Most folks use Debian, Ubuntu, or CentOS, with the occasional pro using RedHat or the hipster using Arch. But there are over 1,000 Linux distros! Not all are suitable for running on a VPS of course, and some are quite specialized.
But the question we’re throwing out to community is:
Which obscure Linux distro do you regularly use? And why?
Please let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to tell us why – we’ll be posting a summary of the most interesting comments in a future post!
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Raindog308 is a longtime LowEndTalk community administrator, technical writer, and self-described techno polymath. With deep roots in the *nix world, he has a passion for systems both modern and vintage, ranging from Unix, Perl, Python, and Golang to shell scripting and mainframe-era operating systems like MVS. He’s equally comfortable with relational database systems, having spent years working with Oracle, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.
As an avid user of LowEndBox providers, Raindog runs an empire of LEBs, from tiny boxes for VPNs, to mid-sized instances for application hosting, and heavyweight servers for data storage and complex databases. He brings both technical rigor and real-world experience to every piece he writes.
Beyond the command line, Raindog is a lover of German Shepherds, high-quality knives, target shooting, theology, tabletop RPGs, and hiking in deep, quiet forests.
His goal with every article is to help users, from beginners to seasoned sysadmins, get more value, performance, and enjoyment out of their infrastructure.
You can find him daily in the forums at LowEndTalk under the handle @raindog308.
Regularly is a stretch but I used various time TinyCore Linux (64 bit and ARM) for its ability to load fully into ram and it’s slackware like package system (read-only archive overlay on top of /) not VPS
related but quite useful for clients primed with an usb stick, definitely a project to check out in my opinion
I use TinyCore Linux, is the only linux distro that I can understand, and gives me a full control of what and how everything works, initially is only a small tool set, but carries with a complete extension repository, and you can create your own extensions from debian packages
Alpine Linux FTW <3
Because it’s lightweight, without useless packages, and quite modern.
Artix and Void Linux on my desktops, Alpine Linux on my servers!
Honourable mention goes to Slackware and Gentoo
Alpine Linux is amazing for low-end servers, and Artix is my distro of choice everywhere I can get it, with a quick install, the package support of Arch, and the leanness of non-systemd. Void Linux support architectures that Artix doesn’t; if Artix/Arch had support for them then I probably would use it exclusively
Debian!
Lilidog(not puppy related)
It’s what Crunchbang and the useless Bunsen should have been.
Solus budgie on a Lenovo mini
Mabox on a laptop.
I think Openbox setup with YOUR choice of packages/tools is the best.
I’ve used Debian for 25 years but play with the other good ones.
NO Ubuntu
No KDE Kcrap
Gno Gnome
For beginners I always install LMDE but have been installing Solus for some
should you use new distros or not?
I usually use a well-known Linux distribution rather than a lesser-known one.