• Free and recommendable Operating Systems •
 Download the ISO image, burn a CD and start working with Xubuntu. Cause it's a Live-CD you can test Xubuntu right from the CD and if you want you can install it after testing enough. Just click on the icon in the upper left corner and you'll be supported with a graphical installation wizard in many languages but you can select your language with F2 when the CD starts up. If you have a Windows system installed on your machine: Don't worry! Xubuntu doesn't touch other systems, you only need enough free space on your hard drive. After the installation process is done you have to reboot the computer, then you can chose (up and down arrow keys) between Xubuntu and Windows.
AbiWord for text processing, Gnumeric for working with spreadsheets (like LibreOffice presented on my Office related page), an image viewer and GIMP for advanced image editing, a reader for PDF documents, the web browser Firefox, the eMail Client Evolution and some more applications are already integrated. Additional programs like the FTP client FileZilla could be installed from the large online repository thru using the Software Center or the Package Manager Synaptic.
Xubuntu is really ready for the efficient and everyday use and also recommendable for beginners and people who want to switch from Windows! You can use Xubuntu (32/64-bit) for PC's, Notebooks as well as Netbooks. A Server Edition (32/64-bit) is available from Ubuntu.
Xubuntu works with the Xfce Desktop Environment.
View a Screenshot to get a picture:
Get a lot of nice Backgrounds, themes and more: xfce-look.org
Visit the Homepage of Xubuntu, get and discover your new Operating System!
Check the Ubuntu derivatives page and discover Ubuntu (GNOME Desktop), Kubuntu (K Desktop Environment = KDE), Edubuntu (GNOME Desktop, designed for schools and pupils at home), Ubuntu Studio (GNOME Desktop, designed for multimedia editing / creation) and other Ubuntu derivatives.
 is an often used and popular Ubuntu and Debian respectively, derivative. It works very well, is easy to install, easy to use and it looks really pretty. The start menu (view Screenshots) is nearly the same as the one from openSUSE but you can replace it easily with the splitted the default menu. There are a few other things which differ from Ubuntu but all is - as I wrote before - easy to use and when you start the system for the first time after installation you'll get a welcome screen which provides a list of features and a user guide in PDF. As with Ubuntu, you can chose between a lot of languages at the startup of the Live-CD, standard is English. Featured Linux Mint Editions: Main Edition (GNOME 32/64-bit), Linux Mint XFCE (also Debian based, 32/64-bit) and Mint KDE (32/64-bit). Fluxbox (32-bit) and LXDE (32-bit (see KNOPPIX, some lines below)) Editions for older computers and OEM editions (32/64-bit) for computer vendors are also available. Advantage of 64-bit: No RAM limitation which is only immportant if you have more than 3 GB of RAM and a 64-bit compatible CPU. Otherwise, use the 32-bit edition!
Screenshots (GNOME 64-bit): Desktop Apps Control Center
Linux Mint has a large community with Wiki, Forum, Blog and local Websites and Forums.
Until this point I can recommend the featured Operating Systems without any restriction and with clear conscience for installation (also beside existing Windows systems) and for the efficient and everyday use for Linux newbies, cause these OS are really easy to install and to use! Naturally this applies also to Debian which is the base of Ubuntu and many other Linux based OS! Here is a Screenshot I made from Debian.
Systems especially made for kids:
Qimo 4 Kids - Derived from Xubuntu for children ages 3 and up!
DoudouLinux is based on Debian for Children ages from 2 - 12 years.
Skolelinux - is an educational system for schools and pupils at home which is really easy to install and to use. It's directly based on Debian and works with the K desktop environment (KDE). The network interface is pre-configured so that you can set up a network without advanced knowledge about (Linux) network technology.
Two other systems for pupils: Edubuntu and openSUSE-Edu Li-f-e.
From this point on, the systems are more recommendable for users with advanced computer knowledge! Live-CDs are mostly available and could naturally be used by everyone who know how to boot up the computer from CD. Here you can read how to do that. You can also start a Linux image under Windows thru MobaLiveCD.
easypeasy - A System especially made for Netbooks.
MeeGo - is for Netbooks and mobile devices such as tablets.
Dreamlinux - Based on Debian, available with Xfce and GNOME desktop environments and easy to install on hard-drives and USB flash drives. Dreamlinux (Screenshots) is customizable and optimized for audio and video.
KNOPPIX - The first time I used this great Debian based system from Klaus Knopper was in 2004 and I found it to be very useful. Since ADRIANE started with KNOPPIX 5.3, the distro is also very recommendable to partially sighted and blind users. You can run the Live-CD (Screenshots) also embedded under Windows thru qemu! KOPPIX works with the pretty looking LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment). It's not only fast, it also eats less memory and CPU than other Environments like KDE and GNOME do!
#! CrunchBang Linux - is available with the lightweight Openbox Window Manager and the Xfce desktop environment. It's not really recommandable to new Linux users but AbiWord and Gnumeric (featured like LibreOffice on my Office related page), GIMP (Graphic), Evince (PDF), Chromium (Web Browser) and more programs are included. You can get Live-CD images (32/64-bit) with option for hard-drive installation. Test CrunchBang if you want and decide yourself!
WinBuilder - is a program for creating Windows based Live-Systems for system maintenance and data-recovery, which can be created in conjunction with an original version (CD/DVD) of a Windows OS. OEM / System Builder versions will work too but Recovery versions won't. With WinBuilder you can directly select a project like LiveXP (Screenshots) and Win7PE which will be downloaded by WinBuilder. Then you can add software apps of your choice, create and burn the ISO-Image.
Universal USB Installer and LiLi USB Creator are Windows programs which let you create a bootable Live system like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Knoppix and openSUSE for your USB thumb drives, in a very easy and convenient way. LiLi USB Creator does support various languages and you can boot up your desired Linux OS from CD or USB flash drive embedded under Windows.
Screenshots: LiLi UUSBI
BartPE and UBCD4Win (Live-CDs) will help you to save your important data if your Windows OS crashed or to recover a forgotten admin password. You have to download the program Pe Builder to build the ISO images, you can't download a ready to use image! Benefit: You can enable, disable, download and include additional plug-ins or build your own plug-ins.
I shot some Screenshots of both systems to get a first impression.
BartPe: Set1 Set2 Set3 Set4
UBCD4Win: Set1 Set2 Set3 Set4
UBCD (Ultimate Boot CD) for Linux.
Zorin OS - is described as The gateway to Linux for Windows users.
SystemRescueCD - is what the name promise, a Linux Live-CD which you can use to repair your systems and recover sensitive data. You can chose between several boot options for 32/64-bit, load into RAM and more. Furthermore you can install the system to your USB-Stick (installing Guide). Newbies should take LessLinux which is easier to use and more comfortable!
LessLinux Search & Rescue is also a good Live-CD for repairing Windows and other OS, recovering data and also for replacing your current but broken OS for some hours or days. LessLinux was built with Xfce and therefore you can work with AbiWord, Gnumeric, Thunderbird and Evince, Firefox and Xfburn. The virus scanner ClamAV is integrated for scanning your files before recovering them to an external device such as an USB flash card or pendrive.
 is very small (30 MB ISO-Image) and will load (like LessLinux) completely in your computers memory if there is enough RAM available. After SliTaz has fully loaded, remove the Live-CD and you can use the device e.g. for burning a data or audio disk. You can install SliTaz also on USB flash drives.
aptosid - is a replacement of sidux. You can get this Debian based Distribution as a Live-CD and DVD with option for hard-drive installation (KDE or Xfce, 32/64-bit). Sidux KDE exists in lite (German and English) and full (more than 15 languages).
Mac-on-Stick - Run it on Mac OS and Mac OS X, Linux and Windows.
Ubuntu CE, Sabily and Ubuntu Buddhist Remix - are Ubuntu based systems especially customized for Christians, Muslims and Buddhists.
Slax - A good portable Operating System based on Slackware.
BeleniX - is a UNIX system based on OpenSolaris which is based on the Solaris Operating System from Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle). Using the Live-CD you can install BeleniX (KDE and Xfce) to hard disks, USB flash drives and flash cards. BeleniX looks great, all seems to be alright but then I started Firefox and oooops, no network connection. Couldn't fix the problem, it seems that the Realtek RTL8111C network chip of my mainboard isn't supported. Get Freeware for Solaris based systems: Sunfreeware.com
FreeDOS - is a DOS (Disk Operating System) compatible operating system but it's free (unlike MS-DOS). :) Here is a list of DOS commands if you don't remember all commands. Read a detailed review with informations about graphical User Interfaces on the site of my friend Dmitri Rabounski.
BasicLinux and blueflops - are minimalistic operating systems which fits on two floppy diks. The system will run completely from RAM after loading from the two floppies. So, if you have no hard disk and no cd drive but a floppy drive, you can use them to work with your computer.
As you can see, there are various and very good Operating Systems which you can download and use free of charge. Why buy expensive ones??? Visit Distrowatch and Wikipedia, I'm sure you will find a system which fits your needs if I presented not the right one for you.
Find over 300 LiveCD Systems for Desktop, Server, Science, Security, Forensic, Development, Education and more: LiveCD List
There are also computer manufacturers where you can buy computers with pre-installed Linux Operating Systems. Three lists with vendors all over the globe: TuxMobil, LXer and Debian.
Visit Linux on Laptops if you prefer Laptops/Notebooks!
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