Readers Respond: What are your favorite Linux distributions?

Responses: 55

By Juergen Haas, About.com Guide

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and there was a result... Slight difference from initial question: only KDE-based/enabled distributions considered. Voting results are here: http://linuxblog.darkduck.com/2011/09/users-voted-for-best-kde-based-linux.html
—Guest darkduck

Way back when, Ubuntu was the only distro I could find that correctly identified the screen size of the laptop on which I was trying then. So I stayed with it. But its too bulky for my Eee for that I found Pupeee. Its a small distribution that screems on the Eee. Does everything I neet when I have the Eee as my companion.
—ValhallaSystems

I started with Redhat, Mandrake, and Debian and now I promote over 100 Linux distributions at asokaplus. There is a distribution that fits to any taste but now I promote Vinux ( for Visually handicapped) and Debian because it supports our mother tongues Sinhala and Tamil.
—Guest asokaddd

Hey, I've been using Linux Mint for a few months and I love it. I was brand new to Linux a couple years ago. I started out with Ubuntu 7. Whatever. I eventually got the feeling that Ubuntu was a learning place, I moved on I love Mint 10
—Leroi007

Least amount of install problems, easy customizations, frequent updates, state of the art applications included.
—erniestewpot

Puppy Linux 5.2 is my favorite linux package. I've used it for about 4 days and really like it
—Guest Rick

- Ubuntu has been very solid for full function, desktop use. Fedora and OpenSUSE are also worth looking into if U* isn't right for you. - Puppy is fabulous for older systems with less memory and less powerful processors. Frugal installs only require copying three files into a folder and updating the boot manager menu. Runs fast as a live CD also. - Parted Magic is a great repartitioning and rescue live CD. Being based on Linux it will improve and evolve, unlike the DOS based, non-free Partition Magic. - Debian and CentOS are very solid and stable for server use.
—Guest MikeF

My best Linux OS is Mint Linux and PCLinuxOS especially 2009.2. I'm running Mint 2010 and Pclinuxos 2010.2 right now. I have tried most of them but always come back to the same ones. Actually, Mint is better then Pclinuxos now. It behaves better and is faster and also is 64 bit. PClinuxos went down since they change their KDE desktop from 3.5.10 to 4.x. Anyway, this is my own opinion.
—Guest Daniel

I've run Linux since 1995 and in that time have run a few distributions. Today I like Debian the best.
—Guest Paulf

I started my Linux experience in 1998 and it was either Red Hat or Mandrake. Mandrake won and I stayed true for many years due to ease of use and configurability. I was always curious about reputedly stable Debian with its outstanding package management but stability means older software. When Ubuntu showed up I was pleased to find Debian heritage but up to date and I loved it but utf8 was hard coded in pmount (used for hot-plugging external storage). I always had to dual-boot windows and utf8 doesn't go well with FAT partitions and in the end it became too tedious with all the manual mounting so I went for text based Arch for two reasons. Practically all configuration in one text file only and rolling updates to the latest software without need to upgrade or reinstall. No support at my office though. OpenSuse is good enough and has support - a working compromise but no love affair.
—Guest Gosta