Alternatives to Guix
Compare Guix alternatives for your business or organization using the curated list below. SourceForge ranks the best alternatives to Guix in 2025. Compare features, ratings, user reviews, pricing, and more from Guix competitors and alternatives in order to make an informed decision for your business.
-
1
VxWorks
Wind River
The World’s Leading Real-Time Operating System for the Intelligent Edge For nearly 35 years, VxWorks has been used to ensure the security, safety, and reliability you need to design and build mission-critical embedded systems that simply must work. VxWorks® is the industry’s most trusted and widely deployed real-time operating system (RTOS) for mission-critical embedded systems that must be secure and safe. It delivers a proven, real-time, and deterministic runtime combined with a modern approach to development. Regardless of industry or device type, companies building intelligent edge systems rely on the VxWorks pedigree of security, safety, high performance, and reliability. VxWorks is a deterministic, priority-based preemptive RTOS with low latency and minimal jitter. It is built on an upgradable, future-proof architecture to help you rapidly respond to changing market requirements and technology advancements.Starting Price: $18,500 / seat -
2
Debian
Debian
Debian is distributed freely over Internet. This page has options for installing Debian Stable. If you are interested in Testing or Unstable, visit our releases page. Many of the vendors sell the distribution for less than US$5 plus shipping (check their web page to see if they ship internationally). You can try Debian by booting a live system from a CD, DVD or USB key without installing any files to the computer. When you are ready, you can run the included installer (starting from Debian 10 Buster, this is the end-user-friendly Calamares Installer). Provided the images meet your size, language, and package selection requirements, this method may be suitable for you. Read more information about this method to help you decide. -
3
Clear Linux OS
Clear Linux Project
Clear Linux OS is an open source, rolling release Linux distribution optimized for performance and security, from the Cloud to the Edge, designed for customization, and manageability. Operate without any custom configuration, for example, a generic host with an empty /etc directory. Stateless systems strictly separate the OS configuration, the per-system configuration, and the VT user-data stored on that system. Designed so that the user is able to quickly and easily manage their custom configuration vs. system configuration. Clear Linux OS optimizes across the whole stack: the platform, kernel, math libraries, middleware layers, frameworks, and runtime. Clear Linux OS has an automated tool that is constantly scanning for CVEs, which are patched accordingly. This strict separation between User and System files allows for easier manageability and simplifying customization. -
4
SparkyLinux
SparkyLinux
SparkyLinux is a GNU/Linux distribution created on the top of Debian GNU/Linux operating system. Sparky is fast, lightweight and fully customizable OS which offers a few versions for different users and different tasks, such as fully featured OS with a lightweight desktop environment, which works out of the box and contain a selection of pre installed common use software for home users. MinimalGUI with Openbox window manager preinstalled only with basic software installed for users whose want to configure their OS/desktop as they want, on the top of Debian, plus any desktop environment or window manager they like. MinimalCLI with no X server, for advanced users whose want to build and configure their desktops in own way. Sparky supports about 20 desktop environments and window managers giving you freedom of choice, having in mind that your computer is made for working, having fun, entertainment, keeping in touch with friends, and many, many other things. -
5
Mageia
Mageia
Mageia is a GNU/Linux-based, Free Software operating system. It is a community project, supported by a nonprofit organization of elected contributors. Beyond just delivering a secure, stable and sustainable operating system, the goal is also to become and maintain a credible and recognized community in the free software world. Mageia is a Free Software operating system of the GNU/Linux family, which can be installed on computers either as the main operating system, or as an alternative system to one or several pre-installed systems (dual boot). It is a community project supported by the non-profit Mageia.Org organization of elected contributors. Mageia is developed by and for its community of users, and is suitable for all kinds of users, from first-time GNU/Linux users to advanced developers or system administrators. The software packages that are included in Mageia sit in three different repositories/media, depending on the type of license applied to each package. -
6
GhostBSD
GhostBSD
GhostBSD provides a simple desktop-oriented operating system based on FreeBSD with MATE, OpenRC and OS packages for simplicity. GhostBSD has a selection of commonly used software preinstalled and required to start using it to its full potential. GhostBSD uses the GTK environment to provide a beautiful looks and a comfortable experience on the modern BSD platform offering a natural and native Unix work environment. GhostBSD is built on top of FreeBSD code, and its roots go back to the University of California Berkeley Unix Research. Historically it was referred to as "BSD Unix" or "Berkeley Unix." However, today it is called BSD for Berkeley Software Distribution. The project goal is to combine security, privacy, stability, usability, openness, freedom and to be available for everybody free of charge. The user experience is further enhanced by tools like the Networkmgr which are developed as part of the GhostBSD project. -
7
Slackel
Slackel
Slackel is a Linux distribution based on Slackware and Salix. It is fully compatible with Slackware but the difference is that it includes the current version of Slackware. So Slackware users can benefit from Slackel repositories. It is available in three editions, KDE, Openbox and MATE. Slackel disc images can be used in two different forms, Installation disc image and Live disc image. Slackel provides one application per task rationale. It is fully backwards compatible with Slackware. Optimized for desktop usage, with Salix and Slackel tools to assist system management, high quality package repositories with dependency support. It includes a fully configured desktop environment with a complete selection of applications to fit the needs of most people, including office related software, multimedia applications, Internet applications, all the Slackel system configuration tools and more. -
8
Parrot OS
Parrot Security
Parrot is a worldwide community of developers and security specialists that work together to build a shared framework of tools to make their job easier, standardized and more reliable and secure. Parrot OS, the flagship product of Parrot Security is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian and designed with Security and Privacy in mind. It includes a full portable laboratory for all kinds of cyber security operations, from pentesting to digital forensics and reverse engineering, but it also includes everything needed to develop your own software or keep your data secure. Always updated, frequently released with many hardening and sandboxing options available. Everything is under your complete control. Feel free to get the system, share with anyone, read the source code and change it as you want! this system is made to respect your freedom, and it ever will be. -
9
Sabayon Linux
Sabayon
Sabayon is a beginner-friendly Gentoo-based open-source Linux distribution. We aim to deliver the best "out of the box" user experience by providing the latest open source technologies in an elegant format. In Sabayon everything should just work. We offer a bleeding edge operating system that is both stable and reliable. Fast and optimized for your hardware! It’s up to you whether you turn a fresh Sabayon installation into a geeky Gentoo ~arch system or simply enjoy the power of our binary package manager. From testing to Community Repositories. Install just once, you can upgrade everytime you wish to the latest release. Just start it, everything should be already in place. Daily and Monthly images available. Multiple Desktop Environment, KDE, Gnome, Mate, and XFCE. Build your own Sabayon spin easily! It can even be built with Docker! Support for Raspberry Pi 2⁄3, Odroid X2, U2/3 C2 and more. -
10
Gentoo
Gentoo Foundation
Gentoo is a free operating system based on Linux that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need. Extreme configurability, performance, and a top-notch user and developer community are all hallmarks of the Gentoo experience. Thanks to a technology called Portage, Gentoo can become an ideal secure server, development workstation, professional desktop, gaming system, embedded solution, or something else, whatever you need it to be. Because of its near-unlimited adaptability, we call Gentoo a metadistribution. Of course, Gentoo is more than just software. It is also a community around the distribution. Gentoo benefits from around 250 developers and thousands of users, many of which are experts in their fields. The distribution project provides the means for the users to enjoy Gentoo: documentation, infrastructure, release engineering, software porting, quality assurance, security followup, hardening, and more. -
11
illumos
illumos
illumos is a Unix operating system which provides next-generation features for downstream distributions, including advanced system debugging, next generation filesystem, networking, and virtualization options. illumos is developed by both volunteers and companies building products on top of the software. illumos is an excellent base for both traditional and cloud-native deployments. The OmniOS and OpenIndiana distributions are a good place for new users to get started. You can install in a virtual machine or on bare metal. You need an illumos-based operating system to build illumos. Cross-compilation is not supported. illumos is freely available from our source repository. illumos is the home of many technologies including ZFS, DTrace, Zones, ctf, FMA, and more. We pride ourselves on having a stable, highly observable, and technologically different system. illumos has a proud engineering heritage, tracing it roots back through Sun Microsystems to the original releases of UNIX and BSD. -
12
NetBSD
NetBSD
NetBSD is a free, fast, secure, and highly portable Unix-like Open Source operating system. It is available for a wide range of platforms, from large-scale servers and powerful desktop systems to handheld and embedded devices. NetBSD was originally released in 1993. Over time, its code has found its way into many surprising environments, on the basis of a long history of quality, cleanliness, and stability. The NetBSD code was originally derived from 4.4BSD Lite2 from the University of California, Berkeley. NetBSD is an entirely free and open-source UNIX-like operating system developed by an international community. It isn't a "distribution" or variant but has evolved over several decades to be a complete and unique operating system in the BSD family. NetBSD users enjoy a simple, well-documented, and fully integrated UNIX-like system that feels minimal, and in many ways traditional, while including many modern and interesting features, and support for recent hardware.Starting Price: Free -
13
Whether it’s an IoT sensor monitoring industrial devices or an edge system that must act instantly on external inputs, SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time is a real time operating system designed to reduce latency and increase the predictability and reliability of time-sensitive, business-critical applications. Banks, manufacturers, government agencies and others rely on time-dependent applications which must execute accurately and predictably all the time, every time. To act as a single unit, distributed systems need time accuracy not only within a server but across all servers. The Precision Time Protocol (PTP) synchronizes servers via the high-speed network, up to sub-microsecond accuracy. Includes support for device interrupt threads, enabling tuning at the device level, and hardware latency detectors to ensure predictability of application behavior. SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time gives you the time advantage you need to beat the competition.Starting Price: $2,199 per year
-
14
KubeSphere
KubeSphere
KubeSphere is a distributed operating system for cloud-native application management, using Kubernetes as its kernel. It provides a plug-and-play architecture, allowing third-party applications to be seamlessly integrated into its ecosystem. KubeSphere is also a multi-tenant enterprise-grade open-source Kubernetes container platform with full-stack automated IT operations and streamlined DevOps workflows. It provides developer-friendly wizard web UI, helping enterprises to build out a more robust and feature-rich Kubernetes platform, which includes the most common functionalities needed for enterprise Kubernetes strategies. A CNCF-certified Kubernetes platform, 100% open-source, built and improved by the community. Can be deployed on an existing Kubernetes cluster or Linux machines, supports the online and air-gapped installation. Deliver DevOps, service mesh, observability, application management, multi-tenancy, storage, and networking management in a unified platform. -
15
openSUSE Tumbleweed
openSUSE Project
You install it once and enjoy it forever. No longer do you have to worry every six months about massive system upgrades that risk bricking your system. You get frequent updates that not only address vulnerabilities or squash bugs, but reflect latest features and developments, such as fresh kernels, fresh drivers and recent desktop environment versions. Updates are thoroughly tested against industry-grade quality standards, taking advantage of a build service other Linux distributions envy us. Not only is each new version of a package individually tested, but different clusters of versions are are tested against each other, making sure your system is internally consistent. With a single command you can update thousands of packages, rollback to last week’s snapshot, fast-forward again, and even preview upcoming releases. -
16
Void Linux
Void Linux
Void is a general purpose operating system, based on the monolithic Linux kernel. Its package system allows you to quickly install, update and remove software; software is provided in binary packages or can be built directly from sources with the help of the XBPS source packages collection. It is available for a variety of platforms. Software packages can be built natively or cross compiled through the XBPS source packages collection. Unlike trillions of other existing distros, Void is not a modification of an existing distribution. Void's package manager and build system have been written from scratch. Void Linux supports both the musl and GNU libc implementations, patching incompatible software when necessary and working with upstream developers to improve the correctness and portability of their projects. -
17
Arch Linux
Arch Linux
Arch Linux is an independently developed, x86-64 general-purpose GNU/Linux distribution that strives to provide the latest stable versions of most software by following a rolling-release model. The default installation is a minimal base system, configured by the user to only add what is purposely required. Arch Linux defines simplicity as without unnecessary additions or modifications. It ships software as released by the original developers (upstream) with minimal distribution-specific (downstream) changes, patches not accepted by upstream are avoided, and Arch's downstream patches consist almost entirely of backported bug fixes that are obsoleted by the project's next release. Arch ships the configuration files provided by upstream with changes limited to distribution-specific issues like adjusting the system file paths. It does not add automation features such as enabling a service simply because the package was installed. -
18
PCLinuxOS
PCLinuxOS
PCLinuxOS is a free easy to use Linux-based Operating System for x86_64 desktops or laptops. PCLinuxOS is distributed as a LiveCD/DVD/USB ISO image, and can also be installed to your computer. The LiveCD/DVD/USB mode lets you try PCLInuxOS without making any changes to your computer. If you like it, you can install the operating system to your hard drive. Locally installed versions of PCLinuxOS utilize the Advanced Packaging Tool (or APT), a package management system (originally from the Debian distribution), together with Synaptic, a GUI frontend to APT for easy software installation. PCLinuxOS has over 12,000 rpm software packages available from our software repository. PCLinuxOS has a script called mylivecd, which allows the user to take a ‘snapshot’ of their current hard drive installation (all settings, applications, documents, etc.) and compress it into an ISO CD/DVD/USB image. -
19
Flatcar Container Linux
Kinvolk
The introduction of container-based infrastructure was a paradigm shift. A Container-optimized Linux distribution is the best foundation for cloud native infrastructure. A minimal OS image only includes the tools needed to run containers. No package manager, no configuration drift. Delivering the OS on an immutable filesystem eliminates a whole category of security vulnerabilities. Automated atomic updates mean you get the latest security updates and open source technologies. Flatcar Container Linux is designed from the ground up for running container workloads. It fully embraces the container paradigm, including only what is required to run containers. Your immutable infrastructure deserves an immutable Linux OS. With Flatcar Container Linux, you manage your infrastructure, not your configuration. -
20
Amazon Linux 2
Amazon
Run all your cloud and enterprise applications in a security-focused and high-performance Linux environment. Amazon Linux 2 is a Linux operating system from Amazon Web Services (AWS). It provides a security-focused, stable, and high-performance execution environment to develop and run cloud applications. Amazon Linux 2 is provided at no additional charge. AWS provides ongoing security and maintenance updates for Amazon Linux 2. Amazon Linux 2 includes support for the latest Amazon EC2 instance capabilities and is tuned for enhanced performance. It includes packages that help ease integration with other AWS Services. Amazon Linux 2 offers long-term support. Developers, IT administrators, and ISVs get the predictability and stability of a Long Term Support (LTS) release, but without compromising access to the latest versions of popular software packages. -
21
openSUSE Leap
openSUSE
A brand new way of building openSUSE and a new type of a hybrid Linux distribution. Leap uses source from SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE), which gives Leap a level of stability unmatched by other Linux distributions, and combines that with community developments to give users, developers and sysadmins the best stable Linux experience available. If you’re already running openSUSE you can upgrade by booting from the DVD/USB and choosing upgrade, or carry out an ‘Online Upgrade’ in a few commands. Leap is a classic stable distribution approach, one release each year and in between security and bugfixes. This makes Leap very attractive as server operating system, but as well for Desktops since it requires little maintenance effort. openSUSE Leap is compatible with SUSE Linux Enterprise; this gives Leap a level of stability unmatched by other Linux distributions and provides users the ability to migrate to an enterprise offering. -
22
Windows XP
Microsoft
Windows XP is a version of the Microsoft Windows operating system for personal computers. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and to retail on October 25, 2001. The "XP" in Windows XP stands for "eXPerience". Windows XP is a direct upgrade to its predecessors, Windows 2000 for high-end and business users and Windows Me for home users. It replaced Windows 2000 and Windows ME, which helped bring the NT and 9x versions of Windows together. Windows XP is a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows you to use different types of applications or software. For example, you can use a word processing application to write a letter and a spreadsheet application to track your financial information. Windows XP is known for its bright color schemes, easy-to-use interface, and stability. It was one of Microsoft's longest-running flagship operating systems, lasting at least 5 years. It was succeeded by Windows Vista on January 30, 2007. -
23
Salix
Salix
Salix is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Slackware that is simple, fast and easy to use, with stability being a primary goal. Salix is also fully backwards compatible with Slackware, so Slackware users can benefit from Salix repositories, which they can use as an "extra" quality source of software for their favorite distribution. Like a bonsai, Salix is small, light & the product of infinite care. Everything that is included in the iso is installed. That includes a complete desktop environment and a complete selection of applications that matches the respective environment, always following the "one application per task" rationale. Only the minimum essentials for a console system to start are included. A graphical environment is not provided. This is ideal if you are an experienced user and want to customize your installation for any specific purpose, such as a web server, file server etc.Starting Price: Free -
24
Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux
Puppy Linux is a unique family of Linux distributions meant for the home-user computers. Ready to use, all tools for common daily computing usage already included. Ease of use, grandpa-friendly certified. Relatively small size, 300 MB or less. Fast and versatile. Customizable within minutes, remasters. Different flavours, optimized to support older computers, newer computers. Variety, hundreds of derivatives (“puplets”), one of which will surely meet your needs. Puppy Linux is not a single Linux distribution like Debian. Puppy Linux is also not a Linux distribution with multiple flavours, like Ubuntu (with its variants of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, etc) though it also comes in flavours. Puppy Linux is a collection of multiple Linux distributions, built on the same shared principles, built using the same set of tools, built on top of a unique set of puppy specific applications and configurations and generally speaking provide consistent behaviours and features. -
25
UnixWare
Xinuos
UnixWare® 7.1.4 is the latest release of Xinuos’s award winning, state of the art UNIX® operating system. It is the mature and proven operating system to support your most critical line of business applications, yet is affordably priced to host all computer needs. It supports the newest industry standard hardware platforms and peripherals and contains even more of the high performance, scalability and reliability features that you have come to expect from UnixWare. As an added bonus, the default configurations of the most popular editions have been adjusted to provide even more value for your money. New installations of UnixWare 7.1.4 as well as upgrades immediately benefit from the additional value in UnixWare 7.1.4. A new, low-entry-level edition has been added and is configured and priced for low budget pilot projects, edge of network services and line of business applications for small companies. -
26
OcNOS
IP Infusion
OcNOS is a robust, programmable and innovative operating system, featuring a single software image that runs across the entire portfolio of Open Compute platforms from leading network device vendors. This guarantees consistent operations, workflow automation and high availability, while significantly reducing operational expenses. OcNOS borrows heavily from the popular ZebOS line of products, which provides a rich feature density and robustness that has been built up over the years and validated in thousands of diverse customer networks. OcNOS provides industry standard CLI, supports all standard MIBs and other standard operation and management tools. Its integrated centralized management and provisioning layer allows for transaction-based configuration and device feature modelling. The management layer has support for Netconf, REST APIs besides custom CLI generation capability. This allows an OcNOS system to be configured, managed and controlled by Network Management System. -
27
Wind River Linux
Wind River Systems
Wind River Linux enables you to build and deploy secure Linux-based devices and systems without the risk and development efforts associated with roll-your-own (RYO) in-house efforts. Let Wind River keep your code base up to date, track and fix defects, apply security patches, customize your runtime to adhere to strict market specifications and certifications, facilitate your IP and export compliance, and significantly reduce your costs. Accelerate time-to-market by getting started today, building your Linux distribution with freely available Yocto Project source code, with assurance that you can easily move to one of our flexible subscription offers later. Rely on fully validated, maintained, and supported source code with access to a team of Linux experts to help you tackle all your development lifecycle needs. Calculate your TCO. Wind River Linux allows you to build your own Linux operating system with a variety of service options to help you with that process. -
28
Neptune OS
Neptune
Neptune is a GNU/Linux Distribution for desktops based fully upon Debian Stable ('Buster'), except for a newer kernel and some drivers. It ships with a modern KDE Plasma Desktop with its main view on a good looking multimedia system which allows for getting work done. It also is a system which is flexible and very useful on usb sticks. Therefore we developed easy to use applications like USB Installer as well as a Persistent Creator that allows you to store changes to your system on your live usb stick. The Debian repository is the major base for getting updates and new software. Furthermore Neptune ships with its own software repository to update our own applications. Neptune tries to get the BeOS message of a fully supported multimedia OS to a next generation of users. Neptunes focuses on providing an elegant out of the box experience for the users. Therefore we ship a nice and simple overall look and feel as well as a whole bunch of multimedia tools, like codecs, flash player, etc. -
29
Linux Mint
Linux Mint
The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use. Linux Mint is one of the most popular desktop Linux distributions and used by millions of people. It works out of the box, with full multimedia support and is extremely easy to use. It's both free of cost and open source. It's community-driven. Users are encouraged to send feedback to the project so that their ideas can be used to improve Linux Mint. It's safe and reliable. Thanks to a conservative approach to software updates, a unique Update Manager and the robustness of its Linux architecture, Linux Mint requires very little. -
30
Pica8 PICOS
Pica8
The one-of-a-kind PICOS open NOS with tightly coupled control planes gives network operators surgical, non-disruptive control of their enterprise applications, deep and dynamic traffic monitoring, and even attack mitigation, all in real time. There’s no better way to implement zero-trust networking and software-defined perimeters than PICOS. Our flagship open network operating system installs on 1G- to 100G-interface open switches from a broad array of Tier 1 manufacturers. This fully featured license offers the most comprehensive support for enterprise features on the market. It includes the Debian Linux distribution, with an unmodified kernel for maximum DevOps programmability. Enterprise Edition also includes AmpCon, an Ansible-based automation framework that couples Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) with the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) to simplify installation and operation of open network switches across the enterprise. -
31
Xubuntu
Xubuntu
Xubuntu is a community developed operating system that combines elegance and ease of use. Xubuntu is an elegant and easy to use operating system. Xubuntu comes with Xfce, which is a stable, light and configurable desktop environment. Xubuntu is perfect for those who want the most out of their desktops, laptops and netbooks with a modern look and enough features for efficient, daily usage. It works well on older hardware too. Xubuntu is built around lightweight software with a lot of consideration for usability. Whether you have a high-end computer or even a moderately older machine, Xubuntu is able to provide you with a smooth and usable desktop experience. Benefiting of the Ubuntu hardware support, Xubuntu is able to work wonderfully with a wide variety of devices out of the box. Plug in your device, chances are it will work! Xubuntu has enough applications preinstalled for you to deal with daily tasks without having to install additional software. -
32
MidnightBSD
MidnightBSD
It includes all the software you'd expect for your daily tasks — email, web browsing, word processing, gaming, and much more. With a small community of dedicated developers, MidnightBSD strives to create an easy-to-use operating system everyone can use, freely. Available for x86, AMD64 and as Virtual Machines. The FreeBSD project has developed a reliable server operating environment, but often usability and performance on the desktop is overlooked. Scheduling, allocation of resources, security settings, and available application support should be tailored to desktop users. Many of the BSD projects are tailored to servers or older hardware. Others are distributions of FreeBSD with a nice graphical user interface, but still suffer from server-centric design under the hood. We did not fork FreeBSD as a result of a falling out, but rather as an excellent starting point.Starting Price: Free -
33
BlackBerry 10
BlackBerry
BlackBerry 10 is based on QNX, a Unix-like operating system. It supports the application framework Qt (version 4.8) and in some later models features an Android runtime to run Android applications. Prior to version 10.3.1, BlackBerry 10 also supported the Adobe AIR runtime. The user interface uses a combination of gestures and touch-based interactions for navigation and control, making it possible to control a device without having to press any physical buttons, with the exception of the power button that switches the device on or off. It also supports hardware keyboards, including ones which support touch input. The touchscreen is the predominant input method of BlackBerry 10, in addition to hardware keyboard for devices that have one. Users can use gestures and keyboard shortcuts to navigate around the system. BlackBerry 10 collates emails, SMS/MMS, calls and notifications into the BlackBerry Hub. -
34
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is a robust, scalable, and secure enterprise-grade operating system designed for businesses and organizations. It offers a reliable platform for running mission-critical workloads and applications across physical, virtual, and cloud environments. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server provides advanced features such as high availability, virtualization, and cloud integration, making it ideal for deploying complex IT infrastructures. It is known for its stability and long-term support, ensuring organizations can maintain a secure and consistent environment over time. SUSE's management tools allow for streamlined configuration and automation, simplifying the deployment and maintenance of servers. It supports a wide range of hardware architectures, including x86_64, ARM, and IBM Power, ensuring flexibility for various business needs. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is also optimized for performance, with strong security features.
-
35
BunsenLabs Linux
BunsenLabs
BunsenLabs Linux Lithium is a distribution offering a light-weight and easily customizable Openbox desktop. The project is a community continuation of CrunchBang Linux. The current release is derived from Debian 10. The distribution consists of configuration and resource packages installed on top of Debian. There are no changes to the way the Debian base system is administrated. Pre-configured Openbox window manager with tint2 panel, conky system monitor and jgmenu, a feature-rich desktop menu. Assortment of harmonising GTK2/3 themes, wallpapers and conky configurations. Various configuration and application utilities to maintain this system. Additional desktop-, multimedia- and hardware-related packages come pre-installed to offer a better “out-of-the-box” experience. There is no limit to customization. We offer combined live-CD and installation media for the Debian amd64 (x86-64) architectures and i386 (i686) architectures. -
36
CentOS
CentOS
CentOS Linux is a community-supported distribution derived from sources freely provided to the public on Red Hat or CentOS git for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). As such, CentOS Linux aims to be functionally compatible with RHEL. The CentOS Project mainly changes packages to remove upstream vendor branding and artwork. CentOS Linux is no-cost and free to redistribute. Each CentOS version is maintained until the equivalent RHEL version goes out of general support. A new CentOS version is made available once a new RHEL version is rebuilt - approximately every 6-12 months for minor point releases and several years for major version bumps. The length of time the rebuild takes varies from weeks for point releases to months for major version bumps. This results in a secure, low-maintenance, reliable, predictable and reproducible Linux environment. -
37
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is an enterprise Linux operating system, certified on hundreds of clouds and with thousands of vendors. Red Hat Enterprise Linux provides a consistent foundation across environments and the tools needed to deliver services and workloads faster for any application. Red Hat Enterprise Linux reduces deployment friction and costs while speeding time to value for critical workloads, enabling development and operations teams to innovate together in any environment. Red Hat Enterprise Linux extends your hybrid cloud infrastructure to the edge—across hundreds of thousands of nodes all over the world. Create edge-optimized OS images, minimize workload interruptions caused by OS updates, transfer system updates more efficiently, and have confidence in automatic health checks and rollbacks. Run purpose-built command line utilities to automate many inventory and remediation steps associated with upgrading your subscription or migrating from another Linux distro.Starting Price: $99 one-time payment -
38
Alpine Linux
Alpine Linux
Alpine Linux is an independent, non-commercial, general purpose Linux distribution designed for power users who appreciate security, simplicity and resource efficiency. Alpine Linux is built around musl libc and busybox. This makes it smaller and more resource efficient than traditional GNU/Linux distributions. A container requires no more than 8 MB and a minimal installation to disk requires around 130 MB of storage. Not only do you get a fully-fledged Linux environment but a large selection of packages from the repository. Binary packages are thinned out and split, giving you even more control over what you install, which in turn keeps your environment as small and efficient as possible. Alpine Linux is a very simple distribution that will try to stay out of your way. It uses its own package manager called apk, the OpenRC init system, script driven set-ups and that’s it! This provides you with a simple, crystal-clear Linux environment without all the noise. -
39
Freespire
PC/OpenSystems LLC
The Freespire Operating System is the open source and free release of the commercial Linspire operating system. It contains many of the same software packages as Linspire with the exception of the software that requires us to purchase a license to redistribute. You are free to redistribute Freespire as you wish. Freespire requires an x86_64 bit processor, 4 gb of RAM and at least a 20 gb hard drive to run a basic productivity environment. For optimal performance we recommend at least 6 - 8 gb of RAM for users who want to run emulation software such as VMWare or VirtualBox. For users who need to run software like CAD programs, Video or Audio production we recommend at least 8 gb or more. You can also install Freespire as standalone or dual boot on Intel based Apple Macintoshes.Starting Price: Free -
40
BlackArch Linux
BlackArch Linux
BlackArch Linux is an Arch Linux-based penetration testing distribution for penetration testers and security researchers. You can install tools individually or in groups. BlackArch Linux is compatible with existing Arch installs. The BlackArch Full ISO contains multiple window managers. The BlackArch Slim ISO features XFCE Desktop Enviroment. The full ISO contains a complete, functional BlackArch Linux system with all the available tools in the repo at build time. The slim ISO contains a functional BlackArch Linux system with a selected set of common/well-known tools and system utilities for pentesting. The netinstall ISO is a lightweight image for bootstrapping machines with a minimal set of packages. BlackArch Linux is compatible with existing/normal Arch installations. It acts as an unofficial user repository. You can install BlackArch Linux using the Slim medium which features GUI installer. -
41
Minoca OS
Minoca
Minoca OS is an open-source, general purpose operating system designed specifically for feature-rich embedded devices. It's got all the high-level functionality that you've come to expect from an operating system, but offers it in a fraction of the memory footprint. The driver API separates device drivers from the kernel, enabling driver binaries to remain compatible even when the kernel is updated. Driver separation allows for automatic loading and unloading of device drivers on demand. Hardware layer API allows for a single unified kernel, even on ARM. No need to maintain a separate kernel fork. A unified power management architecture allows for smarter power management decisions, leading to better device battery life. Fewer background tasks and wake-ups from idle means machines can reach deeper idle states and save even more power. Proprietary and non-GPL source licenses are available, keeping options open for your customers and end users. -
42
Slax
Slax
Slax is a modern, portable, small and fast Linux operating system with modular approach and outstanding design. It runs directly from your USB flash drive without installing, so you can carry it everywhere you go in your pocket. Despite its small size, Slax provides nice graphical user interface and wise selection of pre-installed programs, such as a Web browser, Terminal, and more. Slax is now based on Debian, which gives you the ability to benefit from its entire ecosystem. Tens of thousands of prebuilt packages with applications, all within reach thanks to apt command. Major milestones for next Slax versions are tracked and funded through Patreon website and you can accelerate their development with a financial contribution. I am updating Slax regularly on my own to keep it up to date, but some features requested by users are implemented only after they are backed by sufficient amount of patrons.Starting Price: $29.95 one-time payment -
43
PureOS
PureOS
A user friendly, secure and freedom respecting OS for your daily usage. With PureOS, you are the only one in control of your digital life. We've created a new, more stable version of PureOS, with the same great privacy protecting features and software but with a more solid foundation. Greater stability through following a stable upstream. New security and update software channels. New tooling for managing older versions of TPM chips. Changes to make the Librem Key work out of the box. Lots of bug fixes and the healing of paper cuts. Whether you are a technology enthusiast, someone looking to protect the digital life of your family, or an enterprise IT/security department, you can use PureOS freely for any purpose, study and share its source code, and adapt it to your needs. PureOS is a fully auditable operating system, you don’t have to trust our word that it respects and protects you, it is independently verifiable by security experts and software developers around the world. -
44
BlackBerry QNX
BlackBerry QNX
Launch your critical embedded systems faster with our commercial RTOS, development tools and services. BlackBerry QNX delivers a time-tested real-time operating system (RTOS), hypervisor, and other embedded software to help make you successful. We are the embedded OS of choice for ventilators, train controls, factory automation systems, medical robots and more. Whether your priority is safety certification, security or performance, our software, tools and services can help you build more reliable products. If you’re looking to increase security or safety, or you want to streamline your cross-platform development process, we can help. We can bring your plans to life with an RTOS and hypervisor purpose-built for embedded systems, including pre-certified product variants. Our modular microkernel architecture delivers better reliability and saves duplication of OS development effort across multiple products. -
45
Windows 7
Microsoft
Windows 7 is an operating system for PC created by Microsoft. Windows 7 is not as current as Windows 10/11. Windows 7 was actively supported from October 2009 until January 2020. Many organizations still use Windows 7, even though it is not actively supported. It's recommended to upgrade to Windows 10/11. -
46
Artix Linux
Artix Linux
Artix Linux is a rolling-release distribution, based on Arch Linux. It uses real init systems because PID1 must be simple, secure, and stable. It is possible to install any init system (openrc, runit, s6, suite66, or dinit) from any ISO. Artix can either be installed through the console or the GUI installer. There are 3 different kinds of installation media Artix currently provides, base, graphical, and community. Unless you really know your way around Linux, use a community edition. The base installation can be performed from within any ISO; this may prove useful to people who have trouble getting their wireless network cards to work or for any reason need an active graphical environment during installation. You can also install a different init system than that of the installation medium. Base ISOs allow for a fully customised installation, which is done in a TTY and is intended for knowledgeable users.Starting Price: Free -
47
FreeBSD
FreeBSD
FreeBSD offers advanced networking, performance, security and compatibility features today which are still missing in other operating systems, even some of the best commercial ones. FreeBSD makes an ideal Internet or Intranet server. It provides robust network services under the heaviest loads and uses memory efficiently to maintain good response times for thousands of simultaneous user processes. FreeBSD brings advanced network operating system features to appliance and embedded platforms, from higher-end Intel-based appliances to ARM, PowerPC, and MIPS hardware platforms. From mail and web appliances to routers, time servers, and wireless access points, vendors around the world rely on FreeBSD’s integrated build and cross-build environments and advanced features as the foundation for their embedded products. And the Berkeley open source license lets them decide how many of their local changes they want to contribute back.Starting Price: Free -
48
OpenMandriva
OpenMandriva
OpenMandriva Lx is a unique and independent distribution and direct descendant of Mandriva Linux. The OpenMandriva Association's goal is to develop a pragmatic distribution that provides the best user experience for everyone, from newbies to developers. We will achieve our objectives for the best balance between the most modern features and stability. Our roots are in Mandrake and its traditions, we are a worldwide community of people who are passionate about free software working together and take our technical and strategic decisions in a collaborative manner. We do not just build a Linux distro, we exchange knowledge and make new friends. Welcome to OpenMandriva Community! Click here to know who are us and what we are doing. A free Desktop Operating System which aims to stimulate and interest first time and advanced users alike. It has the breadth and depth of an advanced system but is designed to be simple and straightforward in use. -
49
SUSE Linux Micro
SUSE
SUSE Linux Micro is a lightweight, container-optimized Linux operating system designed for edge computing and microservices environments. It offers a small footprint with security and performance optimized for deploying containerized applications. The platform enables fast, scalable, and cost-efficient cloud-native development, especially in resource-constrained environments. With built-in automation tools and compatibility with Kubernetes, SUSE Linux Micro supports seamless integration into modern containerized infrastructures. It is ideal for developers and IT operations teams who need to deploy and manage applications across distributed environments efficiently. -
50
SONiC
NVIDIA Networking
NVIDIA offers pure SONiC, a community-developed, open-source, Linux-based network operating system that has been hardened in the data centers of some of the largest cloud service providers. Pure SONiC through NVIDIA removes distribution limitations and lets enterprises take full advantage of the benefits of open networking—as well as the NVIDIA expertise, experience, training, documentation, professional services, and support that best guarantee success. NVIDIA provides support for Free Range Routing (FRR), SONiC, Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI), systems, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC)—all in one place. Unlike a distribution, SONiC doesn’t require reliance upon a single vendor for roadmap additions, bug fixes, or security patches. With SONiC, you can achieve unified management with existing management tools across the data center.
