I am sure you have probably heard of this thing called "not windows", after all, why would you be reading this document?
Some of the most popular "not windows" (okay joke is done)free softwaresystems are based on this little thing called "Linux", and for the particularly deranged, one of the BSD projects (no kinkshaming here)
But isn't that fornerds?ewwww bleaugh, ihatenerds.
Not necessarily so. These systems have made grand strides over the years. I personally believe they can make a great alternative desktop for those bent on trying something new.
The purpose of this document is to informally introduce you to some potential options for incoming users. I will give a brief overview of the options presented. and Ultimately, letyoudecide what you use in the end of the day. That is, if you are willing to put up with my antics.
Well, this is a sort of loaded question. There are a plethora of reasons one may try out an alternative operating system. I'll try to highlight the big ones:
Honestly, it depends. I'll start by giving an overview of popular options and their derivatives and letyoudecide.
There are two big "Groups" of systems I will discuss here. Those being the many Linux distributions, and the *BSD projects.
Linux is by far, a very popular base for alternative desktops. But what even is it?
Linux is an operating system kernel started by finnish programmer, Linus Torvalds. What is a kernel? For your purposes, it doesn't really matter. But think of it as the heart of your system. Its the core clock that keeps your system clicking.
Linux has a very "freedom" focused development model. All users can see, edit, and modify the source code if they wish. But you certainly aren't a developer, so what gives? Well, I'll tell ya:
There are three major branches of distribution of Linux.
Remember how I said that Linux is a "kernel"? Yeah, that's not the full system. This is where "distributions" come in. Distributions provide a neatly packaged and pre-configured set of software that runs on top of the Linux kernel. This makes for a simpler set up instead of doing everything manually.
The three biggies I'll discuss here are as follows:
This branch is nicknamed the "granddaddy of all distributions". Its the oldest and most adapted base of Linux Distribution.
Debian strives on keeping things rock hard and stable. This comes at a cost of slightly older software, but damn it will work. and it will workvery damn well.
It also is by far the most popular for incoming users.
Of course, you can install Debian itself if you want. Its pretty nice. but there are options based on it that are popular as well.
If going this route,https://debian.org
Popular Linux distributions based on Debian:
Arch is probably the one you heard about the most. It's userslovetelling you about the fact that they use it.
Arch is considerably more difficult to set up, so fair warning. Itcanbe done, and it makes a very solid system when set up.
It's "Killer Feature" is the "AUR", or "Arch User Repository". This provides a online inventory of user-contributed software that isn't otherwise available. This gives much more flexibility in howyouwant to use the system, but this software can be of dubious quality, so tread lightly.
Arch is also "Bleeding edge". This means that you get the latest greatest software. This can lead to potentially breaking changes, and sometimes even instability.
If you wanna try out arch "as is" and go through the install manually, you can,https://archlinux.org
Some Popular Arch Based Distributions:
Redhat has a complex history. It became something called "Fedora Workstation". Lots of history why, but all you really need to know is that the most "vanilla" consumer Linux distribution based on Redhat is Fedora. There is also somthing called Redhat Enterprise Linux, but this is more geared towards corporate use, and frankly it's beyond the scope of this blog entry.
Fedora is known to incorporate newer standards, and be the flaming sword forward in the Linux ecosystem. Their changes can be radical but the ripple effect is well felt.
If you want a vanilla experience:https://tryfedora.org
Some popular Redhat-based systems:
First off, BSD isn't like Linux. Its a very historic operating system codebase dating all the way back to AT&T UNIX in the 1970s. Each of the BSD projects are derivatives of the original "BSD", and are also independently developed from one another. This means that just because something works on one of the BSD projects doesn't necessarily mean it will work the same way, or at all on another.
Each BSD is a fully complete working system out of the box. They aren't just distributed bits of software on top of the kernel, and as such they are more "Homgenous" in nature. This means that the main developer team can work on the core function of the system, and let users add on top what they want with something called the "ports" system.
Like Linux, all of the BSD Projects are fully open source. You can see, edit, and modify the code as you wish. Same benefits apply.
What the hell is ports? Okay, so you as a user may want to have some bit of software that isn't otherwise included in the base system out of the box. This is where ports come in. They let the user easily incorporate software on top of the base utilities and system. There are lots of software all ready made, set up, and waiting for you to install.
There are three major BSD projects, each with different uses and goals: FreeBSD, OpenBSD, & NetBSD.
The BSDs tend to be a bit more involved to set up for new users, comparable to Arch Linux, but can be really solid systems cos of their incredible stability and sheer simplistic nature.
FreeBSD is the most popular of the three BSD projects. It boasts the fastest speed of the three, and makes for a solid server or even desktop system.
It tends to get the biggest changes made in how things work. Of the BSD's it is comparable to Fedora Workstation in terms of use-case and goals
If you wanted to try FreeBSD, know its more involved to set up than these derivatives (similar to Arch Linux), but here:https://freebsd.org
Some popular noob-friendly FreeBSD-based systems:
OpenBSD is very popular among security nuts. It boasts some of the tightest security on a system, albeit with a slight hit in performance. I personally use it and really love it. But its incredibly minimal out of the box, and isn't super beginner friendly.
If you want to LARP (live action role play) as me, here:https://openbsd.org
If new to OpenBSD, there aren't as many big derivatives for new users, but I personally recommend FuguIta, which is a live OpenBSD system that can be ran from a USB drive. It has a nice deskop setup script that walks you through everything. Its a great experience, but it may still be a little scary for new users. Nonetheless, here:https://fuguita.org
NetBSD is the old curmudgeon of the three BSDs. It has incredible support for random hardware that nothing supports anymore. If a piece of hardware can boot an operating system, it can likely run NetBSD. It is the "Doom" of the free software world. So much so, that their motto is: "Of course it runs NetBSD".
NetBSD unfortunately isn't the most popular of the three BSD projects, and as a result, there really isn't a great "user friendly" derivative of it. Here's the website if still interested:https://netbsd.org
I hope this short guide was comprehensive enough to point you in the right direction. Cheers!