Which is the best linux distro for laptops?

Write about different Linux distro experiences in your laptop and help others to choose the best one for their machines.

Which is the best Linux distro for developers?

Comment about the  linux distros for developers.The distro should be an advanced one having special developer tools to meet the criteria for a good one for the Linux developers.Comment your ideas.

-->

Which is the best Linux distro for a beginner?

Discuss about best linux distro for beginners?
Newbies want something simple and easy to use linux distro.Does Ubuntu or Linux mint or PCLinux OS make the place for beginners distro?Please express your comments.

-->

Which is your favourite Desktop Environment?

Vote for the best desktop environment and write about your favourite one here.Is it KDE,Gnome,Unity,LXDE,XFCE,Openbox,Enlightenment or something else?Write about new Desktop interfaces and spread the knowledge.

Which is your best Linux distro and why?

This thread is to post your own views about the best Linux distros.Vote for your favourite distro and write why you like that distro..

Tizen 2.0 Alpha available for testing

Tizen,an open source mobile operating system's new version Tizen 2.0 2.0 alpha source code and SDK is available for testing.Tizen is a linux based mobile distribution which includes modules from the old MeeGo, Moblin, and Maemo.Intel dropped the old name Meego and the project was later called as Tizen.The Linux foundation and Intel corp. changed Meego project which was not a great success,into Tizen during the year 2011-12.
New features of Tizen 2.0 Alpha

• better HTML5/W3C API support
• Install manager support
• more Tizen Device APIs
• Enhanced Support for OpenGL ES
• Advanced HTML5 features includesvideo subtitles and captions, battery status API, screen orientation API etc..
• Tizen Device APIs for file transfer, notifications, and power control
• multi-process Webkit2-based Web Runtime

Read the changelog and release announcement from Tizen's official blog

GNOME 3.6 Released with new features

Gnome 3 team has announced the release of the latest update of Gnome.Gnome 3.6 is the third major update of Gnome 3 which was released in April 2011.This new release is the result of six months of development.From the release announcement:"The GNOME Foundation is proud to present this latest GNOME release, and I would like to congratulate the GNOME community on its achievement This new GNOME release includes important new features, like improved accessibility support, the new Boxes application and extended Online Accounts integration.GNOME 3.6 provides a stronger, easier to use foundation for the enterprise desktop".Read the full press release here.

New Features of Gnome 3

• improved Accessibility support
• updated Activities Overview
• revamped notification system
• integrated input sources for using different languages
• enhanced Files and Web applications
• Lot of bug fixes

Gnome 3 team is very keen to improve the user experience with each release of Gnome 3 and they have done a wonderful job this time.

Snowlinux 3 E17 released; download and install now

Snowlinux 3 E17 has been released and the new version is based on Debian 7 (Wheezy).The final release of    the Enlightenment edition of Snowlinux 3 includes Linux kernel 3.5 and mozilla firefox 14.0.1and thunderbird 14. read the official release announcement.

New Features of Snowlinux 3 E17

• Based on Debian GNU/Linux 7.0 (Wheezy)
• Linux kernel 3.5
• Enlightenment E17 desktop environment
• 3 desktop interfaces (SnowOSX, Snowlinux GNOME 2 and Snowlinux Classic)
• Neptune E17 desktop theme
• Snowlinux Plymouth
•  LightDM login manager
• Firefox 14.0.1
• Thunderbird 14
• DuckDuckGo
• Non-free Linux firmware
• Live-Installer
• Snowlinux LightDM theme
• Apps like RAR, 7Zip, GNOME MPlayer, Audacious, Shotwell, Abiword, etc.
• Better speed

System Requirements for Snowlinux 3 E17

Gentoo as a Best Server Linux Distro ?Good and bad

-->
Gentoo one of the most customizable Linux distro;Is it a good choice for Web Servers?

There is a controversy about using Gentoo on servers and i have read a lot about that and came to a conclusion.As many Gentoo linux fans believe it is a good option on servers.

What is Gentoo Linux?

An advanced Linux distribution which can be customized and optimized to the finest level.It is a hybrid Linux which works well as a desktop Linux,Server system,development workstation,Gaming system,laptop linux and more.The question is "Is Gentoo is a good option as a Server Linux Distro?" Lets find out more about Gentoo.

Features of Gentoo Linux

• Support for x86, AMD64, PowerPC, UltraSparc, Alpha and MIPS processors
• Latest  KDE and GNOME versions
• Various optimized Linux kernels
• Very modern GNU development environment
• Excellent hardware support: NVIDIA, Creative Labs Live! and Audigy
• Excellent filesystem support: ReiserFS, XFS, ext3, EVMS, LVM
• Modular OpenGL and compiler sub-system (supports multiple co-existing versions)
• more than 8000 packages
• Portage

Portage is the packet management system in Gentoo Linux and it makes the distro independent.Portage compiles the package from the source code of the software the user wants to install.Thus it is gives the option for customizing the package.If you are using a desktop or gaming console you do not need so much customization to tune your system.But as a Server administrator you want to know the finer things in your servers.Here the advantage of Gentoo comes.You know what is happening on your server and the full control is on your hand.

The emerge command-line is the heart of portage and it makes the user easy to install a software with necessary dependencies.Portage offers an option called USE FLAGS by which user can customize the software features he needs after installation.Portage adds the necessary dependencies for the features you add and the installation works cool.

Gentoo Linux has an active and helpful web community and this is another requirement of a server linux distro.Many newbies who starts to use servers have a tough time to face with.Definitely there will be lot of problems and Gentoo forum will be always there to help them.

A disadvantage of Gentoo as told by the critics is the time required to build a Gentoo server.If you want to build your own server with customized softwares,it takes more time definitely.But i say it is worth to spend time for Gentoo.You just install your softwares with required features only.You can select the features by the USE FLAGS option and by this you are installing  minimal dependencies to the server.You wont take long time for this as you are minimizing your installation.If you do not a package don't install it,make your server with minimal things for your needs.

Another thing is about Gentoo's security.As you know a server linux distro should be highly stable and it should never crash literally.Gentoo  releases frequent updates including security updates.Gentoo releases update versions every week from the year 2008.emerge -uD world command will update your system and you can avoid the vulnerability of your server.But one disadvantage of Gentoo is important; Gentoo profiles have a shorter life cycle than what you would expect in a production server.Large companies want long term release cycles and Gentoo doesn't meet that.

Conclusion

Whatever the world says it is worth trying Gentoo on your server and experience the Gentoo effect.In my opinion Gentoo is a good choice as a linux server distro for small scale companies.If you do not want much to spend for the paid maintenance support for servers offered by other companies,you can always depend on Gentoo.

READ MORE...

Best 5 Server Linux Distros

Mandrivia Linux 2012 alpha released;download and install now

--> After a delay of 2 months alpha release of Linux Mandrivia  2012 has been released yesterday.The new Linux Mandrivia features KDE software compilation 4.9.The installer has been updated and it is simple but pretty fast and smarter in the latest Mandrake Linux.
From the release announcement "As many of you might already be aware of, our first Mandriva Linux 2012 alpha has been ready for release for almost a week now, yet it only made its way to the public mirrors today, so with that I declare it as officially released! "Read the full release announcement here.Mandrivia comes as installable Dual CD and DVD ISO images supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures.Lets look at the new features of Linux Mandrivia 2012.
New features of Linux Mandrivia

• KDE 4.9
• Smaller and faster installer
• Working text mode installer Added Linaro GCC 4.7
• Removed HAL
• Better rescue mode
• Improved Dual CD ISO image

Download Linux Mandrivia 2012
mandriva-2012-i586-DVD.iso  4,165MB
mandriva-2012-x86_64-DVD.iso  4,201MB

Slackware Linux 14.0 RCS released,download

--> Slackware developers have announced the release of the latest developmental version of Slackware Linux 14.0;now they have come with the release candidate of Slackware 14.0
What is Slackware Linux?
Developed by Patrick Volkerding is an advanced Linux operating system with characteristic features of stability and easy usability even for the linux newbies.

From the release announcement "Here we go one more time with Slackware 14.0 release candidate 5.Really, this time it is not a drill! Everything is in place and ready to release at this point, and unless there's some kind of showstopper found (which doesn't seem too likely after all the testing that's happened), the release can be expected soon."

Read the full release announcement and change log of slackware 14.0 RCS here .

Download Slackware Linux 14.0 RCS
slackware-current-install-dvd.iso  2,320MB
slackware64-current-install-dvd.iso  2,275MB

Latest Hanthana Linux Released;Features of Hanthana

Latest Hanthana Linux "Sithija" Released;Features of Hanthana Linux distro

-->  Hanthana Linux , a Fedora-based distribution released its latest verstion of linux distro Hanthana Linux 17 . It comes as a Live DVD image of size 3.5 GB with a large number of applications, media codecs and custom artwork.Hanthana Linux 17 was released on the 3rd anniversary of Hanthana Linux project.

From the release announcement "Project began with the goals of Introducing and promoting Free and Open Source Software to the masses, especially to those with low technical knowledge, no access to the Internet or under privileged, and has now been deployed in a lot of schools, individuals, private sector offices, public sector institutes and government offices..Hanthana Linux 17 (sithija), the latest release of Hanthana was released on the 3rd anniversary of the Hanthana Linux project. In addition to the host of applications, the new release has the official LibreOffice guide provided by the Document Foundation."Read the release announcement for additional information. 

Download the live DVD image of Hanthana Linux
Hanthana-17-i386-dvd.iso  3.6 GB

Sabayon Linux 10 Released,Download sabayon

Sabayon Linux 10 Released,Download sabayon Linux now

--> Linux Sabayon team released the  Sabayon Linux  10 on 13th September.Sabayon is a Gentoo based Linux Distro and you can use it on your home computers,laptops and servers.Sabayon Linux comes with KDE,Gnome 3,Mate and Xfce desktop environments.In this release Sabayon is based on Linux Kernel 3.5.4 .The new versions of desktop environments are included in sabayon 10; KDE 4.9,Gnome 3.4,Xfce 4.10.The The KDE 4.9 will be updated to KDE 4.9.1 after a few days.Libreoffice 3.6 comes by default in the latest Sabayon.Lets check what is new in Sabayon Linux ?

New features in Sabayon Linux 10

• Linux Kernel 3.5.4
• GNOME 3.4.2
• KDE 4.9
• Xfce 4.10
• LibreOffice 3.6
• Gentoo Hardened kernels
• Improved Rigo
• Mesa 9 stack
• Amazon EC2 support
• Infinality Freetype patches

Download sabayon Linux

 For the complete list of downloads visit sabayon official download pages mirrors page and torrent tracker

Ubuntu based Linux Distros

Ubuntu based Linux Distros |A complete List

--> Ubuntu the popular Linux operating system has around 70 derivatives, of these 12 are official Ubuntu variants.The official ubuntu based distros are controlled by Canonical pvt ltd.There are around 60 Unofficial Linux distros based on Ubuntu. Ubuntu itself is derived from the great Debian Linux.
Official Ubuntu based Linux

1. Ebuntu
2. Kubuntu
3. Lubuntu 
4. Mythbuntu
5. Ubuntu for android
6. Ubuntu JeOS
7. Ubuntu Mobile
8. Ubuntu Server Edition
9. Ubuntu Studio
10. Ubuntu TV
11. Xubuntu

Unofficial Ubuntu based Linux

1. Aurora 
2. ABC GNU/Linux 
3. Asturix 
4. Baltix 
5. BackBox 
6. BackTrack 
7. BlankOn 
8. Buildix 
9. Bodhi Linux 
10. dyne:bolic 
11. Linux Deepin 
12. EasyPeasy 
13. Element OS 
14. Fluxbuntu 
15. gNewSense 
16. Gobuntu 
17. Goobuntu
18. gOS 
19. Guadalinex 
20. Hiweed 
21. Joli OS 
22. Karoshi
23. Kuki Linux 
24. Leeenux Linux 
25. Linux Mint 
26. LinuxMCE 
27. LinuxTLE 
28. LliureX 
29. LOUD  
30. MAX
31. Molinux 
32. Moon OS 
33. Nova 
34. Netrunner 
35. nUbuntu  
36. OpenGEU
37. PC/OS 
38. Peppermint OS 
39. Pinguy OS 
40. Poseidon Linux 
41. PSUbuntu 
42. puredyne 
43. Qimo 4 Kids 
44. Sabily 
45. Spri 
46. Super OS 
47. Trisquel 
48. TurnKey Linux Virtual Appliance Library 
49. UberStudent 
50. Vinux 
51. XBMC Live 
52. Ylmf OS 
53. Zentyal 
54. ZevenOS 
55. Zorin OS 

Read more about Ubuntu:

• Which is the Best Ubuntu Distro?
• Ubuntu or Kubuntu which is better for you?
• Best Linux for Multimedia -Ubuntu Studio

4 Best Educational Linux Distro

Best Linux distro for Education

There are hundreds of Linux distros available in the markets.What is the need of these many distros?The answer is each of the linux distros is targeted for different types of user groups like high level programmers,common linux users,students,for servers etc.

--> Like that, an Educational Linux distro is for the people in the educational institutions like students,teachers,administrative officers etc.What should be the characteristic features of an Educational Linux Distro?
The featues of an Educational Linux

• simple as anything : An educational linux should be very simple because the users are not advanced linux users,they are just kids.
• Faster than anything: Kids Linux distros are faster linux distros always,because kids don't have time to wait for anything.They just want everything at the moment they wish.
• More Stable: An educational Linux should be more stable than common distros.Nobody likes to updates kids Laptops regularly.Also many of them do not have better internet connectivity in the developing world.So a stable linux does the matter.
• High end specs-not needed:Since a Linux distro for education deals with educational softwares and simple games,there is no need of high end specifications.

 As there are only a few Education targeted Linux distros,It is easy to pick up the top and best Educational Linux.

1.Edubuntu 

One of the best and the most popular education-oriented Linux distribution which is made on the popular Linux distro Ubuntu.Ebuntu is nothing but Ubuntu with extra
educational softwares.
2.openSUSE Edu L-i-f-e
As the name suggests it is a version of openSUSE with extra softwares for the students,teachers and also administrative officers in the educational institutions.
 3.UKnow4Kids
A free and open-source Linux distribution consisting of educational and gaming softwares mainly meant for older childrenaged 2 to 10 years.
4.Qimo 4 Kids
This Educational Linux distro is meant for kids aged 3 and up.It is also based on Ubuntu operating system like Ebuntu and is meant for children before elementary life.
I should mention about OLPC here even if it is not a linux distro.OLPC is a project named "One Laptop Per Child" to provide low cost laptops to the growing children in the developing world.They are doing a wonderful job for bringing up the poor children in the developing world with knowledge in computer.The OLPC laptops use Fedora OS with Sugar desktop environment."

Bodhi Linux 2.1.0 Released

Bodhi Linux 2.1.0 Released

Bodhi linux has been updated to the newer version which is currently 2.1.0 .The new features in the new Bodhi Linux are Elegant black and white theme and the latest version of softwares like LibreOffice 3.6.1,Firefox 15 and Chromium 21.
From the release announcement "I'm happy to release to everyone our first scheduled update release of Bodhi Linux's 2.x.y branch - version 2.1.0. There are a number of wonderful changes/improvements to this disc over our 2.0.1 disc released a couple of months ago. The first thing you will notice are four fresh themes along with the elegant E17 Black and White theme appearing on this version of Bodhi's LiveCD.We have a fresh build of Enlightenment and Terminology pre-installed on the disc. Beyond that our repositories contain the latest LibreOffice 3.6.1, Firefox 15 and Chromium 21 among a number of other current applications. The default kernel for this release is based on Linux 3.5.This version of LXDM also comes with a very nice configuration tool". For the full release announcement Visit official Bodhi Linux site.

Download Bodhi Linux 2.1.0

bodhi-2.1.0-32.iso 

bodhi-2.1.0-64.iso 

openSUSE Released Education Linux version Edu Li-f-e 12.2

Linux for Education | openSUSE Released Edu Li-f-e 12.2 

--> openSUSE team released its new version of the Education targeted openSUSE version that is the openSUSE Edu Li-f-e 12.2 on September 14 2012  

openSUSE Edu Li-f-e 12.2 is built on openSUSE 12.2 with all the post release updates.As the name suggests openSUSE Edu Li-f-e is a version of openSUSE meant for students,teachers and also the administrative officers in the educational field.Packman can be used for the additional softwares the users want.openSUSE Edu Li-f-e 12.2 comes with KDE, Gnome and Cinnamon desktop interfaces.Sugar desktop suite have done a great come back in the latest version of this Linux for Education.Read the official release announcement of openSUSE Edu Li-f-e 12.2 here.

Minimum hardware requirements

• 1GB of RAM
• 15GB free disk space

Download openSUSE Edu Li-f-e 12.2 

openSUSE-Edu-li-f-e-12.2-latest-i686.iso  size 3,317MB

openSUSE Edu Li-f-e 12.2 torrent    size 3,317MB

Top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for May 2012

Top 10 Ubuntu apps May 2012

--> Ubuntu has updated its appchart and released the list of top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for the month May 2012 .Check Ubuntu developer blog to see the post about top Ubuntu app downloads. The list of Ubuntu paid apps is topped by BIT.TRIP RUNNER  and Ubuntu free apps by   Lord of Ultima . The new entries in the top paid Ubuntu apps list are BIT.TRIP RUNNER,Linux Format Magazine – Issue 158 – Beat the CIA,The Journey Down: Chapter One and Linux Format Magazine – Issue 159 – Ubuntu vs. Windows.The new comers in the free Ubuntu app list are Lord of Ultima,Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances,Full Circle Magazine #60 and Tropical Stormfront LITE.

 Lets see the top Ubuntu app downloads in the month of May.

Top 10 Ubuntu  paid apps

1. Braid
2. Oil Rush
3. BIT.TRIP RUNNER
4. World of Goo
5. Linux Format Magazine – Issue 158 – Beat the CIA 
6. Steel Storm: Burning Retribution
7. Fluendo DVD Player
8. The Journey Down: Chapter One
9. Linux Format Magazine – Issue 159 – Ubuntu vs. Windows
10. Family Farm

Top 10 Ubuntu free apps

1. Lord of Ultima 
2. Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances 
3. CrossOver (Trial)
4. Ryzom
5. Full Circle Magazine #60
6. Vendetta Online
7. Tropical Stormfront LITE 
8. Marble Arena 2
9. PDF Studio 7 Demo
10. Tribal Trouble 2

READ MORE...

Top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for June 2012

Top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for July 2012

--> Ubuntu has updated its appchart and released the list of top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for the month July 2012 .Check Ubuntu developer blog to see the post about top Ubuntu app downloads.The new comers in the top paid Ubuntu apps are Super Meat Boy and Lone Survivor and in the free Ubuntu apps are Full Circle Magazine, Muktware Ubuntu Manual,Getting Started with Ubuntu 12.04 ,Create Launcher and Screencloud.

 Lets see the top Ubuntu app downloads in the month of July.

Top 10 Ubuntu paid apps

1. Braid
2. Super Meat Boy
3. Bastion
4. Lone Survivor 
5. LIMBO
6. Psychonauts
7. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
8. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP
9. Fluendo DVD Player
10. The Journey Down: Chapter One

Top 10 Ubuntu free apps

1. Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances
2. Full Circle Magazine 
3. IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
4. Plex Media Server
5. CrossOver (Trial)
6. Ryzom
7. Muktware Ubuntu Manual
8. Getting Started with Ubuntu 12.04 
9. Create Launcher 
10. Screencloud 

READ MORE...

Top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for August 2012

Top 10 Ubuntu apps June 2012

Top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for June 2012
Ubuntu has updated its appchart and released the list of top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for the month June 2012 .Check Ubuntu developer blog to see the post about top Ubuntu app downloads. The list of Ubuntu paid apps is topped by LIMBO and Ubuntu free apps by  Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances . The new entries in the top paid Ubuntu apps list are LIMBO,Bastion, Amnesia: The Dark Descent,Psychonauts,LibreOffice 3.4 Getting Started and Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.

The new comers in the free Ubuntu app list are Plex Media Server,ScreenCloud and IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition.

 Lets see the top Ubuntu app downloads in the month of June.

Top 10 Ubuntu paid apps

1. LIMBO 
2. Bastion 
3. Amnesia: The Dark Descent 
4. Braid
5. Oil Rush
6. Fluendo DVD Player
7. The Journey Down: Chapter One
8. Psychonauts 
9. LibreOffice 3.4 Getting Started
10. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP

Top 10 Ubuntu free apps

1. Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances
2. Lord of Ultima
3. Plex Media Server 
4. Ryzom
5. CrossOver (Trial)
6. ScreenCloud
7. IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
8. Full Circle Magazine #59
9. Fetchnotes
10. Vendetta Online

READ MORE...

Top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for July 2012

Top 10 Ubuntu apps for August 2012

Top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for August 2012

--> Ubuntu has updated its appchart and released the list of top 10 Ubuntu app downloads for the month august 2012 .Check Ubuntu developer blog to see the post about top Ubuntu app downloads.The list of Ubuntu paid apps is topped by MC Launcher which is a Minecraft mod installator launcher and Ubuntu free apps by Master PDF Editor, a PDF and XPS editor.There are two new entries each in the paid and free top Ubuntu apps chart this time; MC Launcher and Quick ‘n Easy Web Builder are the newcomers in the paid Ubuntu apps list and Master PDF Editor and XnViewMP got into the top free apps chart.The interesting thing in this is that both of these lists topped by the newcomers; MC Launcher tops the paid Ubuntu apps list and Master PDF Editor tops the free Ubuntu apps list..Lets see the top Ubuntu app downloads in the month of August.

Top 10 paid Ubuntu apps

1. MC Launcher
2. Amnesia: The Dark Descent
3. Oil Rush
4. Braid
5. LIMBO
6. Quick ‘n Easy Web Builder
7. Fluendo DVD Player
8. Super Meat Boy!
9. Psychonauts

Top 10 free Ubuntu apps

1. Master PDF Editor
2. Lord of Ultima
3. IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
4. Full Circle Magazine #61
5. Plex Media Server
6. Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances 
7. Ryzom
8. CrossOver (Trial)
9. XnViewMP
10. Muktware Ubuntu Manual

Arch Linux 2012.09.07:Linux Distribution Release

Arch team has announced the availability of a latest Arch Linux installer image, version 2012.09.07

--> Arch Linux is one of the fastest and stable linux distribution.How Arch became such a big distro even though it is a lightweight Linux distribution?Read about the success story and interesting features Arch Linux here.

Changes in the latest release of Arch Linux

• First Linux distro with Linux 3.5 (3.5.3)
• When booting via PXE and NFS or NBD the ISO will be copied to RAM to ensure a more stable usage.
• Live medium contains usb_modeswitch and wvdial which e.g. allows to establish a network connection using an UMTS USB dongle
• Newest versions of initscripts, systemd and netcfg

From the release announcement "As is customary by now there is a new install medium available at the beginning of this month. The live system can be downloaded from the download page and used for new installs or as a rescue system. In addition to a couple of updated packages and bug fixes the following changes stand out: first medium with Linux kernel 3.5 (3.5.3); the script boot parameter works again; when booting via PXE and NFS or NBD the ISO image will be copied to RAM to ensure more stable usage; the live medium contains usb_modeswitch and wvdial which allows to establish a network connection using an UMTS USB dongle. Furthermore the newest versions of initscripts, systemd and netcfg are included.'' Here is the brief release announcement.

Download Arch Linux 2012.09.07
archlinux-2012.09.07-dual.iso (392MB, MD5, torrent)
installation guide for the initial Arch Linux setup

Arch Linux : Lightweight Linux Distro

Arch Linux ;a simple and lightweight Linux distro.It is one of the fastest and stable linux distributions.Arch Linux comes within the top 10 Linux distros in almost in all the Linux distro comparison websites.

--> Arch Linux project started in 2002 by Judd Vinet after getting inspired by another minimalist Linux distribution called CRUX.But the follower has overcomed the old CRUX.Now Arch has achieved top position in the Linux World.How Arch Linux became popular like today?What made Arch a first choice of millions of Linux fans?Lets see more about Arch Linux.

Lets start from the installstion.Arch Linux follows a text-based installation system.Till now Arch has not officially released a graphical installation method.Arch developers think that text-based installation gives full power to the user.The user can customize almost everything during the installation process.He can decide what is going to be installed and what he doesn't want.It gives full freedom to the user and thus Arch Linux becomes one of the most customizable Linux distro.Other distros,for example Ubuntu follows a 7 step Ubuntu installation process which just copies the preloaded content into your system.The user can not do anything in that 20 minutes.He should be just calm,watching the installation slide show.Arch text-installation may be a little bit difficult for the Linux beginners.But Arch has a solution there.Arch Linux Installation wiki ;It is the most appreciated installation guide in the Linux World.It describes each step of installation and even the newbie can understand if he reads twice or thrice.Nobody has ever created a wiki like Arch Wiki and it serves even the beginners to settle in the Arch Linux platform.
Linux updates in every second.Most of the linux distributions have a six month or yearly once release model.For Ubuntu they follow a six month release cycle.They release new version of Ubuntu twice in a year; in the month of April and October.The main drawback of this is for example if you want to try firefox 15 Ubuntu you have to install it separately,It does not come in the regular updates.But Arch has an advantage in this.Arch Linux follows a rolling release model.Rolling Release means it keeps updating everyday.That means Arch Linux provides the latest Linux updates before its competitors like Ubuntu or Fedora.Arch Linux gives its users to try all the latest version of softwares within days of its official release.Some may think that Arch is not stable due to this rolling release.There is nothing in that concept.Arch Linux is one of the most stable Linux distro i have ever seen.Arch releases these latest Linux softwares only after testing.So there is no question of stability in this misconception.
Let use talk about the speed and user experience of Arch Linux.Arch is one of the fastest Linux distro and is definitely faster than Ubuntu.Fedora,openSUSE and Debian.The booting time of Arch is marvellous and its pretty after its first load.Arch Linux with KDE is pretty faster than the other leading Linux distributions.Read about the five fastest Linux distributions here
PACMAN packet manager: own packet management tool from Arch Linux;this is the most exciting feature for an Arch user.As a beginner i had some difficulty in the starting;i thought to leave arch for this.But now i say it is the best feature in arch and it gives something different,it reveals what is going to happen inside when you do an action.It is nothing like simplest graphical packet management tool used in other popular Linux distros.Pacman; even though it is a text-based and somewhat difficult for the newbies;it is one of the best packet management tool in the Linux World.

I tried Arch Linux only after using Ubuntu and Linux Mint for a few months.After experiencing Arch Linux i became an Arch fan.If you haven't tried Arch Till now,please try it now.
Official Arch Website    :http://www.archlinux.org

Arch Linux  Wiki            :https://wiki.archlinux.org
Arch Installation guide :https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Official_Arch_Linux_Install_Guide 

openSUSE Version 12.2 Released; comes with Linux Kernel 3.4 and firefox 14

openSUSE announced the latest release of openSUSE 12 version openSUSE 

12.2 and it comes with Linux Kernel 3.4.6. The latest version of openSUSE supports Btrfs file system and includes firefox 14.1,GIMP 2.8 and Libreofffice 3.5.

--> From the release announcement : "Dear users, developers, and geekos around the world -- openSUSE 12.2 is ready for you! Two months of extra stabilization work have resulted into a stellar release, chock-full of goodies, yet stable as you all like it. The latest release of the world's most powerful and flexible Linux distribution brings you speed-ups across the board with a faster storage layer in Linux 3.4 and accelerated functions in glibc and Qt, giving a more fluid and responsive desktop. The infrastructure below openSUSE has evolved, bringing in mature new technologies like GRUB 2 and Plymouth and the first steps in the direction of a revised and simplified UNIX file system hierarchy. Users will also notice the added polish to existing features bringing an improved user experience all over." See the release announcement here

New features of openSUSE version 12.2

Linux kernel 3.4.6
KDE 4.8.4
GNOME 3.4.2
XFCE 4.10
Plymouth 0.8.6.1 boot splash animation
Btrfs filesystem
GRUB2
XOrg Server 1.12
Qt 4.8.1
LibreOffice 3.5
Mozilla Firefox 14.0.1

GCC 4.7.1
Google’s Go 1.0.2;
GIMP 2.8
Tomahawk Player
Download openSUSE version 12.2

openSUSE-12.2-KDE-LiveCD-i686.iso 

openSUSE-12.2-GNOME-LiveCD-i686.iso 

openSUSE-12.2-KDE-LiveCD-x86_64.iso 

openSUSE-12.2-GNOME-LiveCD-x86_64.iso

SolusOs 1.2 with Libreoffice 3.6 and Firefox 15

SolusOS 1.2 "Legacy" edition, a Debian-based desktop Linux distribution with GNOME 2, has been released recently.

--> Lets look at the release announcement: "The SolusOS team is pleased to announce the release of SolusOS 1.2 Legacy. This is a maintenance release for the Eveline 1.x series. You can now download for 32-bit PAE or non-PAE, or 64-bit computers. This legacy release brings support for users of older chipsets or problematic hardware (such as nForce, Broadcom, etc.). Brief overview of software versions: Firefox 15.0, Thunderbird 15.0, LibreOffice 3.6.0, Linux kernel 3.0, iptables 1.4.8, ufw 0.31.1, hplip 3.12, VLC 2.0.1, Pidgin 2.10, GNOME 2.30. Many new applications are available in the software repository."Full release announcement here.

What is solusOS?

SolusOS is a modern linux distribution made for both new old computers and is based on Debian Mammoth.It supports latest hardwares and comes with latest versions of apps.

New Features of SolusOS

• Linux kernel 3.0.0
• GNOME 2.30
• Mozilla Firefox 15.0
• Mozilla Thunderbird 15.0
• LibreOffice 3.6.0
• VLC Media Player 2.0.1
• Pidgin 2.10
• HPLIP 3.12
• iptables 1.4.8

System Requirements Solus 1.2

• Both PAE and non-PAE capable i686 CPU or 64-bit CPU
• 512 Mb RAM
• 3 GB of free hard drive space 

Download solusOS

SolusOS-x86-1-2-legacy.iso

SolusOS-amd64-1-2-legacy.iso