Top 10 Linux Distributions

1. Ubuntu
Ubuntu is based on Debian and includes well-known applications such as Firefox and OpenOffice.org. It has a conventional, six-month free schedule, with infrequent Long Term Support (LTS) versions that are supported with safety updates for three to five years.

2. Fedora
Fedora is the free version of Red Hat, whose RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) has been a profitable product since 2003. Because of that close connection, Fedora is mainly strong on venture features, and it often offers them before RHEL does.

3. Linux Mint
Linux Mint is an Ubuntu-based distro that was just launched in 2006. The operating system adds to Ubuntu with its own, distinct desktop theme and a different set of applications; also unique to the distro are a variety of graphical tools for improved usability, such as mintDesktop for configuring the desktop environment, mintInstall for easier software installation and mintMenu for easier navigation.

4. OpenSUSE
openSUSE holds the No. 4 spot in popularity on the site and is also the base for Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server products.

The package's administration utility, YaST, is widely recognized as one of the best, and its boxed edition comes with some of the best printed documentation you'll find for any distro. I'd say openSUSE rates a "medium" on difficulty level.

5. PCLinuxOS
PCLinuxOS uses the KDE desktop environment and is basically a lighter-weight version of Mandriva. With good support for graphics drivers, browser plugins and media codecs, PCLinuxOS can be a good choice for beginners

6. Debian
Debian is currently known as one of the most well-tested and bug-free distros obtainable today. Though it serves as the foundation for Ubuntu, most view Debian as a distro best-suited for those knowledgeable with Linux

7. Mandriva
Mandriva is notable for its cutting-edge software, excellent administration suite and 64-bit edition. It was also the first major distribution to jump on the netbook bandwagon with out-of-the box support.

8. Sabayon/Gentoo
Italian Sabayon is essentially a LiveCD version of Gentoo, which is known for allowing users to individually optimize each component. Both are considered advanced Linux distributions aimed primarily at experienced users.

9. Arch Linux... plus Slackware

Arch is another package aimed primarily at experienced users interested in tweaking and optimizing their systems. Though not in the top 10 currently, Slackware is similarly oriented toward Linux gurus.

10. Puppy Linux... plus DSL
Puppy Linux, a compact distro that's ideal for older hardware and situations where computing resources are minimal.