Updated Linux Distributions

SmartOS is an open-source UNIX-like operating system based on illumos, a community fork of OpenSolaris. It features four technologies - ZFS (a combined file system and logical volume manager), DTrace (a dynamic tracing framework for troubleshooting kernel and application problems), Zones (a lightweight virtualisation solution), KVM and bhyve (two full virtualisation solutions for running a variety of guest operating systems, including Linux, Windows, BSD and Plan9). SmartOS is designed to be particularly suitable for building clouds and generating appliances.

EasyOS is an experimental Linux distribution which uses many of the technologies and package formats pioneered by Puppy Linux. The distribution features custom container technology called Easy Containers which can run applications or the entire desktop environment in a container. Packages, desktop settings, networking and sharing resources over the network can all be controlled through graphical utilities.

Talos is a specialist Linux-based operating system for running Kubernetes, an open-source system for automating deployment, scaling and management of containerised applications. Minimal, immutable and hardened, it does not offer any shell or interactive console; instead, all system management is done via remote Application Programming Interface (API) calls, where messages sent from a client application are protected with mutual Transport Layer Security TLS (mTLS) authentication. Talos also delivers atomic updates, thus maintaining the Linux and Kubernetes versions up-to-date. Talos is developed in the USA by Sidero Labs, Inc.

TrueNAS CORE (previously known as FreeNAS) is a free and Open Source Network-Attached Storage (NAS) operating system that supports file, block and object storage. TrueNAS CORE is FreeBSD based and is a community-supported branch of the TrueNAS project, sponsored by iXsystems. It also has a commercial branch called TrueNAS Enterprise and a free and HyperConverged storage solution called TrueNAS SCALE. The TrueNAS SCALE branch is based on the Debian Linux distribution.

Unraid OS is a Linux-based commercial operating system designed to provide an easy-to-use and flexible platform for building and managing a Network-Attached Storage (NAS). Some of Unraid's main features include the ability to mix and match drives of different sizes, an easy-to-use web interface for managing storage, virtual machines and Docker containers, protection to safeguard against drive failures, ability to expand the storage by adding more drives.

CentOS as a group is a community of open source contributors and users which started in 2003 and has been sponsored by Red Hat since 2014. CentOS Linux versions up to CentOS Linux 8 are 100% compatible rebuilds of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, in full compliance with Red Hat's redistribution requirements. In 2020 it was announced CentOS Linux is being discontinued and replaced with CentOS Stream, a developer-focused distribution which acts as a middle-stream between Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

ReactOS is a free and open-source operating system based on the best design principles found in the Windows NT architecture. Written completely from scratch, ReactOS is not a Linux-based system and it shares none of the UNIX architecture. The main goal of the ReactOS project is to provide an operating system which is binary compatible with Windows. This will allow Windows applications and drivers to run as they would on a Windows system. Additionally, the look and feel of the Windows operating system is used, such that people accustomed to the familiar user interface of Windows would find using ReactOS straightforward. The ultimate goal of ReactOS is to allow people to use it as an alternative to Windows without the need to change software they are used to.

Equestria OS is a beginner-friendly Linux distribution based on Arch Linux and featuring the KDE Plasma desktop. Its main feature is a set of over 20 unique, built-in graphical utilities for effortless computer management, largely eliminating the need for use of the terminal emulator. The distribution comes with an integrated Proton engine, a Steam client compatibility tool that allows Windows-only games to run on Linux in secure, isolated sandboxes. It also includes a theme editor, as well as various smart tools for disk management, file relocation, and offline software installation. Equestria OS is designed primarily for gamers, digital artists and fandom fans.

Kader⁴² is an Arch-based Linux distribution featuring the KDE Plasma desktop. It is designed primarily for convertible laptops (the types that offer both laptop and tablet modes), with useful features such as display rotation, appropriate launchers and menus for notebook and tablet modes, pre-configured swipe gestures similar to those on Android or iOS, and on-screen keyboard in tablet mode working out of the box. The distribution ships with the Calamares system, LibreOffice office suite and a large number of popular productivity and multimedia applications.

NetBSD is a free, secure, and highly portable UNIX-like Open Source operating system available for many platforms, from 64-bit AlphaServers and desktop systems to handheld and embedded devices. Its clean design and advanced features make it excellent in both production and research environments, and it is user-supported with complete source. Many applications are easily available through The NetBSD Packages Collection.

SteamOS is an Arch-based Linux distribution developed by Valve Corporation, a US video game developer, publisher and digital distribution company. It comes with Steam, Valve's own video game store, and it is the default Linux distribution for Valve's line of gaming hardware, including the Steam Deck, Steam Machine and Steam Frame. The distribution also supports some third-party handheld devices, such as Lenovo Legion Go and ASUS ROG Ally, but it can also be installed on standard personal computers. SteamOS uses the KDE Plasma desktop as its default user interface.

Senpai Respins is a set of (principally) MX Linux respins with Cinnamon, GNOME, LXDE, LXQT, MATE and Moksha desktops and window managers, user interfaces that the upstream project does not offer. It also provides a respin of Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) with MATE, and MX Linux with the Parrot distribution installed on top of it. The MX Linux variants offer a choice between the systemd and SysV init systems. Other than integrating a new desktop into an existing distribution, Senpai brings very few other modifications, leaving the software composition and visual appearance of the upstream project intact.

Slimbook OS is an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution customised for the Slimbook line of Linux computers assembled in Spain. It offers a choice of GNOME or KDE Plasma desktops on a single ISO image which also includes some custom extensions and utilities. The distribution provides its own repositories for some software, prioritising DEB and Flatpak packages over Ubuntu's snap options. Some of the other interesting features of Slimbook OS include touchpad gestures (enabled by default), Slimbook service notifications, window tiling, the Terminator terminal emulator, a Ulauncher application for fast searching, and a day/night mode switcher.

deepin (formerly, Deepin, Linux Deepin, Hiweed GNU/Linux) is a Debian-based distribution (it was Ubuntu-based until version 15 released in late 2015) that aims to provide an elegant, user-friendly and reliable operating system. It does not only include the best the open source world has to offer, but it has also created its own desktop environment called DDE or Deepin Desktop Environment which is based on the Qt 5 toolkit. Deepin focuses much of its attention on intuitive design. Its home-grown applications, like Deepin Software Centre, DMusic and DPlayer are tailored to the average user. Being easy to install and use, deepin can be a good Windows alternative for office and home use.

KibaOS is a minimalist and lightweight desktop Linux distribution and live image based on Arch Linux and featuring a customised Budgie desktop. In its default state it contains a very limited set of applications. The distribution can be installed to a hard disk using the Calamares system installer. The goal of KibaOS is to provide a clean, modern and visually consistent out-of-the-box experience without requiring any post-install configuration.

Linux Q83 is a desktop Linux distribution based on Debian's "Stable" branch. Depending on the edition, it comes either with the Cinnamon desktop environment (a fork of GNOME created by Linux Mint), or COSMIC (a modern graphical desktop interface written in the Rust programming language, developed by System76). The distribution is available for Raspberry Pi and Radxa Orion O6 single-board computers, as well as standard desktops and workstations. Linux Q83 also comes with its own lightweight and resource-efficient web browser called W3.

Ezarcher is a set of Arch-based live Linux distribution with a number of popular desktops, including Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXQt, MATE and Xfce. All desktop environments are provided in their default upstream state, without any customisations. The distribution can be installed to a hard disk using either the text-mode "archinstall" method or the graphical Calamares system installer. Unlike Arch Linux which generally deploys the latest stable kernel, Ezarcher runs exclusively on the long-term supported variant of the Linux kernel. Besides the distribution, the project also offers build templates to guide users to customise and re-build their own live medium with one of the desktop environments on offer.

CalamaroOS is a Gentoo-based Linux distribution for the desktop, using either KDE Plasma or Xfce desktop environment. It features the Calamares system installer, out-of-the-box support for Flatpak packages, support for BTRFS, XFS and F2FS filesystems, and the systemd software suite for system and service management. The project's goal is to bring the power of Gentoo Linux to an average user by eliminating the complex and time-consuming process associated with the classic Gentoo install method.

Bluestar Linux is a GNU/Linux distribution that is based on Arch Linux. The Bluestar distribution features up to date packages, a full range of desktop and multimedia software in the default installation and a live desktop DVD.

Soplos Linux is a set of desktop-oriented Linux distributions based on Debian's "Testing" featuring several popular desktop environments. It offers rolling updates, up-to-date software, a relatively lightweight and customisable desktop, compatibility with older hardware, and various speed and performance optimisation features. The distribution ships with a number of custom applications, such as Soplos Theme Manager, Soplos Plymouth Manager, Soplos Docklike (for adding and removing applications in the dock) and Soplos GRUB Editor.