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We're not in Ubuntu Anymore: The Linux Distros You've (Probably) Never Heard About Before
TechSpot ^ | 26 October 2021 | Sami Haj-Assaad

Posted on 10/27/2021 10:46:49 AM PDT by ShadowAce

Unlike Windows and macOS, there is a world of Linux versions, known as distributions, for users to experience. However, those switching to Linux on the desktop usually get pointed in the direction of Ubuntu due to its popularity and large community.

That’s a fair suggestion since Ubuntu is frequently updated and supports a lot of hardware. But when there are so many other Linux distros out there, users may be curious about what else might work for them. Fortunately, there is a quick guide...

Ubuntu alternatives

Ubuntu is based on Debian Linux and uses the GNOME desktop environment. A desktop environment can make or break the user experience, but there are other versions of Ubuntu with different environments, so you can pick one that's right for you. Kubuntu uses KDE, Lubuntu uses LXQt, Ubuntu MATE uses the older Gnome 2 interface, and Xubuntu which uses Xfce. Ubuntu also offers versions that are ideal for use in a server setting.

However, there are other Ubuntu-based experiences available, each offering a unique take on Linux...

Pop!_OS, elementary OS, and Zorin are closely related to Ubuntu and Debian. They differ through their selection of software, desktop environment, and overall theme. Some of these distros use proprietary or closed-source software, which some Linux enthusiasts feel is against the open-source philosophy of the operating system.

Zorin and Pop!_OS are ideal for users interested in gaming or transitioning from Windows operating systems. This is due to their overall design, hardware support, and built-in tools for emulation of apps typically used with the Microsoft operating system.

elementary OS features a striking design that many have likened to macOS. It features a gorgeous dock and simply named apps like Web (for the browser) and Code (for the text editor), which helps strengthen that connection to Apple's OS. elementary also packs its own desktop environment known as Pantheon.

Something a bit different

If you want to get away from Ubuntu entirely, there are a few more options that stand out:

The emergence of Manjaro has been a pleasant surprise in the Linux community as it’s closely related to Arch, which is a bleeding-edge distro with tons of new features but can be cumbersome to use, especially for Linux newcomers. It has an easy-to-use interface and is available with a wide variety of desktop environments including Xfce, KDE, and Gnome. Manjaro also offers a version for Arm systems like the Raspberry Pi, Odroid, and Pine products.

Fedora is the upstream source of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and has been around since 2003, gaining a ton of popularity over the years, including the creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds. It’s available with a wide selection of desktop environments and uses the RPM and DNF package managers.

Users can easily install new and different repositories if they want other software, though you may not need that as Fedora comes with plenty of familiar software like Firefox and LibreOffice. Many say Fedora is as bleeding edge as Arch Linux, but as stable and user friendly as Debian and Ubuntu. There are even Fedora distros designed for server use Fedora Server and Fedora CoreOS.

Those seeking a bit more of a modular experience may be interested in openSUSE. It's available with plenty of desktop environments including Gnome, KDE, Cinnamon, MATE, LXQt, and Xfce. Better yet, it's pretty stable with all of them, which is uncommon.

openSUSE also has a dedicated community, and the developers engage with them regularly, seeking and taking feedback from their users. One of the best parts of openSUSE is YaST, which is a fantastic system control panel, providing access to basic and advanced settings. One more important detail: openSUSE can also be installed as a server operating system which is super handy.

Solus is another choice for users seeking a user-friendly Linux experience. Its gorgeous Budgie desktop environment is sure to turn heads. Users have also experienced short boot times and impressive stability with Solus, making it a worthwhile alternative to the established players. While this doesn’t have many software packages, it offers full support for Snap and Flatpak packages, which improve app availability.

Niche distros

While most of the above distros are fit for everyday desktop computing, others meet more specific purposes. For example, those with home theatre PCs may want to check out LibreELEC, a purpose-built Linux distribution revolving around Kodi and consuming media. It supports x86 PCs, in addition to single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi.

Linux can also serve as the base for several retro-gaming-oriented operating systems. Lakka and Batocera are two Linux distributions that turn your PC into a gaming console.

Batocera can be installed and booted up from a USB drive, which is pretty convenient. It supports all the recognized gaming systems including NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation 1, Playstation 2, and Playstation 3, assuming your hardware can handle it.

Lakka incorporates LibreELEC and RetroArch and requires users to install it to their hard drive to work. It features support for a similar set of retro systems.

Scientists and engineers may find CAELinux appealing, as it features many tools to help with mathematical modeling, computer-aided design, prototyping, 3D printing, electronic PCB design, and microcontroller programming. It can even be operated off an 8GB pen drive for extra convenience.

Some users may want a distribution that’s a bit more streamlined. Clear Linux is an Intel project that's ideal for developers and researchers. Its speed and efficiency have been noted by both Intel and AMD. Users have also pointed out that Clear Linux has a low memory footprint upon booting, and offers plenty of applications and tools for power users.

Barebones and Security

Some other distributions are known to be lightweight and help revive older machines.

For example, Puppy Linux works wonders on older hardware, even though it’s roughly based on an older Ubuntu version. It’s small at just about 400 MB but supports a wide list of popular applications.

Looking for something even more barebones?

Consider Tiny Core Linux, which is available in three versions: Core, TinyCore, and CorePlus. Core weighs in at 16 MB, while TinyCore is 21. CorePlus is a whopping 163 MB. Each provides the barest of operating systems, as the Core version lacks a GUI, so you better be familiar with the command line. TinyCore and CorePlus land with more hardware support but little else. You’ll have to do all the extra legwork of installing and configuring the system yourself, which may appeal to some DIYers.

There are various Linux distros that are perfect for those concerned about security and privacy as well. Tails (which stands for “The Amnesiac Incognito Live System”) is the official choice for the Tor project and is a well-recognized security-based distro. It can run from a DVD or USB, which means nothing will be stored locally. All network activity is routed through Tor, which conceals the user's location and activity. All of the applications included are also hyper-focused on security and privacy.

Alternatively, there's Kali Linux, which specializes in security penetration. Its popularity skyrocketed thanks to the TV Show Mr. Robot, but it's a great distribution for those in digital forensics. It comes with over 600 tools to test a systems security including nmap (a port scanner), Wireshark (a packet analyzer), John the Ripper (a password cracker), Aircrack-ng (penetration-testing wireless LANs), Burp suite and OWASP ZAP (both web application security scanners). It can be run from a USB or DVD, too.

So now you know, Linux means more than just Ubuntu. From server operations to computer-aided design, to lightweight OS's and even gaming, there are a whole bunch of distributions out there that may be perfect for your needs.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: linux
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To: ShadowAce

How do you migrate my desktop icons of subjects that interest me etc? Must I clone my Windows 7 and slave it?


41 posted on 10/27/2021 9:19:51 PM PDT by Glad2bnuts ((“If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer,)
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To: ShadowAce

There are on the order of 600 flavors of Linux, some 400 of which are actively maintained.

I doubt Torvalds himself knows the names of all of them.


42 posted on 10/27/2021 11:22:00 PM PDT by Paal Gulli
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To: Openurmind
"Doesn’t have anything to do with your driving abilities or choice of roads at all my friend. It is an open backdoor for unseen others and defeats the whole concept of why Linux is more secure. It is even less secure than Windows if in perpetual root. Who knows what kind of stuff you are spreading to others"

Certainly no one knows for sure what you yourself may be spreading, and if one does send a malicious link, it is likely that it directs one to a Linux server since most servers run Linux. Yet Windows is more vulnerable to infections mainly due to it being the most popular aside from mobile devices and servers. But as for me, your insinuation is baseless if not paranoia. No one has ever sent notice of any infection coming from me, and in 20 years of extensive Internet use by me alone I have only had 2 viruses (easily removed), one being W/98 and the other about years ago, and scans since always come back clean, by the grace of God, and I do not send executable files and only rarely a PDF I made myself. And I can keep tabs on what is running and set to run, and must sanction installations and have software that alerts me new attempts to run such things as Google updates and run once entries.

No, this does not mean some trojan, malware, spyware etc. can get past such unnoticed, but neither does it mean I am likely spreading stuff to others and that warrants using Linux with its restrictions (for me).

And while Linux malware etc. is less common and the system less vulnerable, yet, Don't believe these four myths about Linux security - Sophos ...

The main reason for infections etc. occurring is not because of a lack of Linux "vaccination" but how one uses hardware. (And you even have Kali Linux being used to bypass Anti-Virus safety.) According to TitanHQ analysts Top Blocked categories are :

1. Spyware and Malicious Sites >>> 60,000+ a day blocked!
2. Pornography/Sex
3. Nudity
4. Online Ads
5. Phishing/Fraud
6. Gambling
7. Illegal Drugs
8. Web-based Email
9. Social Media
10. Videos
 
These domains among others are to blame for at least 95 percent of the websites that pose a potential threat to visitors. - https://www.titanhq.com/safe-browsing-are-your-users-internet-habits-harming-your-corporation/

I use none of the above except for a rare use of 9, as in Twitter and FB (ugh!) and sometimes some worthy videos on Tubi.tv (see some of my recommended ones here) and YouTube.

And as explained, I would like to use Linux but for me it means a loss of functionality unless perhaps I take the time to learn a lot. I presently do not see the warrant for it.

43 posted on 10/28/2021 6:02:23 AM PDT by daniel1212 ( Turn to the Lord Jesus as a damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save + be baptized + follow Him!)
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To: Glad2bnuts

I believe that would be a manual process. I have not actually had a Windows desktop for over 20 years, so I’m not sure of that process.


44 posted on 10/28/2021 6:09:29 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux - The Ultimate Windows Service Pack )
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To: daniel1212

I’m just saying that the biggest security threat with any OS is running default as an admin account. Same for Windows, same for Linux.

The wisest security prevention a Windows user can do is sign in with a guest account rather than the default admin account with admin privileges.

But most are not customizing as much as you do... :)


45 posted on 10/28/2021 6:32:34 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Glad2bnuts

Ace is right, probably need to do it manually. There should be a “bookmarks” or “favorites” folder inside all browser app folders. Just replace the new install empty folder with a copy of the full folder from the older first browser. Then go into that after moving and right click the ones you want handy on your desktop and send to your desktop.


46 posted on 10/28/2021 6:44:00 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Openurmind
"I’m just saying that the biggest security threat with any OS is running default as an admin account. Same for Windows, same for Linux. The wisest security prevention a Windows user can do is sign in with a guest account rather than the default admin account with admin privileges."

Actually

Starting with Windows Vista, the built-in Windows Administrator account is disabled by default. In Windows XP and prior versions, every installation of Windows had a special account called Administrator enabled by default. This account has the highest permissions of any profile on the computer, and thus can do anything with elevated administrator privileges without requiring confirmation. It's akin to the "root" or "superuser" accounts in other operating systems. The Administrator account posed a security problem in past Windows versions. By default, the password for it was blank. This meant that unless you set a password for the account, anyone with a bit of know-how could log into the Administrator account and gain full access to the system.
In Windows Vista and beyond, every normal user account has to deal with User Account Control (UAC). UAC shows a window with a security prompt whenever you want to perform an action that requires elevated privileges. Such actions include installing a program for all users, editing the Registry, opening a Command Prompt as an admin, and similar. When prompted by UAC, standard user accounts must enter the credentials for an admin account (username and password) to proceed. This account is separate from administrator-level user accounts... [which] only have to click a confirmation button to continue. - https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-administrator-account-everything-need-know/

The latter is what I must do to install programs for instance, while I also have to manually choose to run a program as Administrator. Windows is actually attempting to escalate privileges thru UAC prompts, and you are asked to confirm whether you want to allow the program requesting it to run under those privileges. And under the standard user account you must type in an admin username and password to confirm the UAC prompt.

And while there is also the Windows 10 Administrator account (vs. standard as well as administrator-level user accounts) which bypasses all UAC protections, this is disabled by default and one must manually enable it before you can start using Administrator in modern versions of Windows. Hardly any Windows users likely know of or use this.

"But most are not customizing as much as you do... :)"

Yup. Thank God we can in the interest of speed (thus AutoHotKey), efficiency (thus 7 browsers with custom titles for different general purposes) and functionality (thus extensions). But if for instance I wanted to migrate or edit program files in LibreOffice/4/user/config or FirefoxProfiles/Profiles (which I can do in Windows without it asking permission, but which I could add if needed) then what would I need to do in Mint for each file? And can I right click on any application executable and find its location, and also make a shortcut for it, and also place it in a "Send to"/"Open with" type menu like to open documents with my choices?

Thanks and I will take my answer off the air:)

47 posted on 10/28/2021 8:36:04 AM PDT by daniel1212 ( Turn to the Lord Jesus as a damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save + be baptized + follow Him!)
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To: daniel1212

And thank you for straightening me out on that. I stand corrected. :)


48 posted on 10/28/2021 8:54:30 AM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Openurmind
" And thank you for straightening me out on that. I stand corrected. :) "

You mean MS lacks clarity?! I am suspicious where this Secure Computing can lead to. See end of post 34, though likely unwarranted alarm.

49 posted on 10/28/2021 10:50:23 AM PDT by daniel1212 ( Turn to the Lord Jesus as a damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save + be baptized + follow Him!)
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To: daniel1212; Openurmind

I resolved most of my issues by purchasing a new computer for $100 from my room mate. He bought some black-friday google chrome for $150, didn’t like it and tried to sell it to another roommie for $100, who wasn’t interested. So now I have 2 computers. I can surf the net on the chromebox and do other stuff on the useless 4-processor HP box.


50 posted on 11/05/2021 11:00:26 AM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
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To: Kevmo

“and do other stuff on the useless 4-processor HP box.”

Now a Linux box??? :)


51 posted on 11/05/2021 4:43:57 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: Openurmind

When I only had 1 computer, I couldn’t risk it turning into a brick. Now I can. But this is a low priority project.


52 posted on 11/05/2021 5:40:05 PM PDT by Kevmo (I’m immune from Covid since I don’t watch TV.🤗)
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To: Kevmo

Trust me... You won’t brick it. Just have to make sure your BIOS is set so that it will boot from a USB external OS. Have to make the image on a stick to test even that function first. Once you do have it booting from an external OS the Linux will cure all. EVERYONE needs the very reliable external Linux stick to save their files off from a crashed MS drive. It just works... As long as the drive it not broken it always works my friend...


53 posted on 11/05/2021 5:58:27 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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