With so many Linux distributions to select from, it can be hard to hold tabs on them entire. Over the past some weeks I've spelt about Bodhi Linux--a lesser-known but fine (and growingly popular) flavor of Linux--as well as Arch Linux and Mandriva. But today I'd like to round up other distributions of the free and start source running system that have issued key updates recently.

Think Linux is just Ubuntu? Think again. Sanctioned dispersion may yet be No. 1 on DistroWatch's list, but there are many other active players. Here are just a some that have been reinvigorated in the past some months since my last roundup.

As a 10MB graphical Linux desktop, Tiny Core is billed as “the world's littlest Linux distribution.” Primitively a fork of Damn Small Linux, the software operates altogether in memory and boots enormously rapidly. Users, meanwhile, have accomplished control over which apps and estra hardware they desire affirmed. Released just today, variant 4.0 of this diminutive distribution updates numerous libraries as well as switching to Linux kernel 3.0.3, among other improvements.

It was just a some weeks ago that I covered the first beta edition ofUbuntu 11.10, or “Oneiric Ocelot,” and late finally week the second beta edition came. Among the meliorations are that GNOME was updated to edition 3.1.92 on the way to GNOME 3.2, the Linux kernel is established on edition 3.0.4, and OneConf was incorporated into the Ubuntu Software Center to assist hold your set up apps in sync among computers. Ubuntu 11.10 Beta 2 also helps affirm for installing 32-bit library and app packages on 64-bit systems, and a fresh set of community-supported ARM architecture images will be present among now and the software's release.

Now at No. 25 on the DistroWatch ranking list, KNOPPIX was lately updated to edition 6.7.1. The popular Debian-based live CD and DVD characteristics the LXDE desktop. Latest extra in this new issue adds an update from Debian “Squeeze”; Linux kernel 3.0.4 and X.Org Server 1.11; experimental free Nouveau graphics modules supporting Nvidia cards; LibreOffice 3.4.3, substituting OpenOffice.org; Chromium 13.0.782.220 and Firefox 6.0.2 web browsers; and eViacam, a program for controlling the mouse by moving your head using the webcam.

Targeting academic environments, Scientific Linux 5.7 is a free, enterprise-class dispersion built from source packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.7. Latest in this fresh issue are Alpine 2.02, a instrument for reading, sending, and handling electronic contents; a stackable conjugation file system; gnuplot 4.2.6; Intel wireless firmware (ucode) Intel wireless; R 2.13.1, a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics; updated kernel faculties for the XFS journaling document machine; and updated kernel modules for OpenAFS and NDISwrapper.

Working from the similar edition of Red Hat Enterprise Linux is CentOS 5.7, a free enterprise Linux dispersion. CentOS is a amply Red Hat-compatible edition of Linux proposed mainly for organizations and someones that do not require strong commercial affirm. Included in this new release are numerous bug fixes, updates and fresh practicality.

This new release of the Windows-like Zorin OS distribution is grounded on Ubuntu 10.04 and adds a raft of updates. Among them are an updated Linux kernel, protection advances, upgraded programs, app varies and few artistic updates. Zorin OS 3 will be furnished with security updates until April 2013.