Best Operating Systems for Linux of 2024

SparkyLinux, a GNU/Linux distribution, was built on top of Debian GNU/Linux. Sparky is lightweight, fast and customizable. It offers several versions for different users and tasks. For example, a fully featured OS with lightweight desktop environment. This OS works straight out of the box. There are also a variety of common home use software. MinimalGUI comes preinstalled with Openbox window manager and basic software. This is for users who want to customize their OS/desktop on top of Debian. Advanced users who want to create and configure their own desktops can use MinimalCLI without X server. Sparky supports approximately 20 desktop environments and window manager options, giving you the freedom to choose, while keeping in mind that your computer was designed for work, fun, entertainment, keeping in contact with friends, and many other purposes.

ReactOS is an operating platform. ReactOS can run Windows software and Windows drivers. ReactOS is free and open-source. It looks similar to Windows. ReactOS is an open-source operating system that can be downloaded for free. ReactOS's design is based upon Windows, just as Linux's is. However, it is not Linux. ReactOS is familiar to Windows users because it looks and feels exactly like Windows. It can run all of your Windows applications and drivers. ReactOS can be customized to your liking! Open Source software is something you use every day, whether you use Firefox, LibreOffice or OpenOffice. ReactOS and other Open Source projects are driven by the community. Being active in translating, donating or coding can help ReactOS grow.

PCLinuxOS, a Linux-based Operating System that is free and easy to use for x86_64 laptops and desktops, is available as a free download. PCLinuxOS can be downloaded as a LiveCD/DVD/USB ISO file and installed directly to your computer. You can try PCLInuxOS in LiveCD/DVD/USB mode without any modifications to your computer. You can also install the operating system to your computer if you like it. Locally installed versions PCLinuxOS use the Advanced Packaging Tool (or or APT), a package manager system (originally from Debian distribution) and Synaptic, a GUI interface to APT for simple software installation. PCLinuxOS offers over 12,000 rpm packages from our software repository. Mylivecd is a script that allows users to take a snapshot of their current hard drive installation. This includes all settings, applications, documents, and more. It can be compressed into an ISO CD/DVD/USB file.

Debian can be downloaded freely via the Internet. This page provides options for installing Debian Stable. Visit our releases page if you are interested in Testing or Unstable. Many vendors sell distributions for less than US$5 plus shipping. Check their website to see if they ship internationally. You can test Debian by booting from a CD, DVD, or USB key. No need to install any files. Once you are done, you can run the included installer. This is the user-friendly Calamares Installer. This method may work for you if the images meet your requirements in terms of size, language and package selection. To help you make a decision, read more about this method.

LibreELEC is a lightweight Linux distribution that was specifically designed for Kodi and other popular media center hardware. We are passionate about the long-term benefits of collaboration and upstreaming code rather than hoarding patches. We actively participate in other Open Source projects as well as the ecosystem of regular contributors and drive-by contributors. While LibreELEC is still Kodi-oriented, we have been forked to provide the stable JeOS foundation for Plex Embedded and Lakka as well as a variety of single-purpose IoT/maker projects. OpenELEC users will recognize the software output of LibreELEC. Although we run Kodi together, the core values of the projects are different. LibreELEC is governed and managed by a project board made up of active members. This board sets priorities, prioritizes projects, and makes executive decisions. The board ensures that project tasks are distributed among volunteers. LibreELEC is a free and open-source software.

KaiOS Technologies is the company behind KaiOS Technologies, the world's most popular operating system for smart feature phone. KaiOS, which brings connectivity and apps to affordable phones, was nominated by TIME magazine for the Best Inventions category. KaiOS Technologies, a Hong Kong-based company, is one of FastCompany's 50 most innovative companies for the year. It also has offices in China and France. KaiOS employs more than 300 people around the world. This allows more people to access the internet. Smartphones can be expensive. Data plans cost too much. Apps and touchscreen devices can be intimidating for first-time internet users. KaiOS is a technology platform that empowers people all over the globe. We believe that everyone should have internet access to realize their potential. Our platform offers advanced features such as GPS, apps, wifi, and more to phones at a price that is affordable and easy-to-use.

Analyzes all web traffic, blocks selected websites via HTTP or HTTPS using Squid proxy. Integrated with ClamAV antivirus. Multi-domain web server with ready-to-use LAMP stack. Virtual hosting allows you to host multiple domains on one server. NextCloud allows you to access your files from anywhere, whether you're on the internet, your computer, or your mobile device. Mattermost allows you to create a private Slack-alternative. Secure team collaboration is possible with this open-source messaging platform. Cockpit is a modern web interface that simplifies administration tasks. It's easy to install and very fast. CentOS/RHEL is a popular server distribution that is trusted by routine security updates and has rock-solid stability.

The world's first operating system that connects all of your AI and automations into a single platform. Automation and AI projects often fail because of poor analysis of the exact business processes that need to be automated. It is important to have a well-defined process analysis. Visualize Automation & AI process candidates. Analyze and process discovery. Our AI-engine will propose solutions. Inadequate planning and execution are two of the main reasons that automation and AI implementations fail. DelphiOS can help you avoid these common pitfalls. The best-in-class method to implement your solutions. Your development time is cut by dividing development tasks and approving steps. It can be difficult to manage multiple Automation and AI technologies from different vendors. It is essential to have complete control over all existing solutions. The DelphiOS Control module displays real-time performance and diagnostics for your Automation & AI solutions.

Open source software and a universal router are key to democratizing the way we access networks. VyOS' vision is to revolutionize how we access networks, so that everyone can build the solutions they have always wanted, without limitations, restrictions, or prohibitive prices. We believe that internet access is just as important to human development as food, water, air, and healthcare. VyOS was founded by engineers for engineers. It is an open-source software company that makes it possible to access networks without restrictions or prohibitive fees. Through our open-source software and virtual platforms, we do this as VyOS. Stateful firewalls, zone based firewall, all types source and destination NAT (one-to-one, one-to many, many to many). For auditing, creating customized images and contributing, everyone has access to the entire codebase and build toolchain.

Stable servers reduce churn, increase density and magnify profit. CloudLinux OS stability features keep your servers stable in stressful situations. CloudLinux OS protects servers from attacks by virtualizing users' files and preventing sensitive information disclosure. Our kernel-level technology prevents all known symbol link attacks, which further enhances security. Unsupported PHP versions can be secured. Even if vulnerabilities are discovered, they are not fixed by the PHP.net community. Multiply the number users on a stable server with Cloudlinux OS to manage each customer's resources limits. Troubleshooting performance issues with detailed information about system bottlenecks, slow queries to the database, functions, and external calls.

Unraid OS gives you complete control over your data and media, applications, desktops, and desktops. It works with almost any hardware combination. Unraid OS is used by streamers, video producers, musicians, music collectors, media editors, photographers, and musicians to lower their initial costs. You can start with just two drives and then scale up to more drives. Unraid is a great tool for gamers who have media servers and want to build their own systems. Unraid is used by designers, 3D animators and developers, as well as photographers, to store large amounts of assets locally for quick access. To archive large amounts of data that is not frequently accessed, you can use Windows Backup and Apple Time Machine. Unraid is used by software engineers, game developers, AR/VR designers, university labs, and other users to test software across multiple platforms and operating systems.

Guix is an advanced distribution for the GNU operating system, which was developed by the GNU Project. It respects the freedom of computer users. Guix supports roll-backs and transactional upgrades, unprivileged package management, as well as other features. Guix can be used as a standalone distribution and supports declarative system configuration to create transparent and reproducible operating environments. Guile Scheme APIs are available, including high-level embedded domain specific languages (EDSLs), to create packages and whole-system configurations. Guix includes thousands of packages that include software, system tools, documentation and fonts. These can be installed with the GNU Guix Package Manager.

PLD is a RPM-based Linux distribution that is free and open source. It was created in 1998 for advanced users and administrators. Our users have the ability to access multiple architectures simultaneously and use RPMs in a non-conservative way. This allows them to maintain a consistent environment across all architectures.

Salix is a GNU/Linux distribution that is based on Slackware. It is simple, fast, and easy to use with stability as its primary goal. Salix is fully backwards compatible to Slackware so Slackware users have access to Salix repositories that they can use for "extra" quality software for their favorite distribution. Salix is small and light, but requires no care. Everything in the iso has been installed. This includes a complete desktop environment as well as a selection of applications that match the environment. It follows the "one app per task" principle. The console system must have the minimum requirements to be able to start. It does not include a graphical environment. This is great if you are an experienced user who wants to customize your installation for a specific purpose such as a file server, web server, etc.

Slint is stable. Accessibility software is updated regularly, but other software may be updated on an individual basis. Slint can work in both graphical and console modes. You can switch between them without having to restart. You can even launch multiple graphical environments and switch among them. The Slint dashboard provides direct access to the main tools, useful information, and links. In text mode, the installation program is accessible to blind people who use a screen reader or Braille monitor. It proceeds by asking questions and answering with online help and integrated documentation. The btrfs file structure is set up with subvolumes and not separate partitions. It allows you to divide by 2 the media space, to take snapshots, and is well-suited to SSD, NVMe, and USB sticks.

Trisquel is ready to use at home or in the office. New programs are easy-to-find and install. You can explore all options with our Documentation. Trisquel's standard edition includes accessibility features. Our manuals are accessible to screen-readers. We also offer a series audio guides. The Trisquel operating system can be downloaded 'gratis' (for no cost). You can support our work financially by making a donation, becoming a member, and purchasing hardware from ThinkPenguin and Technoetical.

It is perfect for people who want to get the most out their computers but still prefer a traditional desktop metaphor. It requires very little hardware and is compatible with modern workstations, single-board computers, and older hardware. Ubuntu MATE makes old computers and modern computers faster. We are happy to provide ready-to run images for the Raspberry Model B 2, 3+, and 4, as well as a range UMPCs like the GPD Pocket 2, GPD Pocket 2, GPD MicroPC, and Topjoy Falcon.

Open-source enterprise server OS that only has the features you need. ZFS, OmniOS' native File System, combines a volume manger and a file system with strong data integrity protection. You can easily share volumes using CIFS, iSCSI, and NFS. You can run lightweight OmniOS and Linux virtual machines in containers, without the overhead of traditional hypervisors. Also, you have full resource control. OmniOS supports full hardware virtualization via KVM and bhyve for guest OSes such as Microsoft Windows and FreeBSD. Crossbow virtual interfaces, switches and switches allow you to virtualize your network infrastructure and even allocate resources for specific services. DTrace is a comprehensive dynamic tracing tool that can be used to assist with troubleshooting across all software stacks. You can instrument anything you need, and it is always available. OmniOS is open-source and self-hosted. It is maintained on GitHub. Every step of development is open source, and anyone can grab the source code and build OmniOS.

DragonFly version 6.2.2 has been released. The 6.2 series includes hardware support for type-2 hypervisors, an amdgpu drivers, and the experimental ability to remotely mount HAMMER2 volumes. DragonFly is in the same category of operating systems as other BSD derived systems and Linux. It shares ancestor code and is based on the same UNIX principles and APIs as other BSD operating system. DragonFly offers a new opportunity for the BSD community to grow in a completely different direction than the one taken in the FreeBSD and NetBSD series. DragonFly has many unique features that make it stand out from other operating systems of the same type. HAMMER is our modern, high-performance filesystem that includes built-in mirroring and historical access. This is the most prominent. Virtual kernels allow you to run a full-blown kernel in a user process. This is useful for managing resources and for debugging and acceleration of kernel development.

Microservice OS provides transactional (Atomic), updates upon a read only btrfs root system. This OS is designed to host container workloads and provide automated administration and patching. OpenSUSE MicroOS provides a small, easy environment for deploying containers or any other workload that can benefit from transactional updates. The software is always current due to rolling release distribution. MicroOS also offers an offline image. The offline image is different from the self-install/raw image in that it has an installer. Raw and self-install allow for customization via combustion or manually in an image after it has been written to the disk. A real-time kernel is also available. MicroOS can be used in VMs that run on either Xen, or KVM. A Raspberry Pi or another system-on-chip hardware might use the preconfigured image along with the combustion functionality to boot.

Enterprise-Grade Linux for Edge-to-Cloud Deployments. Open-Source Collaborative Project is a Debian-based Linux-based distribution that is tailored for edge-to-cloud use cases. Ensure consistent performance, whether on devices, on-prem or in the cloud. eLxr is a stable and secure distribution with a foundation in opensource innovation. Its release and update cycle is predictable, making it suitable for long-term deployments and long-lifecycles. Preempt-rt kernel settings prioritize low-latency responses to meet the needs of applications with strict timing requirements. Tasks are executed within specified time limits. You can achieve better predictability and determinism compared to the standard Linux kernel. eLxr relies upon a smaller footprint to improve performance, optimize workloads, and reduce the attack surface in order to maximize resource usage efficiency. It has all the features and attributes required, while considering the best use of system resources.

Stratodesk NoTouch, the #1 Thin Client OS and management software in the world, is available now. Stratodesk NoTouch is a combination of NoTouch OS, NoTouch Center and can transform any PC, Thin Client or Laptop into a centrally managed Thin Endpoint. NoTouch OS can be instantly deployed to thousands of devices, and managed from oStratodesk NoTouch. NoTouch OS is the best Thin Client OS and management solution. Stratodesk NoTouch is a combination of NoTouch OS, NoTouch Center and can be used to transform any PC, Thin Client or Laptop into a centrally managed Thin Endpoint. NoTouch OS can be instantly deployed to thousands of devices and managed from one browser. NoTouch OS is a minimal-sized OS that can be installed from your server onto your computer, laptop, thin client, or Raspberry Pi device. NoTouch Center is the best endpoint management software to manage your VDI endpoints.

Arm Mbed OS, an open-source IoT operating platform, is free and available for download. It includes all the features needed to create IoT products. The OS contains everything you need for smart, connected products that run on Arm Cortex M based hardware. This includes machine learning capabilities, security stacks, connectivity stacks, and drivers for sensors and other I/O devices. Arm Mbed OS was designed for the Internet of Things. It integrates with connectivity, machine-learning, networking, security stacks, and is supported by software libraries, tutorials, hardware, and examples. Mbed OS supports over 70 silicon, module and cloud partners. This allows you to optimize your developer choice. Mbed OS API allows you to keep your application code clean, portable, and easy while taking advantage security, communications, and machine learning. The integrated solution reduces development time, cost, and risk.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time, a real-time operating system, is designed to reduce latency, increase predictability, and reliability of time-sensitive and business-critical applications. Banks, manufacturers, government agencies, and others depend on time-dependent applications that must run accurately and predictably every time. Distributed systems must be able to act as one unit. This is true for both within the server and across all servers. The Precision Time Protocol (PTP), which synchronizes servers over a high-speed network, achieves sub-microsecond accuracy. Support for device interrupt threads allows tuning at the device level and hardware latency detectors ensure predictable application behavior. SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time gives users the time advantage they need to win over the competition.

Wind River Linux allows you to create and deploy secure Linux-based devices without the risks and development effort associated with in-house roll-yourself (RYO). Wind River will keep your code base current, track and fix bugs, apply security patches and customize your runtime to meet strict market specifications and certifications. This will allow you to reduce your IP and export compliance as well as your costs. You can speed up time-to-market by getting to work today and building your Linux distribution using Yocto Project source code. With the assurance that you can easily switch to one of our flexible subscriptions later, it will be easy. You can rely on fully verified, maintained, and supported code, as well as access to a team Linux experts to assist you with all aspects of your development lifecycle. Calculate your TCO. Wind River Linux lets you build your own Linux operating systems with a variety service options to assist you.