Linux is a kernel, not an operating system. However, many popular free operating systems are based on the Linux kernel. If you want to learn to use Linux because of a job requirement, see what Linux operating system the company uses and install it for yourself.

Before installing Linux, realize Linux is not the same as Windows. One important difference is that you cannot run Windows software unless you have an emulator, such as Wine, that supports the program you want to run. For users not familiar with Linux or Unix, installing and running Linux may be more difficult.

Finally, if you already have Windows on the computer, you need to erase everything to install Linux, unless you are planning to use a LiveCD version of Linux.

The following are suggested Linux operating systems you can download and install for free and are a great way to get Linux on your computer.

If you only want to use a Linux command line and are using a recent version of Windows, consider installing WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

Linux distributions

The following Linux operating systems are good for new users:

  • Ubuntu Desktop - A stable, user-friendly, powerful Linux operating system with broad hardware support. Widely used in the technology industry, for instance at Google. If you’ve never used Linux before, Ubuntu is a great first choice.
  • Fedora Workstation - An enterprise-quality Linux operating system developed by Red Hat.
  • Debian - A stable, highly influential Linux operating system, equally suited for a desktop computer or a high-powered server.
  • Linspire - A Linux OS designed to have the look and feel of Microsoft Windows XP or macOS.
  • Linux Mint - A user-friendly Linux OS whose default GUI is reminiscent of Windows.
  • SUSE - Pronounced “Susie,” SUSE is a popular, well-established Linux OS, originally developed by Novell.

The following Linux operating systems are recommended for experienced Linux users. A new user may find them difficult to install and use.

  • Arch - A “rolling-release” Linux distribution with cutting-edge (and therefore less extensively-tested) software package versions.
  • Slackware - The grumpy old man of Linux distributions, Slackware is over 25 years old and still widely used.
  • Gentoo - Not for the faint of heart, Gentoo is focused on performance and low-level customization. If you want to manually configure and compile your Linux kernel, you’ll love Gentoo.

Where can I get Linux?

Almost all variants of Linux can be downloaded for free from the developer or other sites dedicated to distributing Linux. If you have a broadband connection and the ability to create a CD from the ISO you download, we recommend you download one of the above recommended variants. Visit the developer’s website, or download the ISO from a site dedicated to distributing Linux.

  • See the Linux definition for further information and related links.
  • Linux help and support.