What's your favorite Linux version and why?

So I've been poking around with different versions of Linux. I was wondering; What is your version of choice and why? Don't just answer and say 'Because it's awesome'. I really want some feedback on the versions and maybe some pros and cons. 

 

Thanks everyone!

Arch Linux, Sabayon or Gentoo.

They are some of the most manually configurable Linux distributions that exist. I can build the operating system exactly how I want it, not how a developer thought I wanted it. Extreme performance, minimalist design - the way all OS's should be in my opinion.

For me, it is definitely Arch Linux.

Pros:

  • It's minimal - you can install it, and configure it, however you want (not as easily as Gentoo, but Gentoo kind of forces you to). I believe in configuration and installing only what you need, so Arch is perfect in that respect.
  • The community (and AUR) - the community is incredibly active, and is a very large (and complete) knowledge-base. The Wiki alone is so well documented that you can apply it to almost any distro, and explains or at least points you towards each the proper resources to run almost any config in any way. The AUR, as well, is incredibly thorough, with (generally) 0-day updates. Almost anything you could want can be found there, and if not, the packages can be made very easily.
  • Bleeding edge - the AUR is incredibly up-to-date, and the official repos are just as bleeding-edge. 0-day updates, and patches for the breakage that can occur (not terribly often, but when it does happen, the documentation as to why, and how to fix it, is 0-day as well). You're never behind if you don't want to be. Plus, it's full rolling-release, do no need to reinstall every 6 months.

Cons:

  • Not a con to me, but no graphical installer seems to be a common complaint with people coming from distros like the *buntus, who are used to a graphical spoon-feeding without any real knowledge of what Linux is doing.
  • Not much else.

Not a pro or con, but I'd like to mention that pacman by default uses binary packages, but the AUR can be from source. That sets it apart from Gentoo, for example, which compiles everything from source.

Fedora

- It's the most bleeding edge and the most stable at the same time

- It's not bloated, but not bare either, it's minimal but functional

- It has the highest quality packaging out there

- The community consists of people from RedHat, Intel, IBM, AMD, the Linux Foundation, etc...

- It's the distro with the best SELinux implementation out of the box

- It's upstream to the most popular enterprise grade linux distro

- It uses Presto/DeltaRPM, which reduces the download volume for updates with 75-95 % in most cases, so it updates and installs software enormously fast, for more efficiency

- It's an RPM-based distro, 'nuff said

- It has yum, which is by far the best package manager with the most functionality and ease-of-use, way more evolved than anything else, and guess what, it will soon be depreciated because they've come up with something even better and more modern

- It has a huge collection of software in the repos, and it can also install from source based on a profile database, just like gentoo

- The release version is not rolling, which has the advantage of having a fresh and snappy system every six months, but it has none of the downsides of non-rolling release distros, because it has Fedup, and automated upgrade tool that works fast and reliably

- Fedora Rawhide is quasi-rolling, and is so bleeding edge that it makes your eyes hurt with joy, and yet it's remarkably stable, and probably experiences less breakage than Arch stable

- It's blazing fast because of the quality and optimization

- Fedora has money to do stuff with because it's backed by the top of the open source industry

- the community is great and friendly

- it's a familiar distro for people like me that use RHEL on servers and workstations

- it's the only distro that comes with the most modern features out of the box, like a full suite of 3D printing tools, scientific tools, electronics engineering tools, robotics tools, creative tools, etc... and it's great for games because it has all the graphics performance updates first

- it's the first distro that will be full HSA optimized

- it's a very safe distro in that, by default, it configures a separate root and non-sudo users accounts

- etc...

 

But I also run other distros, although mostly I stick with the bleeding edge triumvirate distros and direct spins thereof.

From a newbie's perspective, I work with Debian simply because it's easy to use, and I'm familiar with the apt-packaging system, which I consider easier to work with than yum-based systems. I've tried Linux Mint, but the fact that it's Ubuntu based worries me, since the developmental direction Ubuntu is heading in worries me a bit.

  • Manjaro - rolling release thats usually a few weeks behind, and I'm usually to lazy to install Arch. Manjaro has security problems for 1-4 weeks longer than Arch. I use Manjaro as my main OS.
  • Gentoo - Because when I'm not to lazy to install Arch I'm probably going to go OCD on the customization and I have more experiance with Gentoo.
  • Puppy - I can install the devx_.sfs add what I want then remaster it to a usb. Cons would include no man pages and you have to know what to do when you want something not in the repo's.
  • Xubuntu - I can install it onto some ones computer, optimize it and add what they need in wine and make it so they would really have to try to get it to break.Con being it not being a rolling release stuff ends up being way out of date. I.E. Xubuntu 12.04 LTS is using codeblocks 10.04 iirc. Manjaro is on version 13.12.

But my Favorite is Gentoo and I'm not even using it at the moment. Reason I'm not using gentoo is I'm doing everything on laptops.

Sabayon, has both binary and source package support. Also has pre configured version for almost every GUI. It lags just slightly behind Fedora when it comes to updates.

Pretty much, bleeding edge for lazy people.

 

 

 

ive just start to play arround a bit with Linux, so im basicly a complete noob.

i use Open suse 13.1 and till now i have nothing to complain, runs realy smoothly in a virtual machine, very user friendly. it has everything build in that i need. yast installer is easy to use.

i use KDE desktop because i like it more then Gnome.

Just personal opinion: Mint.

RPM distrubition and stable for me. Tried fedora [deb core as well] but wasnt my distr..

For beginners I would recommend Ubuntu. And for people who want to learn linux: Debian an SuSE open source. Both are used in the field.

debian because it's easy to use, I have a decent amount of experience with apt, and there's way too fucking many spinoffs (good for picking and choosing de's, but really, way way too many)

Fedora 20, major reasons have been outlined.

Personal reasons are because its a spawn of RHEL, I want to work with enterprise and Linux, Although I was tempted to move to openSUSE at a time.

RPM/YUM updating methods, the fact if there is an error with a mirror it will relocate.

But more for my learning and what I want as a job than anything else :)

 

 

 

 

 

Latest Mint version. Because it tastes good I guess.

debian because its like gold you can pound on it piss on it and abuse it its still works....

 I just like the Frog i have to say! ☺

Windows, because linux sucks.

Why?

i support this, Linux has been a driver nightmare for me

that said, mint is my favorite because it has been the most user friendly to me  

I was joking, you guys. Arch forever. <3.

Pssst, 't is geen kikker, maar...

It's a Chameleon, and it's called "Geeko" (whilst not being a Gecko). But I agree, the styling of OpenSuSE is just beautiful.

KDE is the best.