The Best General Purpose Linux Distributions

A distribution (also called distro) is a member of the Linux family of computer operating systems. They are built around the Linux kernel and consist of a large variety of software. Here’s a list of some of the best general purpose and most popular open and free distributions:

Ubuntu is a complete desktop Linux operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. “Ubuntu” is an ancient African word, meaning “humanity to others”. The Ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.

• The distribution is very user friendly, especially for beginners.
• It is supported by a very large community. A lot of information and answers to problems can be found in the Ubuntu forums.
• Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, owned by South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth, one of the first space tourists.
• Ubuntu releases new versions every six months, and supports those releases for 18 months with daily security fixes and patches to critical bugs. LTS (Long Term Support) releases are supported for 3 years for desktops and 5 years for servers.