One of the more recent directions in Linux seems to have been to simplify the user experience to make it more familiar and easy to use for Windows users. After all, luring Windows users into the joys of Linux can hardly be a bad thing, right? And yet, achieving this goal involves some degree of compromise to the Linux environment itself. Originally Coders Paradise, releases that claim to make Linux simpler for users can cause problems for more experienced users. Too many programs and software plugins can cause interference and errors when trying to code your own programming. This can be particularly problematic for developers who need as much workspace as possible, or at least less interference with other applications. So while making Linux attractive to large numbers of users has its uses, it also has its limitations. This is one of the reasons why some distributions seek to ensure that the experience can be simplified or customized. This means that only the most necessary software is started or can be selected to start, leaving plenty of space and resources for user programming. So we're going to look at some of the more flexible variants that allow for a greater variety of functionality than just the new user call and therefore allow for a much more personalized experience. Here are the best Linux distributions for developers.
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(Image: © Arch Linux) Arch Linux offers a powerful level of customization during installation, allowing you to download and install only the packages you need. Although this is definitely not for coding beginners, being able to install only a minimal number of programs on your machine using the Arch Builder System and the Arch User Guide. Repository, reduces the risk of interference with your coding. This means, for example, that you can install a barebones window manager like i3 to ensure that your system will respond quickly when using your chosen text editor. If you're having trouble, the Arch Linux wiki offers a helpful installation guide.
(Image: © Debian) Debian is one of the oldest Linux distributions and has been designed for stability. All programs included with Debian must adhere to the Debian Free Software Rules. The packages are carefully selected and tested to be included in the & # 39; Debian, which means that even if some are dated, there is very little chance of the system being unstable, making it the ideal operating system for programmers. The Debian website contains many manuals, including a chapter on programming, which explains the basics of creating and compiling a script and using Autoconf to enable your scripts to work. Be compiled on other Linux distributions.
(Image: © Raspbian) Raspbian is the default operating system that ships with the Raspberry Pi. Since the Pi was designed as a teaching tool, Raspbian is the ideal operating system for those who want to embark on coding. The Raspberry Pi website contains awesome guides on using the Visual Scratch programming tool, which is used to create animations and games. There's also a great section on getting started with Python, which is supported out of the box. Younger programmers may prefer to learn the Minecraft Pi programming language, a mini version of the popular Sandbox game.
(Image: © Gentoo) Named for the fast-swimming penguin, Gentoo is sometimes called a "meta" distribution, with users downloading and compiling its source code manually according to their needs. This not only makes it perfect for your machine's hardware requirements, but also allows you to decide exactly which package versions can be installed. Gentoo suffered a slight setback a few years ago, when their entire Wiki was taken offline. Fortunately, it has since been restored and now includes the official Gentoo manual. If you need more help, a strong Gentoo is still on Reddit.
(Image: © Ubuntu) Unlike barebones like Arch Linux and Gentoo, Ubuntu is designed to be ideal for beginners, with a desktop interface and automatic updates. Ubuntu is the distribution of choice of the Open Source Android project for the creation of source files. The Android version is regularly tested with the latest versions of Ubuntu. You can also install other development environments with the help of Ubuntu Make. Ubuntu now supports the "snapshot" application package format, with the help of the Snapcraft tool, which allows you to write applications in the programming language of your choice. and condition them with all required dependencies. Visit the Ubuntu Developer Portal here.
(Image: © Fedora) Fedora is a derivative of the community-supported commercial distribution of Red Hat Linux. It also enjoys the distinction of being the Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds' distribution of choice. In addition to being very easy to configure and install, Fedora has a dedicated portal for developers. Just click 'Start Project' to display guides for web, command line, desktop and mobile app development. There is also an excellent section on using peripherals like the Arduino. If that wasn't enough, the Fedora repositories also include Eclipse, a complete and multilingual IDE. Eclipse is probably best known for Java, but it also has a C/C++ IDE and PHP. You can extend its functionality even further with plugins.
(Image: © OpenSUSE) OpenSUSE (formerly SUSE Linux) is a distribution designed specifically for software developers and system administrators. System installation and configuration is child's play with the built-in YaST tool. This allows you to install all packages -devel & # 39; Necessary for developers with one click. OpenSUSE comes pre-installed with all the basic tools a software developer needs, such as the Vim and Emacs text editors, build automation tools like CMake, and packaging tools like RPM. The operating system is also provided with OBS (Open Build Service), a tool that allows developers to build software for various distributions and platforms.
(Image: © CentOS) Like Fedora, CentOS is a free, community-based variation of Red Hat (a commercial version of Linux). Many packages are identical, and it is theoretically possible to create a version of CentOS functionally identical to Red Hat's, although this is difficult to achieve in practice. This results in a very stable system. The CentOS repository also contains the Developer Toolset, which offers a range of essential programming tools. For developers, the Xen Virtualization Platform provides a way to compartmentalize their projects and run applications securely in a virtual machine. You can find instructions on how to proceed, as well as other tips for developers, on the excellent CentOS Wiki.
(Image: © Solus) Solus is special because it is one of the few Linux distributions in Ireland, and also because it follows a scalable release model. The benefit of this is that once you've installed the operating system, you can continue to run updates instead of a major update. However, Solus tries to avoid installing extremely recent packages and beta software to maintain system stability. Solus supports multiple editors and IDEs like Atom, Idea, and Gnome Builder, as well as Git, GitKraken GUI. The Solus project website also claims that the operating system supports various programming languages such as Go, Rust, PHP, Node.js, and Ruby.
Image Credit: Puppy Linux (Image: © Puppy Linux) Puppy Linux is an extremely lightweight distribution based on either Ubuntu or Slackware. The size of the operating system is approximately 330 MB, which means that it can run entirely in RAM and be installed on a regular hard drive. It contains a minimal number of packages, although you can add others, such as devx which contains various development tools. & # 39; & # 39 Wikka; Puppy Linux describes in detail the programming languages supported by the operating system. One notable language is BaCon, which can convert code written in BASIC to C. Wikka also offers a wide selection of tutorials on writing Bash scripts and getting started with Python.