Free & Open Source Operating System List

This Wikipage lists recommended Free and Open Source Operating Systems (OS) Solutions for everybody.

Quite many Free OS you can test as live CD/DVD or from an USB medium.

To sort the data, click on the grey icon right to a column name at the top of the table.

Name	Category	Based on	Default GUI	D/L	URL	Notes	Free *
Absolute Linux	LIGHT, Desktop	GNU/Linux, Slackware	Fluxbox, IceWM	[1]	Home	Screenshots
Arch Linux	MINI, Desktop, Rescue	GNU/Linux, Pacman	Bash	[2]	Home	Screenshots
Ark Linux	EASY, Desktop	GNU/Linux	KDE	[3]	Home	Screenshots
BeleniX	Desktop, LiveCD	Solaris	KDE, Xfce	[4]	Home	Screenshots
Berry Linux	LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Fedora	KDE	[5]	Home	Screenshots
blackPanther OS	Desktop, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, Mandriva	KDE	[6]	Home	Video
Blag	Desktop	GNU/Linux, Fedora	GNOME	[7]	Home	Screenshots	100%
CentOS	Desktop, Server, Live CD	GNU/Linux, Fedora	GNOME, KDE	[8]	Home	Screenshots
Chakra	Desktop, Live CD	GNU/Linux, Arch	KDE	[9]	Home	Screenshots
ClearOS	Security, Server	GNU/Linux, Fedora	(none)	[10]	Home	Screenshots
CrunchBang Linux	EASY, LIGHT, Desktop	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Openbox	[11]	Home	Screenshots
Crux	Desktop	GNU/Linux, Pacman	Openbox	[12]	Home
Damn Small Linux	MINI, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	Fluxbox	[13]	Home	Screenshot
Debian GNU/Linux	Desktop, Server, LiveCD	GNU/Linux	GNOME, LXDE, KDE, Xfce	[14]	Home	Screenshots
Dragora	Desktop	GNU/Linux	IceWM, Scrotwm, Xfce	[15]	Home	Screenshots	100%
Dreamlinux	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	GNOME, Xfce	[16]	Home	Screenshots
dyne:bolic	Media Production, LiveCD	GNU/Linux	Xfce	[17]	Home	Screenshots	100%
Easy Peasy	EASY, Desktop, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	GNOME	[18]	Home	Screenshots
Element	EASY, MultiMedia, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	GNOME	[19]	Home	Screenshots
Elive	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	GNOME	[20]	Home	Screenshots
Fedora	Desktop, Server, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, RPM	GNOME	[21]	Home	Screenshots
Foresight Linux	Desktop, Education	GNU/Linux, rPath	GNOME, Xfce	[22]	Home	LiveCD, Screenshots
Free BSD	Desktop, Rescue, Server	BSD	GNOME	[23]	Home	LiveCD, Screenshots
Frugalware Linux	Desktop	GNU/Linux, Pacman	KDE	[24]	Home	Screenshots
Gentoo Linux	Desktop, Rescue, Server	GNU/Linux	KDE (and others)	[25]	Home	Screenshots
gNewSense	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	GNOME	[26]	Home	Screenshots	100%
GoblinX	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slackware	KDE (and others)	[27]	Home	Screenshots
Hymeria	Desktop	GNU/Linux, Debian	GNOME	[28]	Home	Screenshots
Igelle	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux	Esther	[29]	Home	Screenshots
Kanotix	Desktop, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, Debian	KDE	[30]	Home	Screenshots
Knoppix	LIGHT, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	LXDE	[31]	Home	Screenshots
Kubuntu	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	KDE	[32]	Home	Screenshots
Linpus Linux	Desktop, Server, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Fedora	GNOME, KDE, Xfce	[33]	Home	Screenshots
Linux Mint	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	GNOME	[34]	Home	Screenshots
Lubuntu	LIGHT, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	LXDE	[35]	Home	Screenshots
Mandriva Linux	Desktop, Server, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, RPM	GNOME, KDE, TWM, Xfce	[36]	Home	Screenshots
MEPIS Linux	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	KDE	[37]	Home	Screenshots
Moblin	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Fedora	Moblin (for netbooks)	[38]	Home	Screenshots
moonOS	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Enlightenment, LXDE	[39]	Home	Screenshots
Musix GNU+Linux	Media Production, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Knoppix	IceWM	[40]	Home	Screenshots	100%
Myah OS	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slax	GNOME, KDE	[41]	Home	Screenshots
Open BSD	Security, Server	BSD	FVWM (X11), Pdksh	[42]	Home
Open Solaris	Desktop, LiveCD	Solaris	GNOME	[43]	Home	Screenshots
Open SUSE	Desktop, Server, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, RPM	KDE	[44]	Home	Screenshots
Parabola GNU/Linux	MINI, Desktop, Rescue	GNU/Linux, ArchLinux	Bash	[45]	Home	Screenshots	100%
Pardus Linux	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux	KDE	[46]	Home	Screenshots
Parsix GNU/Linux	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	GNOME	[47]	Home	Screenshots
PC/OS	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Xfce	[48]	Home	Screenshots
PCLinuxOS	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Mandriva	Openbox	[49]	Home	Screenshots
Pentoo	Security, Live CD	GNU/Linux, Gentoo	Enlightenment	[50]	Home	Screenshots
PLoP Linux	Rescue, Live CD	GNU/Linux	(none)	[51]	Home	Screenshots
PUD GNU/Linux	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Ion, Xfce	[52]	Home	Screenshots
Puppy Linux	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slackware	Fluxbox, KDE	[53]	Home	Screenshots
Puredyne	Media Production, LiveMedium	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Xfce	[54]	Home	Screenshots
PureOS	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	KDE, Xfce	[55]	Home	Screenshots
ReactOS	Desktop	Win32	GUI (Windows Clone)	[56]	Home	Screenshots
Sabayon Linux	EASY, Desktop, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, Gentoo	GNOME, KDE	[57]	Home	Screenshots
SaxenOS	LIGHT, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slax	LXDE	[58]	Home	Screenshots
Sidux	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	Fluxbox, KDE, Xfce	[59]	Home	Screenshots
Slackware	Desktop, Server	GNU/Linux	KDE, Xfce	[60]	Home	Screenshots
Slax	MINI, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slackware	KDE	[61]	Home	Screenshots
SliTaz	MINI, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slackware	JWM, Xfce	[62]	Home	Screenshots
Super OS	EASY, Desktop, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	GNOME	[63]	Home	Screenshots
SystemRescueCD	Rescue, Live CD	GNU/Linux, Gentoo	Xfce	[64]	Home	Screenshots
Tiny Core Linux	MINI, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux	BusyBox, FLWM	[65]	Home	Screenshots
Tiny Hat Linux	Desktop	GNU/Linux, Gentoo	GNOME	[66]	Home	Screenshots
TinyME	MINI, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Mandriva	Openbox	[67]	Home	Screenshots
Trisquel GNU/Linux	Desktop, Education, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	GNOME	[68]	Home	Screenshots	100%
Ubuntu	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	GNOME	[69]	Home	Screenshots
Ubuntu Studio	Media Production, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, Debian	GNOME	[70]	Home	Screenshots
Ultimate Edition	Desktop, LiveDVD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	GNOME, KDE, Xfce	[71]	Home	Screenshots
Unity Linux	MINI, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Mandriva	Openbox	[72]	Home	Screenshots
Ututo	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Gentoo	GNOME (and more)	[73]	Home	Screenshots	100%
Vector Linux	MINI, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slackware	KDE (and others)	[74]	Home	Screenshots
Venenux	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Debian	KDE	[75]	Home	Screenshots	100%
VortexBox	EASY, Multimedia	GNU/Linux, Fedora	(none)	[76]	Home	Screenshots
Vyatta	Security, Firewall	GNU/Linux, Debian	(none)	[77]	Home	Screenshots
wattOS	LIGHT, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Openbox	[78]	Home	Screenshots
Wolvix GNU/Linux	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Slax	Fluxbox, Openbox, Xfce	[79]	Home	Screenshots
Xubuntu	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Xfce	[80]	Home	Screenshots
Yoper Linux	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux	Fluxbox, KDE	[81]	Home	Screenshots
Zenwalk	Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux	GNOME, WMaker, Xfce	[82]	Home	Screenshots
ZevenOS	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	Xfce	[83]	Home	Screenshots
Zorin OS	EASY, Desktop, LiveCD	GNU/Linux, Ubuntu	GNOME	[84]	Home	Screenshots