If I was put on the spot, as I often am, these would be my picks for each section. You’re mileage may vary but instead of the usual “There is no best Linux distribution!” I’m going to take a risk and give you the answers you want!
If you’re a Newbie: Ubuntu
If you’re looking to learn a little more: Fedora
If you’re an experienced Linux user: Gentoo
If you want a small, fast, system that you will run from CD or USB Key: Puppy Linux
If you have an older system or want a troubleshooting tool: DSL (Damn Small Linux)
Live CDs are an excellent way to test drive any or all Linux distributions. Most major distributions offer a Live CD with which you can run the Linux distribution from the CD without making any changes to your system. This gives users the chance to get a feel for each Linux distribution before installing it to their hard drive. I highly recommend downloading all Live CDs before making your final decision on which Linux distribution is right for you. Here are links to the Live CDs of the Linux distributions mentioned in this article:
While it’s true there is no best Linux distribution that will satisfy the needs of all users there are definite front runners when it comes to satisfying the needs of specific users.
The closest thing we have to a household name in the Linux community at the present time is Ubuntu. Dell picking up the Ubuntu Linux distribution and shipping new PCs with it pre-installed was a major step in the right direction as far as bringing Linux into the mainstream. Keep in mind the above is not a definitive list of the best Linux distributions for every task.
Should we want to get even more specific we could delve into the best Linux distribution for audio and video editing (Ubuntu Studio), a Linux distribution aimed at educators (Edubuntu), and many other specialized Linux distributions. For the time being I will leave you with the above recommendations and hope I’ve done my part to answer the question “Which Linux distribution is best for me?” Until next time. Keep it open source.