The 5 Best Immutable, Rock-Solid Linux Distros

Is Linux still nosy if it's harder to break?

Linux has agelong been a dependable operating system, but caller versions utilize technologies that make your desktop moreover harder to break. Add successful nan expertise to easy rotation backmost to erstwhile versions of software, and it's easy to spot why group are excited astir "immutable" versions of Linux. Want to spot for yourself what nan hype is about? These are nan champion options disposable today.

1. Fedora Silverblue

Fedora Silverblue is 1 of nan earliest immutable versions of accepted desktop Linux. But what does that mean? In short, Fedora Silverblue ships pinch nan full strategy provided arsenic 1 elephantine constituent that you switch whenever you download a strategy update (one that is besides read-only). This is an attack akin to that of Android, Chromebooks, and macOS. It stops a azygous corrupted strategy record from preventing your full PC from booting.

There are galore different benefits speech from dependability. For starters, Fedora Silverblue uses nan Flatpak format for apps, which travel pinch a grade of sandboxing to amended security. You tin besides move betwixt desktop environments aliases effort retired beta versions of Fedora without risking nan stableness of your system.

2. NixOS

NixOS has been astir for decades, but successful galore ways, it's nan caller hotness. The task has attracted attraction for building a workable Linux strategy atop nan Nix package manager, which uses an attack to installing package that makes systems easier to group up and reproduce crossed galore machines. How? You tin configure an full strategy by editing a azygous file. You tin besides easy rotation backmost to erstwhile versions of an app aliases your full desktop.

NixOS has a dense learning curve, but if you're consenting to put successful nan time, it whitethorn besides travel pinch nan astir reward.

3. Endless OS

Endless OS is an unconventional type of Linux. It's intended neither for endeavor usage nor arsenic a desktop PC for machine enthusiasts. Rather, it's an effort to bring computing to nan masses of group learning really to usage a PC for nan first time, positive those surviving successful parts of nan world wherever reliable net is not thing that tin beryllium taken for granted.

In practice, this intends Endless OS is an operating package that comes pinch overmuch of nan desktop package you mightiness request already pre-installed. And that doesn't simply mean an agency suite and a fistful of games. Here you tin find a afloat replicated offline type of Wikipedia, integrated into nan benignant of customized desktop encyclopedia app communal successful nan 90s and early 2000s.

4. SteamOS

Valve's desktop is simply a small different from nan options above. That's because you can't instal SteamOS connected a PC you already own. Yet SteamOS remains possibly nan astir accessible type of Linux. Why? Because it ships arsenic portion of each Steam Deck.

Yes, Valve's handheld whitethorn service chiefly arsenic a crippled console, but each Steam Deck comes pinch a desktop mode powered by KDE Plasma. While SteamOS whitethorn not beryllium a full-featured type of Linux, it's beautiful close.

5. Vanilla OS

Vanilla OS is nan slightest mature option, and, sorry, it doesn't yet really suffice arsenic rock-solid. There are bugs for those brave capable to beryllium early adopters. But it's nan astir established prime for those looking for an immutable, Ubuntu-based distro (though newer versions are based connected Debian). That makes it an action worthy considering for nan many, galore desktop Linux users who are astir acquainted pinch Ubuntu and Debian-based tools. Well, astatine slightest until Canonical's snap-only type of Ubuntu comes along.

Vanilla OS justifies attraction successful its ain right. The desktop comes pinch Distrobox-like functionality, enabling you to instal package packages intended for different Linux distributions onto a azygous machine.

Immutability Is nan Future of Desktop Linux

Immutable distros pinch read-only strategy files travel pinch their pros and cons. Many group for illustration nan state that comes pinch nan older, accepted Linux desktop. But desktop PCs that are much difficult to break are amended suited for wide marketplace adoption, which is why nan astir consumer-oriented Linux devices, specified arsenic Chromebooks and nan Steam Deck, travel pinch immutable operating systems.

Linux desktops ranging from Ubuntu and Fedora to elementaryOS each intend to beryllium immutable successful nan future, but for early adopters, nan acquisition is disposable today.