Three Linux Distros To Watch and Use

khess 0 575 Views

There are three Linux distributions that didn't make it into my top 10 list of best Linux distributions but they are ones to watch. These three distributions are all aimed at the Desktop, are simple to install and use, and they're free.

Linux Mint, , and OpenSuSE are the three distros (distributions) to watch. (I reviewed 2 (gOS & Linux Mint) of these 3 in a Linux Magazine article, ".")

Linux Mint - From Freedom Came Elegance - The tagline for this distribution holds true--Linux Mint is an elegant twist on its Ubuntu parent. Linux Mint installation is very similar to Ubuntu's--giving the user simple, easy-to-follow instructions along the way. Since Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu (whose parent is Debian) you use Synaptic (graphical) or apt-get (command line) to update your system and install new software.
Linux Mint is also suitable for commercial users as well as personal Desktops. Commercial support is available for corporate adopters. I recommend Linux Mint for a complete and enjoyable Desktop experience for the beginner and the guru alike.

OpenSuSE - Get It. Discover It. Create It. - I know what you're saying, if you've read my top 10 Linux distros post, "Hey, you totally dissed Novell's Linux--including OpenSuSE." "What's up with that?" It's true that I'm not a huge fan of Novell's commercial offerings but I find OpenSuSE somewhat intriguing. It is more on par with other up-to-date distributions with the latest features, software, and drivers included. OpenSuSE is really what Novell should offer in a commercial sense. They should offer it free to those who want it but offer commercial support as Linux Mint does.
Though OpenSuSE 10.3 was sluggish and failure prone, OpenSuSE 11.x is proving to be a viable and well-crafted OS.
My recommendation for OpenSuSE 11.x and above? Get it, discover it, and report back to me on what you think of it.

gOS - Linux For The Rest Of Us - gOS, or Good OS, is very different from any distribution I've ever seen. It has a cleverly designed Desktop with active icons that link you to just about everything you could possibly want to use. It seems to be tightly connected to Google Gadgets and other Google offerings like Gmail, Google Search, and so on. gOS comes on Everex PCs, Netbooks, Laptops, MiniPCs, and the CloudBook. gOS is geared more toward beginners, home users, and the newly converted. Old pros will like it on the Netbooks for its small footprint and snappy performance.
I recommend gOS strongly to anyone who wants to use something completely different. gOS is ready to deliver.

It was your feedback and comments that lead me to write this post. I value your feedback and as long as you keep it clean and respectful, feel free to disagree or even argue with me.

Let me know what you think of these three very capable and enjoyable Operating Systems and if you order one of the gOS computers, please let me know, I'd love to hear about it.

Dani AI

Generated

Update (checked Nov 11, 2025): a short, practical follow-up to the picks named in 2008 and the replies from , and . The three projects mentioned then have followed very different paths — Linux Mint evolved into a polished, actively maintained desktop family; gOS is a historical, discontinued experiment; openSUSE became a two-track project (stable Leap and rolling Tumbleweed). The notes below summarize where each project stands now and give quick, actionable guidance for someone arriving at this old thread.

Linux Mint — still one of the easiest desktop-first choices for users who want a familiar, out-of-the-box experience. Cinnamon is the flagship desktop, with MATE and Xfce flavors for lighter machines; there is also an LMDE (Debian-based) edition for those who prefer that base. Practical setup tip: combine the Mint Update Manager with regular Timeshift snapshots before major upgrades so rolling back is straightforward. (en.wikipedia.org)

openSUSE — now clearly split into Leap (stable, SLE-aligned) and Tumbleweed (rolling). Leap is a good pick when binary stability and longer maintenance windows matter; Tumbleweed suits users who want the newest desktop stacks and drivers. The distro’s tools and workflows (zypper, Btrfs snapshots/snapper on Leap, YaST ecosystem history) make migration from older SUSE installs meaningful but not trivial — test on a live USB first. (en.wikipedia.org)

gOS and small-netbook options — gOS itself is discontinued and best treated as a historical footnote rather than a current choice. For the same “cloud-first, web-centric” use case that gOS aimed at, ChromeOS/ChromeOS Flex is a maintained, practical alternative; for very old hardware, Puppy and Knoppix (live/persistent USB) remain useful lightweight options. Also note ’s shout for PCLinuxOS — it remains an actively maintained community rolling option for desktop users. (en.wikipedia.org)

Quick checklist for modern readers: prefer live-USB testing with persistence; pick Cinnamon/MATE/Xfce flavors for older machines; enable filesystem snapshots (Timeshift on Mint, snapper/Btrfs on openSUSE) before upgrades; consider ChromeOS Flex for cloud-first reuse of older laptops.

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Member #2466

Boooo on you for not mentioning the ultimate desktop Linux distro, PCLinuxOS.

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khess 95 Practically a Master Poster

PCLinuxOS is pretty neat but when I installed it last time, there were a lot of apps, including Konsole that wouldn't open so I had to leave it out. I did a review of it in Linux + Magazine (www.lpmagazine.org).

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yoramn 0 Newbie Poster

You missed my favorite: TITAN LEV - it has Windows (or MacOS) look and feel, it has best Windows compatibility including Wine and DosBox installed, Internet Explorer and Office installer, many add-ons and 130 applications that meets almost all needs in home and office environments.

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khess 95 Practically a Master Poster

Thanks Yoramn! It sounds cool, I'll check it out. I may even review it.

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Junyah 24 Posting Whiz in Training

Hey Guys,

've been using gOS at work and home on some old computers and on flash drives. Its been pretty good so far ... also using Puppy/Knoppix Distros.

gOS was pretty easy to install and use and it put some dino's to work...so far others have been trying the computers that I set up ... Mostly educators and kidz.

the think that I like about gos is its simple, clear, and fast.

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