Distro-Hopping is a fun way to find the perfect Linux OS. You start by researching and finding out the best Linux distro's and finally ending up with Ubuntu. Again. Sigh.
That being said I have used either Fedora or Manjaro exclusively for the past 5 years! Distro-hopping is a quite popular hobby among linux enthusiasts and I suggest everyone to try this. It's addictive and the satisfaction you get from a newly installed Linux OS is just wonderful. And it really gave me an idea of how vast the Linux Community is and how many different flavours there are! Distro-hopping is also a extremely rewarding activity because you do make mistakes which means you'll lose all of your data at some point and learning to recover it without re-installing the OS is going to be a valuable experience. This also helps you understand Linux better, and the differences between debian based, arch based and fedora based systems. You'll also learn to be more intuitive about Linux which is useful when you are starting to work with Linux servers.
Although I use Fedora now, some of the more notable Linux distributions that I have loved over the past 10 years is as follows.
- MX Linux. The current top rated Linux distro on distrowatch! I loved it for it's simplicity and stability on my thinkpad. The animations we quite smooth and it really felt premium.
- elementary OS. This one started quite buggy but I think they're back quite strong. It is one of the most beautiful looking Operating Systems out there. Do check it out.
- Garuda: I love this because it the bleeding edge of Linux distros and it looks cooool!
- OpenSuse: It is one of the rare independant operating systems that and does a good job on stability although newer devices may have issues.
- Parrot OS: This is a Debian-based, security-oriented distribution featuring a collection of utilities designed for penetration testing, computer forensics, hacking, privacy, anonymity and cryptography.
- Blackarch: This is my favourite operating system when it comes to pen testing and ethical hacking, but quite unusable as a working operating system unlike Parrot OS. It has a large arsenal of tools that are easy to use.
- Kali Linux: Also a security and hacking based Linux distro, but more usable than blackarch. Still wouldn't recommend for daily use.
- Tails OS: My favourite OS. I love what they stand for. If you are going to send stolen incriminating documents to wikileaks, this is the Linux distro for doing that. Every connection from this OS is routed through the TOR network.
Now for some weird ones.
- Red Star OS is a North Korean Linux distribution, with development first starting in 1998 at the Korea Computer Center (KCC). I'm sure this OS has many wonderful powers just like the supreme leader.
- Hannah Montana Linux. I can get behind this one.
- Justin Bieber Linux. Aka beibian. Sigh. I can't beliebe this one exists.
- RebeccaBlackOS. 30 downloads this week. Wow!
- Ubuntu Christian Edition. Quite a well done OS if I must say. Some impressive settings on this.
- Ubuntu Satanic Edition. I don't mind this one either. The blues and rock and roll were once considered by "many" as the "Devil's Music".
- Apartheid Linux. Urgh. Sorry about this one.
Honorable mention
Temple OS was created by Terry A. Davis, who lived with schizophrenia. He created this OS because he believed God had told him to create one from scratch. Terry was brilliant and when I found Temple OS I was astonished. This is not built on Linux. It is built from scratch using C and Assembly language! Just wow! I would also like to re-iterate something from the TempleOs website. "In the wake of Terry A. Davis' passing his family has requested supporters of his donate to "organizations working to ease the pain and suffering caused by mental illness" such as The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation and National Alliance on Mental Illness."
If you don't distro-hop, you are seriously missing out on the awesomeness of what free and open source software gives us.
Get hoppin!
