David's Freeware Collection!

If you truly want to run a system with no proprietary software, you're going to need to scrap that version of Windows you're currently running. This can be a very daunting task to say the least. I haven't completely made the switch. One of the beauties of Linux however, is most distros (or distributions), can run on your machine alongside Windows with a dual partition. There are some distros that will run inside of Windows. Ubuntu and Mint come to mind.

Once you've decided to make the switch, you need to decide which distro is the one for you. If you're like most Linux newbies, this can be scary. There are literally hundreds of distros to choose from. I've seen everything from Christian and Muslim editions, to a satanic version. The Linux world has all the bases covered. Want to put Linux on a system for a pre-teen girl? Then you might want to go with Hannah Montana Linux . I swear to God I'm not making that up. Google it and you'll see I speak the truth. There are more mainstream distros available. The hardest part is finding the one that's right for you. So far I've tried five distros. My favorite so far has been Mint, but I could find one tomorrow I like better.

Many people are switching to Linux for various reasons, most notably is that it's free. Many distros come with essental software such as office suites, music and video players, and games pre-installed. Linux is also highly secure. You probably won't need to run any spyware or virus programs, because frankly they're not needed. If you have a decent graphics card, you'll also see some really cool desktop effects you won't find anywhere else. The main reason I like Linux is it's simplicity. With Windows, if you want to install a program, you usually have to download it, unzip it and install it. Linux does all this for you. It has what's called a package manager which is like a software

Let me state that, despite what some Linux fanboys may tell you, Linux is not fool-proof. One of the main drawbacks to Linux is it has compatability issues with some hardware. I currently have a Lexmark printer that will not work with any distro I've tried so far. I haven't been able to come up with a solution yet, and Lexmark hasn't been much help either. They refuse to recognize Linux as a viable OS. This is not uncommon as a lot of companies refuse to acknowledge Linux because, well, there's no money to be made in a free operating system that is run on 3% of the world's computers. Another problem you may encounter is compatability issues with some software you are used to. There are some great open-source alternatives to popular PC software such as Microsoft Office and Photoshop. There is also an emulator called WINE, which does a nice job of running MOST Windows software within Linux. There are a few applications that just don't play well with Wine. I like to play online poker and so far I've only come across one poker site that will work under Linux.

Basically what I'm saying is experiment with all the different distros and have FUN! Most distros are really cool to tinker with. Just don't scrub Windows off your system until you are 100% positive you're ready to. Linux is like the wife every man wants. She'll let you screw around on her with Windows. But she'll do everything in her power to make sure you come home to her.

As with any freeware you would install, I recommend doing your homework and READ. There are a lot of useful places on the Internet that can give you more information. One of my favorites is DistroWatch. It covers almost every distro out there.

So which distro should you use? I'm not going to tell you that because that's a choice YOU have to make. That's another version Linux has over Windows. You can pretty much have whatever you want. Further down this page are 50 of the most popular distros.

Another choice Linux users must make is which desktop environment they want to use. KDE and Gnome are the two main choices but there are others. Which do I recommend? I don't. I PREFER Gnome. But that's a personal choice. You might like KDE better.

KDE and Gnome are complete desktop environments that consist of a large number of tightly integrated yet still separate pieces of software. Gnome uses a window manager called metacity, KDE uses kwin. Both these desktops can be used with any other window manager if you do not like the default choice.

Linux is like Lego. You can build your own desktop environment. Both KDE and Gnome are just big packages with software aimed to look and feel the same way, work well together and generally give you a nice experience. If you dislike a component, then replace it with something else. It's that simple.

Application that are "made for Gnome" or "made for KDE" can be used with any desktop. This only means that the program useS a set of library functions found in their underlying gnome-libs or kdelibs. You do not need to use the actual desktops to use the applications, software made for KDE and Gnome can be used with any window manager/desktop as long as you got the proper libraries installed. There is no reason to use only applications made for the desktop you prefer, the "best software" for one task is made for KDE, the best for another task is made for Gnome. Use the best from both worlds.

Both KDE and Gnome can be customized to behave exactly the way you want. What desktop you prefer is your own choice and preference. When in doubt, try to learn both. Or experiment with other desktops. Remember, *nix applications are not locked to the desktop they are made for, Gnome applications can be used in KDE and vice versa.

For a hot new box with lots of RAM and a fast CPU I recommend KDE 3.x or Gnome 2.x. Gnome is bloated and KDE is even more bloated. This is great, but all those fancy features demand more CPU and RAM.

XFCE is a very nice complete fast and lightweight desktop environment and is probably the best choice for old, but not ancient hardware.

There is no "best desktop", but there is a desktop that's best for you. It's a matter of preference, and hardware. This is your choice. There are plenty of Live-CD Linux distributions that let you try both KDE and Gnome without installing anything at all.

Ubuntu is a complete desktop Linux operating system, freely available with both community and professional support. The Ubuntu community is built on the ideas enshrined in the Ubuntu Manifesto: that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language and despite any disabilities, and that people should have the freedom to customise and alter their software in whatever way they see fit. "Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others". The Ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.

Ubuntu

The Fedora Project is an openly-developed project designed by Red Hat, open for general participation, led by a meritocracy, following a set of project objectives. The goal of The Fedora Project is to work with the Linux community to build a complete, general purpose operating system exclusively from open source software. Development will be done in a public forum. The project will produce time-based releases of Fedora about 2-3 times a year, with a public release schedule. The Red Hat engineering team will continue to participate in building Fedora and will invite and encourage more outside participation than in past releases. By using this more open process, they hope to provide an operating system more in line with the ideals of free software and more appealing to the open source community.

Fedora

Linux Mint is an Ubuntu-based distribution whose goal is to provide a more complete out-of-the-box experience by including browser plugins, media codecs, support for DVD playback, Java and other components. It also adds a custom desktop and menus, several unique configuration tools, and a web-based package installation interface. Linux Mint is compatible with Ubuntu software repositories.




Linux Mint

The openSUSE project is a community program sponsored by Novell. Promoting the use of Linux everywhere, this program provides free, easy access to openSUSE, a complete Linux distribution. The openSUSE project has three main goals: make openSUSE the easiest Linux for anyone to obtain and the most widely used Linux distribution; leverage open source collaboration to make openSUSE the world's most usable Linux distribution and desktop environment for new and experienced Linux users; dramatically simplify and open the development and packaging processes to make openSUSE the platform of choice for Linux developers and software vendors.

openSUSE

Mandriva Linux was launched in 1998 under the name of Mandrake Linux, with the goal of making Linux easier to use for everyone. At that time, Linux was already well-known as a powerful and stable operating system that demanded strong technical knowledge and extensive use of the command line; MandrakeSoft saw this as an opportunity to integrate the best graphical desktop environments and contribute its own graphical configuration utilities to quickly become famous for setting the standard in Linux ease of use. In February 2005, MandrakeSoft merged with Brazil's Conectiva to form Mandriva S.A., with headquarters in Paris, France. The company's flagship product, Mandriva Linux, offers all the power and stability of Linux to both individuals and professional users in an easy-to-use and pleasant environment.

Mandriva

The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have made common cause to create a free operating system. This operating system is called Debian GNU/Linux, or simply Debian for short. Debian systems currently use the Linux kernel. Linux is a completely free piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by thousands of programmers worldwide. Of course, the thing that people want is application software: programs to help them get what they want to do done, from editing documents to running a business to playing games to writing more software. Debian comes with over 20,000 packages (precompiled software that is bundled up in a nice format for easy installation on your machine) - all of it free. It's a bit like a tower. At the base is the kernel. On top of that are all the basic tools. Next is all the software that you run on the computer. At the top of the tower is Debian -- carefully organizing and fitting everything so it all works together.

Debian

Yes, Puppy Linux is yet another Linux distribution. What's different here is that Puppy is extraordinarily small, yet quite full featured. Puppy boots into a 64MB ramdisk, and that's it, the whole caboodle runs in RAM. Unlike live CD distributions that have to keep pulling stuff off the CD, Puppy in its entirety loads into RAM. This means that all applications start in the blink of an eye and respond to user input instantly. Puppy Linux has the ability to boot off a flash card or any USB memory device, CDROM, Zip disk or LS/120/240 Superdisk, floppy disks, internal hard drive. It can even use a multisession formatted CD-R/DVD-R to save everything back to the CD/DVD with no hard drive required at all!

Puppy Linux

PCLinuxOS is an English only live CD initially based on Mandrake Linux that runs entirely from a bootable CD. Data on the CD is decompressed on the fly, allowing up to 2GB of programs on one CD including a complete X server, KDE desktop, OpenOffice.org and many more applications all ready to use. In addition to the live CD, you can also install PCLinuxOS to your hard drive with an easy-to-use livecd-installer. Additional applications can be added or removed from your hard drive using a friendly apt-get front end via Synaptic.


PCLinuxOS

Sabayon Linux is a live DVD designed to transform a computer into a powerful Gentoo Linux system in less than 5 minutes. Gentoo Linux is a Linux distribution powered by a software install manager engine called "Portage". Besides functioning as a live DVD, Sabayon Linux can also be installed on a hard disk, acting effectively as an easy-to-use Gentoo installation disk. The live DVD includes a large range of desktop environments and open source software applications, such as KDE, GNOME, XFce, Fluxbox, KOffice, OpenOffice.org, FreeNX, amaroK, Kaffeine, etc.


Sabayon

Arch Linux is an independently developed, i686-optimised Linux distribution targeted at competent Linux users. It uses 'pacman', its home-grown package manager, to provide updates to the latest software applications with full dependency tracking. Operating on a rolling release system, Arch can be installed from a CD image or via an FTP server. The default install provides a solid base that enables users to create a custom installation. In addition, the Arch Build System (ABS) provides a way to easily build new packages, modify the configuration of stock packages, and share these packages with other users via the Arch Linux User Repository.

Arch Linux

CentOS as a group is a community of open source contributors and users. Typical CentOS users are organizations and individuals that do not need strong commercial support in order to achieve successful operation. CentOS is a 100% compatible rebuild of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux, in full compliance with Red Hat's redistribution requirements. CentOS is for people who need an enterprise class operating system stability without the cost of certification and support.



CentOS

Slackware Linux is an advanced Linux operating system, designed with the twin goals of ease of use and stability as top priorities. Including the latest popular software while retaining a sense of tradition, providing simplicity and ease of use alongside flexibility and power, Slackware brings the best of all worlds to the table. Originally developed by Linus Torvalds in 1991, the UNIX-like Linux operating system now benefits from the contributions of millions of users and developers around the world. Slackware Linux provides new and experienced users alike with a fully-featured system, equipped to serve in any capacity from desktop workstation to machine-room server. Web, ftp, and email servers are ready to go out of the box, as are a wide selection of popular desktop environments. A full range of development tools, editors, and current libraries is included for users who wish to develop or compile additional software.

Slackware Linux

MEPIS Linux is a Debian-based desktop Linux distribution designed for both personal and business purposes. It includes cutting-edge features such as a live installation and recovery CD, automatic hardware configuration, NTFS partition resizing, ACPI power management, WiFi support, anti-aliased TrueType fonts, a personal firewall, KDE, and much more.




MEPIS

Tiny Core Linux is a very small (10 MB) minimal Linux desktop. It is based on Linux 2.6 kernel, BusyBox, Tiny X, FLTK graphical user interface and JWM window manager, running entirely in memory. It is not a complete desktop, nor is all hardware completely supported; it represents only the core needed to boot into a very minimal X Window desktop, typically with wired Internet access. This minimal desktop can be extended by installing additional applications from online repositories.



Tiny Core

Kubuntu is an Ubuntu-derived distribution. The Kubuntu CDs are made up of Ubuntu's base plus KDE. You can get exactly the same effect by installing Ubuntu and adding the KDE packages from the Ubuntu archives.





Kubuntu

Zenwalk Linux (formerly Minislack) is a Slackware-based GNU/Linux operating system with a goal of being slim and fast by using only one application per task and with focus on graphical desktop and multimedia usage. Zenwalk features the latest Linux technology along with a complete programming environment and libraries to provide an ideal platform for application programmers. Zenwalk's modular approach also provides a simple way to convert Zenwalk Linux into a finely-tuned modern server (e.g. LAMP, messaging, file sharing).

Zenwalk

Vector Linux is a small, fast, Intel based Linux operating system for PC style computers. The creators of Vector Linux had a single credo: keep it simple, keep it small and let the end user decide what their operating system is going to be. What has evolved from this concept is perhaps the best little Linux operating system available anywhere. For the casual computer user you have a lightening fast desktop with graphical programs to handle your daily activities from web surfing, sending and receiving email, chatting on ICQ or IRC to running an ftp server. The power user will be pleased because all the tools are there to compile their own programs, use the system as a server or perhaps the gateway for their home or office computer network. Administrators will be equally as pleased because the small size and memory requirements of the operating system can be deployed on older machines maybe long forgotten.

Vector

Damn Small Linux is a business card size (50MB) live CD Linux distribution. Despite its minuscule size it strives to have a functional and easy to use desktop. Damn Small Linux has a nearly complete desktop, including XMMS (MP3, and MPEG), FTP client, links-hacked web browser, spreadsheet, email, spellcheck (US English), a word-processor, three editors (Nedit, nVi, Zile [emacs clone]), Xpdf, Worker (file manager), Naim (AIM, ICQ, IRC), VNCviwer, SSH/SCP server and client, DHCP client, PPP, PPPoE, a web server, calculator, Fluxbox window manager, system monitoring apps, USB support, and soon it will have PCMCIA support as well. If you like Damn Small Linux you can install it on your hard drive. Because all the applications are small and light it makes a very good choice for older hardware.

Damn Small Linux

Gentoo Linux is a versatile and fast, completely free Linux distribution geared towards developers and network professionals. Unlike other distros, Gentoo Linux has an advanced package management system called Portage. Portage is a true ports system in the tradition of BSD ports, but is Python-based and sports a number of advanced features including dependencies, fine-grained package management, "fake" (OpenBSD-style) installs, safe unmerging, system profiles, virtual packages, config file management, and more.


Gentoo Linux

CrunchBang Linux is an Ubuntu-based distribution featuring the light-weight Openbox window manager and GTK+ applications. The distribution has been built from a minimal Ubuntu system and customised to offer a good balance of speed and functionality. CrunchBang Linux is currently available as a live CD; however, the best performance is achieved by installing it to a hard disk.


CrunchBang

gOS is an easy-to-use, Ubuntu-based distribution designed for less technical computer users. Its main features are the use of Enlightenment as the default desktop and tight integration of various Google products and services into the product.

gOS

KNOPPIX is a bootable CD with a collection of GNU/Linux software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices and other peripherals. Knoppix can be used as a Linux demo, educational CD, rescue system, or adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demos. It is not necessary to install anything on a hard disk. Due to on-the-fly decompression, the CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed on it.


KNOPPIX

Ubuntu Studio is a variant of Ubuntu aimed at the GNU/Linux audio, video and graphic enthusiast as well as professional. The distribution provides a collection of open-source applications available for multimedia creation.




Ubuntu Studio

Xubuntu is a Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. Unlike its parent, however, Xubuntu uses the light-weight XFce desktop environment and is optimised for lower-end machines. The distribution includes only GTK+ applications where possible.





Xubuntu

Slax is a Slackware-based bootable CD containing a Linux operating system, designed with a modular approach. Despite its small size, Slax provides a wide collection of pre-installed software for daily use, including a well-organised graphical user interface and useful recovery tools for system administrators.




Slax

Scientific Linux is a recompiled Red Hat Enterprise Linux, co-developed by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Although it aims to be fully compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, it also provides additional packages not found in the upstream product; the most notable among these are various file systems, including Cluster Suite and Global File System (GFS), FUSE, OpenAFS, Squashfs and Unionfs, wireless networking support with Intel wireless firmware, MadWiFi and NDISwrapper, Sun Java and Java Development Kit (JDK), the lightweight IceWM window manager, R - a language and environment for statistical computing, and the Alpine email client.

Scientific

Mythbuntu is an Ubuntu-based distribution and live CD focused upon setting up a standalone MythTV system similar to KnoppMyth or Mythdora. It can be used to install a standalone frontend, backend, or combination machines. Mythbuntu uses Xfce as its default desktop and provides a graphical Control Center to configure the system.




Mythbuntu

Elive, or Enlightenment live CD, is a Debian-based desktop Linux distribution and live CD featuring the Enlightenment window manager. Besides being pre-configured and ready for daily desktop use, it also includes "Elpanel" - a control center for easy system and desktop administration.





Elive

The sidux distribution is a desktop-oriented operating system and live CD based on the unstable branch of Debian GNU/Linux. Besides full compatibility with its parent, the distribution also offers a custom kernel with support for a wide variety of modern hardware devices, KDE as the default desktop environment, a rolling release cycle, and compliance with Debian's Free Software guidelines.

sidux

Easy Peasy (formerly Ubuntu Eee) is an Ubuntu-based distribution for netbooks. It uses Ubuntu Netbook Remix graphical user interface and includes open source as well as proprietary software.





Easy Peasy

Ultimate Edition, first released in December 2006, is a fork of Ubuntu. The goal of the project is to create a complete, seamlessly integrated, visually stimulating, and easy-to-install operating system. Single-button upgrade is one of several special characteristics of this distribution. Other main features include custom desktop and theme with 3D effects, support for a wide range of networking options, including WiFi and Bluetooth, and integration of many extra applications and package repositories.





Ultimate Edition

BackTrack is an Ubuntu-based distribution with a collection of security and forensics tools. It was created by merging Auditor Security Linux with WHAX (formerly Whoppix).

BackTrack

Dreamlinux is a Brazilian distribution based on Debian GNU/Linux. A live CD with a graphical hard disk installation option, it boots directly into an Xfce or GNOME desktop which provides access to a good collection of desktop applications and a central control panel for system configuration.


Dreamlinux

Moblin is an open source project focused on building a Linux-based platform optimised for mobile devices including netbooks, mobile Internet devices, and in-vehicle infotainment systems. It is based on the Fedora distribution.






Moblin

Pardus is a GNU/Linux distribution funded and developed by the Scientific & Technological Research Council of Turkey. Pardus has a range of unique features, such as Mudur, a start-up framework of Pardus to speed up the boot process, and PiSi, an efficient package management system with a user-friendly graphical interface.





Pardus

Frugalware Linux is an independently developed general purpose desktop Linux distribution designed for intermediate users. It follows simple Slackware-like design concepts and includes the "pacman" package management utility from Arch Linux.






Frugalware

PC/OS is a user-friendly desktop and server Linux distribution based on Xubuntu. Some of its most interesting features include support for popular browser plugins, addition of packages for multimedia production, content creation and software development, and a BeOS-like desktop theme. PC/OS comes in several editions, including OpenDesktop, OpenWorkstation and WebStation.




PC/OS

SystemRescueCD is a Linux system on a bootable CD-ROM for repairing your system and your data after a crash. It also aims to provide an easy way to carry out admin tasks on your computer, such as creating and editing the partitions of the hard disk. It contains many of system utilities (parted, partimage, fstools, ...) and basic ones (editors, Midnight Commander, network tools). It aims to be very easy to use: just boot from the CD-ROM, and you can do everything. The kernel of the system supports most important file systems (ext2/ext3, ReiserFS, XFS, JFS, VFAT, NTFS, ISO9660), and network ones (Samba and NFS). SystemRescueCd is based on the Gentoo Live CD.


SystemRescueCD

TinyMe is a PCLinuxOS-based mini-distribution. It exists to ease installation of PCLinuxOS on older computers, to provide a minimal installation for developers, and to deliver a fast Linux installation for where only the bare essentials are needed.






TinyMe

Absolute Linux is a light-weight modification of Slackware Linux. It includes several utilities that make configuration and maintenance easier and it has many common desktop and Internet applications installed and configured with tight integration of menus, applications and MIME types. Absolute Linux uses IceWM and ROX for its window and file managers.





Absolute

The linuX-gamers Live DVD is a bootable medium with a collection of popular 3D games. It contains both the NVIDIA and ATI proprietary Linux drivers and includes the following games: BzFLag, Enemy Territory, Glest, Nexuiz, Sauerbraten, Torcs, Tremulous, True Combat: Elite, Warsow and World of Padman. Although the live DVD is based on Arch Linux, it does not offer any desktop Linux functionality except gaming.



linuX-gamers

Wolvix is a desktop-oriented GNU/Linux distribution based on Slackware Linux. It features the Xfce desktop environment and a comprehensive selection of development, graphics, multimedia, network and office applications. It's mainly targeted at home users and strives to provide a balance between everyday computing tasks, creativity, work and enjoyment.





Wolvix

GoblinX is a bootable live CD distribution based on Slackware Linux. The primary goal for GoblinX is to create a more pleasant and functional desktop, standardising all icons and themes to make it easy for novice users to learn about available applications. Since version 3.0 GoblinX comes in several editions: g:Standard with the KDE desktop, g:Noblin with the GNOME desktop, g:Mini with the Xfce window manager and g:Micro with the Fluxbox window manager.



GoblinX

SliTaz GNU/Linux is a mini distribution and live CD designed to run speedily on hardware with 256 MB of RAM. SliTaz uses BusyBox, a recent Linux kernel and GNU software. It boots with Syslinux and provides more than 200 Linux commands, the lighttpd web server, SQLite database, rescue tools, IRC client, SSH client and server powered by Dropbear, X window system, JWM (Joe's Window Manager), gFTP, Geany IDE, Mozilla Firefox, AlsaPlayer, GParted, a sound file editor and more. The SliTaz ISO image fits on a less than 30 MB media and takes just 80 MB of hard disk space.




SliTaz

nUbuntu is a collection of network and server security testing tools, piled on top of the existing Ubuntu system. While aimed to be mainly a security testing platform, nUbuntu also operates as a desktop environment for the advanced Linux user.






nUbuntu

OpenGEU is a desktop Linux distribution based on Ubuntu. The project's goal is to combine the power of GNOME desktop with the eye-candy of Enlightenment 17 into an attractive and user-friendly desktop.






OpenGEU

Calculate Linux is a Gentoo-based family of three distinguished distributions. Calculate Directory Server (CDS) is a solution that supports Windows and Linux clients via LDAP + SAMBA, providing proxy, mail and Jabbers servers with streamlined user management. Calculate Linux Desktop (CLD) is a workstation and client distribution with KDE or Xfce desktop that includes a wizard to configure a connection to Calculate Directory Server. Calculate Linux Scratch (CLS) is live DVD with a build framework for creating a custom distribution.

Calculate Linux

PUD (Penk's Underbred Distro) GNU/Linux is a Taiwanese mini live and installation CD based on Ubuntu, with ideas borrowed from the LAMPPIX and Damn Small Linux projects, and with support for Traditional Chinese (zh_TW). Its main purpose is to provide a complete Linux desktop with many popular applications and tools, yet remain small and simple to operate.




PUD

Yellow Dog Linux is an open source Linux operating system for home, office, server, and cluster users. Built upon the Red Hat/CentOS core, Terra Soft and now Fixstars (which acquired Terra Soft in 2008) has since the spring of 1999 developed and maintained Yellow Dog Linux for the Power architecture family of processors. The distribution combines a graphical installer with support for a wide range of Power hardware, leading-edge kernels, stable, functional compilers for code development, and servers for web, database, email, and network services. More than 2,000 packages are included on the install DVD.

Yellow Dog Linux

ZevenOS is an Ubuntu-based GNU/Linux distribution with focus on providing a fast and easy-to-use system with BeOS-like user interface and support for older hardware. The distribution is built on top of a recent Linux kernel and includes a large number of popular open-source software applications for office use, multimedia playback and software development. ZevenOS also ships with MAGI, a tool for starting applications and managing the system.



ZevenOS