Manjaro

Manjaro

Manjaro is a user friendly Arch based Linux distribution that offers a simplified installation process, rolling release model and access to the Arch User Repository (AUR). I do not like its dependency checking when a new applications are installed. It takes lot of Internet time installing applications and with a slow Internet speed, it just hangs up. It supports multiple desktop environments, including Xfce, KDE, and Gnome. There are lot of Arch based Linux distributions with missing components that include a functional desktop environment when booted first time round and on this regard Manjaro is the one                    I recommend in spite of internal disputes that delays its release cycle.

It’s image size is 3.5GB.

Manjaro comes with both a CLI and a graphical installer. The rolling release model means that users do not need to upgrade/reinstall the whole system to keep it all up to date inline with the latest release. Package management is handled by Pacman via both the terminal command line and via front end GUI package manager tools like the pre-installed Pamac. It can be configured as either a stable default system or bleeding edge rolling installation, in line with Arch.

Xmond Tiling Manager

 Xmond Tiling Manager

There are tons of Window Managers and very few are actively developed. They are mostly about how to manipulate and navigate windows and only a part of the whole system.

The total system has 3 components.

1. Kernel which deals with the O.E.M stuff and that is where Linux Torvalds makes decision which hardware to  include and which not to.

2. Second part is the graphical output called Window Managers big and small.

3. Third is the browser to survey the web.

Good example is Google and Google operates with these items.

Apple Mac is similar but more of Unix base.

They are only two corporations and to that one can add Redhat and Suse.

Whereas, Linux community is huge and number of Linux distributions stand up to 1000 but only a few are actively developed.

As to the Coding from tiny Editors to Vi to Emac to huge Gambas (visual basic like) are basically for dumb terminals with only  keyboard input support and minimal video outputs.

They were not all free but with Linux entry they were released under G.P.L license over time from 1980s.

Richard Stallman stand tall to open up the flood gate but he did not have system to port and Linus Torvald did the honours. 

Two together are colossal figures in Free Software Foundation.

Xmonad is not a Window Manager as stated in the WiKipedia. 

It is probably a Terminal Emulator for guys and girls working on a blind terminals and not on a Laptops.

It is minimal and it has many restrictions including not being able to configure even the mouse.

I do not use key board shortcut except Ctrl + Alt and backspace + F1 or F2

Any Linux Operating System that cannot make full use of the keyboard and Function Keys is not worth trying.

By the way, I hate Windows Key now named Super Key and I even hate its Logo.

If you a Laptop guy please use i3 Window Manager, it even integrates with my Variety desktop effects. 

Variety is dangerous if you allow it to be connected to the Free Internet and it brought in a virus attached to one of its images. 

There is i3 based distribution called Pueu at FOSS.

Luckily Google informed me (Thank YOU Google).

Working on a blind terminal leads one to become stressed and depressed like Winter blues, I am telling You as fully retired medical man now medically defunct.

Take a little break and go to the gymnasium. 

I do not watch Olympics but cheer only Australians and what the point of sports when Russia is discriminated.

Sportsmen and women should learn to respect other cultures and languages without that attitude Olympics is a Dead Sport. 

I hope I can live up to next Olympics to be held in Australia and by then, I will be working hard to get Russians in the Olympics.

Biden and Democrats will be gone by then and Donald Trump should start with sporting diplomacy and then he would be remembered for a long time (that feature and effort).

War will end with Russia demolishing Zelensky, if not Ukraine. 

Sorry for being bit political for the sake of Sports.

 

Little Neapolitan is a nutty guy and he does not know how to hoist even the Olympic Flag!

Xmond Tiling Manager

Xmonad is a dynamic window manager (tiling) for the X Window System, noted for being written in the functional programming language Haskell.

Window Tiling manager

Begun in March 2007, version 0.1 was announced in April 2007 as 500 lines of Haskell (which have since grown to 2000 lines). 

xmonad is not a tiling window manager—akin to dwm, larswm,and StumpWM.

It arranges windows in a non-overlapping pattern,and enables managing windows without using the mouse.

xmonad is packaged and distributed on a wide range of Unix like operating systems, such as a large number of Linux distributions and Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD)systems.

While originally a clone of dwm (derivative in areas such as default keybindings), xmonad now supports features not available to dwm users such as per-workspace layout, tiling reflection, state preservation, layout mirroring,

GNOME support and per-screen status bars; it can be customised by modifying an external configuration file and 'reloaded' while running. 

Xmonad features have begun to influence other tiling window managers: dwm has borrowed "urgency hooks" from xmonad, has also included Xinerama support (for multihead displays) with release 4.8 and patches exist to reimplement xmonad's Fibonacci layout.

Haskell Project

By utilising the expressivity of a modern functional language with a rich static type system, xmonad provides a complete, featureful window manager, with an emphasis on correctness and robustness. 

Internal properties of the window manager are checked using a combination of static guarantees provided by the type system, and type-based automated testing. 

A benefit of this is that the code is simple to understand, and easy to modify.

Since xmonad's inception, when its small code size of 500 lines of code was advertised, it has now grown to 2000 lines in 2023.

Extensions to the core system, including emulation of other window managers and unusual layout algorithms, such as window tiling based on the Fibonacci spiral—have been implemented by the active community and are available as a library.

Along with obviating the need for a mouse, the xmonad developers make heavy use of semi-formal methods and program derivation for improving reliability and enabling a total line of code count less than 1200, as of version 0.7; window manager properties (such as the behavior of window focus) are checked through use of QuickCheck. 

This emphasis makes xmonad unusual in a number of ways; besides being the first window manager written in Haskell, it is also the first to use the zipper data structure for automatically managing focus, and its core has been proven to be safe with respect to pattern matches, contributing further to reliability.

The developers write: 

Xmonad is a tiling window manager for the X Window system, implemented, configured and dynamically extensible in Haskell. This demonstration presents the case that software dominated by side effects can be developed with the precision and efficiency we expect from Haskell by utilising purely functional data structures, an expressive type system, extended static checking and property based testing. In addition, we describe the use of Haskell as an application configuration and extension language.

The code is separated into side effect free code, and a thin wrapper for the side-effects. 

According to Alejandro Serrano Mena, there are two ways of implementing domain-specific languages for actions in Haskell applications and libraries: "developing a combinator library" or "rolling your own monad", with xmonad being a successful example of the latter. xmonad was regarded as one of the most well known Haskell projects in a 2013 functional programming book.

Reception

Linux Magazine included xmonad in a list of "My Top Resources of 2009". In 2012, How-To Geek described xmonad as having good, but complex, ability to be configured and it was included in a 2013 list of eight desktop environments for Linux. Lifehacker wrote that the basic operations of xmonad's user interface can be taught using a small set of instructions. A high level of customisation and speed were noted by Network World and in MakeUseOf xmonad was reviewed positively compared to Openbox.

In 2016 Ars Technica said xmonad and Awesome had more advanced tiling ability than Cinnamon. In 2017 it was described as powerful, with application as a windows manager for big data, while in an article on opensource.com on the other hand, dwm was chosen over xmonad. A TechRadar review of the "Best Linux desktop of 2018" said "If there's one desktop environment that stands out from all the others we have here, it's this one."

Due to the small number of lines of code of the Xmonad application, the use of the purely functional programming language Haskell, and recorded use of a rigorous testing procedure it is sometimes used as a baseline application in other research projects. This has included re-implementation of xmonad using the Coq proof assistant a determination xmonad is an imperative program and studies of package management relating to the NixOS linux distribution.

DEKUVE Linux

 DEKUVE is a Linux distribution based on Debian. 

The free and secure operating system will appeal to even the most demanding user. 

DEKUVE Colors combines a brand new and elegant design with beloved layout, stability and many useful apps and features.

This not true no application at all on first boot.

I think it not a  free operating system but developed in Ukraine probably helped by America to undermine Russia and it is NOT designed for everyone. 

It could be a derivative of LPS.

These are my gut felling and I will never use it a daily driver.

Why there is belena-etcher in this distribution?

1. Name itself is like spy code.

2. Its is a mobile distribution and only has WiFi utility.

Why?

3. This is what the guys behind the battle line could communicate with its company and the master in America.

4. America does not want boots on the ground but they want spyware to mange the UN troops.  

5. Yes it not a community based distribution but company in battle can use.

6. It is by the way, available in FOSS.

7. Beware, good things can be used for bad things. It has happened in the past.

Actually I want ot spend some time on XMonda tiling window manger for my book.

8. DEKUVE won't be included in my book and I am against any war on this planet..

Vanilla OS

Vanilla OS stable, named Orchid is not live and only for istall. I had a very poor opinion when I tested it last. Lack of live session take the fun out of any Linux user, new or old. I would stick to my earlier remarks and I do not recommend immutable Linux distributions at all.

One is at his or her own risk, if installation action is pursued. 

I leave it at that.

GeeBox-2019

 GeeBox-2019

I was looking for a way to boot KODI on a Live USB and found a way.

GeeBox actually mount KODI.

Just download GeeBox iso and write it on a USB.

Unlike Volumio which is a commercial entity, GeeBox is free and Open Source.

I hope developers should do some updating of GeeBox with the new Debian kernel.

I could not boot it having written it to a USB. That means it is for old computers.

In 2019 it was Debian 10.

While I was searching for GeeBox I downloaded Gnome of the past  from Debian 9, 10 and 11.

My best Gnome is Debian 11 Gnome.

By the way, I downloaded old copy of Windows 7 and wrote it on a USB but did not boot. On Box Utiltiy WIN 7 goes into Freeze Mode.

 

Variety Utility of Gnome

 Variety Utility of Gnome is infected with a Virus that comes with its clock utility.

Google informed me and I am removing all instances of Variety.

My impact on L.P.S- Light Weight Portable Security

My impact on L.P.S- Light Weight Portable Security
 

My impact on L.P.S- Light Weight Portable Security was devastating and it has never recovered and gone dormant.

LPS-Public has been downloaded 17,467 times so far!
 

LPS (Lightweight Portable Security) is an open source distribution of Linux that provides users with a thin client designed to run directly from a portable device and not to expose your private data and credentials to anyone.
It has been created by the US Air Force Research Laboratory, as part of their Software Protection Initiative project, and can be used for PIV (Personal Identity Verification) or CAC (Common Access Card) restricted government websites.
 

Distributed as Live CDs in multiple editions
The operating system is distributed as three Live CDs, LPS Public, LPS Public Deluxe, and LPS Remote Access. 

They can be easily deployed to USB flash drives using the UNetbootin application, or written to blank CDs using any CD/DVD burning software.
The first two are available to the general public, but the third one has been specifically designed to be used by the United States Department of Defense (DoD), as well as various other US federal government agencies.
While LPS Public is the smaller one and includes a minimal set of packages, LPS Public Deluxe comes with a bigger collection of applications and utilities. 

They are both engineered to allow productive use of the Internet.
 

Trusted End Node Security (TENS), previously called Lightweight Portable Security (LPS), is a Linux-based live CD with a goal of allowing users to work on a computer without the risk of exposing their credentials and private data to malware, key loggers and other Internet-era ills. It includes a minimal set of applications and utilities, such as the Firefox web browser or an encryption wizard for encrypting and decrypting personal files. The live CD is a product produced by the United States of America's Department of Defense and is part of that organization's Software Protection Initiative.

Update
I have now tested L.P.S and it is below par in every respect except the size which is small enough to fit into a Mini CD.
Having said that it detected all my hardware and it looks like it has taken Redhat (at least the GTK and the toolkit) toolkit as the base by looking at its squarish graphic outputs.
I am not going to detail all the pitfalls but warn newbies not to use it and go for Peppermint which is good for you guys and girls.
Even Peppermint gets 750 out of my 1000 points which is being revised by me recently.
I am not going to state how much it gets from my scale of points, fearing, few of the developers might get heart attacks.
Any distribution without Muliti-Language capability gets minus 250 and only Debian and Fedora gets about 200 points, for that feature.
 

LPS is only in English and No Sinhala means, it as discriminating small guys in smaller countries which is against UNO charter.
 

Only Debian supports Sinhala as a living language and Fedora also does a reasonable job in that respect but because of its rapid change (including partition type) I cannot recommend Fedora, too.
 

As for my final comment for LPS anybody including a newbie who uses root permission at lib is naked enough to be insane in a Linux community.
 

And rooting naked is not in anyway a gamesmanship.
 

So if you want to be naked or insane use LPS at lib.

Otherwise I have listed SliTaz which is 34 MB and 4MLinux which is 50MB (4Ms stands for Mini Server, Multimedia, Maintenance (security), Miracle-games) in this blog site recently, would fit in your Mini CD.
LPS cannot match these two and has a big security hole to plug.
If you are like me download and use it for irrational fun.
 

Happy Independence day to all Americans and would be (aspiring) Americans!

Light Weight Portable, (Private) and Secure or is it?

It looks like American Defense Industry is doing catching up service (activity).

It is 20 years too late of course with Linux.
 

Sometime Americans let me laugh at myself.
I am not anti-american (there is no word called antiamerican in the American Dictionary, unfortunately) in philosophy but in ideology.

My theme is small is beautiful.
 

The American ideology is bigger the best.

The Thinking Big is IBM philosophy.
 

In other words, the richer an American becomes better is for the world.
The American dream is to become rich from cradle to the grave, even if you are not a politician.
Our dream is to let only politicians become rich by default especially if they administer cricket.
My theme is "become rich just enough to become small in thinking of becoming big but big in thinking to be sustainable and not become a big White (Black or Yellow or Brown) Pest in this world which cannot afford to sustain anymore of them with scarce resources.
I like one American Philosophy and that is to be liberal in thinking not aristocratic or regimented like in a orthodox religion.

Become a free thinker and an open inquirer in other words "Kalam Sutta of Buddha".

The WiKiLeakes has done enough damage to American esteem and reputation and they are adopting some of my Linux strategy in practice.
 

United States of America's Department of Defense has produced a Linux Live CD for public use probably for Americans abroad and would be non-american spies in the Middle East (Not necessary in Ceylon, we do not have secrets that Americans do not know except the last two days of our departure or radio silence when most essential silence was maintained by the defense establishment which American have to come here and learn from our Big Ball Boys of Cricket-how to land a carom ball or a googly at will- we never tell English boys how much Mahela is going to score in the next match or the World Cup final).

Ceylon is the only country in this world where Americans do not need to have any secret spies and our defense secretary is American by registration and does not trust Americans a wee bit but our mothers would be when pregnant, do not say Baby going to London town but My Baby is going to New York or Washington or Chicago is the current theme and from mothers to fathers to babies will give American embassy their money to spy on our mother Lanka.
It is amazing to see they are stealing my original Ceylonese ideas and I feel bit flushed and bit redundant in thinking now.

1. Number one is I promote Light Weight (Bonobo type of Linux distributions-Slit is only 30 MiB) distributions in Linux, including Puppy is my favorite.
 

2. Number two of my dream ideas is to make all distribution Public including Microsoft and Apple which are all American Creations with serious bugs when WiKILeaks used them to exposed American wits.
In other words American inventions are the most reliable security lapses that we can exploit to get American secrets.

3. For security I say go for Linux and the Americans have turned to Linux for safety and security but leaving daring loop holes in executing them.
Having said that they are new to Linux and one never uses root permission (only when one roots on top of a problem or underdog) to boot but their Live CD is already booted and rooted all the time like American based French IMF guys.
Another alarming feature is hashed passwords are stored in the would be-readable /etc/passwd file, that can be cracked.
The funniest part and which I laugh at length is they are promoting my Anti-Microsft stance from the DoD (Department of Defense) which accepts Microsoft as the Biggest American Love and Liability.
Another great idea is to use Flash which recently had breached security through Firefox browser.
These Americans in the Defense Department got them all wrong and Linus Torvalds must be laughing nonstop like over nonstop singers and dancers.
American please use this distribution at your own liberty and risk but non-americans beware that this must be another ploy to make some unrest in the Middle East which they are fast losing ground.
I am downloading it and it will be very elaborate when I give my next comment.
If you need more details please visit www.distrowatch.com weekly review but their description lacks funny tone coming from America.
American do not know how to laugh at themselves and DoD has given them a big opportunity.
Use that opportunity to laugh and there is freedom at your disposal to laugh at self, Linux-wise, which is a healthy habit.
I do not know what their future plans are but project without a vision or fun won't last long.
But I will be very nosy in any case when an update comes with bug fixes.

Steam OS

 I found a copy of the Steam Iso and want to see it boots. It has to be Installed and takes over the disk just like Endless OS. I would try it on Box Utility.

SteamOS

The last version | Released: 2.195 | July 17, 2019

SteamOS – a Linux distribution developed by the Valve Corporation, an American company, specializing in creating computer games.

The system is based on the Debian stable branch and provides two default profiles:
– GNOME desktop containing basic programs from this environment
– Big Picture – full screen mode

SteamOS additionally includes proprietary drivers and a newer LTS Extended Support Kernel.
The system is mainly designed to work with the Steam platform and run games available on Steam.
A desktop profile based on the GNOME desktop and Debian repositories allow the installation of additional programs and their operation on the system.

The underlying system is open source, but the Steam client is closed (proprietary) software.
SteamOS is available for 64-bit machines equipped with a motherboard with UEFI.

From January 21, 2014 the SteamOS has been released for older 64-bit machines running with BIOS. 

Big Linux

 I am interested in distributions using Light Weight Window mangers like, Enlightenment, Window Manager, Wm3 an i3 etc;

Big Linux – a Brazilian Linux live CD with support for hard disk install and localized into Brazilian Portuguese. Big Linux was based on Kurumin, Knoppix, Kanotix, and the latest version on Kubuntu.

The project started in 2001 by Bruno Gonçalves.
In 2004 the creator and maintainer of BigLinux used Kurumin distribution as a base to the Big Linux.

Big Linux 2.x series offered 4 desktops environments: 

Gnome, 

KDE, 

 IceWM and 

Fluxbox, in addition to a large amount of games and programs, but the main highlight was availability of 3D simulation features for KDE and Gnome environments. It was the first distribution which offered 3D effects on a single CD (?).

Big Linux 3 series was more focused on stability and ease of updating; with that released only two desktops were available. It also reduced the number of programs available on CD. The 3 version was using packages from Debian and Ubuntu.

The first stable version of 4.x was released in August 2008.

Starting form version 11.10, the distribution was based on Kubuntu.

The latest version of Big Linux is 12.04; after that, the project changed its name to Kaiana.

As of August 2019, BigLinux 19.04 released with KDE Plasma and LXQt desktop environments as default. 

Volumio-3.703-2024

Current one I downloaded as a zip torrent which is under 1GB. It expands up img and not Iso which can be written into a USB stick. It fills the Stick with EXT4 file system and boots effortlessly. It does not say whether it is version 4 or not image is numbered as Voumio-3.795-2025-02-27

This is a commercial product like DaVinci Resolve

Please visit its home page.

Volumio-3.703-2024

One good point is, even though it is 4GB image, it uses the rest of  USB stick for data storage.

This is something Linux developer should include by default in Live USB install. 

Of course, Puppy Linux perfected the ability to populate the entire USB many years ago when the market was empty of storage options, other than USBs

I am referring to SSDs which came to the market pretty late.

Knoppix Linux now gone defunct had a script to extend (it has its own partition type) the persistent storage one needs and even leaving space for NTFS partition

This is an iso Image of of 4GB of an Audio Output Program.

This is an open source Music Player one can carry in a USB Stick or SD Card on a cellphone.

My NUC has no Audio input and output ports and I have to stick a USB Media Player (I have one) the for input of ear phone jacks, to listen to any Audio. 

I do not like to stick a pair of ear phones except when traveling by air.

So its performance was not tested, but I will certainly carry it in my pocket with  Batocera and Chimera Game USBs.

My challenge for  Linux developers is to make a Similar Utility of Video Player, like KODI (it can be installed on hard disk), OBS Studio and more importantly Kdenlive to be carried in a USB stick and play it on the go.

USB sticks are ubiquitous now on this planet.

One has to write a small script like Linux MultiSystem USB.

That is all but it has to be an Iso Image.

Gentoo-2024-07-21

Gentoo-2024-07-21

After a very long lapse Gentoo has released two Iso Images one minimal and one comprehensive for several platforms including amd64.

It ran smoothly on BOX utility and I am going to write it to a USB.

It is KDE Desktop with all included except the application store. I am glad they have chosen KDE and not Gnome since there would be certain compatibility issues with Gnome to begin with.

One should use the comprehensive image for the sake of out of the box experience.

If one wants to learn Arch protocols then try to Install it from smaller image.

Torrent file has no seeders and I got the image by direct download and it is 3.6GB in size.

Yes, this KDE desktop is pretty good and I cannot find anything wrong with this distributions.

The reason being, the developer community did not go or bound by a time frame to deliver it.

They delivered it when it was really ready. 

There may be a few bugs here and there but that is not something one has to worry about.

I think Gentoo Community probably applied Total Quality Management (TQM) principles in it.

What is really good about Gentoo, is first thing they promote is not the distributions but the handbook they have published.

Good on them.

I always find some faults on any distribution hurriedly delivered.

That is why this blog site exits.

Constructive criticism not anything else.

I want Linux to succeed and and take a 10% market share. 

I think Gentoo is delivering the gods and one who uses would not go for another distribution.

I am predicting that Gentoo will automatically take the place of Manjaro where there is infighting of developers.

By the way, even though, I uninstalled Budgie Desktop it has left some soothing wallpapers for me to enjoy.

Thank you Budgie Guys and Girls.

Thank you Gentoo Guys and Girls.

I am hooked to Netrunner Linux due to its cool effects on the desktop. Had Gentoo came earlier than Netrunner I would have embraced it. 

I think Gentoo has thought about the Laptop users.

DPupbuster-64 bit Debain Based Puppy Linux

 DPupbuster-64 bit 2020 Versions is good Debian Based Puppy Linux distribution.

It has Seamonkey browser which I was very familiar with. It It use Window Manager Desktop.

It has its own package manger probably based on Debian

ChaletOS

 ChaletOS

ChaletOs is light a weight Linux distribution with comes with Play on Linux.

In that sense it is a Gamer Linux.

Live session boots up quickly and it has Firefox, VLC, Audacious and Brasero.

KaOS

KaOS

KaOS is a Arch based KDE desktop Operating System which is neat and sleek.

Unlike other KDE based operating systems it has a software repository called Octopi.

It has qt 5 an qt6 tool kits for both Plasma 5 and Plama 6 architecture.

Plasm is marching forward agressively, if you a KDE fan try this distribution but be aware of the Arch nuances.

Arch has more users (probably already conversant with Linux Philosophy) than Debian due to its rolling release protocol.

Me being an old timer and an addict of Gnome would not install KDE operating system except Netrunner which I am very comfortable from 32 bit time. Netrunner integrate seamlesly with Gnome utilties.

My plan is install netrunner and then on top of that install Gnome using Synaptic Package Manager. In distribution that does not have Synaptic i do not use including Ubuntu Dektop but Ubuntu Cinnamon has synaptic.

I have not trie Ubuntu Budgie.

On the Subject of Small Linux

There are two Linux distributions (apart from host of Puppy Linux derivatives)  which I have tested which foot the bill.

One is 4M Linux which has its own unique features.

Image size is 1.3GB

The other which I tested few minutes ago is Refracta Linux. Image size is 1.6GB and it is based on Xfce.

Strangely enough it has AbiWord which is my favorite.

Good luck to Refracta Linux.

Star Linux of Arch is a Monster BUT

Star Linux of Arch is a Monster BUT it cannot configure WiFi or log out of a live session.

This is the very reason I ask the newbies not to try Arch at all. It makes simple things very arduous. They say a professor cannot cross a bridge in our venal language.

My motto is small is beautiful!

In other words, small and functional.

Big (bloat) and dysfunctional belong to Americans.

That is why I carry Puppy Linux in a USB around my neck when I travel abroad.

I prefer Puppy.

Fossa Pup-2020 is much better is a DebainDog distribution.

On that note of WiFi connection Ubuntu is the best in town only second to Puppy Linux.

On that subject of Big Linux, I was trying to download Big Linux (dysfunctional from 2012) Archive Linux and I could not.

FossaDog-2020-64-bit-UEFI

FossaDog-2020-64-bit-UEFI

If one wants to test an old Puppy Linux derivative which is 64 bit compatible this is one one should try.

It is available at the archives. 

This is the Ubuntu version and it configures the WiFi whereas the BusterPup does not. 

I have used Linux MultiSystem Boot utility to install multiple 64 and 32 bit Puppies in 8GB USB.

Garuda Linux

I wanted to install Garuda Linux but failed.

It is a Arch based distribution and WiFi, Installation and partititoning was not to my safisfction.

Just to test Game compatibilty but I won't try it again.

Redhat Nobara Installation

Redhat Nobara Installation

There was no problem with WiFi and Installation but installation was painfully slow.

I decided to change Ext4 partitions, three in number to btrfs file system.This was just to make sure nothing of the openSuse Tumblewwed remain as ghost partitions.

But it ruined the GRUB boot loader. At least openSuse did not disrupt my booting sequence.

I am installing Debian Gnome again.

This will end my testing of Linux.

At least I do not make my opinions on Virtual Machine.

openSuse Tumbleweed Installation

openSuse Tumbleweed Installation was a disaster.

Except for WiFi configuration, the installation, selection of partitions, installation of software protocols were cumbersome.

I had to click Yast and figure out  how to install software.

Abiword, Anglefish browser and Frozen Bubble took almost 45 minutes to install.

Each package is downloaded one at a time as rpm package and then the dependencies were checked. 

Before that software repository had to be configured.

Everything was slow.

Games selection is no more better than what Gnome has.

I installed Gnome but it seems to prefer KDE with all the attendant problems.

I am going to try Redhat Nobara but it ruined the boot record.

I installed Gnome and back again the GRUB has come to live.

Need to install my favorites.

DebianDog

 DebianDog

a very small Debian Live CD shaped to look and act like Puppy Linux. 

Debian structure and Debian behaviour are untouched and Debian documentation is 100% valid for DebianDog. 

You have access to all Debian repositories using apt-get or synaptic.

The Devuan/Debian/Ubuntu based Dogs do however also come in several flavours being specially crafted from official Debian or Ubuntu official distributions; nowadays using official debootstrap script and then modified in house by current maintainer(s).

BusterDog, based on the Debian ‘Buster’ branch but without systemd.

It’s using special method (taken from AntiX) to avoid systemd by replacing systemd with ‘elogind’.

FossaDog is a fork of “DebianDog” with the difference that it’s Ubuntu based.
TrinityDog is a fork of “DebianDog” with a basic Trinity Desktop Environment.

The first release took place April 16, 2014: DebianDog – Wheezy.

Backbox Linux

Backbox Linux is a Ubuntu based Linux that has only a few applications but for penetration testing.

Kali Linux which I have never used but Parrot OS which has a Mate desktop and hence, Debian based in that respect is another Linux tool for penetration testing. It also has a desktop edition.

All these can be mounted on a USB.

But I prefer Parrot OS, since it is light weight and has tons of applications along with penetration testing tools.

MXLinux

 MXLinux is similar to antiX and it is the top most distribution according to ranking. It is similar to antiX but has more applications.

AntiX

The latest version of AntiX is pretty good.

If one has an old computer, this is one could try.

Linux Gaming Distributions and Platforms

Linux Gaming Distributions and Platforms

Linux gaming distributions are only a few but Batocera and Chimera tops the list and Debian Gnome is the worst of all. I have not tried all the Linux distributions but feel like trying Garuda Linux, soon. I do not support Pop Os dues to commercial nature and one has to buy their computers for greater enhancement (Good ploy and I have no objection to that). 

The best gaming platform that comes from Germany is openSuse Tumbleweed. There is a political issue brewing up in Suse Enterprise Linux to dissociated with openSuse Community Branch which does not have its own name like Fedora in Rethat Enterprise Linux. I have used both of them before convicting myself to Mandriva and later Debian Gnome full time. 

Go ahead and download openSuse Tumbleweed before it is discontinued. 

Germans have contributed a lot to Linux including publishing the Linux Magazine for a along time. Due to Russian Oil and Energy sanctions, they are going through a big downturn in economics and      I have no qualms they are selling Linux products to counteract American hegemony. 

American contribute very little to Linux that is their capitalistic behavior by default.

Good example is Valve and Steam Linux which I do not support.

What I am referring is, in the name ordinary guys like me who assemble bare bone computers for over 25 years and never use proprietary platforms and  now deeply engrossed in NUC want fair play in market economy. I do not like stock market manipulations.

By the way, ASUS platforms based on NUC are great platforms to play games but are very expensive.

Tuxedo Linux

TUXEDO OS gives you all the possibilities to easily port all your web activities from Windows or macOS to Linux. 

With Mozilla Firefox, which comes pre-installed as a Debian package in TUXEDO OS due to performance and functionality reasons, surf the web easily and safely.

TUXEDO OS is an Ubuntu based distribution developed in Germany by TUXEDO Computers GmbH, designed and optimized for the company's own range of Linux friendly personal computers and notebooks. The distribution uses KDE Plasma as the preferred desktop. Some of the differences between Ubuntu and TUXEDO OS include custom boot menu, the TUXEDO Control Centre, Calamares installer, availability of the Lutris open gaming platform, preference for the PipeWire audio daemon over PulseAudio, removal of Ubuntu's snapdaemon and snap packages and various other tweaks and enhancements.

Chimera

By the way, Chimera has many options from Base install to Baming platform to Default Linux install.

Features

Easy to install

Boots into your new gaming system within minutes.

Has powerful application.

Use the built in web applications to install and manage games from any device

It is minimal, in fact I have installed it on a USB stick with 10 other Puppy Linux distributions.

Only what you need to play games and nothing more.

Out of the box.

Start playing right away with zero configuration for supported games.

Always up to date.

Regular updates delivering the latest drivers and software.

Zero downtime updates

Fully automatic updates that run in the background without disrupting gameplay

Controller first.

Fully controller compatible interface.

Use any controller.

Support for Xbox, PlayStation, Steam controllers and more.

Play any game.

Support for Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, and dozens of console platforms

Bazzite

Bazzite is a Fedora-based distribution custom made for gaming on Linux desktops and Steam Deck.

On top of the latest stable Fedora release, it adds expanded hardware support in the form of more drivers. So, a new gamer trying a Linux platform like Bazzite should have a hassle free user experience. Additionally, it has some pre-installed applications and controller support by default.

Drauger OS

Based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Drauger OS aims to provide a platform for gamers and “make it easy for anyone to game, whether they use a keyboard and mouse or some sort of controller”. Please keep in mind that Drauger OS is NOT for everyday use. It doesn’t come with other Linux applications essential for day to day activities like office suite, video editors, audio tools etc.

OpenSuse Tumbleweed

State of the art desktop and server operating system.

With Tumbleweed you don't have to take difficult decisions about things you value, either freedom or safety, either control or security, technology or stability.

Tumbleweed lets you have your cake and eat it, too!

Continuously updated.

Install it once and enjoy it forever.      

No longer one has to worry every six months about massive system upgrades that risk bricking one's system.

Leading Edge

One gets frequent updates that not only address vulnerabilities or squash bugs, but reflect latest features and developments, such as fresh kernels, fresh drivers and recent desktop environment versions.

Stable

Updates are thoroughly tested against industry grade quality standards, taking advantage of a build service, other Linux distributions envy us. 

Not only is each new version of a package individually tested, but different clusters of versions are tested against each other, making sure the system is internally consistent.

Simple to use

With a single command one can update thousands of packages, rollback to last week’s snapshot, fast forward again, and even preview upcoming releases.

Plays nice with the Hardware.

Thanks to its leading edge and thoroughly tested nature, Tumbleweed serves the hardware and devices like few other Linux distributions, making it a superb installment for workstations, laptops and notebooks alike.

Safe

Should anything unwanted occur you can always rollback to a previous state and find your files and programs just as they were before a bumpy update.

Secure

Built from latest kernel releases, compiled with the latest Spectre / Meltdown mitigation patches, with firewall and strong security policies turned on by default, the security is covered out of the box.

Powerful

Harnessing technologies openSUSE is renowned for, such as the Btrfs file-system, the snapper command line utility as well as the battle proven YaST “control panel”, Tumbleweed empowers the user with full control over the system, letting the user defines the settings he/she wants and be done with it. 

No longer do user has to worry about a system interfering with the workflow.

Stands on Firm Ground

Tumbleweed builds on decades of usage, testing and debugging by hundreds of power users, developers, system administrators and demanding doers that cannot afford to jeopardize their workflow. Tumbleweed’s solidity is embodied in many core packages whose DNA stems from the venerable SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.

Gaming

Tumbleweed provides users with the latest gaming related software. With the Linux support for gaming improving rapidly, that’s an important aspect for smooth, performant and problem free experience in one's favorite games.

Pop! OS

This is my not personal favorite. 

Pop! OS by System76 is based on Ubuntu it has GNOME as the desktop environment.

It feels more polished than Ubuntu itself, and one can get most of the essential tools like Lutris, GameHub, and others from the Pop! Store (app store for Pop! OS). 

In addition to this it provides separate ISO files for NVIDIA and AMD systems.

So, depending on the GPU on board, one can decide to install Pop! OS using the correct ISO file, which should make the system ready to go out of the box. 

Not just limited to that, just because it is an Operating System developed by a PC/Laptop manufacturer, one can expect it to be ready for the latest and greatest hardware.

Pop! OS is easy to use, perfectly suitable for beginners and compatible with the latest hardware. 

Feel free to try out the latest Long Term Support version of Pop! OS.

Garuda Linux

Garuda Linux is a relatively less known distribution but could be a good fit for general purpose desktop computing and gaming. It is based on Arch Linux and provides several GUI applications to efficiently manage the system. 

The one thing that one would like is the Garuda Gamer application.

        Garuda Gamer

It’s a GUI tool that lets one easily install gaming related tools from one place. The user  can use it to install Itch, Wine, Play On Linux, Steam, Proton, GOG and many more such packages.

 

        Batocera

The batocera.linux is a Linux distribution for retro game lovers. One can play retro games from Atari, Super Nintendo, SEGA, Dreamcast, some GameBoy Advance games and a lot more. 

However, one need to own the games in order to play them.

  One does not need to install the OS by partitioning the hard drive, the user just need a USB stick and he or she can boot directly from it to play the games the user owns. 

It also comes with Kodi Media Center integrated, so that one can switch to watching movies when one gets bored with games.

        Nobara

Nobara project is yet another distribution that offers a gaming focused experience on top of Fedora with customization. It is an unofficial Fedora spin that comes with Lutris, Steam, OBS Studio, and Kdenlive pre-installed. 

So, the user gets some "streamer" and "gamer" essential applications loaded out of the box.

         

Lakka OS

Lakka OS converts old computers to retro gaming consoles.

This is a lightweight Linux distribution that transforms a computer into a full blown game console. Lakka OS can emulate a wide variety of consoles. 

It brings all these console emulators under the gorgeous front end of RetroArch. All the emulators are compiled with the best optimizations possible, and so Lakka OS runs the games more smoothly than the normal emulators. Most games will require very little hardware resource, except for the PlayStation or Xbox games.

The key features of Lakka OS are multiplayer, save states, shaders, netplay, rewind, and support for wireless joypads.

        Steam OS

SteamOS 3.0 is the new version based on Arch for Steam Deck users. Unfortunately, it not officially available as a separate offering for desktop users. That is my grouse about Steam Os and it is STUCK in one version.

HOLO OS tries to remedy this scenario but it is not freely avaible to test and i haven't done that yet.

If the do not prefer (that means stuck to one platform) any other platform except Steam, SteamOS can be the choice to go with for building a gaming machine with a console like experience.

SteamOS is not the usual desktop operating system. 

It is tailored for playing games via Steam on the user machine. 

One may not be able to run common Linux applications.

My suggestion (not my choice) is one to test it out only if, one wants to use Steam as the preferred platform for gaming.

It is not actively maintained and is outdated.

One can experiment with it if one has a spare system to test. 

It is a fork of Debian based on “Jessie” build which reached the end of life in June 2020.

Rough Guide to the Tree Equivalent of Man and their Replantation

Rough Guide to the Tree Equivalent of Man and their Replantation
 

This is not referring to the commercial scale of replacement, since the rate at which the commercial scale exploitation occurs, cannot be estimated with any accuracy.

This is based on the use of tree, timber and its products by man during his/her productive life. If we were to sustain each man or women has to grow at least 10 trees and maintain them till they mature. This has to be done in 4-5 year cycles and older you (above 35 years) are the cycle has to be at least on 1-2 year intervals.

Ideally each man or woman plants a tree on their birthday!

1. The use as timber products for roofing and housing
2. To replace the use of paper products
3. Use of fire wood (this has to be in relation to the use)
4. The use of furniture
5. Wastage in every production line
6. The trees not sustaining themselves due to bad planting or weather conditions
7. The last 4 points are for unaccountable felling and vandalism encountered and may  vary according to the country.

This amount is to keep the balance of nature. If one has a house with 4 adults,   this estimate makes for 40 trees around their neighbourhood and the way the houses are built in a city next to each other there is is no room for to grow enough trees. 

Not even a single tree or hedge to act as windbreaks and shade. (please look at how rich Americans build their houses and walkabouts). 

That means every major city has to have a buffer zone (this is how the ancient people built cities) of tree cover equivalent to the population that is incarcerated in the name of development.

Colombo city can never regain its splendor what ever we do. 

Perhaps built anather Nelum Kuluna (a party symbol)  or Lillie Tower.

The Kandy city has almost 3 three times population density of Palestine Refugee Camps and we are going to be no different to Israel in another 10 or 20 years. 

We are losing it faster than it's regeneration.

Regarding the commercial exploitation the re-plantation has to be according to the tree's cycle. If the tree grows to maturity in 4 years for every tree harvested 4 should be planted and only a very few trees fall into this category.
For some trees, if it is lost it is lost for ever.

These rare trees may take at least 400 to 500 years for it to grow to maturity and often not reproducing fast enough due to their longevity and this simple equation cannot be applied in recreating it in a natural habitat.

This is only a rough estimate and we have lost about 60% of our forest cover in 50 years of unsustainable use.

I do not think these people with mega-development ideas have understood the problem or have insight into the matters of concern we are facing now.

The have no futuristic goals but the presence of mind for exploitation.

Very soon we will be like Dubai, the work we have to do now is enormous, if we are to arrest these trends.

SAM Linux -2007

 SAM Linux - 2007

Current Version is based on Proteus.

It is only 680MB and a CD version.

Tested it on Box and it has OpenOffice 4.1 of Apache which I was trying to install on Debian which I could not.

 It has a Virtual Box builder.

Really Good distributions.

 Old version

My live CD craze started with SAM 2007 and it went up to SAM 2009.

It is a derivative of PCLinuxOS and is based on Xfce.

My attempt at testing 100 live CDs would not have taken place,  if I did not come across SAM-2007 almost by accident.

 

All the credit goes to SAM and the Xfce. 

This was long before the my discovery of PCLinux.

It's last edition based on PCLinux was on August, 2009.

I waited long to I see the new edition in 2010 that is not to be yet and that will be a brand new edition and not based on PCLinux.

Unfortunately it is not going to be before I finish the 100.

SAM 2007 was the best live CD for me for quite a long time with games and lot of web utilities and that was the CD I used to demonstrate Linux (how easy to mount a live CD and configure internet cards).

I will edit this page when a new edition is on the horizon.

Top 25 Linux Distributions

Top 10 or 20 in any category (food for example) has a false sense of security and it applies to Linux too.

For example Coca Cola is on top of the list and as a doctor I would say it is the worst drink (Pepsi included) a cricketer can drink (with World Cup Cricket which is on now) while playing.

See what the Indian advertisements are doing on our TV and how rational and sensible human beings are?

We are only sensitive to taste but not sensible and that is my assessment.

It is true when they bomb Libya too.
When we bomb in Sri-Lanka it is human rights violation but when NATO bombs Libya it is called UNO convention.

Bunki Moon should be ashamed now being a puppet on strings.
All these comments applies to Linux top 10 to 20 too.

1. If one has used only one or two Linux distributions on a regular basis and writes an article on top 10 it is not valid scientifically. It is like somebody who used Microsoft or Apple Mac all his life says they are the best.

2.If somebody who works for a Linux Enterprise Company either part time or full time makes statements about Linux does the same mistake.

3. They must say I have tested 10 (not 100) and these are my subjective assessments and should not make statements as if they were objective.

4. Unfortunately the word GURU has come into Linux and it has no meaning scientifically or metaphorically. They distorts the facts.

5. The reason why I tested 100 and more (dalmatians) was to get this unscientific tradition out of the way and out of the fray.
We are not going for a talent contest.
It is the use and the utilities that are incorporated in Linux distributions that matters.
That is why I try to highlight the utilities presently instead of trying to win a talent contest.

6. Other point is that Linux developers are poor CEOs and they do not know how to market useful and good products but get involved in flame wars like politicians.

Flame wars are killing Linux and Microsoft also add to this to the confusion.

We must start with the saying "Microsoft sucks your energy and money but Linux stands tall and delivers the goods", no matter what distribution you may use.

That is the starting point and Linux really work for me and saves time in the long run. 

That is why I use it daily.

One has to learn the basics and get the tradition of computing out of power politics and money.

Below is a comment I made about 7 distributions listed.

Thanks for updating the article but no thanks for the recommendations.

I can agree with Knoppix and Backtrack only.

SuSe is beautiful and still clumsy and slow. I have stopped using it from this month.

Ubuntu is popular with lot of useful utilities but stability is a problem with frequent release cycles.

Redhat is rock solid but its service is poor like SuSe.

Ubuntu Studio I have not seen because of its very slow download speed and is painfully slow even with torrents.

Knoppix can be installed now without a hassle and it has extremely beautiful graphic features.
It really rocks!

I have downloaded Vesta 1 today and it is sleek and has plasma effect but cannot be installed.
It took 3 days to download it.

This is Java based and Oracle is promoting it and due to its ownership claims I am not prepared to recommend it.
It looks like everything is Java and it could not configure internet (router) automatically which any good Linux distribution does automatically.

Only kernel is Linux and the rest is Java and it will have stability problem since who is somebody anybody can write Java to upset its inner work and that is going to be the biggest problem a user may encounter.

Like Microsoft Visual Basics it has all Java platform development kits and eclipse.
If you are a Java man or woman, Vesta 1 is for you but remember it does not have a script for installing.

None of them support Sinhala installation except Debian.

The latest version of Debian 6 is pretty good and I have all the assortment of Live and Installable CD and DVDs.

It is taking a leaf out of PCLinux and spending time on light weight distributions. It has packed in one CD, LXDE, XFce and Rescue and that is what I recommend for users in the third world with little money and has Sinhala capability too.

What beats everything for me is Mepis which also has assortment of distributions (namely AntiX) that support 486, 686 to 32 and 64 bits. One need not throw away an old computer because win 2007 is there.

Its test version (11) is out for testing now. I have downloaded and tested it and has a big face lift this time. Download it and enjoy it.

I have dropped SuSe and have gone back to Debian (AntiX too) in my office because of its versatility.

It has over 60,000 packages (for every one from a kid to a scientist) and one rarely use all of them in one go.

Mind you it is the God Father of Linux and Ubuntu is the most successful derivative of Debian.

This article is useful for a newbie if he reads it with my comments at parafox and asokaplus (Linux 100) written in the same tone and flare of as Fortune 100 (or is it 500) companies.

Other option is to have several distributions installed in one computer and that is what I usually do.

Top 25 Linux Distributions

I have analyzed over 50 Linux distributions both qualitatively and quantitatively and following is a summary according to points scored of the top 10.

Rest are listed according to the points awarded without a comment.

Top Rank

1. Debian scoring 3005 points

Coming to IT industry where there are very few heroes Debian is the clear winner which gyrates and spins at the correct orbit.

It was no surprise.

Score of above 3000 and well above the Gold Standard of 2500 for the standard CD/DVD.

For the heavy weight category it is within the Gold Mark where no other distribution has all the components at disposal with over 30,000 package well tested and stable. 

It has gParted which is around 100 MiB with partition tool and security features.

It has Blender, Scribus and Inkscape.

Only missing component was O.E.M. component.

Ranking Second with  2620 points is Untimate Linux

2. Ultimate Linux/ArtistX

This is taking whopping 2620 points, simply because it’s a games DVD based on Ubuntu and it has graphic features including Inkscape and Blender.
Apart from that it is basically a Ubuntu distribution.
Even though it gets lot of points due to inclusion of many packages it should be used as  a games DVD rather than a general purpose distribution.
This warning is due to the changes in Ubuntu Unity and the attendant repository changes that may come as a result of that change.

Rank Number 3

3. UberStudent  with 2610 points

This is one of the very good Ubuntu derivative packed with utilities and only utilities I could not find were gparted and blender.
It’s on the fat side with a 2.7 GiB image.
This is one of the Linux distributions I could not download due to download problem but with some difficulty I managed to download both the CD and the DVD versions.

There were not enough seeders but I used point to point download.

It’s Ubuntu based and excellent for students in the higher grades and in the University. It has many utilities that student would like to use in literature search albeit web based.

I have no hesitation in recommending it.

It has almost everything one needs.

Why blender was not included is a bit of a mystery.

4. Knoppix fourth with 2410 / (GnuArtist 2445)

Knoppix stands tall and scores 2410 which is well above Ubuntu and Unity on the threshold of becoming a Gold Standard on its own.

It is 4th in the my list of 50 and only three others above.

Debian comes first.

Ultimate Linux comes second.

UberStudent comes third. Packed with utilities except Blender and gParted..

Good old days when it was difficult to find a distribution and DEMO CDs were hard to come by Knoppix started the revolution of Live CDs.
I have used it from its 3.1 versions and up and it was available even in Sri-Lanka.

It’s significant features apart from Live CD running on RAM are

1. Good hardware detection

2. Sound configuration and unique start up with sound effects.

3. Ability to compress lot of programs into a CD/DVD.

4. Enormous number of packages

5. Partition tool and many more

6. ORCAs that is fun for visually handicapped user and is as good as Vinux.

It was way ahead until Puppy Linux came into the scene and took another twist by making Live CD under 100 MiB.

Soon I became a convert of Puppy that comes inherently for my love of the canine species.

Its weakness was it could not be installed into the hard disk and I found a way to mount it on a FAT partition. I always had a copy mounted on my hard disk when the LXDE came into the scene.

Then came the 10th anniversary release which was  big hit by itself both CD and DVD versions.

Now it can be installed and administrative right can be restored after installing.
There is Knoppix for Kids and Games DVD which was something lacking in 95% of the Linux Distributions.

If you do not use any other Linux distributions this is the one one should always have.

I cannot find anything wrong with this distribution when I format my hard disk once a year towards December, it is the first one that goes into the hard disk as the flag bearer of Linux and other distributions are installed afterward.

5. Poseidon with 2390 points comes fifth

Poseidon Linux

Poseidon Linux not Scientific Linux (actually this name is misleading and does not have any scientific packages in this distribution) takes a big spot in my scale by a wide margin for packaging productive utilities for scientific (including statistics) and business purposes and for schools.

Its score is 2390 which is close to PCLinux but have more packages than PCLinux.

They are inkscape, blender, statistic and plotting packages but it is on the heavyweight category and downloading is slow mainly due to not having a torrent facility.

But it has CD version too and again it is a Debian/Ubuntu derivative.

In spite of its FATTY layer I like it very much and one has almost everything one needs in one shoe.

6. Pinguy/Pin Eee comes sixth with 2385

Pinguy and Ping Eee

For the time being Pinguy and Ping Eee are the best innovative Ubuntu derivative which is in the market and the score is 2385 which is very close to the Gold Standard and well above Unity.

Out of the Ubuntu derivatives this is the most eye catching feature filled derivative to entice Linux newbies as well as savvy guys / girls.

It has Cloud Utilities, Light Scribe and it almost look like apple Mac for one who has never seen a Apple Mac.
I have the feeling Ubuntu's Unity has taken a leaf out of Pinguy and Ping Eee for netbooks and laptops.
Its grub file could not figure out my other distributions and that was why it was not in my box up till now.

The new version has now ironed out this minor glitch and I have installed it with 5 other distributions in my laptop which I upgraded to 500 GiB recently.

Interestingly enough this is the one I boot first since I am getting attached to it day by day.

It now does a good job with GRUB and recognize all the other Linux derivatives.

It will certainly take the tablets not by surprise but by its own imagination.

7. Dynabolic comes seventh with 2290

Dynabolic 3.0.0 beta is currently available at www.linuxtracker.com.org torrent and this was one of the oldest Linux music distributions. It was created by Denis Rogo an Italian musician. It was in hibernation (version 2) but lately has created the version 3 for download.

I call him the Bob Marley of computer music.

It is feature packed but cannot be installed as yet.

It scores thumping 2290 points was not a surprise for me.

PCLinux comes 8th with 2255

My favorite distribution gets 2255 points which is well below the 2500 points which I have for my Hypothetical Gold Standard but a future candidate for that award. It has promised to introduce bit 64 from the current version onward.
Even though it has no special features it sticks to Linux base with administrative functions and very stable once properly configured.

It gets lot of points for it’s web site and the digital magazine which it maintains.

The package management is excellent and lets you install all the packages easily from repository. To be on record this is the only distribution which has a usable Skype (except perhaps Linvo). It also does not bother one with updates unlike Suse. It is a KDE desktop and has two Mini versions, one LXDE and the standard KDE. Once installed there is very little maintenance if firewall is correctly configured and easy with downloads and remove redundant files at boot time and if it is run on 24/7 schedule it does a good cron job too.

No wonder it is my favorite and may be so for others too (once 64 bit version is introduced it will become more popular).

Ubuntu’s departure from traditional base would be another reason.

It is bit slow at boot time and K-torrent is good (it may be bit slow because of my heavy daily work and downloads) and if one is using it for light work, one may not find the slow boot up a problem. Even one is a light user of the computer it is a good practice for the distribution to run 24 hours at least once a week for maintenance which it does automatically well past midnight.

My reason for choosing it

It is very stable and stands 8th in the ranks.

9. Puppy comes 9th with 1910

It is Small and Beautiful size ~100MB!

It is Live booting from CD and USB flash drive.

It runs from RAM, making it unusually fast even in old PCs and in netbooks with solid state storage media.

Includes a wide range of applications: word processors, spreadsheets, Internet browsers, games, image editors and many utilities.
Puppy is easy to use and little technical knowledge is assumed. Most hardware is automatically detected.

Who is the founder?

Barry Kauler from Australia.

10. Simply Mepis with AntiX ranks 10th 

Simply Mepis is high in my honour's list with its stable KDE desktop, K3B, the CD/DVD burning utility with a cleaning utility called sweeper included to delete redundant files.

It also has AntiX for older computers. Taylor Swift which has taken roots from AntiX is still not yet mature enough to be recommended as a general purpose distribution but AntiX is light weight and robust. Mepis does a overall good job of covering new and old computers which is somewhat mandatory now with lot of changes happening in the IT market and some proprietary Operating Systems abandoning their customer base and luring them to go for newer versions without substantial benefits for the average user except the eye catching cosmetic changes and that also at the expense of overheads which include battery usage and additional expenses for the RAM etc.

Newer version has Libre Office and all the utilities one needs in a CD or DVD which is less than 1 GiB and save the time of download.

It scores 1880 in my scoring scale which is value for money.

Its ranks 10th in my ranking scale.

 

11. Ubuntu Dream Studio comes 11th with 1775

Ubuntu's Unity-Dream Studio

Is it a dream come true for newbies?

I think so and thumbs up for this distribution which I could download overnight with 2.1 GiB.
There were only four seeders but it was pretty fast. Go and download it and increase the number of seeders in proportion to leechers and enjoy the Unity experience.

It is a new experience for old hand of Linux like me who never used Ubuntu on regular basis except for demonstrations.

Regular Ubuntu users will grumble but I will tell you what to do. Go ahead and have both old version and new version in the same box and enjoy the difference.

Sinhala capability was there which I did not test but probably needs some smooth ironing out which is another plus point.
It has Libre Office and Blender a new version (Maya replacement).

Please do not call it Apple like but call it this is Unity Linux Desktop.

Sure it is a winner at the time of debt and cash crisis.
For good effects find a good compatible graphic card. That may be the only thing one may have to change in one’s computer.

My old computer’s graphic card was not enough to take advantage of Unity.

The few glitches I had with the Unity CD with workplaces has been reasonably taken care of and I could load all the workplaces with a running program and with a mouse click it goes into full screen image.

Play with it and enjoy the experience.

I do not know how far one can configure it to one's own needs but it is good as it is why configure and make a mess out of it?

It score is 1775.

Rest with Only points scored.

11. Dream Studio Ubuntu    1755

12. Trisquel                            1660

13. Suse                                  1560

14. Sabayon                           1430

15. Swift Linux                      1415

16. Ubuntu-Unity                  1405

17. PureOs                              1385

18. Salix                                  1380

19. Kubuntu                           1355

20. Fedora                              1325

21. Berry                                1275

22. Linux Mint                      1260

23. CloudUSB                      1240

24. Apodio                           1165

25. Vinux                             1130

Incognito comes 26th and it for anonymous web browsing and cannot be installed.

I have missed ArtistX which would score around 2600 and could be in place of Ultimate Linux (If you do not like games Linux DVD).

It is also Ubuntu/Debian derivative and for Audio/Video and artistic work.

I can report to you now it got 2610 points.

GnuArtist got 2445 points, less points scored, indeed due to not incorporating proprietary software and keeping itself to Gnome base.

I have made some correction here. Simply Mepis comes 10th.
Other versions not included was the result of inability to download or incompatibility with my old graphic cards.