However,
with its focus on older software, it is not the best distro for
beginners.
Rating: 7/10
6. Korora
This
distro was initially based on Gentoo but now uses Fedora as its base.
It ships separate editions for Gnome, Cinnamon, Mate, KDE and XFCE,
and offers each for 32-bit and 64-bit architectures.
As
the project is based on Fedora, a new Korora release is shipped
roughly two to four weeks after the latest Fedora release. The distro
ships a live DVD which includes a wide array of applications, making
it suitable for a large number of users. This package selection is
driven by the distro's need to be usable straight out of the box.
Apart
from the included software, you can always install even more packages
from the software repositories. Several third-party repositories,
such as RPMFusion, Google Chrome and VirtualBox are configured by
default. The newer releases of the distro also include the Steam
client.
The
default browser, Firefox, ships with several useful extensions such
as Adblock Plus, DownThemAll, Flashbock, and so forth.
For
software management, Korora offers the choice of Apper and
YUM-extender, two of the most popular graphical package management
tools for YUM-based systems.
The
distro comes with several custom tools. The Pharlap Package Manager
is a utility designed to help users easily install third-party
drivers, pertaining to wireless devices and Nvidia graphics cards,
for example. The useful undistract-me utility pops a notification
when a terminal command has completed.
Verdict: The
most desktop-friendly Fedora distro is ideal for beginners and gurus
alike.
Rating: 9/10
7. Mageia
Mageia
is the result of the community-driven fork of the Mandriva Linux
distribution. Back in 1998, Mandrake Linux, based on Red Hat Linux
5.1, was the first distro designed for the everyday user. The distro
underwent several name changes and acquisitions. After persisting
with many incarnations, the community members decided to fork
Mandriva.
The
first Mageia release was in 2011 and the project has produced four
major releases since then. The latest, Mageia 4, was unleashed early
this year.
Mageia
is an RPM-based distro backed by a solid community infrastructure.
Along with an installable Live image, the project also ships an
install-only DVD. The distro offer both KDE and Gnome desktops.
Software packages are split into three repositories named Core,
Nonfree and Tainted. Between the three, the distro provides just
about all the packages you may need. Proprietary packages are
relegated to the Nonfree repository while Tainted is home to all
packages that may infringe on copyright and patent laws in some
countries.
Its
installer is easy to navigate and several screens have the Advanced
button which brings up more options for experienced users. The distro
uses the Urpmi tool, native to Mageia/Mandriva and derivatives, for
software management.
The
most distinctive feature of the distro is the Mageia Control Centre,
from where you can tweak almost all aspects of the system.
Verdict: This
community-driven distro builds on a solid foundation and is an able
distro for everyday use.
Rating: 8/10
8. Elementary OS
Despite being a derivative of Ubuntu, Elementary has little in common with its source. Apart from using Ubuntu's backend, almost every other component of the distro is home-grown. Elementary OS features a custom application launcher, file manager, desktop environment, icons, themes and more.
The
distro also places a great emphasis on design and as a result offers
a curious choice of default software packages. It draws inspiration
from Apple products and features several custom apps. Its Apple
fixation is evident from tools like Snap, a webcam application
similar to Apple's Photo Booth. Other custom tools include Geary
Mail, Scratch text editor, Audience video player, Gala window
manager, and there are many more. Some of these tools, like Audience
and Snap, will debut with the next release, Freya.
The
distro is lightweight and blazingly fast. It doesn't offer many apps
out of the box and doesn't include codecs for proprietary media
formats. This means that you can't play MP3 files, videos, or even
YouTube videos out of the box, but you can leverage its Ubuntu
lineage and access thousands of additional packages and multimedia
codecs using the software centre.
Elementary
OS doesn't ship any non-GTK+ apps which is why it doesn't feature
mainstream apps like LibreOffice, Firefox, etc.
While
the distro is free to download, users can make donations to the
project.
Verdict: A
perfect distro for users disillusioned with their proprietary OS and
looking for an eye-pleasing alternative.
Rating: 9/10
9. Sparky Linux
Based
on the Testing branch of Debian, Sparky Linux releases regular
installable images despite being a rolling release distro. Designed
to work with older hardware, it's also at home with newer machines.
The
distro also borrows Debian's installer and is available in several
editions, each favouring a separate lightweight desktop environment.
Apart from the installer, the different flavours also share several
custom Sparky apps.
The
SparkyAPTus app provides a basic front-end to the command line
apt-get and dpkg tools and serves as a capable software management
tool. The new SparkyAPTus Extra utility can be used to install
popular apps such as Dropbox, Skype, Steam, Tor Browser and more with
a single click.
The
distro also includes custom apps to back up and restore app settings.
The settings are saved in a compressed archive and you can then point
the complementary restore app to this archive to restore the
settings. There's also an app to securely and permanently delete
files, a wine wrapper to install Windows .exe files, and more…
All
the variants ship with popular apps such as LibreOffice, PlayonLinux,
GIMP, Hotot Twitter client, gFTP, Pidgin, Gnome MPlayer, VLC Player,
recordMyDesktop screencaster, and so forth.
Sparky
Linux is best suited for reasonably experienced users and isn't
recommended for beginners.
Verdict: Loaded
with apps, Sparky Linux offers the perfect blend of speed and
functionality in its Mate-powered variant.
Rating: 8/10
10. Gentoo
It
wouldn't be wrong to claim that the current crop of Linux distros
expend far too much effort to appear more pleasing to new users. From
installation to package management, everything is aimed at being more
user friendly. What's more, most of these distros aim to take much of
the control away from users.
With
Gentoo, users can exert their influence in building the system from
the ground up. It's one of the most configurable distros, and expects
you to compile the kernel after tweaking it according to your needs
during the installation.
The
distro packs an awesome package management system in Portage which
you must use to fetch every package you wish to install. The Gentoo
DVD, although not an installation medium, can be used to come to
terms with the Portage system.
You
will encounter a steep learning curve as you're introduced to
critical Linux internals and several new technologies native to
Gentoo, such as the USE flags system. Thankfully, the Gentoo Handbook
is a detailed guide that is a must read before you begin your Gentoo
journey.
Unlike
most other distros, a Gentoo installation can take several hours and
even days, depending on your needs and system resources. The rolling
release nature of the distro means that updates are provided from
time to time.
Verdict: Highly
customisable distro which gives complete control to the users.
Recommended only for experienced and patient users eager to learn
Linux internals.
Rating: 9/10
Sumber : http://www.techradar.com
