As 2012 Dawns, Mint Leads the List of Top Linux Distros - ritterhoodah

What a difference a twelvemonth makes.

Roughly 15 months agone, I put together a guide to the top 10 Linux distributions at the time, and Ubuntu was far and out the most popular choice.

Today, Ubuntu has fallen to No. 2, and Linux Mint is the clear victor, leastwise according to DistroWatch's popularity rankings.

It's a different landscape now in the world of desktop Linux, so atomic number 3 2011 draws to a close and 2012 dawns, I'd like to have a look at where things stand when information technology comes to the many an choices available in this unpaid and open generator operating system.

Anything could change in the coming months, course, simply here are the top 10 screen background Linux distributions as of late December 2011.

1. Linux Mint

Back in 2010 Linux Mint was only third gear in popularity; nowadays, information technology reigns supreme among Linux distributions, according to DistroWatch.

Why the jump out? Well, the biggest factor is that it real is a bang-up distribution, designed to be easy to consumption and hospitable for newcomers. Mint is actually supported on Ubuntu, simply it adds a custom desktop and menus, unique configuration tools, and a web-based package installment port.

Eastern Samoa part of its goal to bring home the bacon "a more complete out-of-the-box experience," Pot also includes browser plug-Immigration and Naturalization Service, media codecs, musical accompaniment for DVD playback, Java, and other components. It's also compatible with Ubuntu software system repositories.

Probably the biggest difference today between Pot and Ubuntu–and widely considered one of the independent reasons for Mint's recent popularity–is that it's taken a flexible approach to desktop environments. Rather than forcing users to rise into Ubuntu's controversial Unity operating theatre the evenly polemical Dwarf 3, Linux Mint 12 gives users numerous options for making such transitions gradually.

2. Ubuntu

Then, of naturally, there's Ubuntu, which was long the clear-cut favorite and certainly the distribution that first brought screen background Linux to mainstream aid.

There's no denying that it's soundless a very serious distro; the main reason some rumbling or so it is the mobile-style Oneness interface it's Chosen to use as its nonpayment.

That's not to say that there aren't choices, even so, and Debian-based Ubuntu has numerous different advantages going for it every bit well, including rest of use, Long-Term Support (LTS) versions suitable for businesses, and numerous variants tailored to specific industries and niches. Ubuntu besides plans to enter the mobile sports stadium, potentially offering a seamless experience across devices down the roadworthy.

3. Felt hat

Though in conclusion class it occupied the Nobelium. 2 spot on the DistroWatch list, Fedora now comes in third on that list, presumably as a result of the shifty around of Ubuntu and Mint.

This distro is the free version of RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux), so it's not totally surprising that it tends to be strong on enterprise-concentrated features. With excellent security and a choice of desktops, Stetson has turn progressively user-friendly with each passing year, so it's now even as suitable for newer users.

4. openSUSE

It's interesting to note that openSUSE was No. 4 on DistroWatch last year with some 1200 hits per day where this year it's in the Lapplander spot with more than 1450.

Sponsored by Novell, the openSUSE project has iii main goals: "make openSUSE the easiest Linux for anyone to find and the most widely used Linux distribution; leverage wide-eyed seed quislingism to make openSUSE the international's virtually usable Linux distribution and desktop environs for new and seasoned Linux users; dramatically simplify and open the development and packaging processes to defecate openSUSE the platform of choice for Linux developers and software vendors," in the project's own words.

Included in openSUSE is the widely acclaimed YaST installation and conformation tool American Samoa advisable as a choice of desktops and a constancy and tractableness that undergo won many users' hearts.

5. Debian

Considered past many to equal the "grandad" of Linux distributions, Debian has risen from No more. 6 last yr to No. 5 today. With a history that dates game to 1993, Debian is one of the virtually well-dependable and bug-disentangled distros useable. It's non needfully as easily to use as Mint and Ubuntu are, but it's a favourite choice among longtime Linux fans.

6. Arch

Another stimulating change is that Arch has leaped from No. 9 last year each the way of life equal to No more. 6 today, and I have a hypothesis as to why that is. Specifically, as more wide popular distros like Ubuntu and Heap begin turning to the new generation of mobile-style, touch-enabled interfaces, I think more experienced power users are increasingly turn to little "shiny" operating systems like Arch and Debian, where there aren't the same slick, extremely graphical interfaces to get in their way.

In any example, Arch is not a dispersion that targets beginners, but it's a right one for those with the necessary do it-how.

7. PCLinuxOS

Though it occupied the No. 5 blob high year, PCLinuxOS has fallen to this year's No. 7 spot in popularity. It is a courteous, easy Linux distribution, though, and it offers out-of-the-corner support for many popular graphics and phone card game and skirting devices. A bootable hold up CD provides an easy-to-use graphical installer, and the default desktop is the lovely KDE.

8. CentOS

Here's another big difference 'tween the top 10 popularity lists for this year and high: CentOS didn't even appear thereon last year. This twelvemonth, however, it's at No. 8, while Sabayon–last year's bearer of that spot–is no more within the uppermost 10. In any event, CentOS is a fully compatible rebuild of Red Hat Enterprise Linux that targets enterprise users who don't need full, paid certification and support. It is now one of the most popular Linux distributions for vane servers.

9. Puppy

Moving up from last class's None. 10 spot, Puppy Linux is now ninth in popularity on DistroWatch, presumably on the strength of its pack together height and ability to run beautifully even along experient or dragging hardware. Not only is Puppy "extraordinarily small," as its makers note, but it likewise loads into RAM, fashioning it extraordinarily fixed. On most systems, in fact, boot time is just 30 to 40 seconds.

10. Mandriva

Last but not least we have Mandriva in this class's tenth spot, down from No. 7 last year. Though it offers some very nice features, Mandriva has suffered from leadership problems, atomic number 3 I celebrated last year. Tranquillise, IT furled out an magnetic new release in August, complete with the KDE desktop and a raft of new features for flexibility and ease of utilise.