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Linux & Security

Original Linux guides, explained articles, and the distro library. Install steps are for VirtualBox or a USB/real PC — using an entire disk erases it, so back up first.

Linux, explained properly

Linux is a kernel, not an operating system

The single fact that makes everything else about Linux make sense: what the kernel is, what a distribution adds on top of it, and why you never actually 'install Linux' — you install a distro.

How distros actually differ

Strip away the logos and most distros share the same kernel, commands and apps. The real differences are five: package manager, release model, desktop, defaults and community — and only some of them matter day to day.

Rolling vs fixed releases: how your system ages

The deepest split between distros is not the desktop or the logo — it is whether your system stands still and gets patched, or flows forward forever. Honest pros, cons, and the sensible middle grounds.

Which distro for which job

Beginner, gaming, servers, security work, old laptops, privacy — the honest shortlist for each job, drawn from the library below, including the cases where the famous answer is the wrong one.

Linux guides

What Linux is actually used for

Not a hobbyist toy: Linux runs most of the web, every Android phone, and the toolkit of every security professional. Concretely, job by job.

"Should I learn Linux?" is easier to answer when you stop asking what Linux is and ask what it does all day. The list is not abstract. Linux quietly holds up most of the computing you already use — you have just never been introduced.

Servers and the cloud

The largest job by far. The overwhelming majority of web servers, cloud instances and containers run Linux, because it is free, scriptable, stable for years at a time, and happy with no screen attached at all. If you deploy a website or an API, you are deploying it onto Linux — knowing the system your code lives on stops being optional the first time something breaks at 2 a.m.

Phones, routers, and everything embedded

Android is built on the Linux kernel, so the most common computer on Earth already runs it. So do most home routers, smart TVs, NAS boxes, industrial controllers and a good share of cars and spacecraft. Linux scales down as gracefully as it scales up.

Security and penetration testing

The security industry's tools — scanners, proxies, password auditors, network analysers — are written for Linux first, because the system's openness lets them inspect everything. Entire distributions (Kali is the famous one, see the distro cards below) exist just to bundle those tools. If your goal is cybersecurity work, Linux is not a preference; it is the workplace.

Development

Developers live where their software runs. Since production is Linux, development environments match it: containers package Linux, CI pipelines run Linux, and the terminal skills transfer unchanged from a laptop VM to a cloud server on another continent.

Privacy and old hardware

No forced account, no advertising ID, no telemetry you did not agree to — and a lightweight distro can make a ten-year-old laptop genuinely useful again instead of e-waste. For a lot of people worldwide, that last one is not a philosophy. It is the computer they can afford to keep.

Learn Linux and you are not learning an operating system. You are learning how computers actually work underneath the glass — and that knowledge transfers to every machine you will ever touch.

Install ANY Linux distro in VirtualBox

One universal flow works for Ubuntu, Debian, Kali, Fedora and nearly everything else: ISO in, virtual machine built, Guest Additions, snapshot. Your real files are never at risk.

Every distro has its own installer with its own personality, but the VirtualBox part — the part beginners fear — is identical for all of them. Learn this flow once and you can try any Linux distribution this weekend, safely, without touching your real system. The distro cards below plug into these exact steps.

1. Download VirtualBox and the ISO

Install VirtualBox from virtualbox.org (free, Windows/Mac/Linux hosts). Then download your distro's ISO — the install image, usually 1–6 GB — from the distro's official site only. An ISO is a disk in a file: VirtualBox will pretend it is a DVD in a drive.

2. Create the virtual machine

In VirtualBox: New. Give it a name ("Ubuntu test"), set Type to Linux and Version to the closest match for your distro (for example "Ubuntu (64-bit)" or "Debian (64-bit)"). Getting the version roughly right matters — it tunes defaults like the disk controller.

3. Size the RAM and CPU

Rule of thumb: never give the VM more than half your real RAM. 4 GB is a comfortable default for desktop distros (2 GB works for light ones; Kali prefers 4). Give it 2 CPU cores if your machine has 4 or more. The VM only uses this while it runs.

4. Create the virtual disk

Choose "Create a virtual hard disk now", type VDI, and — the important one — Dynamically allocated. Size: 25 GB is a safe default (30–40 for Kali with its toolset). Dynamic allocation means the file starts small and grows only as the VM actually stores data, so "25 GB" is a ceiling, not a chunk carved out of your drive today.

The safety factThat virtual disk is a single ordinary file on your computer (something like Ubuntu.vdi). The Linux inside can format it, encrypt it, destroy it — your real Windows files, photos and documents are not in that file and cannot be touched. This is the entire reason VMs are the right way to learn.

5. Attach the ISO

Select your VM → Settings → Storage → click the empty optical drive → "Choose a disk file" → pick the ISO you downloaded. The VM now believes a Linux DVD is inserted.

6. Boot and install

Start the VM. It boots from the ISO into a live session or installer. The flow is always some version of: language → keyboard → "Install" → time zone → your name and password. When it asks about the disk and offers "Erase disk and install", say yes without fear — the "disk" is your virtual file from step 4, nothing else. This is the moment the VM design earns its keep.

7. Reboot and remove the ISO

When the installer finishes it asks to restart and remove the installation medium. VirtualBox usually ejects the ISO for you; if the VM boots back into the installer, shut it down, remove the ISO in Settings → Storage, and start again — you will boot into your fresh Linux.

8. Install Guest Additions

This is the step that turns a clunky VM into a pleasant one: automatic window resizing, shared clipboard, drag-and-drop. With the VM running: Devices → Insert Guest Additions CD image, then inside Linux open the mounted disc and run the installer (or, on Debian-family systems, install the package):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y virtualbox-guest-utils virtualbox-guest-x11

Reboot the VM afterwards. The Sandbox has a simulated run of exactly this post-install terminal session.

9. Take a snapshot

With everything fresh and working: Machine → Take Snapshot, name it "Fresh install". A snapshot is a save point for the whole machine. Every experiment you ever do starts from here — and if one goes wrong, you restore instead of reinstalling. Snapshot first is the single habit that separates calm learners from reinstall veterans.

Set up your first security lab

A legal, breakable playground: Kali in VirtualBox, the network modes explained without the danger, snapshots before experiments, and the first five commands worth typing.

Security skills are learned by breaking things, and breaking things needs a place where it is legal, safe, and reversible. That place is a lab: virtual machines on your own computer, deliberately isolated, snapshotted before every experiment. Here is the beginner build — one afternoon, no extra hardware.

The machine: Kali in VirtualBox

Install Kali Linux using the universal VirtualBox flow in the guide above — or skip the install entirely with Kali's official prebuilt VirtualBox image (import it, log in, change the default password). Kali arrives with the standard security toolkit preinstalled, which is its entire purpose. The moment it boots cleanly, take a snapshot named "Clean Kali". Every experiment starts by restoring to a known-good machine.

Network modes, explained safely

This setting decides who your VM can talk to, and it is the one place beginners can genuinely cause trouble. Three modes matter:

  • NAT (the default) — the VM can reach the internet through your host, but nothing on the internet or your home network can reach in. Safe default for updates and general use. Start here.
  • Host-only — the VM can talk to your host and your other VMs, and nothing else. No internet at all. This is the mode for attack-and-defend practice between your own machines.
  • Bridged — the VM joins your real network like another computer, with its own address, visible to everything else on it. Tools run in this mode can touch real devices. Avoid it until you can explain exactly why you need it.

Rule of the lab: if you are not sure which mode you are in, you are not ready to run the tool. NAT or Host-only, always, while learning.

Your first five commands

whoami
Who the terminal thinks you are. In Kali this answers kali — an ordinary user, despite the legends.kali@kali:~$ whoami
ip a
Your network addresses. Find the VM's own IP (often 10.0.2.15 under NAT) — you cannot practise networking without knowing where you live.kali@kali:~$ ip a
ping
The simplest "is anything there?" test there is. Three pings to a public DNS address prove your NAT networking works.kali@kali:~$ ping -c 3 1.1.1.1
sudo apt update
Refreshes the package lists so installs and upgrades offer current versions. Your first real use of sudo — one command, run as root, on purpose.kali@kali:~$ sudo apt update
nmap --version
Checks the famous scanner is installed and shows its version. Run it on day one just to prove the toolkit is real — scanning comes later, in scope, in the lab.kali@kali:~$ nmap --version

Lab rules

  • Snapshot before every experiment; restore without sentimentality when one goes sideways.
  • NAT or Host-only networking only. Bridged stays off.
  • Scan and test only machines inside this lab, or systems you have written permission to test.
  • Keep a notes file: command, what you expected, what actually happened. That file becomes your real textbook.

Linux terminal: the 15 commands that do 90% of the work

There are thousands of commands. Working in the terminal daily uses a small cast of them, over and over. Learn these fifteen and the terminal stops being a wall of text.

The terminal looks infinite from outside. From inside, a working day is the same handful of commands in rotation: look around, go somewhere, move files, read files, search files, install things. Here is that handful — the fifteen that genuinely do about ninety percent of the work — each with the one example worth memorising.

ls
List what is in the current folder. Add -la to include hidden files and details.$ ls -la
cd / pwd
cd changes folder; pwd prints where you are standing when you get lost. Everyone gets lost.$ cd ~/Downloads  ·  $ pwd
mkdir
Make a folder. The first thing you will do in every project, forever.$ mkdir projects
cp
Copy a file. Add -r for a whole folder.$ cp notes.txt notes-backup.txt
mv
Move a file — and, if the destination is the same folder with a new name, rename it.$ mv draft.txt final.txt
rm
Delete. Permanently — there is no recycle bin here, and rm -rf deletes folders and everything inside them without asking. The danger command: read the line twice before pressing Enter, every time.$ rm old-file.txt
cat
Print a whole file to the screen. Perfect for short files: configs, notes, readmes.$ cat .env.example
less
Read a long file a page at a time, with searching inside (/word) and q to quit.$ less /var/log/syslog
grep
Search inside text. The single most-used debugging command in existence: find every line that mentions a word.$ grep "error" app.log
find
Locate files by name anywhere under a folder. Your lost-file rescue service.$ find ~ -name "*.iso"
chmod
Change who may read, write or run a file. At concept level: owner / group / everyone, each with r-w-x permissions. The +x form makes a script runnable.$ chmod +x setup.sh
sudo
Run one command as root, the system boss. Honest framing: sudo is not a magic prefix for fixing errors — it removes the guardrails for that one command, so the command had better deserve it.$ sudo apt update
apt
The Debian-family software store, in text form: update refreshes the catalogue; install does what it says. (Fedora uses dnf, Arch uses pacman — same idea.)$ sudo apt install nmap
man
The manual. Every command ships its own documentation, offline, written by the people who built it. Try man before any search engine.$ man grep
history
Everything you have run, numbered. Combine with grep to answer "what was that command from Tuesday?"$ history | grep ssh

Fifteen commands, honestly learned — typed by hand, not pasted — will carry you through almost any tutorial, server, or security lab on this site. The other thousands are specialists. These are the residents.

Distro library (58 distros)

Debian

Stable server classic•Intermediate•APT (.deb)

People who value calm over newness. Debian powers half the servers you will ever meet, and changes slowly on purpose.

ISO: netinst ≈ 0.7 GB (downloads the rest) · VM: 2–4 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: The installer asks more questions than Ubuntu's, and if you skip selecting a desktop environment you will boot to a bare text login. That is a choice you made, not an error.

  1. Pick Graphical install from the boot menu, then set language, location and keyboard.
  2. It configures the network automatically (the VM's NAT connection just works), then asks for a hostname.
  3. Set a root password, then create your everyday user account and its password — two separate accounts, that is normal here.
  4. Partitioning: choose "Guided — use entire disk", pick the virtual disk, and "All files in one partition".
  5. Software selection: tick a desktop environment (GNOME is the default; Xfce is lighter) plus "standard system utilities" — skip this screen and you get no desktop.
  6. Say yes to installing the GRUB bootloader on the disk, reboot, and remove the ISO.

The netinst image is small because it downloads packages during install, so keep the VM's network connected. Modern Debian images include the firmware real hardware needs, so the old "wifi driver hunt" is mostly history. Debian is also the base Ubuntu, Mint and Kali are built on — learn it once and half this library feels familiar.

Ubuntu

Beginner default•Beginner•APT (.deb) + Snap

Your first distro. The biggest community, the most tutorials, and nearly every guide on the internet quietly assumes it.

ISO ≈ 6 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 2 cores, 25 GB disk

Watch out: The first boot can feel slow while it indexes and updates. Some apps ship as Snaps and open a touch slowly the first time — normal, not broken.

  1. Boot the ISO and choose "Install Ubuntu" (or "Try Ubuntu" first to look around — the installer icon is on the desktop).
  2. Language and keyboard layout, then how updates and third-party drivers/codecs should be handled — ticking the third-party box saves errands later.
  3. Installation type: "Erase disk and install Ubuntu" — inside a VM, that disk is the virtual file, not your computer.
  4. Pick your time zone on the map, then create your user: name, computer name, username and password.
  5. Let it copy and finish, click "Restart now", and remove the ISO when it asks.

When something goes wrong, search your exact error plus "Ubuntu" — with this many users, someone has already had your problem and written the answer. In VirtualBox, "Ubuntu (64-bit)" is the version to pick when creating the VM.

Linux Mint

Easiest start from Windows•Beginner•APT (.deb)

Windows refugees. The Cinnamon desktop has the taskbar, start menu and window habits your hands already know.

ISO ≈ 2.8 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM (2 works), 25 GB disk

Watch out: Do not bring Windows habits with you: no .exe installers, no downloading random setup files. Software comes from the built-in Software Manager.

  1. Boot into the live desktop first — Mint always lets you look before you leap. Double-click "Install Linux Mint".
  2. Language, keyboard, then tick the box to install multimedia codecs.
  3. Installation type: "Erase disk and install Linux Mint" (in a VM that is only the virtual disk).
  4. Time zone, then your name, username and password.
  5. Reboot when it finishes and remove the ISO/USB when prompted.

After install, run the Update Manager once and open the Welcome screen's Driver Manager — Mint is deliberately boring after that, which is the compliment it wants. In VirtualBox, version "Ubuntu (64-bit)" is the closest match, since Mint is built on Ubuntu.

Pop!_OS

Polished · gaming-friendly•Beginner•APT (.deb)

Made by the laptop maker System76, for anyone: a clean, keyboard-friendly desktop with the friendliest NVIDIA support in the business — there is a separate download with the NVIDIA driver already in it.

ISO ≈ 2.5–4 GB (NVIDIA image is bigger) · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Two downloads exist: standard and NVIDIA. On real hardware with an NVIDIA graphics card, get the NVIDIA one. In a VM it makes no difference.

  1. Boot the ISO into the live desktop, choose language and keyboard.
  2. Choose "Clean Install" — this erases the selected disk (only the virtual disk, in VirtualBox).
  3. Optionally enable drive encryption on a real laptop; skip it in a learning VM.
  4. It installs, then reboots into a short welcome flow where you create your user account and pick your theme.

Pop!_OS shines on real hardware: hybrid-graphics switching, the optional NVIDIA image, and the Pop!_Shop store. Its window tiling mode is a quiet productivity superpower — try it from the top-right menu once you are settled.

MX Linux

Lightweight · old hardware hero•Beginner•APT (.deb)

The revival specialist: MX takes laptops that Windows has given up on and makes them feel responsive again, with a toolbox of friendly utilities (MX Tools) no other distro matches.

ISO ≈ 2 GB · VM: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: MX runs beautifully live from USB, and its installer can preserve your /home folder — read each screen; the defaults are safe, the options are powerful.

  1. Boot the live system (it is fast — that is the point) and click the installer icon on the desktop.
  2. Keyboard first, then the disk step: choose "Auto install using entire disk" for the simple path.
  3. Set the computer name (defaults are fine), then create your user and set the root password.
  4. It installs quickly; reboot and remove the ISO/USB.

First stop after install: MX Package Installer, which adds popular apps (including ones from outside the main repos) in one click, and the main updater in the panel. MX also makes a bootable snapshot of your whole system onto USB — a party trick worth learning later.

Kali Linux

Security toolbox•Intermediate•APT (.deb)

Security learners. Hundreds of testing tools preinstalled and organised — pair it with the lab guide in this section.

ISO ≈ 4 GB, or the ready-made VirtualBox image · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: A specialist tool, not a daily driver — do not browse, bank and live in Kali. And know the shortcut: the official prebuilt VirtualBox image skips installing entirely.

  1. From the ISO, choose Graphical install. Language, location, keyboard.
  2. Create your user — modern Kali runs as this ordinary user, not as root (a deliberate, good change).
  3. Partitioning: "Guided — use entire disk", all files in one partition.
  4. Software selection: leave the default toolset ticked for your first install; the "large" set is a big download you can add later.
  5. Install GRUB on the disk, reboot, remove the ISO.

The faster VirtualBox route: Kali publishes a prebuilt VirtualBox image. Download it, import the appliance (File → Import), boot, log in — then immediately change the default password and take your "Clean Kali" snapshot. Everything Kali assumes about networking and safety is in the "Set up your first security lab" guide above.

Parrot OS

Security + privacy daily driver•Intermediate•APT (.deb)

Kali's friendlier rival: the same family of security tools, but packaged as a system you can also live in — plus privacy tooling (Tor routing options, encrypted tools) built in. Security edition for testing work, Home edition for everyday use.

ISO ≈ 4–5 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Pick the right edition: Security for the toolset, Home for a daily system without it. Like Kali, it belongs in a VM for lab work, not as your bank-and-browse machine.

  1. Boot the live desktop and start the Install Parrot installer (Calamares).
  2. Language, keyboard and time zone.
  3. Disk step: "Erase disk" — in a VM, that is only the virtual disk.
  4. Create your user and password, confirm the summary, install, reboot, remove the ISO.

Parrot uses its own repository on top of Debian, kept deliberately conservative about updates. Its AnonSurf tool routes traffic through Tor — know what that does and does not protect before relying on it; the honest explanation is in the "Which distro for which job" article.

Tails

Amnesic · leaves no trace•Intermediate•Debian base (software pre-selected)

The amnesiac: Tails runs entirely from a USB stick, routes everything through Tor, and forgets everything when you shut down. Built for journalists, activists, and anyone using a computer they cannot trust.

USB image ≈ 1.5 GB · Runs from USB · 2 USB sticks recommended for install

Watch out: Tails is not installed like other distros, and that is the point. Anything you want kept needs its encrypted Persistent Storage — and enabling it is a decision, not a default.

  1. On the Welcome Screen, choose your language and keyboard; this is also where you unlock Persistent Storage if you created it.
  2. Connect to Tor when prompted — the connection assistant handles bridges if Tor is blocked on your network.
  3. That is the whole "install": the desktop you reach is the system, running from the stick.

Because Tails resets itself, updates work differently: when a new version exists, Tails tells you at boot and upgrades the stick itself, with a manual-upgrade path (a second stick) when a release is too big for the automatic one.

Raspberry Pi OS

For the Raspberry Pi•Beginner•APT (.deb)

The official system for the Raspberry Pi: a friendly Debian-based desktop tuned for the little ARM boards, with the huge Pi community and its project tutorials behind it.

Image written to microSD · Pi: 2 GB+ RAM recommended · VM (PC edition): 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Two different things share this name. The Pi image will not run on a normal PC or in a standard VirtualBox VM — for PCs there is a separate 'Debian with Raspberry Pi Desktop' download. Match the download to the hardware.

  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager from the official site (Windows, Mac, Linux all fine).
  2. Choose OS → Raspberry Pi OS (pick the desktop edition), choose your microSD card as storage.
  3. Use Imager's settings (gear icon) to pre-set your username, password and wifi — this saves typing later.
  4. Write the card. Everything on it is erased.
  5. Put the card in the Pi, connect screen, keyboard and power, and it boots to the desktop (a short setup wizard finishes account and update checks).

The Imager route replaces the USB-installer dance entirely — there is no ISO-to-disk installer on the Pi itself. Everything after that is Debian: same APT, same commands, same family as Ubuntu and Mint.

elementary OS

Design-first · beautiful•Beginner•APT (.deb) + Flatpak

The design student's distro: a coherent, opinionated, genuinely beautiful desktop (Pantheon) with its own curated app store. If you care how a system feels, start here.

ISO ≈ 3 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: The download page suggests a payment — it is pay-what-you-want; entering a custom amount of 0 is an offered option. Also: elementary is minimal by design, and its AppCenter favours apps built for it.

  1. Boot the ISO, pick language and keyboard.
  2. Choose "Erase Disk and Install" for the clean path (in a VM, only the virtual disk is erased), with optional encryption on real hardware.
  3. It installs and reboots into a short setup: create your user account, pick light/dark and accent colour.

Updates and apps arrive through AppCenter; under the hood it is Ubuntu LTS, so the terminal commands and most Ubuntu help pages apply. Its multitasking view and picture-in-picture mode are worth the first tour.

Zorin OS

Feels like Windows or macOS•Beginner•APT (.deb)

Built to receive defectors: Zorin Appearance switches the desktop between Windows-like and macOS-like layouts in one click, and it detects Windows apps you try to run and suggests alternatives.

ISO ≈ 3.5 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: There is a paid 'Pro' edition with extra layouts and bundled apps; the free Core edition is the full operating system — the one to install.

  1. Boot the ISO and start the installer (Ubuntu's flow): language, keyboard.
  2. Tick third-party drivers/codecs, then "Erase disk and install Zorin OS" in a VM (or "Install alongside" on a real dual-boot).
  3. Time zone, user account, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  4. After first login, open Zorin Appearance and pick the layout that matches your muscle memory.

Zorin is Ubuntu-based, so APT and Ubuntu help pages all apply. Its Windows App Support helper (Wine-based) is honest about being a bridge, not a promise — most switchers end up on native apps within a month.

Linux Lite

Light · beginner-friendly•Beginner•APT (.deb)

Aimed squarely at Windows users with modest PCs: Xfce kept deliberately familiar, helpful 'Lite Tweaks' tools for cleaning and fixing, and documentation written for non-experts.

ISO ≈ 2.5 GB · VM: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Lite's friendliness assumes you use its tools — Lite Tweaks, Lite Software and its update notifier — instead of random forum one-liners.

  1. Boot the live desktop, click Install Linux Lite (Ubuntu-style installer): language, keyboard.
  2. Tick third-party software, then "Erase disk and install" for the simple route.
  3. Time zone, user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  4. First login: run the offered updates, then look in Menu → Settings for the Lite tools.

Updating regularly is mostly clicking the notifier; the terminal route is the standard Debian-family one below. Lite is Ubuntu LTS underneath, so version upgrades follow Ubuntu's LTS rhythm.

Peppermint OS

Light · web-app focused•Beginner•APT (.deb)

A featherweight Debian base with a clever idea: web apps as first-class desktop apps. Its Kumo tool turns any website into a windowed 'app' — perfect for low-storage machines that live in the browser anyway.

ISO ≈ 2.5 GB · VM: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Peppermint installs lean on purpose; some things you expect preinstalled arrive when you ask for them. The Welcome screen is the tour guide — take it.

  1. Boot the live desktop and start the installer (Calamares): language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk step: "Erase disk" for the simple path (virtual disk only, inside a VM).
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.

Old Peppermints were Ubuntu-based; current ones are Debian-based — download the current image from the official site and this guide still fits. After install, updates and software are standard APT.

Devuan

Debian without systemd•Advanced•APT (.deb)

Debian, forked at one specific decision: no systemd. Devuan lets you pick your init system (sysvinit, OpenRC, runit) and is the refuge for admins who want Debian's stability with the classic init model.

ISO: installer or live ≈ 1–4 GB by edition · VM: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: This distro exists for people with a formed opinion about init systems. If you do not have one yet, plain Debian is the simpler start — Devuan will still be here when you do.

  1. Boot the installer ISO: language, keyboard, network.
  2. Create user and root password (Debian-style), partition with "Guided — use entire disk".
  3. On expert installs you choose the init system; the standard path picks a sane default.
  4. Software selection: tick a desktop if you want one, install GRUB, reboot, remove the ISO.

Package-for-package, Devuan tracks Debian, so Debian documentation mostly applies — the difference is under the floorboards, in how services are started and supervised.

antiX

Featherweight · ancient hardware•Intermediate•APT (.deb)

The floor of the possible: antiX runs a full desktop in a few hundred megabytes of RAM, reviving machines from the Windows XP era. It is also proudly systemd-free and lightning-fast live from USB.

ISO ≈ 1–2 GB by edition · VM: 1 GB RAM, 10 GB disk

Watch out: The 'full' edition is the one to download; 'base' and 'core' are for builders. On truly ancient PCs the 32-bit image still exists — one of the last distros to offer one.

  1. Boot the live system (it starts fast, even from USB) and run the antiX installer from the menu.
  2. Choose the disk and "auto-install" for the simple path, or partition by hand.
  3. Set the computer name, create your user, set passwords, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.

antiX shares MX Linux's toolbox DNA, and its control centre covers most tasks without a terminal. It is the honest recommendation when a machine has 2 GB of RAM or less — see the "old laptops" section of the which-distro article.

Deepin

Visually polished desktop•Beginner•APT (.deb)

China's flagship desktop distro, famous for the DDE desktop: translucent panels, graceful animations, and its own suite of polished in-house apps (music, video, file manager) that other distros borrow.

ISO ≈ 4 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Deepin's own app store and mirrors are tuned for its home audience; downloads can be slow elsewhere. Check the privacy settings on first run, as with any system, and set them your way.

  1. Boot the ISO and pick your language in Deepin's own installer.
  2. Choose the disk for a full-disk install (the simple route; in a VM only the virtual disk is affected).
  3. It installs, reboots, and a guided setup walks you through user creation, desktop mode (fashion/efficient) and effects.

Deepin is Debian-based, so APT works as usual, but its own App Store is the intended front door. The Control Center centralises settings the way a phone does — one of the friendliest in Linux.

KDE neon

Newest KDE Plasma, first•Intermediate•PackageKit (pkcon) on Ubuntu LTS base

The KDE project's own showcase: a stable Ubuntu LTS base carrying the very latest KDE Plasma desktop and KDE apps, updated the moment KDE ships them. For Plasma fans, it is the source.

ISO ≈ 2.5 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: neon is a showcase, not a general-purpose flagship: the base stays LTS-old while Plasma stays brand-new, and KDE asks you to update with pkcon, not apt upgrade (see first commands).

  1. Boot the live desktop, click Install KDE neon (Calamares): language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path.
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.

One honest rule from neon's own FAQ: use pkcon for system updates (it handles the full upgrade correctly), and reboot after big Plasma updates rather than logging back into a half-updated desktop.

Kubuntu

Ubuntu · KDE Plasma edition•Beginner•APT (.deb) + Snap

Ubuntu with KDE Plasma instead of GNOME: the same huge ecosystem, but a desktop that bends to your will — panels, widgets and shortcuts all rearrangeable. The official flavour for people who like to tune.

ISO ≈ 4 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Plasma's settings are deep; give yourself an hour before deciding it is 'too much'. The minimal install option keeps the tuning, drops the extras.

  1. Boot the ISO, start the installer (Calamares on current releases): language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path (virtual disk only, in a VM).
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  4. First login: System Settings is your new home — and the Discover store handles updates and apps.

Everything Ubuntu applies: APT, the same release rhythm (including LTS), and the same mountain of answered questions — just add 'Kubuntu' or 'Plasma' to searches for desktop questions.

Xubuntu

Ubuntu · light Xfce edition•Beginner•APT (.deb)

Ubuntu wearing Xfce: quick on modest hardware, calm and traditional in layout, and officially supported on the same schedule. The flavour most often handed to a rescued laptop.

ISO ≈ 3 GB · VM: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Xfce values stability over sparkle — it will look nearly identical for years. That is the feature, but know it going in.

  1. Boot the ISO, start the installer: language, keyboard.
  2. Tick third-party drivers/codecs if offered, then "Erase disk and install Xubuntu" for the simple path.
  3. Time zone, user account, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.

Xubuntu keeps Ubuntu's whole software world — the difference is purely the weight and feel of the desktop. On 4 GB of RAM or less, this is usually the sweet spot of the Ubuntu family.

Lubuntu

Ubuntu · lightest edition•Beginner•APT (.deb)

The lightest official Ubuntu flavour: LXQt sips RAM where GNOME gulps it. If the machine is old but the user wants Ubuntu's ecosystem and support rhythm, Lubuntu is the fit.

ISO ≈ 3 GB · VM: 2 GB RAM (1 works), 15 GB disk

Watch out: Light also means plain: fewer bundled apps and a utilitarian look. Everything missing is one install away in the repos.

  1. Boot the live desktop, double-click Install Lubuntu (Calamares): language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path.
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.

Watch the address: the official site is lubuntu.me. Everything else about running it is Ubuntu-standard — APT, LTS releases, and the same community answers.

Ubuntu Studio

Ubuntu · creators' edition•Beginner•APT (.deb)

Ubuntu pre-built for creators: audio production configured for low latency, plus video, graphics, photography and publishing suites installed and wired together out of the box.

ISO ≈ 5 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Audio's low-latency setup matters on real hardware with real interfaces — in a VM you get the software tour, not the performance. The Studio Installer can also add this whole toolset onto other Ubuntu flavours.

  1. Boot the ISO, start the installer (Calamares): language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path.
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  4. First login: Ubuntu Studio Audio Configuration is where recording latency gets tuned.

Underneath it is Ubuntu LTS with Plasma, so every Ubuntu answer applies. The bundled set (Ardour, OBS Studio, Blender, GIMP, Kdenlive and more) is the point: a studio in one install instead of a week of package hunting.

Ubuntu MATE

Ubuntu with a classic desktop•Beginner•APT

An official Ubuntu flavour pairing Ubuntu with the MATE desktop — a traditional, GNOME 2-style layout that stays familiar and efficient on modest hardware. It marked 10 years as an official flavour in 2025.

ISO: from ubuntu-mate.org · VM: 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: MATE is deliberately traditional — if you want GNOME's newer workflow or the latest flashy effects, another flavour fits better.

  1. Boot the live desktop and choose "Install Ubuntu MATE": language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Install alongside" for dual-boot, or "Erase disk" for a clean install — erasing wipes the whole drive, so back up first.
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the USB.

It is Ubuntu underneath: same repositories, same APT commands, same hardware support — only the desktop differs.

SparkyLinux

Lightweight Debian, two tracks•Intermediate•APT

A lightweight Debian-based system since 2011, offered in a stable Debian-based line and a semi-rolling Debian Testing line, with editions from Xfce to MinimalCLI. For users who want something lighter and closer to Debian than Ubuntu or Mint.

ISO: from sparkylinux.org · VM: 2 vCPUs, 2–4 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Aimed more at users with some Linux knowledge than complete beginners, and the Testing-based line moves faster than the stable one — pick the stable line for a quiet life.

  1. Boot the live session and run the Calamares-based "Sparky Installer": language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path — letting the installer take the whole disk erases everything on it, so back up first and confirm the target disk.
  3. Pick your edition and desktop, create your user, install, reboot, remove the USB.

Debian underneath: APT, .deb packages and most Debian documentation apply.

Ubuntu Budgie

Official Ubuntu flavour · Budgie desktop•Beginner•APT (.deb)

An official Ubuntu flavour pairing Ubuntu's base with the Budgie desktop — a clean, traditional layout with a top panel and the Raven sidebar for notifications and settings. For anyone who likes Ubuntu but wants a lighter, more classic desktop than GNOME.

ISO ≈ 4 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Budgie is lighter than GNOME but not as featherweight as Xfce or LXQt — don't pick it for a very old netbook.

  1. VirtualBox: create a VM (type Ubuntu (64-bit), 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk), boot the ISO, choose Install Ubuntu Budgie, pick language and keyboard, then Erase disk and install Ubuntu Budgie (in a VM that erases only the virtual disk), set your time zone and user, and reboot.
  2. Real PC: write the ISO to USB with Rufus or Balena Etcher, boot from it, and follow the same installer — WARNING: choosing Erase disk and install Ubuntu Budgie on a real PC wipes everything on that drive. Back up first, and pick Install alongside if you want to keep another OS.

Ubuntu Budgie is the same Ubuntu underneath, so the same software and help applies — only the desktop differs.

Vanilla OS

Immutable · Debian-based · GNOME•Intermediate•APX containers · Flatpak

An immutable, Debian-based distro with a near-stock GNOME desktop, smart updates that only apply when you're idle, and APX — a tool that lets you install packages from Debian, Fedora, Arch and more inside containers. For curious users who want a clean GNOME system that is hard to break.

ISO ≈ 1.8 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 50 GB disk (the A/B partition scheme needs the room)

Watch out: Vanilla OS 2's documentation mixes v1 and v2 material, so double-check any APX command against the current docs before trusting it.

  1. VirtualBox: create a VM (4 GB RAM, 50 GB disk), boot the ISO into the live GNOME session, run the Vanilla Installer, and follow it through language, keyboard and disk setup, then the First Setup wizard for your user account.
  2. Real PC: write the ISO to USB, boot, and run the same installer — WARNING: choosing to use the whole disk erases everything on it. Back up first; manual partitioning is available if you want to dual-boot, but read each screen carefully.

Vanilla OS 2 'Orchid' is the current release line; updates are otherwise automatic on a schedule you pick in First Setup.

Whonix

Anonymity · Tor · two-VM system•Advanced•APT (.deb)

A Debian-based anonymity system built as two VMs: a Gateway that forces all traffic through Tor, and a Workstation where you actually work — so even malware in the Workstation cannot learn your real IP address. For journalists, researchers and privacy-focused users; not a daily driver.

Two VM images ≈ 3 GB combined · at least 4 GB RAM total, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Never use the Workstation while the Gateway is off, and never run other software in the Gateway — one leak breaks the whole model. Also note the current desktop is LXQt, not the older Xfce images some guides still show.

  1. VirtualBox only: download both Whonix LXQt images (Gateway and Workstation) from whonix.org and verify the signatures, then in VirtualBox use File → Import Appliance for the Gateway first, then the Workstation — do not change any settings on import, per the official wiki.
  2. Start the Gateway first, click through setup and Connect to Tor, then start the Workstation.
  3. There is no supported install-on-a-real-PC route for beginners — installing it as your main OS defeats its design. Run it inside VirtualBox on your existing OS.

Whonix is designed for VirtualBox, not bare metal — that is the whole point of the Gateway/Workstation split.

Arch Linux

Advanced · manual install•Advanced•Pacman

People who want to understand every layer because they assembled every layer. The Arch Wiki is the best Linux documentation on Earth.

ISO ≈ 1 GB · VM: 2–4 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Honest warning: there is no classic point-and-click installer. You partition disks and install packages by hand (the archinstall script softens this a lot). A brilliant teacher, a poor first distro.

  1. Boot the ISO and you land at a root prompt — no desktop, no wizard. Connect the network (automatic in a VM; iwctl for wifi on real hardware).
  2. Partition the disk with fdisk or cfdisk, format the partitions, and mount them under /mnt.
  3. Install the base system: pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware, then generate the filesystem table with genfstab.
  4. arch-chroot /mnt into your new system: set time zone, language, hostname, root password, and install a bootloader (GRUB) — then install a desktop if you want one.
  5. Exit, unmount, reboot, remove the ISO: you boot into the system you built.

The middle path: the bundled archinstall script turns all of this into a guided menu and produces a genuine Arch system — a reasonable first Arch install, after which the manual route teaches you what the script did. Either way, the Arch Wiki installation guide is the authority; follow it, not memory, not a video. Do Arch in a VM, with snapshots, after the 15-commands guide feels easy.

Manjaro

Arch, made approachable•Beginner•Pacman + Pamac

Arch's rolling software with an installer, a graphical package manager and sensible defaults: Manjaro holds Arch packages back briefly for extra testing, then hands them over with the rough edges filed down.

ISO ≈ 3.5–4 GB by edition · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Manjaro is Arch-based, not Arch: its repos are its own and updates arrive in tested batches. Mixing in raw Arch repos is how Manjaro systems break — use Pamac and the AUR tab instead.

  1. Boot the live desktop (pick your edition: Xfce, Plasma or GNOME) and start the installer (Calamares).
  2. Language, keyboard, time zone.
  3. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path — Manjaro can set up swap and snapshots for you.
  4. Create your user (it can also set up the same password for admin), install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  5. First login: the Welcome screen offers the update and the hardware driver tool — run both.

Pamac, Manjaro's graphical manager, can also enable the AUR (the community's vast extra catalogue) in its settings — powerful, and worth reading the on-screen cautions before enabling. Kernel switching is a Manjaro party trick: the Settings Manager keeps several kernels installed side by side.

EndeavourOS

Arch, terminal-friendly•Intermediate•Pacman (+ yay for the AUR)

Arch with the installation done and nothing else in your way: a small, friendly layer over near-vanilla Arch, a welcoming community, and a terminal-centric philosophy that teaches as it goes.

ISO ≈ 3 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: No graphical package manager by default — updates are a terminal habit here (one short command, below). That is the intended experience, not a missing feature.

  1. Boot the live session and start the installer (Calamares) from the Welcome app.
  2. Choose Offline (installs the Xfce desktop from the ISO) or Online (downloads your pick of desktops and up-to-date packages).
  3. Language, keyboard, time zone; disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path.
  4. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.

EndeavourOS ships yay, an AUR helper, by default — the community repository is a first-class citizen here, with the standard AUR caution: it is community-built, so read before you install obscure packages.

Garuda Linux

Arch · gaming & flair•Intermediate•Pacman

Arch turned up loud: a striking dragon-themed Plasma desktop, performance tweaks and gaming tools preinstalled, Btrfs snapshots by default, and a one-command updater that maintains the whole setup.

ISO ≈ 3.5–5 GB by edition · VM: 4 GB RAM (more is happier), 30 GB disk

Watch out: Garuda's flagship look wants a reasonably modern GPU and RAM; on weak hardware pick one of its lighter editions. The dragon aesthetic is a lot — you will know in one screenshot if it is for you.

  1. Boot the live desktop and start the installer (Calamares): language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" — Garuda formats with Btrfs and sets up automatic snapshots by default.
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  4. First login: the Setup Assistant offers gaming and productivity bundles — pick what you actually use.

Two Garuda signatures: garuda-update (below) wraps updates with the fixes Garuda knows about, and Snapper restores yesterday's system from the boot menu if an update ever misbehaves — rolling release with a safety net, as it should be.

CachyOS

Arch, tuned for speed•Intermediate•Pacman (+ AUR)

Arch rebuilt for speed: packages compiled for modern CPUs (x86-64-v3/v4), a tuned kernel with extra schedulers, and a friendly installer that lets you pick your desktop — plus a handheld edition for Steam Deck-style devices.

ISO: desktop edition from cachyos.org · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: The speed comes from CPU-optimised builds: very old CPUs without x86-64-v3 support will not get the optimised repositories. Rolling like Arch, so keep snapshots or backups if you value a quiet life.

  1. Boot the live desktop and start the installer: bootloader, language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path — Btrfs is the default, which enables snapshots.
  3. Pick your desktop (KDE Plasma is the default) and any extra packages, create your user, install, reboot, remove the USB.

CachyOS's hardware tool handles drivers and kernel flavours for you, and its welcome app ranks mirrors and applies updates. Underneath it is plain Arch: the Arch Wiki mostly applies, and updates are the one command below.

Artix Linux

Arch without systemd•Advanced•Pacman

Arch's rolling packages on your choice of init system — OpenRC, runit, s6 or dinit instead of systemd. For users who want both the AUR-era ecosystem and the classic init model.

ISO ≈ 1–2 GB by edition · VM: 2–4 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: You must pick an init system before downloading — the ISOs are separate. New to the question? OpenRC is the most documented of the four.

  1. Download the ISO for your chosen init system (and desktop, if you want the graphical edition).
  2. GUI editions: boot the live desktop and run the Calamares installer — language, keyboard, disk ("Erase disk"), user, done.
  3. Base edition: a manual, Arch-style install (partition, mount, basestrap, configure) described in Artix's own wiki.
  4. Reboot, remove the ISO, and log into your system.

Artix mirrors Arch's repositories plus its own, so Pacman habits and most Arch Wiki pages carry over — except anything that assumes systemd, which is rather the point.

Fedora Workstation

Modern workstation•Intermediate•DNF (.rpm)

Developers who want recent software without living on the edge. Fedora is where next year's enterprise Linux is rehearsed.

ISO ≈ 2.4 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: A new release lands roughly every six months and upgrades are part of the deal. Some media codecs are not included by default — the RPM Fusion repo is the standard add-on.

  1. Boot the live desktop, click "Install to Hard Drive" — Fedora's installer is called Anaconda and works spokes, not a straight line.
  2. Language first, then visit Installation Destination: pick the disk and accept automatic partitioning (in a VM the whole virtual disk is used).
  3. Back at the hub, Begin Installation. While it works, set the root password and create your user from the same screen.
  4. Reboot, remove the ISO, and finish the GNOME welcome (online accounts are optional — skip freely).

Package commands differ from the Debian family: dnf instead of apt — same ideas, different uniform. Add RPM Fusion after install if you need extra media codecs or NVIDIA drivers; it is the community-standard companion repo.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux

The enterprise standard•Intermediate•DNF (.rpm)

The commercial benchmark: a decade of support per release, certified hardware and software, and a support line businesses pay for. Most 'enterprise Linux' job adverts mean this, or one of its rebuilds below.

ISO ≈ 10 GB (full) or smaller boot image · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: RHEL needs a Red Hat account: the free Developer Subscription (for individuals, from developers.redhat.com) is the way in — the installer asks you to register the system so it can receive updates.

  1. Download the ISO from Red Hat (account required), boot it, and choose "Install Red Hat Enterprise Linux".
  2. Anaconda opens: language, then the spokes — Installation Destination (pick the disk, automatic layout), and Software Selection ("Server with GUI" suits a first install).
  3. Set the root password and create an administrative user while packages install.
  4. Reboot, remove the ISO, and complete registration if the installer did not already — an unregistered system cannot update.

Everything from Fedora's world applies, slowed down and guaranteed: DNF, .rpm packages, SELinux enforcing by default (leave it on; it is a security feature, not an obstacle). For learning without any account at all, Rocky or AlmaLinux below are the same shape, free.

CentOS Stream

RHEL's upstream preview•Intermediate•DNF (.rpm)

The development stream of RHEL itself: updates land in CentOS Stream first, then in RHEL. Server-focused, community-run by Red Hat, and the right choice if your work tracks where RHEL is heading.

ISO ≈ 4–11 GB by image type · VM: 2–4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Not the old CentOS Linux: that version-based line ended, and Stream replaced it as a rolling-preview. Advice written for 'CentOS 7/8' mostly does not apply here.

  1. Boot the ISO into Anaconda: language and keyboard.
  2. Installation Destination: pick the disk, automatic partitioning.
  3. Software Selection: "Server" for a headless box, "Server with GUI" if you want a desktop in the VM.
  4. Set root password, create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO.

Stream teaches the Red Hat family's ways — DNF, systemd services, SELinux — on a moving but managed track. It is a server system: expect a minimal default and to add what you need.

Rocky Linux

RHEL-compatible · community•Intermediate•DNF (.rpm)

A bug-for-bug RHEL rebuild, founded by one of CentOS's original creators after CentOS changed direction. Free, community-governed, and built for production servers that want RHEL's behaviour without the subscription.

ISO ≈ 2–11 GB by image type · VM: 2–4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: 'Minimal' images are command-line only. First time? Take the DVD/boot image and choose 'Server with GUI' during install — you can strip it down later.

  1. Boot the ISO into Anaconda: language and keyboard.
  2. Installation Destination: choose the disk, accept automatic partitioning.
  3. Software Selection: Server with GUI (or plain Server for a headless VM).
  4. Root password + administrative user, install, reboot, remove the ISO.

Rocky's promise is discipline: it tracks RHEL release for release, so RHEL documentation and skills transfer exactly — which is why it is a favourite for learning the enterprise stack and for real production servers alike.

AlmaLinux

RHEL-compatible · community•Intermediate•DNF (.rpm)

The other great RHEL rebuild: community-owned (a non-profit foundation), backed originally by CloudLinux, and interchangeable with RHEL in behaviour. Rocky and Alma are twins in purpose — pick either with confidence.

ISO ≈ 2–11 GB by image type · VM: 2–4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: As with Rocky, minimal images are CLI-only. AlmaLinux also offers ELevate, its in-place upgrade tool between major versions — rare in this family and worth knowing exists.

  1. Boot the ISO into Anaconda: language and keyboard.
  2. Installation Destination: pick the disk, automatic partitioning.
  3. Software Selection: Server with GUI for a desktop in the VM, Server for headless.
  4. Root password + administrative user, install, reboot, remove the ISO.

Alma's governance is its pitch: no single company can change its direction, which is exactly what the CentOS episode taught the community to want. Day to day, it is DNF, systemd and SELinux — the full Red Hat family skillset.

Nobara

Fedora, tuned for gaming•Beginner•DNF (.rpm)

Fedora after a gamer has fixed everything: maintained by GloriousEggroll (of Proton-GE fame), Nobara pre-applies the codecs, drivers, kernel patches and OBS/game tooling that Fedora leaves as homework.

ISO ≈ 3.5–4.5 GB by edition · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk (real hardware shows it best)

Watch out: Pick the edition matching your GPU — there are NVIDIA and standard images. Nobara is a passion project on Fedora's base: version upgrades follow its own guides, so read the release notes each cycle.

  1. Boot the live desktop and start the installer: language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path (virtual disk only, in a VM).
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  4. First login: the Welcome app handles driver checks and offers the gaming toolset — let it.

Steam, Lutris, Proton-GE and capture tools are either present or one click away, which is the entire value proposition: on Nobara the "Linux gaming setup guide" is mostly already done. Underneath, it is Fedora — DNF commands and Fedora knowledge apply.

Bazzite

Steam Deck experience, any PC•Beginner•rpm-ostree + Flatpak

A Fedora Atomic image rebuilt as a games console: Steam and the Deck-style gaming mode included, system updates atomic (all-or-nothing, so they cannot half-break), aimed at PCs and handhelds alike.

ISO ≈ 6–8 GB by image · VM: 4 GB RAM, 40 GB disk (real hardware recommended)

Watch out: Bazzite is image-based: you do not install system software the usual DNF way. Apps come from Flatpak (Discover), and advanced tweaks use its ujust command recipes — different habits, deliberately.

  1. Download the image for your hardware (desktop/handheld, GPU type) — the site picker matters here.
  2. Boot the ISO and run the installer: language, keyboard, pick the disk — the whole disk is the simple path.
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.
  4. First boot lands in a Steam-Deck-like setup; sign into Steam, then find the normal desktop one menu away.

Updates arrive as whole new system images and apply on reboot — if one ever misbehaves, the previous image is still there to boot. It is the safest update model in this library, borrowed from how consoles and phones already work.

Oracle Linux

Enterprise Linux, RHEL-compatible•Intermediate•DNF (RPM)

Oracle's enterprise Linux, binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, for servers, databases and Oracle workloads. It ships Oracle's Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel alongside a Red Hat-compatible kernel, plus zero-downtime kernel patching.

ISO: from oracle.com/linux · VM: 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Enterprise/server focus, not a first-desktop pick. Sticking to Oracle's kernels and tools matters most if you run Oracle databases; otherwise it behaves like RHEL.

  1. Boot the ISO and follow the Anaconda installer: language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Disk: "Erase disk" for the simple path — this destroys everything on that drive, so back up first and double-check the target disk.
  3. Choose your software selection (server or workstation), create your user, install, reboot, remove the USB.

Underneath it is RHEL-compatible: DNF and RPM workflows, SELinux and the RHEL documentation mostly apply.

Asahi Linux

Fedora-based · Apple Silicon•Intermediate•DNF

The polished Linux for Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2, with M3/M4 support maturing) — the only serious way to run Linux natively on an Apple Silicon Mac. For Mac owners who want Linux without giving up macOS.

Apple Silicon Mac only · installer downloads the system image

Watch out: Check the device-support page for your exact Mac model before installing — a few features are still missing per model, and M3/M4 support is newer than M1/M2.

  1. Fully update macOS first, then in Terminal run the official installer: curl https://alx.sh | sh.
  2. It walks you through choosing a desktop (KDE Plasma or GNOME) and how much disk space to give Linux (it shrinks the macOS container; macOS stays intact), then downloads and installs.
  3. Reboot holding the power button to pick macOS or Linux at startup.
  4. There is no VirtualBox route — Asahi does not run in a VM on a Mac this way, and it does not run on PCs or Intel Macs at all.

Asahi keeps macOS intact, so no erase-disk warning applies here — but you are still partitioning a Mac, so back up first anyway.

Fedora Silverblue

Immutable · atomic desktop•Intermediate•rpm-ostree (system) · Flatpak (apps)

Fedora's immutable desktop: the base system is a read-only image that updates atomically, so a bad update can be rolled back in one reboot. For tinkerers and developers who want Fedora's freshness without ever breaking their system.

ISO ≈ 4 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Updates only take effect after a reboot, and a rebase to a new Fedora release does not touch your Flatpaks — update those separately.

  1. VirtualBox: create a VM (4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk), boot the Silverblue ISO and follow the Fedora installer (language, keyboard, Automatic partitioning on the virtual disk, user account), then reboot into GNOME.
  2. Real PC: write the ISO to USB, boot, and run the same installer — WARNING: Automatic partitioning on a real PC erases the selected disk. Back up first, or choose custom partitioning to dual-boot.

The immutable model changes how you install software: prefer Flatpaks for apps, and treat layering packages onto the base image as the exception, not the habit.

openSUSE Tumbleweed

Rolling · snapshot-protected•Intermediate•Zypper (.rpm)

The rolling release with a grown-up safety net: every package is tested by openQA before release, and the Btrfs+Snapper setup snapshots your system before updates, so a bad one is undone from the boot menu.

ISO ≈ 4.5 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Rolling means the update command is different here: zypper dup, not a plain update (see First commands) — it upgrades the whole distribution each time, which is exactly what you want on Tumbleweed.

  1. Boot the ISO into the YaST installer: language and keyboard (it detects most of this for you).
  2. The "System Role" screen picks the personality — Desktop with KDE/GNOME/Xfce, or Server.
  3. Partitioning: accept the guided proposal (Btrfs with snapshots on the system disk — say yes, it is the point).
  4. Create your user (it can double as administrator), confirm the summary screen, install, reboot, remove the ISO.

Two tools define openSUSE: YaST, a control centre that can configure nearly everything graphically or in text, and Snapper, whose snapshots you will find in the boot menu and in YaST. Learn those two and Tumbleweed feels less like rolling risk and more like rolling insurance.

openSUSE Leap

Fixed release · SUSE stability•Intermediate•Zypper (.rpm)

Tumbleweed's calm sibling: a fixed-release distro sharing its core with SUSE Linux Enterprise, maintained on a predictable cadence. For SUSE-family stability at work or on a home server, this is it.

ISO ≈ 4.5 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Leap's package versions are enterprise-conservative — that is the appeal. If you find yourself wanting Tumbleweed's newness, the two share tools, so moving later is painless.

  1. Boot the ISO into the YaST installer: language, keyboard.
  2. Pick a System Role (Desktop with KDE/GNOME/Xfce, or Server).
  3. Accept the guided partitioning proposal, create your user, review the summary, install, reboot, remove the ISO.

Everything good about openSUSE applies: YaST for configuration, Zypper for packages, Snapper snapshots. The only difference from Tumbleweed is the tempo — and tempo is a legitimate thing to choose.

Gentoo

Build it all yourself•Advanced•Portage (emerge)

The final boss, proudly: Gentoo is installed by following its Handbook and compiling your system from source, tuned to your exact hardware by USE flags you choose. Nothing teaches — or costs — like it.

Install image small; the compiling is the cost · VM: 4 GB+ RAM, 40 GB disk, patience

Watch out: Budget time honestly: the install is a project measured in hours (large desktops compile for a long while even on fast machines), and binary packages exist only for the biggest pieces. A VM install is the sane first run.

  1. Boot the install image (a live environment) and set up the network — automatic in a VM.
  2. Partition and format the disk by hand, mount it at /mnt/gentoo.
  3. Download the stage3 tarball (a pre-built base), unpack it onto the disk, and set your USE flags and options in make.conf.
  4. chroot in, sync Portage, choose a profile, and build: kernel (compiled or the distribution kernel), bootloader, core tools.
  5. Create your user, set passwords, exit, unmount, reboot, remove the ISO — into the system you compiled.

The Gentoo Handbook is the installer — follow it exactly, in order, for your architecture. People do Gentoo once to understand Linux at the metal, and some simply stay. Both outcomes are respected.

Slackware

The oldest distro, unhurried•Advanced•slackpkg (tgz packages)

The oldest surviving distribution (1993), run by one maintainer with a famously steady hand. Slackware changes little, assumes you read, and teaches Unix the traditional way — text configuration, no hand-holding, no surprises.

ISO ≈ 3.5 GB · VM: 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: There is no dependency resolution in the classic toolset — full installs are the expected path. Also set up a mirror for slackpkg before your first update (one line in /etc/slackpkg/mirrors).

  1. Boot the ISO and log in as root at the text prompt — the screen tells you to.
  2. If the disk is blank, partition it first with cfdisk.
  3. Run setup: pick the target partition, choose a full install when asked for the package series (the honest default for newcomers).
  4. Configure the bootloader (ELILO/LILO), network, timezone and root password in the setup flow's final screens.
  5. Reboot, remove the ISO, and create your everyday user with adduser before settling in.

Slackware's stability secret is restraint: vanilla packages, minimal patching, releases when they are ready. Systems installed in the 2000s were upgraded for decades — that is the culture you are joining.

Void Linux

Lean · runit · independent•Advanced•XBPS

A rolling distro built entirely from scratch by its own community: its own package manager (XBPS, fast), the runit init system (tiny, transparent), and a choice of glibc or musl. Feels like Arch's quieter sibling.

ISO ≈ 0.6–1 GB · VM: 2 GB RAM, 15 GB disk

Watch out: Rolling and DIY: services are enabled by linking them yourself (one command, below in spirit — the installer notes cover the base). Also choose deliberately between glibc (maximum compatibility) and musl (maximum lean) images.

  1. Boot the live image, log in (the image prints its credentials: usually anon or root with password voidlinux).
  2. Run sudo void-installer and walk its menus: keyboard, network, source, hostname.
  3. Partition the disk inside the installer, set the filesystem mount points, and let it install the base system.
  4. Set the root password and your user when prompted; install the bootloader.
  5. Reboot, remove the ISO, and log in — then enable the services you want, runit-style (ln -s /etc/sv/<service> /var/service/).

XBPS is genuinely quick, and Void's repositories are rolling but curated for stability. The musl edition is a favourite for containers and minimal systems; desktop users usually want glibc for proprietary software compatibility.

NixOS

Declarative · reproducible•Advanced•Nix

The radical one: your entire system — packages, services, users — is declared in one configuration file, and the OS builds itself from that declaration. Rollback to yesterday's system is a boot-menu entry. Developers and reproducibility obsessives swear by it.

ISO ≈ 2.5 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 30 GB disk

Watch out: Throw away your package-manager reflexes: you do not 'install' apps onto NixOS the normal way — you declare them. The first week bends your brain; the payoff is a machine you can rebuild from one file.

  1. Boot the ISO and the graphical installer starts: language, keyboard, time zone.
  2. Choose your desktop (GNOME, Plasma, or none), then the disk step: "Erase disk" for the simple path.
  3. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO.
  4. Your system now lives in /etc/nixos/configuration.nix — edit it, and run the rebuild command below to change anything.

Try software without committing: nix-shell -p <package> gives you a temporary shell with it, gone when you exit. Every rebuild keeps the previous generations in the boot menu — that is the rollback that makes NixOS users so calm.

Alpine Linux

Tiny · container king•Intermediate•apk

The 5-megabyte miracle behind half the world's Docker images: musl libc, BusyBox utilities, and a security-first minimalism. As a desktop it is a hobbyist's choice; for containers and lean servers it is an industry default.

ISO ≈ 0.2–0.9 GB by edition · VM: 1 GB RAM, 8 GB disk

Watch out: Alpine uses musl, not glibc: some prebuilt commercial software will not run on it. For a server/container that rarely matters; for a desktop it decides everything. The 'extended' ISO is the one with useful extras offline.

  1. Boot the ISO and log in as root (no password on the live image).
  2. Run setup-alpine and answer its questions: keyboard, hostname, network interface (automatic in a VM), time zone.
  3. Create your user when offered, pick the package mirror it suggests, then choose the disk and the "sys" mode (a normal disk install).
  4. It installs in about a minute. Reboot, remove the ISO, log in.
  5. Want a desktop? Add it after: Alpine's wiki documents setup-desktop.

apk is quick and its package files are refreshingly readable. If you meet Alpine inside Docker (likely), everything here applies — the same commands run your containers.

Solus

Independent · curated rolling•Beginner•eopkg

A rolling distro built from scratch for home desktops, home of the Budgie desktop: curated (software is picked and tested rather than merely mirrored), stateless in design, and aimed at people who just want a handsome system that keeps itself current.

ISO ≈ 2.5–3.5 GB by edition · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Curated means smaller: if your favourite obscure app is missing, the Software Center takes requests — and Flatpak covers the gaps.

  1. Boot the live desktop of your chosen edition and click the installer.
  2. Language, keyboard, time zone.
  3. Disk: automatic partitioning of the whole disk is the simple path ("Erase disk" equivalent).
  4. Create your user, install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB.

Solus is neither Debian, Arch nor Red Hat family — its own thing, with its own package tools (below). After install, the Software Center handles most needs graphically; updates arrive continuously with the rolling model, tested weekly by the project.

Mageia

Community classic · friendly•Beginner•urpmi / DNF (.rpm)

The community fork of the beloved Mandriva, carrying its traditions forward: a famously friendly installer and the Mageia Control Center, one of the best graphical system-administration panels Linux has ever had.

ISO ≈ 4 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Mageia releases on its own measured schedule and values stability; if you want frantic newness, look at the rolling shelves of this library instead.

  1. Boot the ISO (or a live edition) and start the installer — it is the classic, well-loved DrakX flow.
  2. Language, keyboard, then partitioning: "Use entire disk" for the simple path.
  3. Choose your desktop when the package groups are offered (Plasma is the flagship).
  4. Create your user and root password, let it install, reboot — a summary screen lets you tune network and services before first boot.

After install, the Mageia Control Center is your cockpit: software, hardware, network sharing, firewalls — a control-panel completeness Windows users find oddly comforting. Package management is urpmi by tradition, with DNF also supported.

PCLinuxOS

Easy · rolling · community•Beginner•APT-RPM + Synaptic

A long-running community distro with one goal: easy. It rolls (continuously updated), uses the Synaptic graphical package manager over an RPM base, and asks almost nothing of the user beyond enjoying the ride.

ISO ≈ 2–3 GB by edition · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk

Watch out: Its rule is famous and strict: update fully, always — partial upgrades are unsupported. The Synaptic 'Reload → Mark All Upgrades → Apply' ritual is the way; the commands below do the same.

  1. Boot the live desktop — PCLinuxOS installs from the running system. Double-click Install PCLinuxOS.
  2. Pick the disk and the automatic layout for the simple path.
  3. Set the root password and create your user in the install flow.
  4. Install, reboot, remove the ISO/USB, log in.

PCLOS preserves a classic virtue: it ships working multimedia and broad hardware support out of the box. Its magazine (yes, a community magazine) and forums are part of the charm — a distro that still feels handmade.

Clear Linux

Discontinued — July 2025•Intermediate•swupd (bundles)

Intel's own distribution, optimised relentlessly for Intel hardware and cloud workloads: fast defaults, stateless design, software in 'bundles'. Historical entry: Intel discontinued Clear Linux in July 2025 — it receives no updates and should not be a new install.

ISO ≈ 3 GB · VM: 4 GB RAM, 25 GB disk · DISCONTINUED July 2025

Watch out: Intel ended Clear Linux in July 2025 and archived the project: no security updates will ever arrive. Do not install it as a new system — this guide stays for existing users and the historical record. Also know its model before mourning it: bundles and statelessness, with system directories reset to factory state.

  1. Boot the live image and launch the installer (a text-guided installer on the server image; graphical on the desktop image).
  2. Language/keyboard, network check, then the target disk — the whole disk is the simple path (the installer asks for an explicit confirmation).
  3. Create your user (it can be added to the admin group in the same flow), install, reboot, remove the ISO.

If anything misbehaves after your experiments, Clear's stateless design is the recovery: the OS can verify and repair its own files with swupd repair. Performance claims are its reputation — benchmarks on Intel hardware have kept it famous.

Qubes OS

Security by isolation•Advanced•Xen + per-template managers

Not really a distro — a security architecture: your life is split into isolated virtual machines ('qubes') — work, personal, banking, disposable — so one compromised app cannot reach the rest. Endorsed by security professionals who accept its costs.

ISO ≈ 6 GB · Needs: 64-bit CPU with VT-x + VT-d/IOMMU, 16 GB RAM recommended · Bare metal only

Watch out: Check the hardware requirements and the Hardware Compatibility List on the official site before committing — Qubes needs virtualisation extensions with an IOMMU, and it will refuse or limp without them. It is also a lot of computer to run: 16 GB of RAM is the realistic floor.

  1. Boot the USB installer: language, then the Anaconda-style hub.
  2. Installation Destination: choose the disk and set disk encryption (LUKS) — on Qubes this is not optional thinking.
  3. Create your user; the installer then offers the default qubes layout (sys-net, sys-firewall, personal, work, vault and disposables) — accept the defaults on a first install.
  4. Reboot, enter your disk password, log in, and complete the first-boot configuration it offers.

Daily life is colour-coded windows from different qubes sharing one screen, with networking forced through a dedicated firewall VM. Updating happens centrally: Qubes' updater refreshes dom0 and the templates (Fedora templates use DNF, Debian templates APT) so your AppVMs inherit the fixes.

Armbian

Debian/Ubuntu for boards•Intermediate•APT (.deb)

The standard system for single-board computers beyond the Raspberry Pi — Orange Pi, Banana Pi, and dozens more: Debian or Ubuntu userlands with kernels tuned per board, shipped as ready images.

Image written to microSD/eMMC · Board-dependent · No x86 ISO

Watch out: Download the image for your exact board model — Armbian images are per-board and one board's image will not boot another. 'Supported' vs 'community' boards differ in how much testing they get; the download page says which.

  1. Download the image for your exact board from the official site, and write it to a microSD card with Balena Etcher (the card is erased).
  2. Insert the card, connect network and power, and give it a few minutes for the first boot (it resizes itself and generates keys).
  3. Log in as root with the default password 1234 over SSH or console — you are immediately forced to change it and create your everyday user.
  4. Run armbian-config for the guided setup: wifi, timezone, hardware toggles, and installing to eMMC/NVMe if your board has it.

After first boot it is the Debian family you know: APT commands below, plus armbian-config's extras. Many home servers, print servers and dashboards quietly run exactly this.

SteamOS

Valve's gaming OS•Beginner•Image-based (Flatpak for apps)

The system of the Steam Deck: a console-simple gaming mode on top of an immutable Arch-based base with a full KDE desktop hiding one menu away. Millions now daily-drive Linux because of it — most without noticing.

Recovery image for Steam Deck · Written to USB for Deck recovery

Watch out: SteamOS 3 is distributed for the Steam Deck, not as a general PC installer. The honest routes to a Deck-like PC are Bazzite (opposite page of this library) or a normal distro plus Steam — not a hacked SteamOS image.

  1. This is the Steam Deck recovery flow: download the recovery image from Steam's official support page.
  2. Write it to a USB stick (16 GB+) with Balena Etcher or Rufus — the stick is erased.
  3. Power the Deck off, hold Volume Down and press Power, and pick the USB in the boot manager.
  4. In the recovery desktop, choose "Reimage Steam Deck" for a full factory reinstall (this erases the Deck's storage), or the repair options for gentler fixes.
  5. The Deck reboots into the standard SteamOS setup: wifi, language, Steam sign-in.

SteamOS updates arrive as system images through Steam itself (Steam button → Settings → System). Desktop-mode software comes from the Discover store as Flatpaks — the base system stays read-only, which is why Decks are so hard to break.

Endless OS

Simple, offline-friendly, for families•Beginner•OSTree + Flatpak

A simplified, family- and education-friendly system built for schools, labs and low- or no-connectivity settings, with a customised GNOME desktop, a read-only system image and a large offline app and content catalogue. Debian-based in origin, but in daily use that barely matters.

Image: Basic or Full from endlessos.com · VM: 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB disk (Full images are large)

Watch out: Do not use apt to install software — the system image is read-only and apt is present but unusable for installs; apps come from the App Center (Flatpak) only.

  1. Download the Basic or Full image, write it to USB, and boot from it.
  2. Follow the on-screen installer; a full install wipes the chosen drive — back up first. The Basic image needs internet for apps, while Full images carry much more offline content.
  3. Create your user, finish setup, reboot, remove the USB.

System updates arrive as whole OSTree images with rollback if one fails, and apps update through the App Center.

Guix System

Declarative, reproducible GNU system•Advanced•Guix

The GNU project's advanced, declarative operating system for fully reproducible, transactional systems — every system configuration is written in Guile Scheme and every generation can be rolled back. Best for developers, free-software enthusiasts and anyone who wants to version-control their whole OS.

ISO: installer from guix.gnu.org · VM: 2 vCPUs, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk

Watch out: Free-software-only kernel and firmware policy: Wi-Fi and graphics hardware needing proprietary firmware may not work out of the box. Scheme-based configuration is a real learning curve.

  1. Boot the installer ISO and follow the guided installer: language, keyboard, partitioning, user, desktop choice.
  2. Partitioning/formatting during install destroys data on the chosen disk — back up first and double-check the target disk.
  3. Finish the install, reboot, remove the USB.

Guix manages system and packages declaratively: edit /etc/config.scm and reconfigure to change the system, and roll back to any previous generation if a change misbehaves.

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