My Favorite Linux Distro

What's your favorite Linux distribution? It's a question that comes up pretty frequently from Linux newbies or from hiring managers during sys admin interviews. Yes, I do have a favorite Linux distro, but it's not always the one that I recommend to others. My stance on picking a favorite or best Linux disto is simple. Pick the one that gets you closest to where you need to be for your apps.

Consider the requirements before selecting a Linux distro. Is there a need for 24x7x365 enterprise level support? Does the app provider only support certain distros? What expertise does your team have? The answers to these questions can help narrow the field.

It's also fairly common to support two distros in the family (eg RHEL for critical apps and CentOS for everything else). Some organizations don't have the budget or need to put everything under a support contract, and instead decide to rely on community support for less critical apps. This is absolutely a valid option for non-critical apps.

The key to remember is that the distro selection is just the starting point. Other distros may have the latest code or better artwork. Choose what works, not what on the top of distrowatch.com rankings.