Distributions (DistroWatch):
DistroBox Source: Use any linux distribution inside your terminal. Enable both backward and forward compatibility with software and freedom to use whatever distribution you’re more comfortable with. To use: sudo apt install distrobox, then distrobox create --name archbox --image archlinux:latest or distrobox create --name my-ubuntu --image ubuntu:22.04, then distrobox entername
Popular
- AnduinOS: looks just like Windows, built by a Microsoft engineer
- Asmi Linux: bringing Xfce desktop to a more manageable state
- Bazzite: a custom Fedora Atomic image built with cloud native technology that brings the best of Linux gaming to all of your devices - including your favorite handheld.
- CachyOS immutable: performance-minded immutable distribution
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CommodoreOS: A Commodore-themed talking Linux desktop, complete with hundreds of games, makes for the biggest distro we've seen yet.
- DesertOS
- EndeavorOS:
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Fedora Silverblue immutable
- KoliboroOS: A graphical OS that boots in seconds
- MenuetOS: An entire operating system written in assembly
- Mint immutable
- MX Linux: a family of operating systems (and a cooperative venture between the antiX and MX Linux communities) that are designed to combine elegant and efficient desktops with high stability and solid performance.
- ObsidianOS: ObsidianOS is a UEFI‑only, systemd‑based operating system for x86_64 systems, designed with an A/B partition layout for reliability. At its core, ObsidianOS is a UEFI‑only, systemd‑based operating system for x86_64 systems, designed with an A/B partition layout for reliability. The A/B partition scheme means your root filesystem exists twice, partition A and partition B. When you update, the system writes to the inactive slot. If something goes wrong, you reboot into the previously working one.
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Omarchy Linux: Linux image used by 37signals developers ("a clone of DHH's desktop") -- "an opinionated Arch + Hyprland Setup by DHH"
- Q4OS: fast and friendly, desktop oriented operating system based on Debian Linux.
- ParrotGS: The operating system for hackers.
- pearOS Source: an Arch-based Linux Distro made to look different than the current pearOS versions. "The new pearOS distro is a Romanian project that picks up the concepts behind the original Pear Linux from 2011 and updates them. It's not going to turn the distro world upside down, but it's fun, interesting, and a showcase for the versatility and customizability of the Linux desktop."
- Pop! OS
- RavynOS Source: By taking FreeBSD as its core, and crafting a macOS-like UI on top, it intends to provide the Mac UI experience without locking the user into the Apple ecosystem.
- RefreshOS: has been known historically for its user-friendliness, speed, and elegant design that focuses on stability and customization. (Review)
- Siduction: an operating system based on the Linux kernel and the GNU project. In addition, there are applications and libraries from Debian. The name siduction is a play on two words. The word sid, which is the codename of Debian Unstable, and seduction in the sense of seduce.
- SparkyLinux: a GNU/Linux distribution based on the Debian GNU/Linux operating system.
- Ubuntu
- Universal Blue: a Linux operating system framework that's built entirely with immutability in mind, meaning that the base image is read-only, and any modifications can be easily rolled back.
- VanillaOS
- Zorin immutable
Special-purpose
- Arch Linux: Bleeding-edge distro of great complexity
- Kali Linux: Ethical hacking
- Nix OS: Functional-programming principles brought to the OS level
- Qubes OS: "When you hear the word virtualization, you’d probably think of a home server platform like Proxmox, XCP-ng, or Harvester. However, Qubes OS uses this neat technology in a different way. Rather than excelling in self-hosted projects, Qubes OS is designed to compartmentalize your apps inside isolated environments of varying access privileges to enhance the security of your system. Similar to virtual machines, these compartments, or qubes, are armed with their own templates, which are based on different operating systems. You also get to modify everything from the packages and binaries to the network interfaces and I/O devices for your qubes, making it amazing for security-conscious users. Unfortunately, the virtualization-heavy nature of Qubes OS makes it a bit hard to get accustomed to the distro. You’ll also have to contend with the performance issues of running multiple OS templates inside the same OS. That’s before you include the sheer pain of passing GPUs to the qubes."
- Talos Linux: For Kubernetes lovers
- TurnKey Linux: a collection of pre-configured, ready-to-use Linux appliances that make deploying common server software fast and hassle-free.
Gaming
- Bazzite: a Linux distribution designed specifically for gaming -- and it's quickly become my favorite for this purpose. Part of what makes Bazzite so good for gaming is that it includes everything necessary to play Steam games right out of the box. Also, Bazzite includes support for HDR & VRR; uses the System76 CPU scheduler for improved gameplay; adds community-developed tools and tweaks to streamline the gaming and streaming experience; includes a proprietary driver for GeForce GUPs; adds Waydroid to run Linux games; and offers LUKs full-disk encryption and game controller support. Another key aspect of Bazzite is that it's a SteamOS clone. For those unfamiliar with SteamOS, the operating system powers the SteamDeck, so it's ideal for gaming on Linux. In fact, I'd have to say that Bazzite is the single best Linux distribution for gaming. However, remember that Bazzite isn't a 1:1 clone of SteamOS. The biggest difference is that Bazzite is based on Fedora, whereas SteamOS is based on Arch.
- DraugerOS: based on Ubuntu and ships with tons of optimizations and modifications intended to improve gaming performance and the gaming experience. You'll find simple changes (such as a custom Plasma desktop) to far more complicated optimizations (such as a custom kernel with lot latency enabled and a scheduling frequency from 250Hz to 1000Hz). Everything in Drauger OS has been tweaked to make it an ideal gaming platform. In fact, the developers make no bones about the fact that Drauger OS is designed explicitly for gaming. This isn't your normal desktop OS. It's not aimed at productivity, shopping, socialization, project management, or development. Drauger OS supports several gaming platforms (such as Steam, Lutris, PlayOnLinux, etc.), works with several different game controllers, offers higher frame rates, and reduced screen tearing, as well as an overall increase in performance. The one downfall of Drauger OS is that the installation is a bit of a departure from the standard Ubuntu offering. The installation isn't hard, it's just… different.
- Ubuntu Game Pack: If you prefer a more traditional Ubuntu desktop but still want something geared toward gaming, Ubuntu Game Pack is a great option. This distribution supports multiple gaming platforms, offers a GameMode with several optimizations, and includes the usual Ubuntu user-friendliness and all the apps found in the standard repositories. Ubuntu Game Pack includes Steam, Lutris, Itch.io, and Game Jolt, as well as PlayOnLinux, CrossOver, Wine, DoxBox, ScummVM, and more. Some of those options are free, while others are pay-to-play or subscription-based. Although there are no pre-installed games, you'll find a wealth of options via the various services. Ubuntu Game Pack ships with a custom GNOME desktop environment. The real focal point of Ubuntu Game Pack is GameMode, which gives Ubuntu the necessary tweaks to make it a viable gaming solution. GameMod is a daemon/lib combination that allows for certain optimizations, such as CPU governor, I/O Priority, process niceness, kernel scheduler, screensaver inhibiting, GPU performance mode (for NVIDIA and AMD), GPU overclocking (NVIDIA), CPU core pinning or parking, and customized scripts.
- Fedora Game Spin: If you'd like a gaming-specific spin on your favorite Fedora distribution, look no further than Fedora Game Spin. However, there is a catch in that it's only for open-source games. But the good news is that there are hundreds of available games. The bad news is that they tend to look and feel like cheap knock-offs of other games. You'll find games like Extreme Tux Racer, Wesnoth, Hedewars, Colossus, BZFlag, Freeciv, Warzon 2100, MegaGlest, and Fillets. There are games ranging from first-person shooters, real-time and turn-based strategy, and puzzle games. In the end, if you're looking for varied free games, Fedora Game Spin might be a great option. And when you combine that with Fedora's inherently great performance, this spin becomes even more appealing.
- Regata OS: Regata OS is about achieving as much performance as possible so your favorite games play as expected. Regata OS includes GameMode as well as AMD FSR (to help boost frame rates while delivering a high-resolution experience). If you have a laptop with hybrid graphics, Regata OS can run some applications with the dedicated GPU by default on AMD and NVIDIA-based laptops. Regata also supports Vulkan for faster performance and improved video quality. Moreover, you'll find support for Steam and Game Access, which allows you to run games from Origin, Battle.net, Ubisoft Connect, and the Epic Games Store. Unlike other gaming-specific distributions, Regata OS can also serve as a great desktop solution for productivity and other uses.
Tiny/lightweight
- Damn Small Linux: for older machines ISO
- ttylinux: a small GNU/Linux system available for several CPU architectures. This small system has an 8 MB file system and runs on i486 computers within 28 MB of RAM, but provides a complete command line environment and is ready for Internet access.
- 4MLinux: feature-oriented, lightweight portable distribution; "Maintenance, Multimedia, Miniserver, and Mystery"
- Linux Lite: lightweight Linux distro based on Ubuntu
- AntiX: lightweight distribution geared more towards those with at least a bit of Linux experience; uses FM-IceWM window manager
- Bodhi Linux: lightweight distro fork of Enlightenment
- BunsenLabs: lightweight distro continuation of CrunchBang Linux using a Debian base, OpenBox window manager, the tint2 panel, Conky, and jgmenu
- Lubuntu: lightweight distro based on Ubutu, using the LXQt desktop
- Alpine: lightweight; minimalist, security-oriented distribution known for its lightweight footprint and fast performance.
- Puppy: lightweight; an incredibly lightweight Linux distribution that is easy to use while still being fast, efficient and can run entirely from RAM, meaning that once booted, you can remove the boot medium (USB or CD).
- SliTaz: lightweight; a very lightweight Linux distro known for its small size and fast performance.
- Tiny Core Linux: lightweight; one of the most minimal Linux distributions available, ideal for those who want a highly customizable and lightweight operating system.
Wikipedia list
"lightweight": good for older computers
"portable": Installable on a USB stick
Window Managers
Linux Assembly programming
Cassoway: Run Windows Applications on Linux as if they are native, Use linux applications to launch files files located in windows vm without needing to install applications on vm. With easy to use configuration GUI
Linux Insides: A book-in-progress about the linux kernel and its insides.
Building
Video - Building Your Own Linux Kernel Might Not Be As Hard As You Think
Using
Books
- Ad Hoc Data Analysis From The Unix Command Line - Wikibooks
- Advanced Linux Programming (PDF)
- Automated Linux From Scratch
- Getting Started with Ubuntu
- GNU Autoconf, Automake and Libtool
- Hardened Linux From Scratch
- Kali Linux 2018: Assuring Security by Penetration Testing, Fourth Edition - Shiva V. N Parasram, Alex Samm, Damian Boodoo, Gerard Johansen, Lee Allen, Tedi Heriyanto, Shakeel Ali (Packt account required)
- Kali Linux: Professional Penetration-Testing Distribution
- Learning Debian GNU/Linux
- Linux 101 Hacks - Ramesh Natarajan (PDF)
- Linux Advanced Routing & Traffic Control HOWTO
- Linux Appliance Design: A Hands-On Guide to Building Linux Appliances - Bob Smith, John Hardin, Graham Phillips, Bill Pierce (PDF, EPUB, MOBI)
- Linux commands Notes for Professionals - Compiled from StackOverflow documentation (PDF)
- Linux Device Drivers, Third Edition - Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro Rubini, and Greg Kroah-Hartman
- Linux from Scratch
- Linux Fundamentals - Paul Cobbaut (PDF)
- Linux Inside
- Linux Kernel in a Nutshell
- Linux Newbie Administrator Guide
- Linux Succinctly, Syncfusion (PDF, Kindle) (email address requested, not required)
- Secure Programming HOWTO - Creating Secure Software - D. A. Wheeler (HTML, PDF)
- Ten Steps to Linux Survival: Bash for Windows People - Jim Lehmer
- The Debian Administrator's Handbook
- The Linux Command Line (PDF)
- The Linux Commands Handbook - Flavio Copes (PDF, EPUB, Kindle) (email address requested)
- The Linux Development Platform (PDF)
- The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide
- The Linux System Administrator's Guide
- Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference
- Ubuntu Server Guide (PDF)
- Understanding the Linux Virtual Memory Manager - Mel Gorman (HTML, PDF)
- UNIX Systems Programming for SVR4 - David A. Curry
- Upstart Intro, Cookbook and Best Practises
- What Every Programmer Should Know About Memory (PDF)
Tags:
platform
linux
Last modified 07 May 2026