Solonux.org

When I first started getting my feet wet in the Linux world back in 2002 (using Red Hat), there were not that many distributions that were known as being "friendly" to new users as there are now.  Back then, if you weren't using Red Hat, you were using either Mandrake (Mandriva) or SUSE.  Times have changed since then.  Times usually do change at a faster rate in the technological/computer world so it is of no surprise that so many alternate distributions out there now are claiming as their main focus the best distribution for the desktop.

I think a good tool to use for new users not sure which distribution to pick that best suits them can be found at Zegenie Studios.  I have used this web-based tool before and I'm somewhat convinced with the majority of my results.  The hardest part of taking that test is determining your skill level and which format your most comfortable with regarding packages (.deb, .rpm, .tgz, etc.).  Almost every time I use that tool I end up with Ubuntu, Fedora, Slackware and Debian in my top results and I can honestly say, at this point, I am most comfortable with those results because all of the distributions I mainly use are at any given time one of those distributions.

I believe the only flaw in that system is I use Arch Linux whenever I get to.  I like Arch Linux because it has Slackware's simplicity and Gentoo's speed.  I actually stated in a previous review that Arch is faster than Gentoo based on binary vs. source where Arch uses binary and compiling source code for Gentoo takes longer.  Not only that, but Arch is optimized for i686 processors, so you do not have to do any tweaking to get the system optimized.  Basically Arch is a blank canvas and you can make anything you want out of it by using pacman.  Not that I'm trying to sell Arch Linux or anything... ;)

Another reason the title states what it does regarding "which Linux" is because you simply can't go wrong with any of the top 5.. wait, make that top 10 distributions listed over at Distrowatch, especially the top 3. Linux Mint is referred to often as "Ubuntu done right" for the fact it includes many of the features needed to playback DVD and MP3 formats, but not only that, Mint uses it's own tools to get any job done.  Not only is Mint based off of Ubuntu, Mint is fully compatible with Ubuntu repositories thereby giving users even more of a selection without the worry of system breakage.

openSUSE 11 is an impressive distribution in its own right as well.  Before the openSUSE 10.x series, SUSE (as it was referred to back then) was a distribution I really wanted to like, but for whatever reason, did not like any of my computers.  9 times out of 10, after testing and trying out each SUSE release from 9.0 up to 10.3, openSUSE got toppled by Mandriva on my hard drive.  Mandriva then took the back seat to Ubuntu for me mainly because Mandriva fired Gael Duval, the person who founded Mandrake (Mandriva) to begin with.  I'm usually not a political person, but that news made me frustrated that Mandriva was now officially "corporate" and fired the guy whose business Mandriva grew upon.  I've since then forgiven Mandriva for the most part, but to me they're not out of the dog house yet!  Although I have been impressed with all of the One and PowerPack editions Mandriva has put out there since PowerPack 2007.. maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel afterall..

Conclusion

Now that I'm pretty much done rambling, I just wanted to focus on the scope of this article again and give my perspectives of how and why Linux has come so far, yet ironically, still has a ways to go yet.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a Linux user.  I'm writing this article using my Ubuntu laptop.  The reason I say "ironic" is because despite all of the advances in Linux, the more separated it has become.  At the same time, I would not want just ONE Linux distribution to choose from, but having too many choices causes mass confusion, especially to would-be Windows converts who are used to being hand-fed their "choice" of OS (Vista Home, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate).  Either way, with Windows, you're going to get Vista.  With Linux, however, you're going to get what you pick and while humanisitic characteristics do tend to be wrong from time to time, the wrong choice can put off a would-be convert to not try Linux ever again basing all distributions on one trial run of any of the hundreds out there.

Touching upon politics once again, I believe that Sabayon IS Gentoo now.  I do not mean to start a war between anyone who is a die-hard Gentoo user and myself, but lets face it - Sabayon is getting things done and is producing while Gentoo is still in crisis about leadership and letting emotions get in the way of progress.  I'd love to see Gentoo return to its glory days a la 2005-2006, but the Gentoo camps have to start thinking outside of the box in order to get over personal differences.  Again, I'm not saying this to flame or start a war, I just want to motivate Gentoo to become what Gentoo was meant to be.. and right now, that's Sabayon.