Recommended Linux distros
- For Ports of the Linux kernel on consoles, see Homebrew and hack Roms#Operating_systems.
- For Running Linux on PlayStation 2 (using the PS2 Linux kit), see PlayStation 2 emulators#Linux for PlayStation 2.
- For Running Linux on PlayStation 3 (using OtherOS), see PlayStation 3 emulators#OtherOS.
Linux Distributions (Distros) have existed since the early history of Linux, with distros like MCC Interim Linux and boot-able floppy disks like H.J. Lu's Boot/Root. Many distributions are based on one of four distros; Ubuntu, Debian, Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Arch Linux.
If some distros aren't working on your hardware, see Linux Hardware.org. Computers page for specific devices, or with specific parts, see the search page.
- This is a list of the current recommended Linux distros in their respective categories.
Contents
General use-focused[edit]
These Linux distributions offer a complete Desktop experience with a large user base.
- See guide to setup/download emulators for instructions for these distros.
| Name | Latest Version | Architecture | Based on | Desktop Environment | Active | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu and its flavors |
24.04 LTS (Desktop) Other flavors |
x86, ARM | Debian | GNOME, Others (depending on flavor) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux Mint | 21.3 | x86 | Ubuntu | Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce | ✓ | ✓ |
| Manjaro | 24.x.x | x86, ARM | Arch Linux | KDE Plasma, Xfce, GNOME | ✓ | ~ |
| Raspberry Pi OS | 2024-03-15 | ARM, x86 | Debian | PIXEL | ✓ | ~ |
| Pop!_OS | 22.04 LTS | x86 ARM (preview) |
Ubuntu | GNOME (COSMIC) | ~ | ✗ |
Experienced users[edit]
| Name | Latest Version | Architecture | Based on | Desktop Environment | Active | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arch Linux | Latest | x86 ARM and others unofficially |
Independent | Any | ✓ | ✓ |
| Debian | 12.5 | x86, ARM and many others |
Independent | GNOME (and others) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fedora Fedora Atomic |
40 Fedora Workstation Fedora Atomic |
x86, ARM and many others |
Independent | GNOME (and others) | ✓ | ✓ |
Gaming-focused[edit]
These Linux distributions target to be a complete gaming package. Emulators might not pre-installed on these systems but are easily installed.
- You can use EmuDeck which is an installation script that helps you get started with emulation.
| Name | Latest Version | Architecture | Based on | Desktop Environment | Active | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bazzite | 2.3.0 | x86 | Fedora Atomic | KDE Plasma, GNOME | ✓ | ✓ |
| ChimeraOS | 45 | x86 | Arch Linux | GNOME | ✓ | ✓ |
| SteamOS 3 HoloISO |
SteamOS N/A HoloISO |
x86 | Arch Linux | KDE Plasma | ✓ | ~ |
| Nobara Project | 39 | x86 | Fedora Linux | KDE Plasma | ✓ | ~ |
| winesapOS | 4.0.0 | x86 | Arch Linux | KDE Plasma | ✓ | TBD |
| Garuda Linux (KDE Dragonized Gaming edition) |
“Spizaetus” (231029) | x86 | Arch Linux | KDE Plasma | ✓ | TBD |
| Drauger OS | 7.6 | x86 | Ubuntu | KDE Plasma | ✓ | TBD |
| Regata OS | 23 "Honeycomb" | x86 | openSUSE | KDE Plasma | ✓ | TBD |
Comparison: https://github.com/ChimeraOS/chimeraos/wiki/OS-Comparison
Emulation-focused[edit]
These Linux distributions offer complete emulation packages for PCs, single board computers, consoles and other systems.
| Name | Latest Version | Architecture | Frontend | Active | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batocera.linux | 38 | ARM, x86 | EmulationStation fork | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lakka | 5.0 | ARM, x86 | RetroArch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recalbox | 9.1-Pulstar | ARM, x86 | EmulationStation | ✓ | ✓ |
| RetroPie | 4.8 | ARM | EmulationStation fork | ✓ | ✓ |
| Elemenity OS | 1.1 | ARM64 | Custom (supports RetroArch) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Retro Home | 22.189-alpha1 | ARM, x86 | Ludo | ✗ | TBD |
Android[edit]
| AOSP What does “AOSP Android” really mean? | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Latest Version | Architecture | Frontend | Active | Recommended |
| LineageOS | 15.1 (Switch) Raspberry Pi 3 builds Raspberry Pi 4 builds Raspberry Pi 5 builds |
ARM | Trebuchet | ✓ | ~ |
- See the Hardware features and Enhancements of sections of Android emulators for Android-x86 and it's forks.
| Android on x86 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Latest Version | Architecture | Frontend | Active | Recommended |
| BlissOS | 16.9.x | x86 | Android-x86 fork includes 3 launchers: Taskbar, Quickstep and Smart Dock. |
✓* | ✓ |
| Berry OS | 2023-02-22 | x86 | Based on Android-x86 and Bliss OS Mini Desktop launcher is pre-installed. |
✓ | ✓ |
| Android-x86 | 2022-03-25 | x86 | Trebuchet (KitKat version) | ~* | ~ |
Multiplatform-focused[edit]
These Linux distributions provide system development environment experiences on a wide range of platforms, including different hardware architectures.
| Name | Latest Version | Architecture | Active | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T2 SDE | 24.5 | Alpha Arc ARM (incl. ARM64) Avr32 HPPA (incl. HPPA64) IA64 M68k MIPS (incl. MIPS64) Nios2 PowerPC (incl. PowerPC-64 and le) RISCV (incl. RISCV64) s390x SPARC (incl. SPARC64) SuperH x86 (incl. x86-64) and theoretically any GCC/Linux supported one. |
✓ | ✓ |
External links[edit]
- DistroWatch
- List of Linux distributions (Wikipedia)
- Comparison of Linux distributions (Wikipedia)
