Thread: Top Linux Distributions

Kubuntu 8.04 KDE4 remix features all the goodness ofKDE 4.0, such as the Dolphin file manager, the Plasma desktop shell, and session switching. Compiz Fusion can be used for desktop 3-D effects, if you have the graphics hardware muscle to do so. Codecs for multimedia files and DVD playback are automatically installed the first time you run a media player. Printer auto configuration eases installation for the lay user. If you are dual-booting between an install of Windows and Kubuntu, then this version's read and write support for NTFS partitions (used by Windows) is good news.

Freespire 2.0.8 is made by the same company that makes Linspire. You can click and choose the applications you want from the CNR Warehouse (repository of Click 'n'Run packages), and whether they are free or commercial, they can simply be downloaded and installed directly by the system. You still need to pay for the commercial ones, of course.



Multimedia file-format and hardware support is excellent, since whether they are proprietary or opensource, you get access to any package you need without having to scour obscure corners of the internet and follow arcane instructions.

Fedora 9 continues the policy of merging the 'Core' and 'Extras' together, to provide a complete desktop experience for the user. The latest version adds support for the ext4 file-system, file-system encryption and resizing. Bluetooth enhancements, and many more improve¬ments are also included under the hood. Some of the visible changes are the inclusion of KDE4, GNOME 2.22, 3D effects for the desktop, and Firefox 3.