Beyond Ubuntu: Other Linux Distributions You Should Try
The Linux landscape is vast. Years ago, I stopped trying to keep track of how many Linux distributions were available because it was becoming an impossible task. Needless to say, there are hundreds of operating systems for the Linux kernel.
What you might not know is that many of those distributions are based on a handful of versions, one of which is Ubuntu. If it weren’t for Ubuntu, we wouldn’t have distributions like Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Edubuntu, Zorin OS, elementary OS, and so many more.
But what if Ubuntu (or its derivatives) isn’t your cup o’ tea? Where do you turn? Fortunately, even without adding Ubuntu into the mix, you still have plenty of options, all of which are outstanding desktop distributions.
Let’s take a look at some of the available options, each of which could brilliantly serve your desktop needs.
Fedora
Fedora
Over the past five years, I’ve watched the Red Hat-backed Fedora go from a distribution I would only recommend to those with plenty of Linux experience to one I’d recommend to just about anyone. But even beyond the user-friendliness, one of the most impressive aspects of Fedora is the speed. Somehow, the developers have taken Linux and a full-blown desktop environment and made it feel like a lightweight distro that can give older hardware new life and make new hardware feel as if it’s from the future. I’ve been a user of Ubuntu-based distributions for years, but every time I install Fedora as a virtual machine, I consider making the jump. One very nice thing about Fedora is that you can download different “spins,” each of which uses a different desktop environment (such KDE Plasma, Xfce, Cinnamon, Mate-Compiz, i3, LXQT, LXDE, SOAS, Sway, or Budgie.
Manjaro
Manjaro
Manjaro is probably the most popular Linux distribution that is based on Arch. Why wouldn’t you just go for the OG Arch? If you ever attempted to install Arch Linux, you know what I’m talking about. Arch doesn’t have a GUI installer. Instead, you run a script that is not exactly for the faint of heart. Manjaro, on the other hand, includes a user-friendly installer that is as simple to use as any Linux distribution on the market. And because Manjaro enjoys the same rock-solid stability of Arch, you know it’s a distribution you can trust. With Manjaro, you can choose from three different desktop environments: Xfce, KDE Plasma, or GNOME. Although the pacman package manager used by Arch isn’t quite as user-friendly as, say, apt or dnf, there’s always the Pamac GUI front end. There’s also Octopi, which has to be installed with the command yay -Syu octopi. You’ll probably find that Pamac does everything you need for package management. One thing to keep in mind is that Manjaro is a rolling-release distribution that does a bit more testing than of Arch Linux. If you like to ensure you always have the most up-to-date software, a rolling-release distribution is right up your alley.
Nobara
Nobara
Nobara is a unique take on Fedora and offers five different versions of the Linux-based OS: a customized version of KDE Plasma, GNOME, a clean version of KDE Plasma, Steam-HTPC, and Steam-Handheld. The customized KDE Plasma version is beautiful. One of the things that sets Nobara apart from many Linux distributions is that its aim is to be for users of all types, including gamers. Nobara ships with Steam and ProtonPlus to ensure games are easy to install and play. You’ll also find all the applications you need pre-installed, such as LibreOffice, Firefox, KDE Connect, Web Apps, KDE Connect, Inkscape, Elisa (music player), Kamoso (webcam app), and more. For those new to Linux, you can trust that Nobara is a total point-and-click operating system, which means you don’t have to worry about installing things like third-party codecs or depend on the terminal window to get things done. Some of the changes Nobara makes to Fedora are various kernel patches, the latest Mesa releases, Glibc patched with clone3 disabled, NVIDIA GPU detection and auto-driver installation, and more.
openSUSE
openSUSE
openSUSE doesn’t get nearly the coverage it deserves. Although this Linux distribution isn’t right for new users, those with experience would do very well using this take on the open source operating system. One of the best features of openSUSE is YaST (Yet Another Setup Tool), which offers far more power than your average system settings app. With openSUSE, you have the usual system settings, which is great for regular users, but the inclusion of YaST gives admins all the power they need to configure things like Samba, VM, bootloaders, firewall configurations, and many more system-related things. Think of System Settings for users and YaST for admins. There are two versions of openSUSE: Tumbleweed (rolling release) and Leap (regular release). If you want the latest version of everything, go with Tumbleweed. If stability is your primary goal, go with Leap. Either way, you can’t go wrong with openSUSE.
Solus
Solus
Solus claims to be the personal OS for personal computers and a modern OS to power your daily needs. Solus is a strong candidate for home or office, developers, content creators, gamers, and just about everything in between. Solus offers four different versions: Budgie, GNOME, KDE Plasma, and XFCE. Do note that the XFCE version is in beta, so use it with caution. If you want the most user-friendly version of Solus, go with either Budgie or KDE Plasma. Solus isn’t based on Ubuntu, Fedora, or Arch. In fact, Solus is built from scratch, which means you won’t find the traditional package managers on board. It’s all unique, and it works incredibly well. From my perspective, the best version of Solus is Budgie, because I do love that desktop.
Serpent OS
Serpent OS is new… sort of. Created by Ikey Doherty (who was a co-leader of the Solus project), Serpent OS has been in development for five years and is only just now reaching the alpha stage. Solus is another distro that’s built from scratch, but this one uses a tool called Moss, which manages the system state such that if something breaks, the OS can revert back to its default state. Serpent OS is an atomic distribution, but unlike Fedora Silverblue or Steam OS, it allows the system to be stateless in the /etc directory. What does that mean? If you mess something up in /etc, you can remove it, and the system will automatically revert to the default settings without needing a re-installation. This is absolutely game-changing, and when Serpent OS finally reaches a stable release, you can bet it will take the Linux landscape by storm. Serpent OS is currently available with either GNOME or COSMIC desktops (with a KDE Plasma version in development). Do remember, this is still in its alpha stages, so do not consider it for daily use. Even the installer is done via the terminal window (with a GUI planned), and it’s not for the faint of heart. I’ve kicked the tires of Serpent OS Alpha and came away seriously impressed.
