Linux Best Distributions Linux Best Distributions Slackware This is one of the oldest and finest distribution ever made, and still online with an active community. Its really good, you should try it. It is Simple and Robust, the main concept is simplicity, and is really heaven for C programmers and developers. Is the distribution made from programmers for programmers. Slackware http://www.slackware.com Arch Linux I currently use it, its one of the best distributions ever made, its really cool and installing and configuring this distro is an adventure. Practically you build your own system with what you want, in fact Arch Linux force you to configure it and build what you really want with a system. You dont have any unwanted and un-used program in it, and the most important part is that you learn with this distro how the system really works. You install your favorite Desktop Environment or WM and just what you want and need, not any thing more. The community is fantastic and also the support, its simple and follow the philosophy keep it simple stupid!. Btw this is my box, it sounds geeky or hacky but currently I use LXDE with the default background, I was only playing with awesome (WM) and his options. Arch Linux www.archlinux.org And by the way, is not an hardcore distribution, or very difficult , because all that you do with the GUI , in reality is done with the CLI interface, so dont make it so hard using Arch or Slack or any other Distribution who tries to keep it simple. Debian GNU/Linux This is also an old and very good Linux Distribution, the package manager is great and this guys are really concern with Free Software and with trying to keep it all free. Im quoting from the debian website: You may be wondering: why would people spend hours of their own time to write software, carefully package it, and then give it all away? The answers are as varied as the people who contribute. Some people like to help others. Many write programs to learn more about computers. More and more people are looking for ways to avoid the inflated price of software. A growing crowd contribute as a thank you for all the great free software theyve received from others. Many in academia create free software to help get the results of their research into wider use. Businesses help maintain free software so they can have a say in how it develops theres no quicker way to get a new feature than to implement it yourself! Of course, a lot of us just find it great fun. Debian is so committed to free software that we thought it would be useful if that commitment was formalized in a written document. Thus, our Social Contract was born. Although Debian believes in free software, there are cases where people want or need to put non-free software on their machine. Whenever possible Debian will support this. There are even a growing number of packages whose sole job is to install non-free software into a Debian system. Any way, I think that Linux is free today due to Stallman, and what is free and open-source today is directly connected with him. If you read the story, Linux kernel begin to get his shape only after Stallman joined the project , Its an really devoted personage on the open-source scene, not like TorvaldsDebian OS www.debian.org Linux From Scratch Well , this is Linux this project is mainly oriented in building your own Linux Distribution and have many sub-projects in it like BLFS, ALFS, HLFS etc. Many current distributions are based in LFS. In reality this is what we well call hardcore Linux, you build Linux from scratch, and Learn Linux. The LFS book its just great. now, here is the screenshot
linux-from-scratch LFS http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/ Ubuntu New to Linux? You want to trash windows non operating system? You should definitely try Ubuntu, or Mint or Pc-Linux-OS. Very easy, very intuitive with an great user community and package support. You have to know only how to start and power off your PC or Laptop in order to use it. Ubuntu Linux http://www.ubuntu.com/ You should try also rpm based distriubtions like Fedora, openSuse etc. SystemResuceCD This is an Live CD based on Gentoo [I'f I am not wrong] (great distro to) oriented in rescuing crashed or problematic system, great tool for administrators, it comes with an incredible file system support, with allot of tools for backing up, restoring system even with some great forensic tools able to download firmware from devices. It haves included in it also cmospwd password recovery utility and chntpw for removing or modifying windows (all versions) passwords. Its really a great tool, you will find an perfect ambient for fixing problems with it. System Rescue CD http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page Damn Vulnerable Linux (Infectious Disease) Well this is kind of backtrack + full of documentation + an real life buggy system to exploit. Damn Vulnerable Linux (DVL) is everything a good Linux distribution isnt. Its developers have spent hours stuffing it with broken, ill-configured, outdated, and exploitable software that makes it vulnerable to attacks. DVL isnt built to run on your desktop its a learning tool for security students. Damn Vulnerable Linux You should try downloading this from torrents. ZenCaffe This is another, great and also new linux distribution oriented to take place at internet caffe, and it cames with a full support for this type of task, furthermore : Internet cafe are the best location to spread Linux to everyone. Various people came to internet cafe everyday, much of them doesnt have computer technical background and never use Linux before. The simple way to make they use Linux is make they comfortable enough to use it, make they feel like still use their own PC and familiar OS. It is based on Zenwalk zencaffe DEFT Linux With FCCU (also great) this are the 2 best free Linux forensic distribution on the wild net. I have tryied both o them and are really good.