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Distributions and Operating Systems: Nitrux, Distros That Look Better Than Vista 11, and Kolibri OS
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XDA ☛ Nitrux proves that using a fancy new Linux distro isn't always a good idea
One of the great things about the Linux world is that, as an open ecosystem, it opens up the possibility for just about anyone to create their own modifications and distribute them to others who might have the same needs and tastes. From that basic idea, a very wide range of Linux distributions has arisen over the years, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint, or Arch Linux.
But for every big Linux distro you've likely heard of, there are numerous options out there maintained by a very small community, or arfe heavily dependent on other distros or software components and the way they do things. We've covered some of these smaller distros on XDA, too, such as AnduinOS and, more recently, Nitrux. And while these distros can do important things right for a lot of people, they come with a big downside: you can't really trust them to be around for too long. And in fact, Nitrux is a big example of this.
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XDA ☛ 4 Linux distros that look better than Windows 11 and macOS combined
Windows and macOS users cherish the design and UI improvements that have happened in the last decade. Both operating systems look incredibly polished and set a great example of what a computer OS should look like. Linux has always tried to reach that same finesse, and you'll have numerous distros trying to look as good as the mainstream operating systems. However, not every Linux distro has a praiseworthy visual appearance.
Over the years, I've tried several Linux distros, and some try to stand out. These Linux distributions offer an incredibly polished visual appearance and are perfect for users transitioning to Linux. They're easy to navigate and try to change the notion that Linux distributions can't look as good as macOS or Windows. Let's discuss my favourite ones.
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HowTo Geek ☛ The smallest desktop OS you’ve never heard of
KolibriOS is an open-source project that brings you an entire operating system in just over a megabyte. The operating system has a graphical interface and lots of neat utilities and games. Let's boot into it.
Booting into Kolibri OS
Kolibri OS comes in multiple versions and the smallest of those is a floppy disk image that only weighs 1.4MB. I downloaded the floppy disk image off the KolibriOS website, but I don't have a floppy disk or a floppy disk drive, so in order to run it, I had to run it inside a virtual machine. Virtual machine software lets you virtualize hardware like floppy disk drives, so you can run floppy disk images. Kolibri OS boots directly off the floppy disk, so it doesn't require an installation.