You might remember from my post on how I started programming that I am a Linux user. I was first introduced to Linux when I found an old laptop that my brother had installed Backtrack Linux on. I spent the next several months trying many different Linux distros and learning quite a bit along the way. I decided to share my thoughts/experiences with some of the different distros I tried. Before I do, let me a give a brief introduction to what Linux actually is.
What is Linux?
From Wikipedia,
Linux is a family of free and open-source software operating systems built around the Linux kernel.
Linux itself is not the operating system, but rather refers to a group of operating systems made using the Linux kernel. In case you didn’t know, an operating system is the software that makes your computer run. Windows 10 is an operating system. OSX is an operating system.
Linux comes in distributions (ditros). Most distros are free and open-source, although there are a few exceptions.
I know that probably wasn’t as informative as you would’ve liked, but it should be enough to give you a working knowledge of what Linux is.
Distro 1: Kali Linux
The first distribution I used was Backtrack 5 (a cybersecurity-focused distribution) on that old laptop mentioned above. After a bit of research, I found out that the project had been updated and renamed to Kali Linux. With my brother’s help, I used YUMI to create a multiboot USB, and Kali was the first distro on it. I was pretty impressed by how nice it looked, and if I was ever going to be a security professional, I’d use Kali. That being said, I had heard that there were other Linux distros out there, and I wanted to try them.
Distro 2: Mint (LXDE version)
I liked the name Mint, so it was the next distro to go on my flash drive. I chose LXDE because it was lightweight (I usually ork with older hardware, so I like lightweight software), although in retrospect the computer I was testing on could probably have handled Cinnamon without any issues. Compared to Kali, I thought it was a bit ugly. However, it was cool to see that you could do other things on Linux besides hack. Overall, I liked Mint and felt that with a little bit of customization it could be made to look much nicer (when I first started testing different distros I was mainly focusing on looks because I didn’t really understand things like package managers, support, etc.).
Distro 3: Ubuntu
Ah yes, the distro everyone talked about. When I first tried Ubuntu, I was unimpressed by the interface, but very pleased with the store (again, I was still a new Linux user and didn’t understand what was important). I honestly like Mint better however. Many people recommend Ubuntu for new Linux users, and I can see why. However, my personal recommendation for new users is the next one, Zorin OS.
Distro 4: Zorin OS
When I first tried Zorin, I was astounded by how nice everything looked. Coming from Windows 7, Zorin looked to me like a better version of what I was already using. It had very nice customization options and felt pleasant to use from the start.
Distro 5: Arch/Blackarch (my current distro)
I first read about Arch in an article somewhere (I think it was on lifehacker, but I’m not sure). It promised a lightweight, fully-customized operating system, and that I would emerge from the installation process a Linux pro. After reading for a while, I decided to take the plunge and try to install it on the old laptop that had Backtrack on it. I downloaded the ISO, burned it to a flash drive, and (with some help from my brother) installed Arch on the old laptop. I learned so much from that installation process. I finally started to understand how my computer was set up and why it was set up that way.
Because that laptop was so old (512mb of RAM if I remember correctly), I decided to use i3 (a window manager) instead of a normal Desktop Environment. I am very glad that I did. I became highly efficient using i3 and the laptop was running faster than ever. I
I was worried at first that the rolling-release system would make the system unstable, but the only time I had an issue with it was when I made a stupid choice; it wasn’t Arch’s fault as much as it was my ignorance.
Soon after becoming comfortable with Arch, I installed it on a 32GB flash drive so I could use the family computer to run arch instead of the old laptop. I installed on a flash drive because there was absolutely no way my parents would let me install it on the actual hard drive. I slowly fell in love with Arch, from it’s “install only what you want” philosophy to the amazing Pacman package manager (I didn’t realize how awesome pacman was until I had to use apt-get on a different computer; pacman is the best). I managed to do a lot on that little 32Gb flashdrive, including my largest C++ program (it was a small text-based game; looking back, it amazes me how bad I was at both programming and game development at the time).
Over time, I discovered Blackarch, which allowed my to install tons of cyber security tools on my existing Arch setup.
When I built my first desktop, I had no hesitation about my setup. I set up a Windows/Arch dual boot and have never regretted it. I also use Arch on my laptop.
Even though it takes some getting used to, Arch really is an amazing distro and I highly recommend it.
What has your experience with Linux been like? Tell me in the comments below!
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