Updated Linux Distributions

ArchEZ (formerly ZestISO) is a rolling-release desktop Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. It comes in three editions, with the "KDE Gaming" variant designed for modern computers and with gaming and multimedia software as well as HDR (High Dynamic Range) video support included, while "Xfce" and "IceWM" are lightweight options designed for older systems. The "KDE Gaming" flavour also provides the Wine compatibility layer for running some Windows games and programs and offers support for Microsoft's NTFS volumes. ArchEZ uses its own graphical installation wizard called "ArchEZ Installer".

extrox is a set of Linux distributions based either on MX Linux or Arch Linux, featuring custom art and theme, careful application selection, various user-friendly improvements, and an audio filter (developed in-house) for enhanced sound quality in music playback and streaming. The distribution uses the Xfce desktop with the Compiz compositing window manager.

AgarimOS is a desktop Linux distribution based on Void. It comes in several popular desktop flavours, including Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXQt, MATE and Xfce, all with a limited set of applications in their default states. Like its parent, AgarimOS does not use the systemd service manager, relying instead on the runit init scheme. It employs the XBPS package management system, together with a graphical front-end called OctoXBPS. The distribution also includes various optimisations, custom themes and some interesting software selection, such as the WezTerm terminal emulator, the Neofetch system information utility, the hBlock ad blocker, and the aria2 download tool.

AbeirOS is a Void-based Linux distribution featuring a vanilla KDE Plasma desktop. Its main feature is the use of the musl C library (instead of GNU's glibc library used by most Linux distributions), considered a lightweight and efficient alternative to glibc but with some compatibility challenges, more suitable for containers and embedded systems. Other than that, AbeirOS is a standard Void with the XBPS package manager and runit init system.

AfagOS, a sister project of AgarimOS, is a Void-based Linux distribution featuring a vanilla KDE Plasma desktop. Like all distributions based on Void, it uses the XBPS package manager with the OctoXBPS graphical frontend and the Topgrade meta-updater. The distribution is free of systemd, using the runit init system instead.

Dr.Parted Live is a bootable GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian's "Testing" branch. It is a live image featuring a lightweight Openbox window manager and useful applications for disc partitioning as well as data backup, restore and recovery.

Kiro is a desktop Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. It pairs a curated Arch Linux base with the nemesis_repo (a repository of pre-built packages), the Calamares system installer, and ArchLinux Tweak Tool for post-install configuration. At the live system's login screen, Kiro offers a choice between the Xfce desktop environment and ohmychadwm window manager (Kiro's own tiling window manager, a fork of dwm). Once installed, it provides support for a number of popular desktop environments and window managers, all installable from ArchLinux Tweak Tool. Kiro follows Arch's rolling-release model and targets 64-bit (x86_64) systems.

Voyager Live is an Xubuntu-based distribution and live DVD showcasing the Xfce desktop environment. Its features include the Avant Window Navigator or AWN (a dock-like navigation bar), Conky (a program which displays useful information on the desktop), and over 300 photographs and animations that can be used as desktop backgrounds. The project also develops several other editions of Voyager Live - a "GE" edition with GNOME Shell, a "GS" variant for Gamers, and a separately-maintained flavour based on Debian's "stable" branch.

Network Security Toolkit (NST) is a bootable live disc based on the Fedora distribution. The toolkit was designed to provide easy access to best-of-breed open source network security applications and should run on most x86 platforms. The main intent of developing this toolkit was to provide the network security administrator with a comprehensive set of open source network security tools. What we find rather fascinating with NST is that we can transform most x86_64 systems into a system designed for network traffic analysis, intrusion detection, network packet generation, wireless network monitoring, a virtual system service server, or a sophisticated network/host scanner.

CookieOS is a desktop Linux distribution based on Debian's "Stable" branch. The project provides a small live image that boots into a minimalist Xfce desktop and starts the Calamares system installer. On first boot after installation, the CookieOS Welcome wizard offers the user to select a desktop environment (Cinnamon, GNOME, KDE Plasma, MATE and Xfce), web browser (Chrome, Firefox, LibreWolf) and other applications for online installation. The distribution also integrates various custom utilities with self-explanatory names, such as CookieOS Customizer, CookieOS Updater and CookieOS Package Manager.

AV Linux is a versatile, Debian-based distribution featuring a large collection of audio and video production software. Additionally, it also includes a custom kernel with IRQ threading enabled for low-latency audio performance. AV Linux can be run directly from a live DVD or a live USB storage device, though it can also be installed on a hard disk and used as a general-purpose operating system for everyday tasks.

FreeBSD is a UNIX-like operating system for the i386, amd64, IA-64, arm, MIPS, powerpc, ppc64, PC-98 and UltraSPARC platforms based on U.C. Berkeley's "4.4BSD-Lite" release, with some "4.4BSD-Lite2" enhancements. It is also based indirectly on William Jolitz's port of U.C. Berkeley's "Net/2" to the i386, known as "386BSD", though very little of the 386BSD code remains. FreeBSD is used by companies, Internet Service Providers, researchers, computer professionals, students and home users all over the world in their work, education and recreation. FreeBSD comes with over 20,000 packages (pre-compiled software that is bundled for easy installation), covering a wide range of areas: from server software, databases and web servers, to desktop software, games, web browsers and business software - all free and easy to install.

NixOS is an independently developed GNU/Linux distribution that aims to improve the state of the art in system configuration management. In NixOS, the entire operating system, including the kernel, applications, system packages and configuration files, are built by the Nix package manager. Nix stores all packages in isolation from each other; as a result there are no /bin, /sbin, /lib or /usr directories and all packages are kept in /nix/store instead. Other innovative features of NixOS include reliable upgrades, rollbacks, reproducible system configurations, source-based model with binaries, and multi-user package management. Although NixOS started as a research project, it is now a functional and usable operating system that includes hardware detection, KDE as the default desktop, and systemd for managing system services.

Linux Lite is a beginner-friendly Linux distribution based on Ubuntu's long-term support (LTS) release and featuring the Xfce desktop. Linux Lite primarily targets Windows users. It aims to provide a complete set of applications to assist users with their everyday computing needs, including a full office suite, media players and other essential daily software.

openKylin is a Chinese desktop Linux distribution which runs the Kylin and UKUI desktop environments. Both Wayland and X11 sessions are available out of the box. The project is a member of the Debian family and can use APT package management tools. It also features a custom package format which is combined with a software centre. openKylin is also a proving ground for custom utilities which assist the user in managing the operating system.

Oreon is a desktop-oriented live Linux distribution based on AlmaLinux, attempting to combine the stability and security of an enterprise Linux distribution with user-friendly features for desktop and laptop users. Its main features include GNOME desktop with a custom Oreon theme, ten years of support, and access to thousands of packages from AlmaLinux and Oreon-specific repositories.

Xubuntu is a community-developed operating system based on Ubuntu. It comes with Xfce, which is a stable, light and configurable desktop environment.

Ubuntu Unity is a flavour of Ubuntu featuring the Unity desktop environment (the default desktop environment developed and used by Ubuntu from 2010 to 2017). Unity debuted in the netbook edition of Ubuntu 10.10; it was initially designed to make more efficient use of space given the limited screen size of netbooks, including a vertical application switcher called "the launcher" and a space-saving horizontal multipurpose top menu bar. Ubuntu switched from Unity to GNOME in 2017, but the desktop was resurrected again as an unofficial "Ubuntu Unity Remix" in 2020. It became an official flavour of Ubuntu during the development cycle of Ubuntu 22.10 in 2022.

An official variant of Ubuntu, Ubuntu Studio is a Linux-based operating system for creative individuals in the areas of audio production, video production, graphics design, photography and desktop publishing. It makes professional audio accessible on Linux; it uses the JACK sound server and a kernel built with a low-latency patch. Up until version 20.10 Ubuntu Studio shipped with the Xfce desktop environment, but this was replaced by KDE Plasma in October 2020.

Ubuntu Kylin is an official Ubuntu flavour whose primary goal is to create a variant of Ubuntu optimised for Chinese users (using the Simplified Chinese writing system), although it also supports other languages. The default desktop is called UKUI (Universal Kylin User Interface) which is based on MATE desktop and is developed with the Qt toolkit. UKUI strives to adhere to the friendly-and-simple design concept. The distribution also includes more than 20 applications developed in-house, including Kylin Assistant, Kylin Video, Kylin Screenshots and Software Center.