Top 10 or 20 in any category (food for example) has a false sense of security and it applies to Linux too.
For example Coca Cola is on top of the list and as a doctor I would say it is the worst drink (Pepsi included) a cricketer can drink (World Cup Cricket is on now) while playing.
See what the Indian advertisements are doing on our TV and how rational and sensible human beings are?
We are only sensitive to taste but not sensible and that is my assessment.
It is true when they bomb Libya too.
When we bomb in Sri-Lanka it is human rights violation but when NATO bombs Libya it is called UNO convention.
Bunki Moon should be ashamed now being a puppet on strings.
All these comments applies to Linux top 10 to 20 too.
1. If one has used only one or two Linux distributions on a regular basis and writes an article on top 10 it is not valid scientifically. It is like somebody who used Microsoft or Apple Mac all his or her life says they are the best.
2.If somebody who works for a Linux Enterprise Company either part time or full time when making statements promote a particular distribution s/he does the same mistake on Linux.
3. They must say I have tested 10 (not 100) and these are my subjective assessments and not state the statements as if they were objective.
4. Unfortunately the word GURU has come into Linux and it has no meaning scientifically or metaphorically. They distorts the facts.
5. The reason why I tested 100 and more (dalmatians) was to get this unscientific tradition out of the way and out of the the fray.
We are not going for a talent contest.
It is the use and the utilities that are incorporated in Linux distributions that matters.
That is why I try to highlight the utilities presently instead of trying to win a talent contest.
6. Other point is that Linux developers are poor CEOs and they do not know how to market useful and good products but get involved in flame wars like politicians.
Flame wars are killing Linux and Microsoft also add to this confusion with their agenda.
We must start with the saying “Microsoft sucks your energy and money but Linux stands tall and delivers the goods”, no matter what distribution you may use.
That is the starting point and Linux really work for me and saves time in the long run.
That is why I use it daily.
One has to learn the basics and get the tradition of computing out of power politics and money.
Below is a comment I made about 7 distributions listed.
Thanks for updating the article but no thanks for the recommendations.
I can agree with Knoppix and Backtrack only.
SuSe is beautiful and still clumsy and slow. I have stopped using it from this month.
Ubuntu is popular with lot of useful utilities but stability is a problem with frequent release cycles.
Redhat is rock solid but its service is very poor like SuSe.
Ubuntu Studio I have not seen because it’s download speed is painfully slow even with torrents.
Knoppix can be installed now without a hassle and it has extremely beautiful graphic features.
It really rocks!
I have downloaded Vesta 1 today and it is sleek and has plasma like effect but cannot be installed.
It took 3 days to download it.
It is Java based and Oracle is promoting it and due to ownership claims for Sun Java I am not prepared to recommend it.
It looks like everything is Java and it could not configure internet (router) which any good Linux distribution effortlessly and automatically does.
Only the kernel is Linux and the rest is Java and it will have stability problem since anybody can write Java to upset its inner work and that is going to be the biggest problem a user may encounter.
Like Microsoft Visual Basics it has all Java platform development kits and eclipse.
If you are a Java man or woman, Vesta 1 is for you but remember it does not have a script for installing.
None of them (Linux) support Sinhala installation except Debian.
The latest version of Debian 6 is pretty good and I have all the assortment of Live and Installable CD and DVDs.
It is taking a leaf out of PCLinux and spending time on light weight distributions. It has packed in one CD, LXDE, XFce and Rescue and that is what I recommend for users in the third world with little money and has Sinhala capability too.
What beats everything for me is Mepis which also has assortment of distributions (namely AntiX) that support 486, 686 to 32 and 64 bits. One need not throw away an old computer because win 2007 is out there.
Its test version (11) is out for testing now.
I have dropped SuSe and have gone back to Debian (AntiX too) in my office because of its versatility.
It has over 60,000 packages (for every one from a kid to a scientist) and one rarely use all of them in one go.
Mind you it is the God Father of Linux and Ubuntu is the most successful derivative of Debian.
This article is useful for a newbie if he reads it with my comments at parafox and asokaplus (Linux 100) written in the same tone and flare of as Fortune 100 (or is it 500) companies.
Other option is to have several distributions installed in one computer and that is what I usually do.
asokaplus 