Behind every mobile and internet technology there are impressions of Linux here and there. And if you are a programmer or developer you need to be familiar with Linux and its technologies. Linux and its community are full of programmers and developers from around the world.
Linux has so many distributions which are concentrating on normal day-to-day user with more graphical user interface for them which used to otherwise with command line all over space. But there are many communities those who are still focusing on programming fraternity with more programmers and developers friendly Linux distributions.
I think Operating Systems matter most to the programmers and developers than anyone else in the world because more the operating systems flexible enough with is application, the more he will make computing easier. So today in this article I’m going to give you 5 best Linux distributions which you guys will find great for programming as well as web development.
Ubuntu
Well everyone has heard of this name. Ubuntu become very popular Linux distro in no time and became favorite operating system of almost all the major computer and software vendors from around the world. Hence many popular software vendors ship there software with .deb package which is a default package manager in Ubuntu.
Easy software installation with package managers like .deb, Snap and many other features which makes it one of the most easy to use Linux distros. That’s what makes Ubuntu favorite operating system of not only programmers and developers but also newbies. Ubuntu has so much to offer for professional programmers and developers and for those who want to start coding. Thanks to package managers like Snap, there is massive number of software packages available to match needs of every programmer and developer community.
Many modern Integrated Development Environments (IDVs) are available for direct download and install in Ubuntu Software Centre. These IDVs will make your programming task easier and you will enjoy coding.
Ubuntu is backed and supported by massively large highly active community where you can test your work and get your queries answered. Ubuntu has everything that any professional programmer or developer will ask for in his/her ideal operating system.
System Requirements
- Processor: 2 GHz Dual Core Processor
- RAM: 2 GB or higher
- Hard Drive: 25 GB
Arch Linux
Arch Linux is simple and lightweight but really very powerful Linux distro built especially for Linux faithful’s. It is one of the best Linux distros for all the Linux programmers and developers. It is highly customizable OS backed by highly experienced programming community which will help you test your program and tweak the operating system according to your needs.
Arch Linux ships-in with the Linux kernel and package manager named Pacman which helps you install, update or remove any software package on the system. It sports a minimal user interface with no graphics at all hence it is an ideal distro for those who only want to focus on programming and development.
You can start customizing Arch Linux right from its installation which is a great option for advanced users but newbies might struggle a bit at start with its complex structure. You can install limited but useful packages while installing Arch Linux, this will give you great programming environment.
Thanks to great community, Arch Linux gets regular and timely updates which help you keep your operating system in its best possible form every time you code.
System Requirements
- Processor: 2 GHz Dual Core Processor
- RAM: 512 MB or higher
- Hard Drive: 20 GB
Pop!_OS
Pop!_OS is modern Ubuntu based Linux distribution which sports custom GNOME desktop environment. The efforts put on by System76 team behind the Pop!_OS user interface is unbelievable, it’s one of the best working environment you will ever find on any Linux distribution.
System76’s primary motive behind building Pop!_OS is to provide proper programming environment to software developers, makers and computer science professionals. Many of you would be thinking why there is need to be forced into System76 laptop or computer to work on Pop!_OS because it is almost replica of Ubuntu. Answer is, System76 ships computers and laptops with powerful hardware which will prove very useful if one of you is looking to develop and work on large application software.
If you’re going to work around large database and big code which require very high processing power then we would suggest you to go for Pop!_OS on System76 hardware.
System Requirements
- Processor: 64-bit Processor
- RAM: 2 GB or higher
- Hard Drive: 16 GB
Debian
There are only few Linux distros out there which are not based on or built around Debian. Ubuntu which is very popular among Linux users is developed on the top of Debian. There should be something perfect in Debian that is why many Linux distros are built around Debian.
Debian is best distro to start developing any software or application for various Linux distros because it features large number of software in its repository. That is one of the reasons it is regarded as the Developers operating system.
Testing your work and getting your issues solved will be very easy on Debian because it features large number of tutorials which will always help you improve. There is something more for advance programmers and developers as well as system administrators, debain features lot of software especially for testing which are stable and highly reliable.
System Requirements
- Processor: 1 GHz Pentium 4 Processor or higher
- RAM: 512 MB or higher
- Hard Drive: 10 GB or higher
openSUSE
openSUSE is very popular among developers for its timely developments and the regular release of tiny but useful updates. It is a great competitor to Ubuntu in terms of features and programmer friendly environment. It sports YaST package manager which makes easier for you to automate some tasks.
openSUSE is one of the most stable Linux distros out there and its repository is big pool of packages which makes it ideal distro for programmers and developers. It has great community support and you get professional experience while working on it.
System Requirements
- Processor: 4 GHz Pentium 4 Processor or higher
- RAM: 1 GB or higher
- Hard Drive: 5 GB or higher
So these are the picks for 5 best Linux distros which are great for programming and application development. If you work on any other distro then feel free to share your experience at @LinuxHint and @SwapTirthakar.
